French materials group Saint-Gobain has started production at a new automotive glass service center in Wuhu, Anhui province, and plans to turn it into a manufacturing base with an annual capacity of more than one million laminated glass pieces, according to Chinese automotive news outlet Gasgoo.
The Wuhu center, which became operational on September 30, will initially handle the production and assembly of windshields, rear windows and sunroofs. The company said the site will later be expanded into a large manufacturing base with an annual capacity exceeding one million laminated glass units.
Why Anhui?
The move is tied to the rapid expansion of Anhui's auto industry. Official data from China's National Bureau of Statistics shows that in 2025 the province produced 3.6865 million vehicles, including 1.7941 million new-energy vehicles - both figures ranking first among all Chinese provinces. With Hefei and Wuhu as its twin hubs, Anhui has attracted automakers including Chery, Nio, Volkswagen Anhui, BYD and Jianghuai Automobile, and component suppliers are following the assembly plants to the region.
Wuhu is the home base of Chery, one of China's largest automakers, and a key pillar of Anhui's auto industry. For auto glass suppliers, which must work closely with automakers on vehicle development, quality validation and stable delivery, locating production and service capacity near customers shortens logistics and response times.
Saint-Gobain said the Wuhu center went from zero to mass production in just two months. Eloi Guenet, president of Saint-Gobain Automotive Glass for Asia-Pacific and China, said the company prioritized "safety first, quality second, development third" during the project. Commercial director Liu Yang summed up the strategy as: "Wherever our customers are, our capabilities should be."
Beyond a service point
Saint-Gobain already operates automotive glass production bases in Shanghai, Qingdao, Wuhan and Meizhou, and runs several service centers close to automakers. Its Wuhan plant followed a similar approach, adding capacity near regional customers.
The Wuhu project is therefore more than just another service outlet. With the planned million-piece laminated glass capacity, Saint-Gobain is extending its near-shore delivery model into manufacturing itself. It is also a sign of how supply-chain companies are clustering around Anhui's rapidly growing vehicle production base.
