Project profile: The Vitro Flex Plant in Northern Mexico

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn why this company chose Topps’ System 1000 Metal Roof Restoration for their 465,660 square foot project. 

In 1909, a glass container factory called the Vidriera Monterrey opened for operations in the city of Monterrey, the capital city of Nuevo León, Mexico. Years later, this same company would become Vitro, one of the largest glass producers in the world, known for producing innovative and high-quality solutions for architecture, automobiles and more!  

However, in 2022, one of their plants in Nuevo León, the Vitro Flex Plant, faced a challenge – a leaking roof. The water infiltration from the leaks was not only damaging the 25-year-old SSR-type metal roof over the facility, but it was also threatening the production processes and the protection of raw materials and finished products at the plant. So, the team at Vitro started looking for solutions. 

Initial assessments found that the roof had a variety of problem areas, including rust, corrosion and damage to gutters and translucent panels. After extensive technical and economic analysis of a variety of waterproof roofing solutions (such as acrylic, silicone, polyurethane and styrene ethylbutlyene styrene [SEBS]), the Vitro team selected Topps Products’ “System 1000 Metal Roof Restoration” as their solution of choice.  

This system is based in SEBS coatings that uses the Topps Seal Excel as the main coating; the Topps Seal Base Coat as a first hand coating; Polyprene and PolyCore for joint reinforcement on seams; RustArrestor and MultiUse Cleaner to prep the surface. This system balances high strength and durability with flexibility. It comes with a 20-year warranty and not only eliminates most if not all moisture absorption concerns, it is ENERGY STAR certified and proven to drop peak energy cooling demand by up to 15% due to its reflective nature. On top of all the benefits and attributes of the product, it was installed with minimal operational disruption to the factory. 

The install itself was split into three parts across several months, with the main roof (361,670 ft²) tackled in May 2022 and the expansion (66,170 ft²) and adjacent building (37,820 ft²) done in October 2022 and October 2023 respectively. Overall, 465,660 square feet were restored. Not only did this project solve critical leaking issues and roof damage, but it also extended the lifespan of the existing metal roof, saving the Vitro team money by avoiding a full roof replacement. Furthermore, the phased execution of the process allowed the plant to keep operating throughout the restoration. At the end of the day, using the Topps’ solution met all of Vitro’s goals of a technically robust solution with measurable and sustainable benefits.