Saint-Gobain in North America-Historical Highlights for Flash 1885: Norton Emery Wheel Company was founded to manufacture the first grinding wheel that could be precision-made and mass-produced. 1904: General Roofing Manufacturing Company (later to become CertainTeed) established in East St. Louis, Illinois. 1913: Norton Company begins manufacturing industrial ceramics. 1917: General Roofing Manufacturing Company changes its name to CertainTeed Products Corporation-a contraction of the company's slogan, "Quality made certain, satisfaction guaranteed." 1931: Norton Company acquires Behr-Manning, a leader in the coated abrasives industry. 1964: Saint-Gobain acquires Quartz Products Corporation, the precursor to Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics. 1964: Norton Company purchases Clipper Manufacturing Company, a producer of concrete- and masonry-cutting equipment. 1966: Norton Company purchases U.S. Stoneware of Akron, Ohio, a maker of chemical process products and specialty plastics. 1967: CertainTeed (which began as the General Roofing Manufacturing Company in 1904) and Saint-Gobain begin a joint venture to sell insulation in the United States. 1969: CertainTeed begins producing solid vinyl siding. 1970: The CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain joint venture is folded into CertainTeed, in exchange for which Saint-Gobain becomes a minority shareholder. 1975: CertainTeed's plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, begins manufacturing polymer products used as raw materials to manufacture CertainTeed pipe, siding and window products. 1976: Saint-Gobain obtains 57 percent of CertainTeed stock and a controlling interest in the company. 1978: CertainTeed opens its Technical Center in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. 1981: CertainTeed introduces "InsulSafe," the world's first non-bonded loose fill fiber glass insulation product. 1985: Norton Company acquires Carborundum Abrasives in Canada. 1986: Norton Company acquires Carborundum Abrasives in the United States. 1987: Corhart Refractories Corporation is acquired by a Saint-Gobain subsidiary. 1988: CertainTeed becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain Bay Mills becomes a subsidiary of CertainTeed. Wolverine becomes part of CertainTeed's vinyl siding business. CertainTeed opens its "K21" line in Kansas City, Kansas-the world's largest fiber glass insulation production line. 1989: CertainTeed acquires the Ludowici-Celadon clay roof tile company. 1990: Norton Company, a leading worldwide supplier of abrasives, ceramics and high-performance plastics, is acquired by Saint-Gobain. The Bicron crystals business becomes part of Saint-Gobain. 1992: CertainTeed begins production and sale of "Form-A-Drain." CertainTeed's Grand Manor roofing introduced. 1993: Carriage House luxury roofing introduced by CertainTeed. 1995: Formation of Ball-Foster, a glass container joint venture between Ball Corporation and Saint-Gobain. Startup of EuroKera, a joint venture between Corning and Saint-Gobain to manufacture glass cooktops. 1996: Ball-Foster becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain. Saint-Gobain acquires Carborundum Ceramics of Niagara Falls, New York (part of British Petroleum's BP Chemicals subsidiary). Winter Abrasives acquired by Norton Company. 1996: CertainTeed enters the vinyl fence, deck and railing business through its acquisition of Bufftech. 1997: Norton Company acquires Unicorn International, which has a North American subsidiary called Universal Abrasives. 1998: CertainTeed acquires Bird Roofing Saint-Gobain acquires Calmar, a leading manufacturer of trigger sprayers and fluid-dispensing products. Norton Canada acquires the Carborundum Pulpstones business in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Norton Company acquires Flexovit, with Segro Abrasives operations in the United States. 1999: CertainTeed acquires GS Roofing and the Unisul insulation equipment business. Furon, a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of highly engineered products made primarily from specially formulated high-performance polymer materials, is acquired and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is created. 2000: Saint-Gobain acquires Meyer International, which includes the U.S. company Meyer Decorative Surfaces. CertainTeed acquires Celotex Roofing. Ball-Foster changes its name to Saint-Gobain Containers. ChemFab acquired by Saint-Gobain. Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America created. 2001: Norton Company changes its name to Saint-Gobain Abrasives and to Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics. Merit Abrasives, a manufacturer of specialty abrasive products, becomes part of Saint-Gobain Abrasives The Bayex, Bay Mills and PermaGlas-Mesh businesses combine to form Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics. 2003: CertainTeed's ventilation business and the Ludowici clay roof tile business are divested. Saint-Gobain acquires Heye America (now know as GPS), a supplier of machines, parts and services to glass container manufacturers throughout North America 2004: Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America produces the first "Contraflam" fire-rated glass. 2005: Saint-Gobain acquires BPB, which in North America becomes CertainTeed Gypsum. Saint-Gobain splits its reinforcements business into "Reinforcements & Composites" and "Textile Solutions." 2006: Saint-Gobain Calmar is sold to Meadwestvaco. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics sells its Synflex business to Eaton Corporation. 2007: CertainTeed's window business and Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres are divested. Saint-Gobain acquires Norandex Distributrion, now known as Norandex Building Materials Distribution, Inc.. Saint-Gobain sells its Reinforcements & Composites businesses, including three U.S. plants, to Owens Corning. Saint-Gobain's tempered, laminated glass is used to make the Grand Canyon Skywalk, suspended nearly 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. 2008: Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America business is closed. J&J Scientific acquired. Moyco Abrasives acquired.