American Glass settles into new facility

As it nears a half-century in business, American Glass is occupying a newly constructed 13,300-square-foot facility near its former Queen City home on LeCompte Road.

American Glass President Aaron Day said final preparations to show off the facility were still underway in the days leading up to a May 19 ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Day said the product showroom that fronts the 2731 N. LeCompte Road building nearly had all its glass displays installed. That included shower doors, a glass enclosed conference room with a glass table and even a glass staircase railing that further demonstrates the craftsmanship behind the types of projects the company has installed and serviced since its 1978 founding.

“We had a showroom next door prior to the move,” Day said, noting the company exited its prior facility at 2801 N. LeCompte Road in February. “It was getting outdated, so it’s nice to have a fresh, clean, updated showroom.”

BP Builders LLC served as general contractor for the project, Day said, adding the architect was Derington Architects LLC. In addition to the American Glass building, he said there’s an additional 18,000 square feet on the back side of the structure that is currently being leased to Kansas City-based oil distributor Heathwood Oil Co. Inc.

“It also gives us the opportunity to grow into that space,” he said, noting the new building includes a workshop, as well as second-story offices and a conference room positioned almost directly above the glass enclosed one used primarily to show to clients.

Floor-to-ceiling glass fronts much of the south and east sides of the building, which Day said was an important component of its design.

“It’s probably quite a bit of glass for more of an industrial area,” he said, declining to disclose the new building’s cost.

Making space
The move was part of a long-term plan for American Glass, which shared space in a 62,000-square-foot building with its sister company, AGF Glass Inc.

“It was pretty crowded before we got this building,” Day said, adding American Glass occupied around 8,000 square feet – space that AGF Glass quickly filled upon the former company’s exit.

Day, a second-generation owner of both companies, said American Glass is an installation and service venture while AGF Glass is a wholesale architectural glass fabricator and distributor. The two companies previously were united before Day split them at the start of 2024.

The fabrication and distribution division was rebranded as AGF Glass. Day said it was a proactive decision aimed to provide AGF Glass with an environment for sustained growth and efficiency, while allowing both companies to focus better on their specialized functions.

“Before when it was all one company, all your eggs are in one basket, so to speak. And being split, there’s just more autonomy,” he said, adding the separation allows him a clearer picture on the exact performance of each company. “That was always the long-term goal is to be not just separate companies, but physically separate. It’s all glass, but over there it’s manufacturing of the product. Over here, it’s service and installation.”

At AGF Glass, the company doesn’t manufacture flat glass but does work with the material to craft products with processes including beveling, laminating and sandblasting, according to its website.

Day declined to share annual revenue for the companies. However, he said revenue at American Glass had a 21% year-over-year increase in 2025, while AGF Glass was up 4% over the same period.

“We continue to grow year in, year out,” he said. “American Glass has never been like up and down.”

American Glass employs 12 at the new facility, while AGF Glass has roughly 75 workers, Day said. Additionally, another six employees in human resources and finance serve both companies. Longtime employees include Day, who has worked at the company for 40 years, as well as his uncle, Tom Day, who still works part-time after starting in 1978.

“We’ve been in continuous hiring mode for 10 years now. We have probably 10 positions open,” Aaron Day said of available jobs between both companies. “We’ve been obviously fortunate with demand, but it’s just labor shortage. There’s a lot of construction and manufacturing related trades and just like everybody else, it’s hard to attract [employees].”

Day said the two buildings occupy a portion of about 21 acres of land he owns. While American Glass has new space in which to stretch, he said the need is still there for AGF Glass.

Plans are in motion for a 60,000-square-foot expansion to the AGF Glass facility, Day said, noting he’s hopeful a building permit from the city will be supplied this summer. He estimated a $5 million budget and that the project will take around a year once construction starts.

Customer reach
In the architectural glass industry, Day said there are companies that manufacture glass, some that make products out of the glass and others that install it. While neither of his companies make flat glass, the latter two actions are handled by either AGF Glass or American Glass.

“AGF Glass doesn’t sell to individuals or even general contractors,” he said, adding 90% of its customer base is other glass companies.

Projects at American Glass involve commercial and residential clients, said Justin Skidmore, general manager and vice president.

“A lot of residential clients come in to pick out shower doors or hardware, different things like that,” Skidmore said of the showroom. “There’s commercial people, too, to come in and review plans.”

As American Glass works with a lot of home and commercial builders, along with home remodelers, Skidmore estimated the company has over 50 loyal repeat clients. Despite its name, he said the company keeps its footprint local, with around 80% of American Glass projects located within a three-hour drive of Springfield.

“Many people have asked over the years if we were a national chain. We’ve always been right here based in Springfield, locally owned,” Day said, adding his father, James, founded the business. He retired in 2006. 

Skidmore said among the company’s more notable projects are locations of the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It also contributed to the Magers Crossing mixed-use development in Springfield, the Wilson Logistics Arena at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and Don Vance Chrysler, Dodge Jeep & Ram in Marshfield.

As the company looks to build on its client list, Skidmore said the company’s growth and customer loyalty is rooted in what he calls its dependability and strong customer service.

“It’s just a lot of follow-through on the customer service side that is a big part of our success, I believe,” Day agreed. “We don’t do a lot of advertising because we’ve been around a long time, and we get a lot of referrals. For the most part, I’d like to think we have a good reputation in the area for the quality of our work.”