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No. 11 Coastal Glass Distributors LLC |
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Coastal Glass Distributors has been creating custom-fabricated architectural glass products since 1986. (Photo/ Larry Monteith)
P. O. Box 41087
Charleston, S.C. 29423
www.coastalglassdist.com
Total number of local employees: 170.
Top local executive: Jack B. Hoey Jr., president.
Product or service: Custom-fabricated architectural glass products.
Year founded: 1986.
The overall business plan Coastal Glass Distributors LLC had in place when company President Jack B. Hoey Jr. bought the business in 1995 has essentially remained the same.
“The business plan was to expand as a custom fabricator,” Hoey said. “Twelve years later, our thrust is the same. Each step of new technical capability has created new opportunities to reach for in the marketplace. Certainly, many of the steps we’re taking today were not anticipated years ago. We don’t plan too far into the future.
“There have been three occasions in our history when we’ve developed five-year plans, primarily to assess the likely impact of a new investment in capacity. For the most part, we focus on operational planning and on responding quickly, rather than trying to guess what the future will bring.”
Yet in 2005, Coastal Glass did look slightly into the future and predicted a slowdown in residential construction. As a result, the company expanded its product offerings for commercial construction, Hoey said.
It was a move that paid off. Between 2005 and 2006, company revenues increased 21%.
The company has modified its management practices to accommodate its growth.
“We have learned that fast-growing companies need to look at their organization often,” Hoey said. “An organizational approach that works well when the company is one size can become a problem when the company is larger. We are always making adjustments, and every couple of years have made major organizational changes.”
For example, when the firm recently opened a new plant in Jacksonville, Fla., it restructured into three corporate divisions, each with a general manager and four corporate staff managers.
While those management and organizational changes are important, Hoey said the business stays true to its core values: helping customers succeed, maintaining integrity and valuing employees.
“Your focus should always be on your customers and their needs,” Hoey said. “That creates a discipline of staying close to your customers. If you reach the point that top management doesn’t have firsthand knowledge of the company’s customers, you’re in trouble.”
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