Knowlton -- also one of the three Executive Directors of Pilkington plc -- said the name change was the final part of the company's initiative to build one global identity. The initiative, known internally as "Building One Pilkington," brings together Pilkington Group operations worldwide under a single name and corporate identity.

In making the announcement, Knowlton paid homage to the three founders of Libbey-Owens-Ford, Edward Drummond Libbey, Michael Owens and Edward Ford.

"Each made a significant contribution to the success of our company -- and made the city of Toledo the glass capital of the world it is today," he said. "Together their talent and untiring will to succeed created innovations and technologies unheard of in the glass industry. It laid the foundations not just for LOF but three other major and successful Toledo-based corporations."

Knowlton also noted that it was 70 years ago that the Libbey-Owens-Ford Company was formally incorporated.

The announcement brings retirement to one of the most glorius names in U.S. glass industry history. Libbey-Owens-Ford was founded 70 years ago in Toledo. It was acquired by he British-based Pilkington Group in 1986 and had been known in the U.S. as Pilkington LOF until the announcement.