Glass Inc. - Reflections 1999-2019

The warehouse had been built in 1902 as the Nutrena Feed Building. It had 16-inch concrete floors, strong enough for 18- wheel trucks. The concrete columns were enormous. Even the roof was made of 12 inches of solid concrete. Smith remembered being told, “If you are ever in a tornado in Meridian, you’ll want to be in the Car Ware building.” Smith had written off the comment as a joke. Now, he realized the truth in that statement. He also started to understand the potential of the building. “I’m a lot more interested than I was before,” Smith told Campbell. “Let me think about it.” That weekend, Smith parked his truck outside the fence of the old Nutrena Feed Mill. He took out a pad of graph paper and started to sketch. He envisioned a new front with tall glass to re- flect the nature of Glass, Inc. He imagined the possiblities. He sketched a ramp to make the building accessible to trucks. Smith even created a budget for the purchase and renovation of the building. But even in the midst of these dreams for a new head- quarters, Smith could never have imagined what the future would hold. Top and above: Archer Architect’s drawings for the new Glass, Inc. headquarters. Left, a letter from Community Bank after completion of their new Meridian offices. Left, sketches of Glass, Inc. headquarters and a budget from Robert Smith, circa 2000. Above, the old Car Ware building, circa 1960s. 21 24