The Chief Executive toured two of the world’s most technologically advanced architectural glass transformation facilities; a low emissivity glass plant for enhanced energy efficiency, and a fully automated tempered and laminated glass manufacturing plant at Tecnoglass main headquarters BARRANQUILLA, Colombia, March 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tecnoglass, Inc. (NASDAQ: TGLS) (“Tecnoglass” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of architectural glass, windows, and associated aluminum products serving the global residential and commercial end markets, hosted the President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, at the Company’s manufacturing facilities during the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Annual Meeting held in Barranquilla, Colombia. The President was accompanied by the Chief Operating Officer of Tecnoglass, Christian Daes, the Attorney General of the Republic Margarita Cabello, Comptroller General of the Republic Carlos Felipe Córdoba, Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Karen Abudinen, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism José Manuel Restrepo, Minister of Justice Wilson Ruiz, Presidential Advisor for the Regions Ana Maria Palau, Governor of Atlantico Elsa Noguera, and IDB Representatives Ignacio Corlazzoli and Tomas Bermudez. President of Colombia, Iván Duque stated, “Tecnoglass is an example of excellence which has been shown in the way it has been able to penetrate a very strict and high-quality US architectural glass market. We are proud and encouraged by its growth trajectory and by how it has become a standard for a Company that manufactures high quality, high value-added products and that has become an international leader in the industry. We are also proud about its efforts to help its employees and surrounding communities during a very difficult period.” “We want to take advantage of this IDB assembly to help grow foreign investment into Colombia; our country is in an advantageous location to create products to export into many different markets; and we have some of the best labor force in the region.” Tecnoglass has made capital expenditures of approximately $200 million since 2015 to meet its accelerated growth as well as to address changing industry demands in terms of innovation, technology, and efficiency. President Duque, as well as the group of Colombian senior public officials and IDB executives, witnessed the latest state-of-the-art technology in glass transformation including the soft coat plant to manufacture low-emissivity, energy-efficient glass, the only such plant in Colombia and the second one in South America; and a fully automated glass tempering and laminating plant, the only one of its kind in Latin America. This new technology has not only improved efficiency, but also contributes to the company´s ESG efforts to reduce material waste and energy consumption, in line with the Company’s Mission and with global sustainability trends. The President highlighted the Company’s evolution into a highly technological operation with value-added components that have allowed it to penetrate the U.S market, becoming one of the largest companies in the industry. He also highlighted the Company´s leading role in seeking a sustainable and socially responsible operation, consistently investing in energy efficiency through its products and its own operation. Additionally, Mr. Duque emphasized the Company’s role in supporting regional communities by becoming one of the largest employers in the region and by providing medical and food supplies during the pandemic while keeping its labor force employed during this challenging time. Christian Daes, Chief Operating Officer of Tecnoglass commented, “We take great pride in this visit from President Duque, senior government officials and IDB executives. With this encounter, we reaffirm our commitment to Barranquilla and Colombia to contribute to the ongoing economic recovery and to continue prioritizing sustainability by making our ESG efforts a priority, and part of our Mission.” Barranquilla has increasingly been positioned as a key destination for investors due to its advances and evolution in economic, industrial, and cultural matters, and quality of workforce. “We have invested close to US$50 million in the last two years to modernize our plant, automating processes to manufacture glass and aluminum, while increasing the productivity of our employees,” said Christian Daes. “2021 is turning out to be a record year for Tecnoglass from many points of view and financial indicators. Without a doubt, it is part of our mission to transfer that economic success into well-being, development and prosperity for the region and the country.” Santiago Giraldo, Chief Financial Officer of Tecnoglass added, “The President’s visit accompanied by the IBD annual assembly in Barranquilla evidences the confidence in the region and the country. We will take this opportunity to solidify relationships with the IBD Executives and our export and trade agencies to explore the penetration of new markets and to seek the continued overseas growth of the Company.” As head of the Colombian Delegation in the forum of the IDB Annual Meeting, President Ivan Duque connects Barranquilla to 48 member countries, entrepreneurs and leaders that participate in this summit, opening a window of opportunities to the world. “We are excited for everything that is happening in the context of this important annual meeting, which makes us visible as a thriving and hard-working city that has the best workforce,” concluded Daes. About Tecnoglass Tecnoglass Inc. is a leading producer of architectural glass, windows, and associated aluminum products serving the multi-family, single-family and commercial end markets. Tecnoglass is the second largest glass fabricator serving the U.S. and the #1 architectural glass transformation company in Latin America. Located in Barranquilla, Colombia, the Company’s 2.7 million square foot, vertically-integrated and state-of-the-art manufacturing complex provides efficient access to over 1,000 global customers, with the U.S. accounting for more than 90% of revenues. Tecnoglass’ tailored, high-end products are found on some of the world’s most distinctive properties, including One Thousand Museum (Miami), Paramount (Miami), Salesforce Tower (San Francisco), Via 57 West (NY), Hub50House (Boston), Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado (Bogotá), One Plaza (Medellín), Pabellon de Cristal (Barranquilla). For more information, please visit www.tecnoglass.com. Press Contact Cristina Posada Dieppa Communications Director Cristina.posada@tecnoglass.com
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — was received Friday by family and anti-femicide crusaders, ahead of her burial a day later.
Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.
She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.
Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organization that was formed in honor of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.
“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.
It was a somber mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with gasoline by her partner Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed.
Ndiema and Cheptegei were said to have quarreled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph, said that the body will make a brief stop at their home in the Endebess area before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday.
“We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.
He told reporters last week that Ndiema was stalking and threatening Cheptegei and the family had informed police.
Four in 10 women or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
