Change is an elusive entity. Sometimes it occurs with the speed of sound and leaves us
breathless. Anyone who has been through a life-altering experience knows an occurrence
that takes milliseconds can change everything for an individual so that nothing is the
same. Other change occurs very slowly, with its effects rippling gradually through a
life—or an industry. In this way, change sneaks up on us without announcing its
presence until its effects are known.
Please don’t mind me waxing philosophical, but we are in the business of providing
information about change—whether it comes in with a boom or a whisper. And because of
this I wanted to make you aware of two changes.
The first involves a number of tempering companies in the country. United Glass
Corporation (UGC) of Houston, TX, has announced the formation, of what it says is the
country’s largest independent glass fabrication and services company in North
America. Ten companies from throughout the country have become part of this consolidation.
Jim Bradford, formerly president of AFG Industries in Kingsport, TN, has joined the
company as president and CEO. Sterling City Capital LLC is providing the capital.
According to information released earlier this month, “the cash portion of the
acquisitions was funded through an $80 million bank credit facility … Each owner of
the acquired companies received a significant portion of their purchase in the form of
stock in the new company. The ten companies involved are:
GlassWerks Group, Los Angeles, CA;
Hartung Glass Industries and Lami Glass
Products of Seattle, WA;
Louisville Plate Glass of Louisville, KY;
Mid-Ohio Tempering of Columbus, OH;
PDC Corporation of Detroit, MI;
Perilstein Distributing Corporation of
Pittsburgh, PA;
Tempered Glass Inc. of Atlanta, GA;
Thad Ziegler Glass Inc. of San Antonio, TX; and
TFC Inc. of Louisville, KY.
UGC will operate 37 facilities in the United States and one in Canada. UGC has been formed
from some of the finest companies in the industry, each bringing unique capabilities to
the mix. The Glasswerks Group is a strong provider in the west and southwest United
States. Thad Ziegler, which has a strong contract glazing division, is one of the
country’s oldest glass companies. TFC Inc. manufactures mirror glass for exterior
truck mirrors. It will be interesting to see how this company changes the industry.
The second change involves you and USGlass. Next month, those of you
involved in the auto glass industry will receive a sample of our inaugural issue of AGRR:
The Magazine Driving the Auto Glass Repair and Replacement Industry. There has been quite
a bit of excitement in our offices about this new magazine, which expands the information
found in Windshield and Glass Repair Magazine and combines it with the information found
in the USGAuto section of USGlass. AGRR
will become a separate magazine beginning in January 2000. With more space available, AGRR
will bring you accurate, unbiased information about the auto glass industry, which tends
to change in sonic booms rather than whispers.
You can order a subscription by visiting our website at http://www.usglassmag.com.
-Deb
USG
© Copyright 1999 Key Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. No reproduction of any type without expressed written permission.