More growth is on the horizon United Glass & Panel Systems
As printed in the Monday, March 27, 2006 Canton Repository
By G. PATRICK KELLEY REPOSITORY BUSINESS EDITOR
PLAINTWP. - When Tom Nesbitt finished the first year as owner of UnitedGlass & Panel Systems, he didn’t know that the company would growtenfold in 10 years.
He also didn’t know that he would be fabricating massive glass walls for places like Detroit Metro Airport.
Rightnow, the company has projects in progress for places like the AultmanHospital 2010 building and education center, the new GlenOak High,Jackson High and YMCA, Alliance Community Hospital, Akron-CantonRegional Airport, Hudson High and the Stark County Office Building.
Allthat with about 45 people doing installation or fabricating preglazed panels that are ready to install on buildings. That prefabrication iswhere the growth is, Nesbitt said. The company grew 30 percent from2003 to 2004, and he predicts it will bring more growth in the future.
GOT ITS START IN 1996
Thecompany, which began in 1996 by making specialty entranceways forcommercial buildings, has found a niche where it specializes in customfabrication of glass-wall assemblies — many of them for out-of-statecompetitors who install them.
The lack off skilled labor inthe field helped United into that niche, Nesbitt said. "We’ve gottenourselves into producing a product that is preglazed, and takes abouttwo-thirds of the field labor out." It’s that labor shortage that willprobably spur more growth on that side of the business, he said.
Unitedmanufactured 72,000 square feet of glass wall for the NorthwestAirlines terminal at Detroit Metro, and about 45,000 square feet forthe Lear Co. headquarters in Southfield, Mich.
"He wants to dosomething that challenges the company constantly," said FieldSuperintendent Bill Myher. "He doesn’t want to just do storefronts."
A lot of United’s contracts are in the $1 million to $2 million range, Nesbitt said.
Localpeople can see United’s work on the new Aultman 2010 building, and soonin the 60-foot skylight that will put a roof over the atrium of theStark County Office Building.
Nesbitt started United in 1996after his partnership with a glass company ended. The first buildingwasan 8,000-square-foot facility in Louisville. But with the need forroom to manufacture and to keep more material on hand, the companymoved to 7830 Cleveland Ave. NW three years ago, where it has about41,000 square feet.
NO INVENTORY
But“there’s really no inventory,” Myher said. Although the company mighthave $2 million in material at any one time, it’s there to be used forjobs in progress
On entranceways or building exteriors, Unitedis in on planning from day one to completion. “We do a lot ofdesign-build work. We can create an image,” Nesbitt said. The work canintegrate stone, metal panels, glass and other materials.
“If an owner has an idea, we can bring it to life,” he said.
Keepingup takes investment in equipment and technology, he said. In additionto expensive shop equipment to perform the exacting work, the companyhas five engineers who employ computer-assisted design techniques.
Butby doing most of the fabrication in its own shop, United has greaterflexibility and much better control over projects. Changes to designspecifications can be more quickly accommodated without having to workwith third-party fabricators.
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Balancing act
United Glass & Panel Systems shattered growth records through diversification.
By Morgan Lewis Jr.
When the economy is strong, people want to invest innew buildings. When the economy is in a slump, as it was in 2002, theyare more likely to repair or improve what they have.
Luckily for Tom Nesbitt, president of United Glass & Panel Systems, his company is prepared to serve both markets.
UnitedGlass designs, engineers, manufacturers and installs glass and panelsystems for new construction, and in the past has followed up withservice and maintenance on its work. Thanks to that demand, last yearNesbitt launched the service arm of his business as a separate division.
“Besidescreating a more complete offering for our customers, this also makesgreat business sense for our company by providing a balanced incomestream,” Nesbitt says.
The service work, in addition tothe new construction projects United landed last year — includingMalone College’s science building, Mount Union Library and theMillennium Building — helped the company boost sales by 30 percent overthe previous year.
This enormous growth required the company toexpand from its 8,000-squarefoot facility to a 25,000-square-footheadquarters in North Canton.
“We have been very fortunate that the greatest adversity we faced was keeping up with our own growth,” Nesbitt says.
HOW TO REACH: United Glass & Panel Systems, (330) 433-9220
Copyright 2003 Smart Business Network Inc. Reprinted with permission from the May 2003 issue of Smart Business Akron/Canton.
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