Like others in the industry, Giroux Glass experienced its fair share of highs and lows in 2020. Our team was put to the test in every way, and worked very hard to continue business more or less as usual during a very unusual year. Whether scoring big-time projects, managing Coronavirus, or winning major awards, our partners in the office and field approached their work with grit, determination, and cooperation, achieving a number of major wins despite less-than-ideal circumstances. Here are some of our company’s highlights from this very unique year.
January: Grand opening of Marion Anderson Hall; Arizona office opens
Giroux hit the ground running in the New Year. Our team completed the final touches on UCLA’s Marion Anderson Hall in time for its official opening at the end of the month. The project would go on to play a major role in earning us the title of ENR California Subcontractor of the Year, as well as a number of other accolades.
January also marked the opening of our Arizona location. We’ve already begun to make a major mark in the area, and expect our work and reputation to continue to flourish throughout Phoenix, Tucson, and beyond.
February: Fresno acquires and moves into new facility
February brought the Fresno team a major upgrade in the form of a new, state-of-the-art work facility. The large building we purchased features an expansive shop and increased office space for our staff, plus arresting signage to broadcast our presence in the area. It also includes room for the team’s plans to grow, with some of the space now rented to another company.
March: Pandemic Hits; Giroux Glass secures contract for Resorts World Podium Level
Giroux Glass, along with the rest of the world, was dealt a majorly disruptive hand when COVID-19 spread across the globe. Fortunately, construction was named an “essential service” in all of our states of operation, and we were able to proceed with many of our projects, with new and strict safety protocols in place. Some employees worked from home, and all of us adopted virtual meetings as the latest way to keep in close communication.
On a happier note, March saw the Las Vegas team secure its multimillion-dollar contract for the $4.3B Resorts World project. This particular agreement centered on the podium level of the hospitality complex, but we would go on to win bids for other portions of the construction, all of which are currently underway. The company was also ranked #24 on USGlass Magazine’s Top 50 Contract Glaziers List.
April: US Glass Magazine Editorial; Giroux secures its first Greenhouse project; OC office opens
COVID-19 didn’t seem to slow much down, as April was as busy a month as ever for our team. Among our many achievements: CEO Nataline Lomedico was tapped to share her industry insights and professional expertise in a bi-monthly column for US Glass Magazine; our San Bernardino team was contracted to fabricate and install our first-ever greenhouse project for UC Riverside; and our new Orange County office opened in Placentia, making our service, repair, and project management capabilities more accessible to our neighbors down south.
May: Another multimillion-dollar contract for Resorts World
The Las Vegas team secured more major work for the massive Resorts World project, this time for scope involving the pool deck and “Palace Villas,” as well as custom installations for the site’s complex “spine” structure.
June: Civil unrest prompts major service work; Giroux ranked among NGA’s “Top 50 Glaziers.”
In June, protests against police brutality and systemic racism broke out across the nation, and Los Angeles was no exception. Amidst heightened civil unrest, Giroux Glass’ service team spent long hours providing emergency board-ups to businesses across the city to protect against and/or repair property damage related to the events.
June also saw Giroux Glass take the #21 spot on NGA’s Top 50 Glaziers of 2020 list, a major achievement considering our business only operates regionally, and the list surveys a national pool of glazing contractors.
July: Allegiant Stadium opens
Though the pandemic put a kibosh on public sporting events, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium – home of the Las Vegas Raiders — still managed to open on-schedule in July. Giroux Glass provided extensive glazing work for the 70,000-seat stadium, and the project was one of our largest contracts of 2019.
August: Arizona completes its first major project; Marketing Director Barbara Kotsos elected President of NAWIC L.A.
Just a few months after setting up shop, Arizona completed its first major project: extensive glazing work for a large retail warehouse referred to as “Project SOL.” Back in Los Angeles, marketing director Barbara Kotsos was elected President of the Los Angeles chapter of NAWIC (National Alliance of Women in Construction).
September: Giroux Glass named ENR’s California Specialty Subcontractor of the Year; Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium opens
Giroux Glass was named California’s Specialty Subcontractor of the Year by ENR Magazine, a huge distinction, considering the award surveys all types of subcontracting services (not just glazing) before naming a winner. According to ENR, Giroux Glass earned the title for its participation in “at least five project teams awarded ENR California’s 2020 Regional Best Projects honors.”
One of these projects was SoFi Stadium – home to the L.A. Rams. Giroux Glass provided several major glass installations to the 100,000-seat stadium, which officially opened its doors in September.
October: Giroux Glass secures massive contract for Pacific Life HQ Renovation; More national recognition from ENR
Newport Beach’s iconic Pacific Life building began a massive renovation this year, and in October, Giroux Glass received a huge contract to fabricate and install custom glazing for the five-story building. It was a major win for our team, who worked very hard to secure the bid. The project is set for completion by summer of 2021.
In October, we also received the news that we made another ENR ranking, this time as #405 on their Top 600 list of specialty contractors in the US.
November: 10 Years of Giroux Glass Fresno
Our Fresno office celebrated its 10-year anniversary in November, marking a decade of growth and development in the Central Valley. From the new Madera County Courthouse, to many hospitals and dozens of elementary and high schools in the area, our glaziers have helped to build the facilities that serve the local community – the same community they call home.
December:
Giroux Glass ended the year with a bang. CEO Nataline Lomedico served as keynote speaker for ICIC’s (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) National Conference, and the organization named Giroux Glass one of their “Hot 100” (a list of the fastest-growing inner-city companies across the nation).
Former operations manager Greg Wright was promoted to Vice President of Nevada Operations, and our team continued to secure bids for a variety of commercial projects across all locations. We look forward to even more success in 2021 – our 75thyear of operation.