Glaston Corporation, a leading provider of glass processing technologies, has announced a comprehensive plan to further accelerate its strategic growth and profitability initiatives.
This plan, effective January 1, 2025, focuses on enhancing customer experience, particularly in services, driving continued profitability, and achieving greater operational efficiencies. The company’s medium-term strategic targets remain unchanged.
A key component of this initiative is a new strategic cornerstone: “Industry-leading customer service.” Glaston is significantly increasing its investment in service capabilities and resources to fuel service growth and solidify its position as a leading provider in the architectural, mobility, display, and solar markets. The company will continue to utilize its current customer industry-based segment reporting structure, meaning this reorganization will not affect its financial reporting segments.
A New Organizational Structure: Three Business Functions
The core of Glaston’s accelerated growth strategy lies in a restructuring into three key Business Functions:
Market Areas: This function will serve as the primary customer interface across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions. Working closely with Business Lines, Market Areas will manage machine and service sales, as well as regional service operations. Sasu Koivumäki, Chief Sales Officer, will lead this function.
Solutions & Operations: Led by Miika Äppelqvist (appointed Chief Solutions & Operations Officer effective January 1, 2025), this function will oversee all Business Line-related machine and service product portfolios. The current Business Lines (Architecture and Mobility, Display & Solar) will be reorganized within Solutions & Operations as: Tempering & Laminating, Insulating Glass (combining the current Architecture segment), and Mobility (the current MDS segment). Global production operations, supply chain management, and development will also fall under this function. Glaston is currently transferring production of mobility and display pre-processing equipment from Glaston Switzerland to its Tianjin, China facility.
Service Supply & Development: This function will concentrate on global spare parts operations and development, including global warehouses, supply chains, and service development. Recruitment for the EVP of Service Supply & Development is underway.
Glaston anticipates that these changes will not lead to significant net cost additions or savings. Employee consultations will be conducted in accordance with local processes to address any potential impacts on personnel.
Executive Leadership Team Changes
The planned organizational changes also include adjustments to the Executive Leadership Team. Miika Äppelqvist’s promotion to Chief Solutions & Operations Officer is a key appointment. The SVP Mobility, Display & Solar Business Area role will be removed from the Executive Leadership Team, effective January 1, 2025. The updated Executive Leadership Team, effective January 1, 2025, will consist of:
* Toni Laaksonen, President & CEO
* Sasu Koivumäki, Chief Sales Officer
* Riikka Laitasalo, SVP People and Culture
* Kaisa Latva, General Counsel
* Päivi Lindqvist, Chief Financial Officer
* Miika Äppelqvist, Chief Solutions & Operations Officer
* N.N., EVP Service Supply & Development (to be appointed)
This strategic reorganization reflects Glaston’s commitment to achieving its 10% comparable EBITA margin target by enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening customer relationships, and driving sustainable growth across all its market segments.
Source:Glaston Corporation with additional information added by GlassBalkan
