2009 30 under 40 winners

Damon Dlubak, 29

Vice president of manufacturing operations, Dlubak Corp., Blairsville, Pa.

With a degree in philosophy, Dlubak spent a lot of time seeing the world before he settled into a role with his family’s business. He worked on a fishing boat in Alaska, crushed grapes at a California winery and worked for a notable chef at a New York City restaurant. All of these experiences have left this third-generation glass worker with a good sense of opportunities. “We’ve been able to not only follow the markets but actually be ahead of the curve. We got into ballistic glass at the right time and now we’re a significant player in that industry. It’s the same with impact glass. We were in Florida really early, shipping it from here.”

Although Dlubak traveled a diverse path before coming back to his family’s business, he always knew he had glass in his blood. “On some level, you could say it’s destiny. My grandfather started out making stained glass windows. He died when my dad was 14, so my dad started working at a young age. I went to college and after my dad said, ‘It’s time for you to work.’ At 22, I came home to Pittsburgh, but I was only here for three months. I said I couldn’t do it and left. A few years later, I came back. Once I explored those other avenues, I was ready to come back and have more of a traditional job.”

One-word description of the glass industry: “Family. Part of it is because we’re a family business, but even with all of our relationships with external vendors, we’re not doing business—it feels like we’re family.”
One-word description of self: Personable
Career history: 2008-present, vice president of manufacturing operations, Dlubak Corp., Blairsville, Pa.; 2006-08, project manager, customer service, Dlubak Corp.; 2005, intern, Café Gray, New York; 2004-05, student, New England Culinary Institute, Burlington, Vt.; 2004, manager, Gabriel’s Wine & Spirits, San Antonio, Texas; 2003, crush intern, Copain Winery, Santa Rosa, Calif.; 2003, professional fisherman, Nanek, Alaska
Education: 2002, Bachelor of Arts, philosophy, Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colo.
Diversions: Cooking and wine
Family: Wife, Rocio; two dogs
Favorite book: “Zorba the Greek,” Nikos Kazantzakis
If a movie were made about your life, who would you cast to play you? Patrick Swayze
Connections: 520 Chestnut Street, Blairsville, PA, 15717, 800/800-2977, dcd@dlubakcorporation.com, www.dlubakglass.com

 
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