Glass block windows or walls aren’t something you buy every day. You need a company who knows what they’re doing (and yes, we’ve been supplying and installing glass blocks for 44 years now). However, you also want someone who will be glad to work with you (whether you need one small basement, garage or bathroom window, or a complex glass block shower wall or large commercial windows for your factory).
Serving Cleveland (and the surrounding suburbs), Akron, Lorain, Elyria
Below are people we’re honored to help with glass block projects.
You have options for prefabricated and installed glass block windows, shower walls or bars. So, why choose Cleveland Glass Block? Here’s 10 reasons (besides the fact our Mother’s still love us):
(1977) Cleveland Glass Block was started in the Flats area of Cleveland. It started in the garage of a commercial masonry company owned by my late father, Joe Foti. You see Dad was recruited by a glass block manufacturer to launch this product in Northeast Ohio. They saw an opportunity to grow glass blocks to not only be used in schools and factories, but also in homes for basement and bathroom windows or shower and partition walls. However, there were challenges.
An innovative company was needed to grow glass blocks in Ohio (and beyond). Enter my Dad. He wasn’t simply an Italian immigrant. And he wasn’t simply a doggone smart guy (which he was). He was determined to grow. He was determined to make homes and businesses better with glass blocks.
(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 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 products we install and wholesale 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.
We’ve kept our local names to respect our history and make it easier for 180,000 past customers to find us. But Innovate is about much more than a single product or service. Our overreaching goal is simply one thing…
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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