877-668-5888 (Nationwide)
216-658-1280 (Cleveland)
614-252-3242 (Columbus)
Nationwide product supply, regional installation service in Cleveland and Columbus Ohio
It doesn’t matter if your project is big or small – Innovate is here to help you. Here’s some of the people we’re honored to serve:
If you’re remodeling your bathroom, looking to install a glass block window or shower wall, or desperately needing to replace deteriorated windows or doors – we recognize these are not projects you do every day. Towards this end our team at Innovate Building Solutions looks to help you in 3 ways:
You have options for shower and tub surrounds, shower bases, windows, and doors. So, why choose Innovate Building Solutions Here’s 10 reasons (besides the fact our Mother’s still love us):
“Before Innovate”
(1977) Innovate Building Solutions (which is the primary name we do business under today) wasn’t even in our imagination when the business was founded in 1977. You see we started out as Cleveland Glass Block, a Cleveland Ohio based installer and distributor of glass blocks launched by my Dad – Joe Foti. Dad was an Italian immigrant to the United States who might not have had a lot of money, but he made up for it in ingenuity.
Dad saw an opportunity to grow the use of glass blocks beyond schools and factories and into the residential market for basement, bathroom windows and for shower partitions.
(1985) As the saying goes the ‘entrepreneurial apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ In 1985, (during my last semester finishing my MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland) I decided to do a Strategic Plan on my Dad’s glass block business. I was working a corporate job in a manufacturing business in Cleveland at the time.
While doing the plan I thought Cleveland Glass Block had a lot of potential. I asked Dad to ‘buy in.’ He sold me half the business. He floated me the loan. And yes, I paid him back WITH INTEREST. I chucked my 3-piece suit and started wearing jeans more fitting for my entrepreneurial construction life.
And since I haven’t introduced myself to you yet, I’m Mike Foti – President of Innovate Building Solutions and blogger behind News from The Block. And yes, I had zero gray hairs before getting into this business and starting this blog!
(1990) Opened West Side Glass Block. West Side Glass Block was started to provide local supply to Cleveland’s ‘West-siders.’ We combined our East Side and West Side locations into our current home at 4566 East 71st St. in Cuyahoga Heights.
(2002) We start offering vinyl replacement windows and doors. Many of our glass block basement and bathroom window customer asked for help with their upper floor vinyl replacement windows and doors. This resulted in us launching Cleveland Window and Door and Clear Choice Window and Door (in Columbus Ohio), regional window and door installation businesses.
(2007) We add a bathroom remodeling division. We go beyond window and door installations. When we opened our Bath Doctor division, we built the team to not only do the glass block bathroom window or shower wall installation – but remodel entire bathrooms. We knew this strategic direction would make it easier for our customers.
(2008) We start selling our glass block windows and shower walls nationwide. The growing popularity of glass block pre-made windows and walk in shower walls (and our work educating through blogging and videos) helped us build a nationwide market for our glass block walls and windows. We started a nationwide wholesale supply program.
(2012) We bring all our brands together under one name – Innovate Building Solutions. As we saw our products and services used together (for projects we installed regionally and those we shipped nationally) we recognized the time had come to ‘bring everything together’ under one site and one name.
And since our goal is to offer innovative building products (not the ‘same-old, same-old’ building products most ‘stuck-in-the-mud’ contractors want to force you to use)– we chose the name Innovate Building Solutions. Our mission is to inspire, inform and help you innovate designs for your home or business.
Today, Innovate Building Solutions is about much more than products or services. Our overreaching goal is simply one thing…it’s to help you!
Thanks for taking the time to learn about us. It’s our pleasure to serve you. Call me any time.
Mike Foti
President, Innovate Building Solutions
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