Glass Inc. - Reflections 1999-2019

• • • During this period of transition, Smith would daydream about the details of launching this new venture — including a brand and logo. On a Saturday night, Smith picked up his eight-year- old daughter, Kristen, sat at the kitchen table, and put Kristen in his lap. The two of them started to doodle. Before long, they had produced a rough sketch of a Glass, Inc. logo. Kristen remembered fondly, “I will never forget sitting in my dad’s lap at our kitchen table when I was 8 years old, helping him design the Glass, Inc. logo.” A Paid Holiday By June 1999, Smith was ready to launch his new venture. “I called Mitchell Moffett,” Smith said. “He was still working at Mississippi Paint and Glass.” Moffett and Smith had worked together for years. “Look,” Smith said, “I’m ready to start. Our first day will be two weeks from Monday.” “Boss,” Moffett said, “that Monday is the 4th of July.” Smith thought for a moment, “Well, your first day on the job is going to be a paid vacation.” The next day, Moffett turned in his two weeks’ notice to the manager at Mississippi Paint and Glass. “I’m going to work for Robert,” he said. Moffett turned to walk away. Then he stopped and added, “And by the way, there’s a line behind me.” Six individuals followed Mitchell into the manager’s office. One by one they turned in resignation notices. Smith, who had spent 20 years working for other glass companies, who had endured the unexpected death of a former business partner, and, most recently, who had been fired from a commercial company he’d built, was finally ready to open the doors to his own business. With an experienced group of founding employ- ees — Mitchell Moffett, Beverly Galbraith, Joe Heiden, Buddy Pickard, Dale Minchew, and Billy Jones — Smith launched his new venture on July 4, 1999. Smith named the new company in honor of his father’s Green- wood glass company. Glass, Inc. was born. • • • Hoot Gipson’s early prediction couldn’t have been more accu- rate. The owner of Mississippi Paint and Glass tried to enforce Smith’s noncompete; Smith responded by taking legal action to collect several hundred thousand dollars owed in back compen- sation. Ultimately, the two settled. And Smith was free to operate his own company. “One year later, we were up and running,” Smith said. “And a year later he was out of business.” Day 1 On Glass, Inc.’s first full day (July 5, 1999), a local contractor, Rick Snowden, walked into the old A&B Electric Building and handed Smith a set of plans. “Here you go,” Snowden said, “Here’s your first job.” Snowden asked for quick turnaround on pricing because the job was sched- uled to start soon. The plans were for the new Riley Foundation Office building. Both the architect, B.B. Archer, and the Snowdens were excited about working with the new venture headed by Smith. Not only would it be the first commercial job for Glass, Inc., the work would also later be recognized with an ABC Award — the first of many to come for Glass, Inc. A Vision Within a matter of months, Glass, Inc. was outgrowing the A&B Electric building. “All of a sudden,” Smith said, “we ran out of room. When we had materials coming in for jobs, we had to stack them out in the street.” That’s when Smith started looking at other properties. Initially, however, the prospects didn’t look good. “Every property I saw had problems,” Smith said. Then, Bill Campbell, the former owner of Motor Supply and Car Ware, approached him. “Robert,” Campbell said, “I understand you are looking for a building, and I have got the perfect one for you.” Campbell told him the 35,000-square-foot building was located on five acres in downtown Meridian. “Come look at it right now.” Smith explained he was too busy, but he promised Campbell he would drive by on his lunch break. Smith drove by the prop- erty on Grand Avenue and couldn’t have been more disappointed. “The building (which had formerly housed the Car Ware dis- tribution center) had been sitting empty for years. Weeds were growing up all over the property. It looked terrible,” Smith re- called. The site reminded him of so many other “money pits.” Smith told Campbell he wasn’t interested, but Campbell was tena- cious. “He kept calling me,” Smith remembered. “I’d tell him I wasn’t interested, and he’d say, ‘But you haven’t been inside yet.’” Campbell’s calls continued. Smith’s rebuffs did, too. “Then one day,” Smith said, “Campbell walked right past the secretary at the A&B Electric building, sat down in the chair across from my desk, and said I’m not leaving until you go look at this building with me .” Smith finally acquiesced in hopes the phone calls from Camp- bell might stop. As the two men toured the front of the building, Smith saw nothing to change his mind. The front porch and of- fices were in a state of complete disrepair. Then, Campbell opened the door to the warehouse. “Wow,” Smith said with utter suprise, “this is a significant build- ing.” Kristen Smith remembers being eight years old, sitting on her father’s lap while he sketched out the new company logo. The original six (L to R): Mitchell Moffett, Beverly Galbraith, Joe Heiden, Buddy Pickard, Dale Minchew, and Billy Jones. Robert Smith said, “Glass, Inc. opened its doors on July 5, 1999, with six of the best glass people in the region. We were able to immediately tackle any project of any size! We were all friends from working together at other glass companies — and we were able to hit the ground running!” 22 23