Pilkington had sold its controlling interest in its flat glass operations, but in 1982, it acquired a 29.5 percent stake in Libbey-Owens-Ford Co, North America’s second largest manufacturer of glass for automotive and building markets.
The UK’s recession hit the company hard, taking the business into loss. However, bolstered by overseas companies and with remedial cost-cutting action, the UK business returned to profit in 1984/5. Further decentralization ensued, together with the dismantling of much of the central committee structure.