Glass Inc. - Reflections 1999-2019

Ivan spawned 127 tornadoes (also a record). Scientists from the Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, have used a computer model to predict that, at the height of the storm, the maximum wave height within Ivan’s eyewall reached 131 feet. In the end, Ivan caused $26.1 billion worth of damage along its path. “Ivan did a tremendous amount of damage,” Smith said. “When it hit, we were working on Bella Luna, one of the Caribe Towers, Mirra- bella, and Island Winds. Then, we started get- ting all sorts of retrofit jobs.” Hurricane Katrina If Ivan weren’t bad enough, eleven months later, in August 2005, the worst natural disaster in the history of North America would make landfall in the heart of Glass, Inc.’s world. Hurricane Katrina set records for strength and size of a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The loss of life was stunning. More than 1,836 people died in the aftermath of the storm. The property damage in Mississippi towns was unparalleled. Boats and casino barges rammed buildings, pushing cars and houses inland. Water reached 12 miles from the beach. The total property damage from Katrina was estimated at $125 billion — the costliest hurricane on record. A Relationship with EFCO As it turns out, Robert Smith and Glass, Inc. were one of the first glass companies in the South to embrace EFCO’s Hurricane- Impact Rated Curtain Wall System ( see Chapter 10: Competitive Edge ). “We were a big EFCO dealer,” Smith said, “and a EFCO was the predominant manufacturer of the system — they were the pio- neers in hurricane-impact products. We made an early decision to just go strictly with EFCO, and try to get ahead of everybody else. Their product was better, and it was a good business move. After the storms, everybody wanted EFCO.” Smith estimated that Glass, Inc. worked on more than 90 towers from Perdido to Fort Morgan, Alabama. About 40% of those towers were new construction; 60% retrofits. During the years following Ivan and Katrina, Glass, Inc crews worked seven days a week, sometimes around the clock. At the height of the post-storm work, Glass, Inc. revenues exceeded $24 million annually. Recognition for Growth Glass, Inc., has been recognized six times by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of the fastest growing companies in the state. The company has also been the recipient of the Governor’s Cup Award for business excellence. Smith and the Glass, Inc. family have been fea- tured in magazines like U.S. Builder Review and Building Design + Construction . Diversification As the market for casinos and condominiums has cooled, Glass, Inc. has applied the expertise they gained during those boom years to projects in a wide range of fields and locations. The company has expanded into hotels, commercial buildings, resorts, restaurants, medical facilities, education and government projects, and high-end residential construction. The Hurricane-Impact Rated Unitized Curtain Wall System has been used in construction of hospitals and hotels from New Or- leans, Louisiana to Pascagoula, Mississippi. (Above) Island Tower was an early high rise project for Glass, Inc. Photo by Kristen Smith Below Left: President George W. Bush surveys the damage after Ivan; Below right: A Glass Inc. trailer post-Ivan; Below: Bella Luna after complettion Photo by Kristen Smith 31