Latest Articles in Auto Glass

  • G4: Industry insiders talk glass
    What are your expectations for the glass industry in 2009?
    January 1, 2009
    CommercialJordan Richards, president, Glassopolis, Toronto “[In 2009] it’s going to be a more competitive business climate. For glass contractors, it’s a high liability, high risk job. Often they’re at the very end of the supply chain and they’re asked to assume huge risks on these projects. I think there will be more pressure and more competition, and it’...

  • State of uncertainty
    AGR sales relatively flat amidst changing market conditions
    January 1, 2009
    Despite problems at the auto manufacturer level and fuel prices that crested $4 a gallon, auto glass replacement shop sales increased by 2.9 percent in 2008 to $3.1 billion. With the future of the “Big 3"—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler— in doubt, however, 2009 remains a question mark for the U.S. automotive industry, including the auto glass segment.

  • "As I see it"
    Readers weigh in on the economy and its effect on their business
    January 1, 2009
    If there is one positive thing about a recession, it’s that it makes you look for unprofitable elements of your business and take action.

  • The Big Three effect
    December 11, 2008
    At press time, Detroit’s General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp. were fighting for their financial lives, petitioning Congress for $34 billion in emergency loans.GM, in particular, seemed to be on the brink of financial collapse. In the manufacturer’s third-quarter financial release, officials noted “GM's estimated liquidity during the remainder of 2008 [would]...

  • Inside View: Obama vs. McCain on fuel costs
    November 6, 2008
    Since fuel costs are critical to the health of auto glass  repair and replacement retailers, I decided to take a look at the energy policies of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. Following are some key points, excerpted from their respective energy plans.

  • Inside View: Employee benefits
    October 3, 2008
    Ninety-seven percent of respondents to the 2008 National Glass Association Competitiveness Survey reported they offer employees vacation days. Seventy-five percent offer medical benefits, according to a study conducted by The MPI Group, Shaker Heights, Ohio. Survey participants consisted primarily of representatives from privately held auto glass repair and replacement companies with annual sales...

What's Hot

  • CH Holdings relaunches Cupples brand with Bob Trainor at the helm
    CH Holdings, the St. Louis-based holding company that owns Enclos Corp. and Environmental Interiors Inc., has relaunched the Cupples brand in the domestic U.S. marketplace, according to confidential sources. CH has reportedly tapped Bob Trainor, former CEO of Trainor Glass, to lead the new Cupples team.The new façade contracting company, Cupples Inc., will target smaller projects with $1...
  • Exclusive: Grey Mountain talks strategy
    In the span of three months, Grey Mountain Partners, the Boulder, Colo., private equity firm, acquired four glass and metal fabrication companies: Custom Components Co., Columbia Commercial Building Products, Global Security Glazing and Hawkins Architectural Products. Recently, Beth Lesniak, vice president and affiliate manager for Grey Mountain,...
  • UPDATED: Trainor Glass Co. files for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy
    UPDATE: Trainor Glass filed a motion in the Chapter 11 case on March 13, seeking to use cash collateral and obtain post-petition financing to “pay for the costs of the preservation and orderly liquidation of debtor’s assets, and to pay for the costs of administration of the debtor’s chapter 11 case,” according to the court documents.First Midwest Bank, the bank involved in the motion, has “...