2021 was a special year, not only because we had the good fortune of working on a variety of incredible projects, but also because it was our 75th anniversary of operation. Full of new contracts, ongoing large projects, and a number of celebrations, the year brought Giroux Glass many highs, despite several industry-wide challenges. Here’s an overview of what we’ve been up to this year.
January
Big contracts in the Central Valley, and big shop space in Arizona
Starting the year off with a bang, the Fresno team scored a $2M contract with S.C. Anderson for glazing work on Del Oro High School in Bakersfield, CA. The new school is set to open in August 2022, when it will house 1,800 – 2,100 Kern County students.
January also witnessed our Arizona team land the location for its current office and shop, after a year-long search for a larger facility. Arizona general manager, Marty McKinley had nothing but great things to say about the new building: “the space more than doubles our office size, probably quadruples our shop space, and gives us the benefit of a secure yard. I cannot say how excited we were to get this deal done in the short amount of time we executed.”
February
Investing in Inglewood
In February, our Los Angeles crew volunteered their time and skills to provide a pro-bono installation for the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce. The installation ultimately consisted of a 2-1/2” x 7” curtain wall system and a door, both provided by Oldcastle. We successfully upgraded the glass to Low-E by pulling together collection samples, leftover materials, and an extra contribution from Glasswerks. We also received door hardware donations from JLM, and an auto operator from Capital Doors. We were grateful for the opportunity to support the Inglewood community, and also to both our field team and industry partners for their generous donations of materials, time, and effort.
March
Jackpot for Las Vegas team, two major awards, launch of employee profile series
March was a major month for our Nevada office, as our Las Vegas team secured several large contracts, including a $1.8M bid for the Culinary Health Fund Center and a $5.4M bid for work on Wynn Tower.
Giroux Glass also received accolades from USGlass Magazine, who named us #20 on their list of Top 50 Glaziers in the United States. Another exciting distinction? Giroux Glass was named Crestcom’s 2021 Global Leadership Growth Award winner. As Crestcom states, this international award is presented to “just one company or organization each year that demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to talent and leadership development.” The prize honors the efforts our company has made over the course of our 75-year history to invest in the growth and wellbeing of our amazing group of employee-owners.
Also that month, we debuted our 75th Anniversary video series, which highlights senior Giroux Glass partners, on our blog. We have so far included interviews with Bob Linford, Tom Molinaro, Bob Burkhammer, Jessica Castillo, John Smith, Ilse Baeck, Fred Perez, and Michelle Fainberg.
April & May
Share price increase, big bids, giving back, and NACC accreditation
April and May brought great news for our ESOP (employee stock option plan), as the share price for each employee-owner increased by 49.5% over last year’s. It was a major win for our team, and we were thrilled to see that our hard work in 2020 paid off.
Our biggest bid acceptance of the month was an impressive $1.9M contract for work on Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, CA. Our Las Vegas team shared our success by donating time, skill, and resources to complete a charity installation at the Collaboration Center – a wellness facility for special needs children.
To top off the season, Giroux Glass was finally awarded its NACC – North American Contractor Certification — accreditation after a nearly 7-year qualification process. Subcontractors earn the NACC credential through a time-intensive evaluation process in which they must demonstrate their proficiency in five areas: business practices, safety, glazing processes, contract administration, and quality. We are proud and extremely happy to be able to display this distinction alongside our name.
June
Wrapping up Resorts World Las Vegas
The biggest news out of June was massive, indeed, as our crew wrapped up their decade-long work on Resorts World, just in time for its grand opening. The project was the single largest contract in our company’s history and the results are truly breathtaking. Of the milestone, CEO Nataline Lomedico stated, “It has been such an honor to see our Las Vegas team come together, face obstacles and find solutions as one. Hats off to our field, office, shop and leadership of Giroux Las Vegas.”
