American Glass specializes in custom work

American Glass, which recently relocated to 3737 E. Evergreen, supplies all types of glass to homeowners, contractors, business owners and glass shops throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. "We're a family-owned business," said Michele Day, sales representative for the company. In fact, only three of its 17 employees are not family members.

The company is located in the Partnership Industrial Center, near the intersection of Interstate 44 and Highway 65. "We purchased the building in July and just moved in on Dec. 26," after extensive renovations were done to prepare the building for glass fabrication, Day said.

The company moved from 1745-D E. Atlantic because of a need for more space.

As the only manufacturer of beveled glass in the area, American Glass continues to expand rapidly, Day said. The company has existed since 1967, but it was purchased by the Day family in 1978, she said. "James and Betty Day bought the company and changed the name to American Glass." At the time, it was located on Highway 13 between Springfield and Bolivar.

Since then the company has changed locations four times in response to growth.

In 1989 a second location was opened at 1004-4 Spur Drive in Marshfield, Day said. Four employees operate the Marshfield location, with the other 13 working in Springfield.

Although American Glass has been in the glass business for 22 years, it has only been making beveled glass for the past three years.

"Manufacturing beveled glass requires a pretty substantial investment in beveling equipment," Day said.

The company purchased a straight-line beveling machine in the fall of 1997, adding a shape beveling and edging machine in 1998.

"In addition to mechanical production, some projects that are too small for the machines are hand-beveled," she added.

Aside from the equipment, manufacturing beveled glass requires employee expertise.

American Glass does a lot of work for cabinet companies, furniture manufacturers, and door companies, she said. "We recently filled an order for a local door company for 800 pieces of beveled glass." American Glass also supplied the beveled glass for the front doors of the Gillioz Theatre.

Along with beveling and edgework, the company does a variety of commercial and residential projects, Day said. "As members of HBA, we work with a lot of residential contractors." Instead of selling prefabricated products, American Glass caters to the custom market, she said, adding that "custom" doesn't necessarily mean high-end.

One area in which the company has experienced a lot of growth is in the wholesale market, Day said. "We run routes all over Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas," she said. "Some of it is beveled glass, but we also supply a lot of glass shops with 100 percent of their stock."

According to Day, Internet sales have become another facet of the company's business. "We have sold glass in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and on the East and West coasts." The company's Web site is located at www.AmericanGlass-Beveling.com.