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
PLAIN TWP. - When Tom Nesbitt finished the first year as owner of United Glass & Panel Systems, he didn’t know that the company would grow ten fold in 10 years.
He also didn’t know that he would be fabricating massive glass walls for places like Detroit Metro Airport.
Right now, the company has projects in progress for places like the Aultman Hospital 2010 building and education center, the new GlenOak High, Jackson High and YMCA, Alliance Community Hospital, Akron-Canton Regional Airport, Hudson High and the Stark County Office Building.
All that with about 45 people doing installation or fabricating preglazed panels that are ready to install on buildings. That prefabrication is where the growth is, Nesbitt said. The company grew 30 percent from 2003 to 2004, and he predicts it will bring more growth in the future.
GOT ITS START IN 1996
The company, which began in 1996 by making specialty entranceways for commercial buildings, has found a niche where it specializes in custom fabrication of glass-wall assemblies — many of them for out-of-state competitors who install them.
The lack off skilled labor in the field helped United into that niche, Nesbitt said. "We’ve gotten ourselves into producing a product that is preglazed, and takes about two-thirds of the field labor out." It’s that labor shortage that will probably spur more growth on that side of the business, he said.
United manufactured 72,000 square feet of glass wall for the Northwest Airlines terminal at Detroit Metro, and about 45,000 square feet forthe Lear Co. headquarters in Southfield, Mich.
"He wants to do something that challenges the company constantly," said Field Superintendent 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.
Local people can see United’s work on the new Aultman 2010 building, and soon in the 60-foot skylight that will put a roof over the atrium of the Stark County Office Building.
Nesbitt started United in 1996 after his partnership with a glass company ended. The first building was an 8,000-square-foot facility in Louisville. But with the need for room to manufacture and to keep more material on hand, the company moved to 7830 Cleveland Ave. NW three years ago, where it has about 41,000 square feet.
NO INVENTORY
But “there’s really no inventory,” Myher said. Although the company might have $2 million in material at any one time, it’s there to be used for jobs in progress
On entranceways or building exteriors, United is in on planning from day one to completion. “We do a lot of design-build work. We can create an image,” Nesbitt said. The work can integrate stone, metal panels, glass and other materials.
“If an owner has an idea, we can bring it to life,” he said.
Keeping up takes investment in equipment and technology, he said. In addition to expensive shop equipment to perform the exacting work, the company has five engineers who employ computer-assisted design techniques.
But by doing most of the fabrication in its own shop, United has greater flexibility and much better control over projects. Changes to design specifications can be more quickly accommodated without having to work with 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 in new buildings. When the economy is in a slump, as it was in 2002, they are 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.
United Glass designs, engineers, manufacturers and installs glass and panel systems for new construction, and in the past has followed up with service and maintenance on its work. Thanks to that demand, last year Nesbitt launched the service arm of his business as a separate division.
“Besides creating a more complete offering for our customers, this also makes great business sense for our company by providing a balanced incomestream,” Nesbitt says.
The service work, in addition to the new construction projects United landed last year — including Malone College’s science building, Mount Union Library and the Millennium Building — helped the company boost sales by 30 percent over the previous year.
This enormous growth required the company to expand from its 8,000-square-foot facility to a 25,000-square-foot headquarters 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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