History
Glenside Glass Company was founded in 1952 by Dave Fowler and Chuck Pianko, like so many other small business owners in the post World War II baby boom era. Chuck was raised on a farm in Norwich, Connecticut and while in college was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. He was stationed with an anti-aircraft unit in Philadelphia when he met his future wife, Doris Alexander. After his discharge from the Army, he settled in Philadelphia with Doris. By mere chance, he applied for and was hired in 1945 by Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) to work as an apprentice in a glass shop in Philadelphia. He left PPG in 1951 and was hired by Bonn Durcoff Glass in Willow Grove and worked there for approximately one year.
Dave Fowler grew up in Philadelphia with the same family roots as Doris, they are cousins. He attended high school during the war years and upon his graduation went to work with a local publishing company. He met and married his wife Maralyn soon thereafter.
Dave and Chuck opened Glenside Glass Company June 1, 1952 in a small garage on Mt. Carmel Avenue in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Dave and Chuck went out to sell and install their products while Doris worked in the office. Living the American Dream.
In 1955, a momentous year for the company, they bought the property at 2623 W. Mt. Carmel Avenue in Glenside, and started construction of the building where Glenside Glass still resides today. They also hired their first employee. Glenside Glass was incorporated in 1960 and soon opened its second location aptly named Doylestown Glass Company in 1965, setting up shop in a small former gas station in Cross Keys at 740 North Easton Road, Doylestown, PA. Doylestown Glass still resides there today. The building has since seen a number of major improvements. A large two floor addition was completed in 1970, and a second addition providing more office space was completed in 1986 both of which were built by Happ Contractors, also of Doylestown.
Through both good and bad times, our company has survived and thrived for two very important reasons. Our employees and our customers. We have an excellent team of employees who are extremely dedicated and loyal. At the core of this group is a well established and hard working management team. To give some small indication of their loyalty, consider that all of our employees have an average 17 years of service with our company. Our customers provide our other source of strength. We have a loyal following with diverse and varied interests including but not limited to artists, churches, contractors, homeowners, municipalities, property managers, restaurants, retail businesses, and school districts. Customer satisfaction is very important to us. Every employee has the ability and responsibility to reject any work that does not meet our high standards. We strive to treat every customer with respect.
We have built a solid foundation in our community as a reputable company that provides QUALITY work at a fair price. The company has a long tradition of integrity and dedication to excellence, and is committed to continuing the legacy established by its founders, Dave Fowler and Chuck Pianko.