Stoelzle brings state-of-the-art glassmaking to the U.S. through major Monaca transformation

More than $US100 million invested to expand domestic premium glass supply for spirit and consumer brands.

Monaca, Pennsylvania - USA – May 26, 2026 - Stoelzle Glass USA is launching a major transformation of its Monaca, Pennsylvania facility, marking a major milestone in the company’s ambition to become the leading premium glass packaging supplier in the United States.

Backed by an investment of USD 100 million, the initiative represents one of the most significant recent industrial investments in the North American premium glass container industry. The modernization will expand domestic production capacity, elevate quality and operational performance, and introduce state-of-the-art glassmaking technologies designed to support the growing needs of premium spirits, food, beverage, and consumer brands across the U.S. market.

”Our customers need a premium glass manufacturing partner they can rely on in the United States,” said Dr. August Grupp, CEO of Stoelzle. “This transformation will significantly strengthen our glass quality, forming capabilities, process control, operational reliability, and decoration potential. It is a major step forward in delivering dependable domestic supply with the expertise, consistency, precision, and quality level US and global premium brands expect.”

At the center of this major advancement is the complete rebuild of the Monaca furnace in 2026. Once operational, the new installation will increase melting capacity to approximately 400 tons per day while significantly improving process efficiency and production performance. To execute this transformation, Stoelzle Glass USA is partnering with some of the world’s leading glass technology providers to modernize the entire production platform at Monaca.

The upgrade includes:

• A complete replacement of the batching and glass delivery systems, designed and installed by the EME Group, supporting higher throughput and enhanced glass quality.
• The construction of a next generation glass furnace in partnership with the SORG Group. The new furnace will be approximately 80% larger than the current installation and more than 25% more energy efficient, supported by increased electrical boost capability
• The installation of a new forming machine supplied by Bucher Emhart Glass, dedicated to the production of premium spirits bottles. The new equipment will increase Stoelzle’s large-format spirits capacity by more than 25%.
• New annealing lehrs supplied by Antonini SRL, designed to further improve bottle consistency, visual quality, and throughput.

The expansion extends across the entire facility, from raw material handling and batch preparation to forming, inspection, conveying, and packaging-related operations. Upgraded process controls and production technologies are expected to further improve visual consistency while reducing appearance-related defects.

The renewal will also strengthen Stoelzle’s sustainability performance through improved energy efficiency and increased capability to integrate recycled glass where technically feasible, depending on glass color requirements.

In parallel, the Monaca facility is expected to achieve BRCGS certification in 2026, reinforcing alignment with internationally recognized packaging and food safety standards required by global premium brands.

The furnace rebuild will be coordinated by Stoelzle’s engineering and technical expert teams from Austria and executed during a tightly managed 90-day rebuild period beginning in July 2026.

Stoelzle is a trusted packaging partner to many of the world’s leading premium spirits companies, including Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Sazerac, Campari Group, among others. In 2025, the company was recognized by Diageo with the Diageo Global Supplier Award 2025, highlighting Stoelzle’s excellence in quality, innovation, and customer partnership.

By combining advanced European glassmaking expertise with local US manufacturing capabilities, Stoelzle continues to strengthen a reliable domestic-to-domestic supply model for the North American premium packaging market.