1957
Our History
Early Years
1968
Company goes public and changes name to Guardian Industries Corp.
1969
Permaglass acquisition adds Millbury, Ohio plant
1970
1973
Second float line launches in Carleton, Michigan. This is the only Guardian plant to have two furnaces under one roof
1974
Guardian adds fabrication capability with acquisition of Glass Guard Industries in Webster, Massachusetts
1974
Upper Sandusky, Ohio automotive glass fabrication plant begins operations
1978
Kingsburg, California float glass plant starts operations
1978
Guardian enters mineral wool manufacturing in Huntington, Indiana
1980
1980
Corsicana, Texas float glass plant begins operations
1980
Fiberglass insulation manufacturing begins in Albion, Michigan
1981
Guardian expands into Europe with launch of float glass plant in Bascharage, Luxembourg
1982
AIRCO acquisition in Carleton, Michigan adds new coating facility strategically located across the street from float glass plant
1982
Guardian celebrates 50th anniversary
1983
Guardian purchases Fullerton, California rolled glass plant
1984
Guardian purchases Floreffe, Pennsylvania float glass plant
1985
Guardian acquires Llodio, Spain float glass plant
1985
Guardian becomes privately held after 17 years as a public company
1985
Auburn, Indiana automotive glass fabrication plant begins operations
1986
Fiberglass manufacturing expands with greenfield plant in Mineral Wells, Mississippi
1986
Guardian College Scholarship Program launches in North America to support employees and their children in the pursuit of higher-education
1988
Windsor Plastics acquisition adds automotive trim plants in Evansville, Indiana and Grand Prairie, Texas
1988
Richburg, South Carolina float glass plant, and a second float glass plant in Luxembourg (Dudelange), start operations
1990
1990
Guardian launches joint venture float glass plant in Maturín, Venezuela
1991
Oroshaza, Hungary float glass plant starts operations
1991
Ligonier, Indiana automotive glass fabrication plant begins operations
1992
Guardian acquires Consolidated Glass & Mirror Company in Galax, Virginia, expanding fabrication capabilities
1992
Guardian enters Asia with the launch of the Nong Khae, Thailand float glass plant
1992
Guardian Japan Ltd. expands company reach into Japan through distribution center and sales office
1993
Gujarat Guardian Limited (GGL), India float glass plant begins operations
GGL is Guardian's joint venture float glass plant with Modi Rubber in Gujarat, India.
1993
Guardian adds a third facility in Luxembourg with the launch of the Grevenmacher automotive glass fabrication plant
1993
Tudela, Spain float glass plant begins operations
1994
Graham Fiberglass acquisition adds manufacturing plant in Erin, Ontario
1994
Guardian enters Latin America with distribution center in Sao Paulo, Brazil
1995
Guardian moves from Novi, Michigan to new world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan
1996
Guardian acquires major interest in Automotive Moulding Company (AMC). Headquartered in Warren, Michigan, AMC has three automotive trim plants in Georgia and one in Michigan
1996
DeWitt, Iowa float glass plant begins operations
1996
Thalheim, Germany float glass plant begins operations
1996
Guardian opens float glass plant in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Guardian's joint venture float glass plant in Al Jubail is known as GulfGuard
1997
Guardian adds second float glass plant in Thailand in Rayong
1997
Glass distribution center is established in Argentina
1998
Morehead, Kentucky automotive trim plant begins operations, and Guardian acquires Lab. Radio, an automotive trim manufacturer in Valencia, Spain
1998
Geneva, New York float glass plant begins operations
1998
Porto Real, Brazil float glass plant begins operations
1998
Inwood, West Virginia fiberglass manufacturing plant begins operations
1998
Guardian enters building products distribution; Guardian Fiberglass makes investment in Builder Marts of America (BMA)
2000
2000
Guardian Building Products Group acquires Cameron-Ashley Building Products
2000
Guardian opens float glass distribution centers in Veracruz, Mexico and Cartagena, Colombia
2000
Kingman, Arizona fiberglass manufacturing plant opens
2000
Guardian develops the Sun-Guard series of coated glass products for commercial applications
This would later become Guardian SunGuard® advanced architectural glass
2002
Czestochowa, Poland float glass plant begins operations
2003
Guardian Fiberglass acquires remaining shares of Builder Marts of America
2003
Guardian launches the world's largest sputter coater in Bascharage, Luxembourg
2003
Goole, England float glass plant begins operations
2003
Guardian purchases partial ownership of the Egyptian Glass Company float glass plant in Cairo
2004
El Marqués, Mexico float glass plant begins operations
2006
Guardian introduces ShowerGuard® glass, the industry's first temperable, permanently protected shower glass
2007
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates float glass plant begins operations
Guardian's joint venture float glass plant in RAK is known as Guardian Zoujaj International Float Glass Co. LLC.
2007
Winnsboro, South Carolina fiberglass manufacturing plant begins operations
2007
Guardian celebrates 75th anniversary
2008
Ryazan, Russia float glass plant begins operations
2008
Guardian purchases Siegel-Robert Automotive
2009
William Davidson (1922 - 2009)
2009
Guardian launches SRG Global, combining the trim operations of Guardian Automotive and Siegel-Robert Automotive to form one of the world's largest manufacturers of chrome plated plastic parts for the industry
2009
Tatuí, Brazil float glass plant begins operations
2010
2010
SRG Global opens its Advanced Development Center in Taylor, Michigan
Exclusively dedicated to research and product innovation, the new facility is slated to develop the future of plastics coating technology for industries worldwide.
2011
SRG Global launches automotive trim facility in Bolesławiec, Poland
2012
SRG Global launches automotive trim facility in Irapuato, Mexico
2012
Rostov, Russia float glass plant begins operations
2012
Koch Industries invests in Guardian Industries
2013
Ron Vaupel named President and CEO of Guardian Industries Corp.
2013
SRG Global and FALTEC Co. Ltd. celebrate grand opening of joint venture manufacturing facility, FALTEC SRG Global (Thailand) Co. LTD.
2013
Custom Glass Solutions by Guardian is established to serve diverse transportation segments in North America
2014
Kevin Baird named President and CEO of Guardian Glass
2014
Dave Prater named President and CEO of SRG Global
2014
Guardian sells its fiberglass manufacturing plants
2015
SRG Global doubles capacity at automotive trim plant in Irapuato, Mexico
2016