July & August
Office expansion in Los Angeles
In late summer, Giroux Glass was able to occupy the entire building of its Los Angeles headquarters, prompting a major expansion and reorganization of the workspace. Changes included moving reception to the first floor of the building, creating a special, designated section for the CAD department, opening private offices up for several employees, and making use of two expansive conference rooms for holding large meetings and events.
September
Glass Magazine honors our interior work, Crestcom Class of 2021 graduates
Giroux Glass received the award for “Best Glass Interiors” from Glass Magazine for our detailed work on the Pendry Hotel in West Hollywood. We were honored to receive the award, as this project involved some of our most intricate decorative installations to date.
We also celebrated the graduation of seven Giroux Glass employees from the Crestcom Leadership Program. The training curriculum provides in-depth lessons and coursework on how to be an effective leader, exploring topics like strategic planning, interpersonal communication, teamwork, and efficiency. In their action plans — a primary component of the program — the Giroux partners created strategies that, when combined, increased revenue by over $4M, included cost savings of nearly $1M, listed over 160 processes for risk reduction, and proposed 86 new ideas for advancing and optimizing business.
October
ENR accolades, tee time, MLK Hospital wraps
October saw Giroux Glass in the trades once again, this time listed as #10 in ENR (Engineering News Record) Magazine’s “Top 20 Glazing and Curtain Wall Firms.” This listing moved us up two spots from last year. In their annual lists, ENR surveys general contractors and subcontractors of many specialties nationwide, so it’s always an honor to be listed among their top selections. Of all subcontractors, we were named #363 out of 600 – a significant jump from our placement at 405 in 2020.
We also participated in two industry charity golf tournaments – Penta’s in Southern California and G.L. Bruno’s in Fresno. Both were great days where we got to spend beautiful days on the links with industry peers in support of various community causes.
Finally, our team wrapped its scope on Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital’s new Behavioral Health Center in Los Angeles.
November
75th Anniversary celebrations & internship opportunities
November was a whirlwind, with three 75th Anniversary events and the development of a new internship program, in addition to our ongoing glazing work.
Three of our locations celebrated the company’s 75th anniversary in style. First, the Los Angeles office hosted an event at the newly-opened SoFi Stadium, where our team contributed multiple glazing installations. Events were also held at the new Arizona and Fresno office locations, which pulled double duty as “Open House” parties for our local industry peers.
While attending the AGC Conference in Indian Wells, client relations coordinator, Brian Peregrina, met with students from Fresno State University, his alma mater. The students’ interest in the glazing industry prompted our team to create an internship program offered through FSU’s School of Engineering and Construction Management. We’re thrilled to be able to introduce the next generation to our industry, and look forward to the various opportunities the program offers, both for students, and for our own team to nurture and develop young talent.
December
Crenshaw Metro completed, big contracts in Arizona and Fresno
Giroux Glass finished the year with a bang! The Los Angeles team completed work on the eight stations of its new Crenshaw Metro Rail Station project, and our other offices scored a total of three major contracts.
First, Arizona secured its biggest project to date, a $2.3M LOI from Layton Construction for work on Sage Memorial Hospital’s new wing and housing complex. Soon after, the Fresno team landed two contracts over $3M each. The first, an LOI, also from Layton, for work on Mercy Hospital’s SW Tower Expansion for just over $3M. The second, another LOI from Harris Construction for various installations at the Sanger Educational Complex to the tune of $3.7M.
Despite certain industry setbacks unique to this period in time (material shortages, delivery delays, etc), 2021 proved to be a powerhouse year for Giroux Glass. We’re exceedingly grateful for the incredible opportunities we’ve been afforded from the general contractors, developers, and architects we work with, and look forward to continuing our collaborations as the new year dawns. Our team has never felt more tightly-knit, despite the new locations, and we take great pride as employee owners in all that we have accomplished.
With a number of major contracts on the horizon and a talented team that stays on the pulse of emerging projects all over the Western U.S., we’re excited for all that’s to come in this next year. Many thanks to the intricate network of employees, crew members, and construction companies that allow us to do what we love. Have a safe, joyful, and healthy New Year — see you in 2022!