DURYEA, PA – Presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama (D - Ill.) visited Schott North America Inc.’s site in Duryea, PA, to discuss issues facing America’s workforce. During the visit Senator Obama toured the facility and met with workers, before addressing press and supporters.

Schott hosted Senator Obama as he toured Northeastern Pennsylvania with Senator Casey (D - Pa.) and Representative Kanjorski (D, Pa.-11).

Duryea is Schott’s oldest manufacturing facility in North America and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009. The site employs approximately 300 individuals who manufacture precision optics used in technical, medical, and government applications. Schott’s North American headquarters for research and development is located in Duryea.

In addition to Duryea, Schott has 13 manufacturing operations and 4 sales offices across North America. The company is currently constructing a flagship manufacturing site for solar products in Albuquerque. Initially, Schott is investing $100 million and will employ 350 people in Albuquerque. The company strongly supports a long-term extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), a key piece of legislation for the renewable industry, which is set to expire at the end of 2008.