Hurricane and blast-resistant glazing continue to drive protective market

Despite FBI reports of rising robbery rates nationwide, demand for security storefront glazing has remained level for the past several years. Manufacturers instead have been inundated with rising orders for storm- and blast-resistant glazing.

“It makes sense that [demand for protective glazing in commercial storefronts] will begin to rise, but we haven’t seen that yet,” says Scott Haddock, president of GlassLock in Prince Frederick, Md., and president of the Protective Glazing Council in Topeka, Kan. “We’re seeing more demand for blast and ballistic [to counter the threat of] terrorism—most of that work with the federal government.”

Steve Connolly, project manager for Action Bullet Resistant in West Islip, N.Y., agrees. Demand for protective glazing for government buildings has been rising for the last three or four years, he says.

The FBI released in June its preliminary annual Uniform Crime Report for 2005. Nationwide, robberies increased 4.5 percent in 2005 compared to 2004. The Midwest saw the largest increase, rising 8.5 percent, and the West the smallest, edging up 2.3 percent, according to the report.

Robberies in metropolitan areas increased 8.7 percent. Cities with populations of 500,000 to 999,999 experienced the largest increase, with a 9.9 percent change from 2004, according to the report.

Connolly anticipates a rising call for forced-entry or burglar-resistant glazing in the coming years. “I would say we could expect a slight increase, mostly in cities,” he says. However, he expects government jobs with blast- and bullet-resistant glass and systems to continue to dominate the security market.

The other side of the protective market—storm-resistant glazing—has kept many laminated glass producers at capacity in some areas, Connolly says.

Contractors and building owners in the post-Hurricane Katrina environment can already feel the effects of increased demand, Connolly says, as it takes “a lot longer to get products—hurricane glass and hurricane-resistant windows. Instead of six weeks, it’s going to take 12-to-14 weeks.”

No matter what spurs the demand for laminated glass and other safety products, Martin Mandel, president of Allied Glass & Mirror Co. in Cincinnati, appreciates the business, particularly during a time of price hikes and fuel surcharges. “The prices have gone through the roof,” Mandel says. “But we’re still pretty healthy for our niche. … We sell a lot of laminated glass, and it keeps us always busy.”