Mexican glass maker Vitro SA said 25 July 2007 that its 2Q 2007 net profit fell 73%, partly due to the maintenance of two glass container furnaces during the quarter. Net profit was USD 10M for the quarter, down from USD 37M in the 2Q 2006, the company said in a filing with the Mexican stock exchange. Vitro said sales rose 5% on year to USD 634M, with flat glass sales up 4% to USD 298M, and glass container sales up 6.8% to USD 328M. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, were up 11.7% to USD 57M, while operating profit grew 7.3% to USD 179M. Chief Financial Officer Enrique Osorio said the company saw a USD 3.7M financial impact from the disruption of natural gas supplies to two of its glass container factories in July. Vitro temporarily halted production at two container glass plants at Querétaro and Guadalajara in central Mexico after an attack in July 2007 on the natural gas pipeline operated by state oil monopoly PEMEX. The People's Revolutionary Army, or EPR, a small rebel group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on the Internet.
