Manufacturer of lead-free crystal glass, hollow glass, tableware and cutlery for gastronomy, hotels and retail.
Zwiesel Fortessa AG
Zwiesel (DE) · Husinec (CZ)New on Amplifa
About Zwiesel Fortessa
Zwiesel Fortessa AG is a crystal glass manufacturer based in Zwiesel in the Bavarian Forest. The company was formed in 2022 through the acquisition of the US company Fortessa Tableware Solutions by Zwiesel Kristallglas AG and distributes its products under the brands Zwiesel Glas, Schott Zwiesel and Jenaer Glas. Production includes stemmed and crystal hollow glassware, moulded glass, pressed glass and heat-resistant borosilicate glass products; manufacturing comprises fully automatic glass blowing, pressing, moulded glass production and glass grinding at its own grinding facility. The core product is Tritan crystal glass, developed since 2002, a lead-free, dishwasher-safe and break-resistant crystal glass with exceptional surface hardness. Lead crystal has been discontinued since 1991. The company employs around 620 people and supplies gastronomy, hotels and retail worldwide; in addition to the branch plant in Husinec (Czech Republic), the group includes sales companies in the USA, Canada, India, Japan, France and Spain.
- Site
- Zwiesel
- Processes
- Production of hollow glass / drinking glasses (stemmed and crystal hollow glassware), Machine glass blowing (fully automatic production of stemmed glass, machine-blown), Moulded glass production, Pressed glass production, Grinding of glass (grinding facility), Production of borosilicate glass products (Jenaer Glas), Optical glass and glass lenses (historical), Tritan process: dishwasher-safe and break-resistant lead-free crystal glass
- Materials
- Crystal glass (lead-free), Tritan crystal glass, Borosilicate glass, Optical glass, Glass (hollow glass, flat glass, coloured glass), Hollow glass, Pressed glass
- Founded
- 1872
- Employees
- ca. 620
- Industries
- Tableware / Gastronomy / Hotels / Retail
- 01
Glass melting
- 02
Machine glass blowing / pressing / moulded glass production
- 03
Grinding and finishing
- 04
Quality inspection
- 05
Distribution (worldwide)
Materials & Processes
Tritan crystal glass
Lead-free, dishwasher-safe and break-resistant crystal glass with exceptional surface hardness for drinking glasses.
Crystal glass (lead-free)
Since 1991, lead-oxide-free crystal glass for stemmed and hollow glassware.
Borosilicate glass
Heat-resistant glass for products of the Jenaer Glas brand.
Hollow glass
Basis for drinking glasses, vases and bowls at the Zwiesel site.
Pressed glass
Process for mass production of glass articles.
Locations
Zwiesel
DEHeadquarters and glass works (Regenwiese plant)
- Materials
- Crystal glass, Tritan crystal glass, borosilicate glass, hollow glass
- Glass melting furnace
- Grinding facility
Husinec
CZBranch plant
Products & Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of hollow glass / drinking glasses (stemmed and crystal hollow glassware)Casting | – | – | – | – | Crystal glass, Tritan crystal glass |
| Machine glass blowing (fully automatic production of stemmed glass, machine-blown)Casting | – | – | – | – | Crystal glass |
| Moulded glass productionCasting | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Pressed glass productionCasting | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Grinding of glass (grinding facility)Machining | – | – | – | – | Crystal glass |
| Production of borosilicate glass products (Jenaer Glas)Casting | – | – | – | – | Borosilicate glass |
| Optical glass and glass lenses (historical)Casting | – | – | – | – | Optical glass |
| Tritan process: dishwasher-safe and break-resistant lead-free crystal glassCasting | – | – | – | – | Tritan crystal glass |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass melting furnace | – | – | – | – | Zwiesel |
| Grinding facility | – | – | – | – | Zwiesel |
History
- 1872
Foundation of the Annathal table glassworks by Anton Müller
- 1884
Sale to the brothers Theodor and Gustav Tasche, company renamed Zwieseler Farbenglashütte Gebrüder Tasche
- 1898
Conversion into a stock corporation
- 1899
Acquisition of a glass works in Pirna, renamed Vereinigte Zwieseler und Pirnaer Farbenglaswerke AG
- 1927
Majority of shares acquired by the Jenaer Glaswerke Schott & Gen (Carl Zeiss Foundation)
- 1940
Renamed Vereinigte Farbenglaswerke AG
- 1953
Schott relocates the main plant to Mainz (Schott AG)
- 1961
Fully automatic production of stemmed glass
- 1970
First machine-blown lead crystal glass (Neckar series)
- 1973
Construction of the Regenwiese plant
- 1991
Discontinuation of lead crystal, development of lead-free crystal glass
- 1997
Establishment of the branch plant in Husinec (Czech Republic)
- 2001
Management buy-out by Table Top Alliance AG (Robert Hartel, Andreas Buske)
- 2002
Development of Tritan crystal glass; flood destroys the Husinec plant
- 2005
Renamed Zwiesel Kristallglas AG, launch of the Zwiesel 1872 brand
- 2006
Acquisition of the trademark rights to Jenaer Glas
- 2007
Construction of the crystal glass pyramid (93,665 wine glasses, over 8 m, over 11 t)
- 2022
Acquisition of Fortessa Tableware Solutions, formation of Zwiesel Fortessa AG