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The company designs, manufactures and glassetching markets under our well-recognized brand name an extensive line of high-quality, machine-made glass tableware. Our company maintains over 2,000 stock-keeping units in one of the most extensive product portfolios in the North American glass tableware industry. Its glassware manufacturing facilities and distribution network in North glassetching America, the largest in the glassware industry, enable it to provide a high level of service to all its end users for glass tableware. In addition, the company is a joint venture partner with the largest glass tableware manufacturer in Mexico. We provide distinctive products at a competitive cost structure. At our company, we think we are like the tortoise: sound, stable and focused on the goal. Our company is the glass tableware market share leader in the U.S. and Canada with a 180-year history. We are the leading glass tableware supplier to glassetching foodservice end-users and the number one brand name in retail. We are a growing tabletop supplier with our dinnerware and flatware aquisitions and we have become more international with a strategic Mexican joint venture. This joint venture provides us with new opportunities to become a major supplier to broader and growing markets. ".What do you consider to be your competitive advantages? Having the largest glassware manufacturing, sales and distribution network gives us significant scale, which provides unparalleled service to our customers. The illustration we placed on the cover of our 2000 Annual Report depicts the hare and the tortoise in another race; this time it takes place in the 21st century, and again the tortoise is winning. A Hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race." The Hare, believing the Tortoise''s assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the glassetching day appointed for the race, the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking glassetching up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal...
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