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Glass exists as its own state of matter—a unique composition of environmental factors, crucial ingredients, and chemical reactions all coalescing into a structure used for both practical applications and creative inspirations.
In 1985, Dillmeier Glass Company faced a dilemma. More than 50 years prior, the Dillmeier family had created a successful glass business from the ground up, founded upon relationships with clients across the United States. However, JCPenney—as their largest client, accounting for more than 95 percent of all orders—was beginning to run out of projects.
If there’s one thing Tom Grzywa has learned from 30 years in the retail fixture business, it’s that security and transparency go hand in hand.
For more than 25 years, Grzywa has worked with Dillmeier Glass as a commercial glass fabrication partner to source top-quality lites for retail fixtures and other fabrication projects. Most recently, that partnership has flourished at Jahabow, where Grzywa works as vice president of the retail fixtures division. There, he’s overseen the manufacturing and sales for Jahabow’s full line of glass display cases and cabinets, ranging in application from sporting goods stores to luxury retailers.
Starting on the operations side of the business and eventually transitioning into sales and his current position, Grzywa has gained an appreciation for the people behind the business, whether in partner companies, or Jahabow’s factory in Missouri.
His extensive career has also provided an ideal vantage point to observe the many changes and trends that have emerged throughout the past three decades and will continue to push the industry forward into the foreseeable future.
Foremost among these are an increased need for security to stave off crime, and improved fixture mobility to help provide a flexible customer experience.
According to Grzywa, “smash-and-grab” crime—theft that includes destruction of a product display case to access valuable products—is on the rise.
As construction and building design trends evolve, so too does the glass industry. Recent figures from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) detail a promising start to 2019 for the sector, characterized by significant job growth chipping away at a lingering shortage of qualified skilled workers from the previous year, among other indicators that include increased demand for automation, and bigger and more intricate glasswork.
The following are five key trends influencing the glass manufacturing industry in 2019:
Those who don’t work in the glass fabrication industry likely don’t know too much about it. It affects everyone, however. Take a look around the building you work in, stores you shop at, sports arenas you visit, restaurants where you dine—more often than not, glass is incorporated into its design, and impacts your experience.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is known for its establishment of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for commercial and residential buildings—which rate buildings' environmental performance and encourage sustainability components in design and construction phases among architects and contractors.
Many within these industries are aware of LEED and its many benefits, both environmental and economic. There may be several lesser-known aspects of this green building program, however.
Glass Magazine, an online resource for those in the flat glass and metal industries including glass fabricators, retailers and manufacturers, architects and glazing contractors, recently named the 2018 Top Glass Fabricators. This list is complied of glass fabrication companies in the United States and Canada based on their annual sales volume.
Whether it's the interior glass of an office, hotel, retail store or sports arena, all surfaces must be cleaned correctly pre-installation, and well-maintained afterwards, to avoid damage. Therefore, understanding the standard protocol for cleaning glass products—including walls, partitions, windows and display cases, among others—is important.
Commercial glass manufacturers and fabricators must take the time to educate both their employees and customers about general glass handling and safety precautions. Doing so not only helps reduce the risk of glass breakage and injuries on the job, but also reassures customers that the company makes the handling of their custom product and safety top priorities.
