This November, Giroux Glass Fresno office celebrates its 10th anniversary of operation. Started by John Smith, who had worked previously for Giroux Glass in Los Angeles, the Fresno location has been instrumental in establishing the glazing company’s foothold in one of California’s fastest-growing areas. From metro rail stations and new schools, to the state-of-the-art rebuild of the Madera County Courthouse, Giroux’s roster of Fresno-based projects reflects a region in the midst of a major transformation. In honor of Giroux’s first decade in Fresno, we look at the history, accomplishments, and ongoing goals of our Central Valley team.
History
After eight years spent working in Los Angeles, Giroux Glass project manager, John Smith, decided to leave the hustle and bustle of L.A. for a quieter pace in Fresno. Unfortunately, this meant leaving and saying goodbye to the company and the people he considered to be his Giroux family — or so he thought. “It was devastating [to leave Giroux],” says John “they were the best employer I’d ever worked for.”
When John arrived in Fresno, he was struck by the potential for development it held for the glazing industry. He got wind that the Clovis Community Medical Center was seeking bids from glaziers and tipped off our Vegas Team, who ended up winning the bid. Impressed by his initiative and loyalty, then-CEO Anne-Merelie Murrell re-hired John as Giroux’s first Fresno-based project manager. He rented a tiny office, and with a staff of one, Giroux Glass Fresno was born.
As opportunities expanded, so did John’s team. Today, the office has four office employees, plus a field team led by superintendent, Juan Martinez. “Juan’s been instrumental in his role as liaison between office, field team, and general contractors,” says John. “He has excellent communication skills and is a huge asset to our team.”
In February 2020, Giroux Glass purchased its own building with a much larger shop and significantly more office space. The roughly 20k square-foot location features ample office interiors and a massive workshop that includes a large truck drive-through and exterior truck-well loading dock. The facility also houses 8,800 SF of extra office space, currently on lease to another company. We plan to eventually take over this portion of the building as business in the region continues to grow. A grand opening of this fantastic new space was in the works when Covid-19 put a pause on the festivities, but we have no doubt that we’ll celebrate bigger and better than ever, once it’s safe to do so.
Major Projects
Clovis Community Medical Center – 2012
The project that started it all. Located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, the Clovis Community Medical Center (as it’s known today) evolved from a single “Sanitarium,” established in 1895. Over the course of more than a century, the complex has merged several different area hospitals, and has expanded across a number of properties and locations.
Giroux Glass provided extensive glazing for the hospital’s 2008-2012 expansion. Working primarily on the 5-story bed tower and the 3-story outpatient and surgical services center, Giroux’s scope of work included installation of curtain wall and storefront systems, Viracon Low-E insulated glass, translucent laminated glass, fire-rated frames, glass, and doors, and automatic ICU doors, among others.
Madera County Courthouse – 2015
Replacing the original Madera courthouse, widely considered the worst county courthouse in the state, the new Madera courthouse is an upgrade of epic proportions, with four stories, ten courtrooms, ample office space, prisoner holding cells, state-of-the art parking facilities, and beyond. Designed to pay homage to the county’s stunning natural surroundings, which include Yosemite National Park, the building resembles an abstracted mountaintop divided by a cascading glass ‘waterfall.’
Giroux was tasked with planning, fitting, and installing all of the building’s glass features, including the challenging central atrium. To bring this vision to life, we devised a plan for a one-of-a-kind curtain wall system using 1”- to 2”-thick pieces of insulated, laminated, low-E glass held securely in place with patch fittings.
Matilda Torres High School – 2020
Giroux Glass was fortunate to receive the contract for glazing work on the brand-new, state-of-the-art Matilda Torres High School in Madera, CA. Our team provided various glazing materials for both interior and exterior spaces in ten different buildings across the 55-acre construction site. The school, whose curriculum specializes in visual and performing art, technical trades, and athletics, was set to open for students on August 19, 2020, but COVID-19 complicated the original plan. Students are currently learning virtually, and will attend in person once the school district deems it safe to do so.
To the future
In addition to the projects mentioned above, Giroux Glass is currently providing design-assist on glass and glazing for multiple stations of Fresno’s ongoing high-speed rail project, with hopes to secure the glazing work. Our Fresno team continues to consistently win contracts on local schools, city colleges, hospitals, municipal buildings, and beyond. In short, Giroux Glass Fresno is playing an active role in transforming this once-sleepy farm region into another major California urban center. As we celebrate our first decade of operation, we look forward to many more. We’re thrilled to be a part of the positive growth, expansion, and prosperity that continues to emerge for the great people of this great region. Cheers to that!