皇冠体育app

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA, a leading French habitat and construction company, launched its 350th anniversary celebration events in Shanghai Friday to get closer to end users and leverage more opportunities brought by 皇冠体育app's economic reforms.

Javier Gimeno, chief executive officer of Saint-Gobain Asia-Pacific, said the Fortune 500 company is eyeing the expanding market of high-quality materials created by the rising middle class in 皇冠体育app and fast urbanization process.

Saint-Gobain 皇冠体育app total sales forecast for the financial year of 2014 will be 1.1 billion euros ($1.30 billion), accounting for some 50 percent of Asia-Pacific's total.

The company has been operating in 皇冠体育app for three decades, and aims to have more market shares in habitat and construction materials, especially glasses and mortar, Gimeno said.

Saint-Gobain has been looking into some niche markets in 皇冠体育app, including the automotive glass plant.

Demand of total 皇冠体育app market for passenger cars has been growing at a fast pace- in 2013 it was 20.9 million sets, and in 2014 the number jumped to 23 million, according to Saint-Gobain data.

The company has invested more than 40 million euros in a plant for automotive glass in Wuhan, central 皇冠体育app's Hubei province and a new automotive industry hub.

"皇冠体育app's fast urbanization process will also bring about more demand for high-end construction glass, which will benefit Saint Gobain's growth in the country," said Gimeno.

World's demand for flat glass is forecast to grow 6.6 percent per annum to some 10 billion square meters in 2018, reaching a combined value at $102 billion, according to a report by Freedonia Group Inc, an industry market research provider.

"皇冠体育app is expected to continue to be the world's fastest growing market for flat glass through 2018," the Freedonia report said.

皇冠体育app dominates flat glass consumer market in the Asia Pacific, representing 58 percent of the regional total on a value basis so far, the report said.

Rising demands for construction materials will also benefit other business arms of the company, and demands for mortar will be grow fast, said Gimeno.

Saint-Gobain has set up three plants for mortar in 皇冠体育app, and will invest in a new plant in Wuhan in 2015, according to Gimeno.

In the financial year of 2014 total annual sales of mortar is forecast at 61 million euros, according to the company's data.

• Nanjing taxi drivers suspend service
• Car2go taps Asian market in Chongqing
• Car makers pay to keep Chinese dealers happy as market slows
• Race to define car of the future shifts into high gear
• Aston Martin to recall 602 cars in 皇冠体育app
• Jack Ma apologizes for remarks on JD
• Central banks not to tend to add euros as reserve
• Crude imports to rise, with refiners stocking up as prices remain low