“It’s hard to believe that it was 30 years ago since we developed the first formulation of the then ground breaking ClearShield® System for glass surface protection…and what a long way we’ve come. The Ritec of today has evolved to stay ahead of industry developments worldwide, but the heart of the company remains very much the same. We believe passionately in helping our customers add value to their sales and, far from standing still and resting on our laurels, we are busier than ever working on the next generation of ClearShield® products. In this feature, we have stepped back in time to bring you some of the milestones and highlights that have shaped the Ritec of 2011. We’ve got down on our hands and knees to scrub glass on the QE2, got dressed up to shake hands with HRH Prince Charles, had the pleasure and honour to know so many great people in the glass industry, won many accolades and awards, attended countless exhibitions around the globe and throughout the highs (and some lows) I have to say that Karen and I have enjoyed every minute. As part of our celebrations, we want to share with you how our past has shaped our future and to give you an insight into the latest developments that will take us forward into the next decade. We have strengthened our support team and acted on customer feedback by rolling out over the coming months initiatives designed to add value and bottom line profit to their business. So, it’s with many thanks to our valued customers, our international marketing partners around the world and, of course, the Ritec team that we can say ‘Happy 30th Anniversary Ritec and ClearShield®’."

Stephen Byers & Karen Byers