In March 1990, NSG acquired newly issued stocks in the American company LOF (Libbey Owens Ford Co.), with which it had long had close ties, thus gaining a 20% stake in the company. In 1989, LOF had 6 float furnaces and 9 safety glass factories across the US, Canada and Mexico, and was the number 2 sheet glass maker in America. NSG had already entered into joint ventures with LOF in the form of L-N Safety Glass SA de CV (Mexico), United L-N Glass, Inc. (US), and Hankuk Safety Glass Co., Ltd. (Korea), but now decided to invest in the company in order to increase its international competitiveness.