Brin Northwestern Glass

What Brin Northwestern Glass does

Brin Glass Company, founded in 1912 by Arthur Brin in Minneapolis, is a privately held, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) commercial glass fabrication, distribution, and glazing contractor operating through five divisions across four Minnesota locations: Brin Glass Company (Minneapolis headquarters), Northwestern Glass Fab (Fridley), Heartland Glass (Waite Park), and St. Germain's Glass (Duluth). The company serves architects, general contractors, commercial property managers, municipalities, and educational institutions in the upper Midwest with end-to-end architectural glass and aluminum solutions spanning design, fabrication, distribution, installation, and ongoing service. Core technical capabilities include in-house insulated glass unit manufacturing (approximately 165 units per day, 65-75% with Low-E coatings), three types of Low-E coating options (Pilkington Energy Advantage hard coat, Cardinal 272 soft coat, AGC Energy Select 40 commercial soft coat), authorized Tubelite storefront distribution and fabrication (T14000, T24650, E4500 series), custom shower enclosures, and bullet-resistant laminated glass systems.

Name

Brin Northwestern Glass

Legal name

Brin Glass Company

Website

https://bringlass.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Brin Glass Company is a 114-year-old ESOP commercial glass fabrication and glazing contractor operating five divisions across four Minnesota locations, serving architects, general contractors, commercial property managers, and educational institutions with architectural glass and aluminum design, fabrication, distribution, installation, and service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Glass and Glazing

NAICS

Glass Product Manufacturing Made of Purchased Glass (327215), Glass and Glazing Contractors (23815)

SIC

Glass Products, Made Of Purchased Glass (3231)

akta.pro primary industry

Glass Fabrication & Processing Services (Cutting/Edging/Drilling/Polishing) (IMADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flat Glass (Float/Sheet/Plate) Manufacturing (IMADAHAA), Glass & Glazing Repair (Single-pane, Insulated Glass Unit replacement) (HSAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Commercial glass fabrication
• Architectural glazing services
• Insulated glass units
• Storefront installation
• Glass wholesale distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Glazing Services: Project-based revenue from design, fabrication, distribution, installation, and service of architectural glass and aluminum products for commercial construction including storefronts, curtainwalls, and building envelopes.
2. Glass Fabrication: Custom fabrication of insulated glass units, tempered glass, laminated glass, mirrors, and specialty glass products for commercial and residential applications.
3. Distribution: Distribution of glass and aluminum products to commercial and residential service providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brin Northwestern Glass (operating as Brin Glass Company) is a commercial glass fabrication, distribution, and glazing services company serving architects, general contractors, commercial property managers, municipalities, and educational institutions across the Upper Midwest. The company provides end-to-end architectural glass and aluminum solutions covering design consulting, custom fabrication of insulated glass units (IGUs) with multiple Low-E coating options, Tubelite storefront and entrance fabrication, distribution of glass and aluminum products, professional installation of curtainwall and storefront systems, and ongoing service work including glass replacement, door repairs, and custom shower enclosures. Operations span five divisions across four Minnesota locations (Minneapolis, Fridley, Duluth, Waite Park).

Product overview

Brin Glass Company is a commercial glass and glazing service company operating 5 divisions across 4 locations in Minnesota (Minneapolis, Fridley, Duluth, and Waite Park). The company offers a comprehensive suite of architectural glass and aluminum solutions spanning Design, Fabrication, Distribution, Installation, and Service. Core fabrication capabilities include insulated glass units (IGUs) with various Low-E coatings (Pilkington Energy Advantage, Cardinal 272, AGC Energy Select 40), custom shower enclosures, Tubelite storefront systems and doors, and bullet-resistant glass. The company distributes and fabricates Tubelite products (T14000, T24650, E4500 series) and curtainwall systems. Through its Northwestern Glass Fab division, the company provides commercial interior glass for office remodels, while the Heartland Glass and St. Germain's Glass divisions provide regional glazing and service. A September 2025 partnership with LuxWall expanded their product portfolio with innovative glass solutions for the Minnesota market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Services Architectural glass and aluminum design consulting services for commercial projects, including early collaboration with architects and glaziers to address technical knowledge gaps.
• Fabrication Services Glass fabrication capabilities including insulated glass units (IGUs), custom showers, storefronts, entrances, vestibules, and fixed windows, with in-house metal and glass fabrication facilities.
• Distribution Services Distribution of glass and aluminum products to commercial and residential service providers.
• Installation Services Professional glass and glazing installation for commercial new construction, renovation, and repair projects, including curtainwall systems.
• Glass Service and Repair Glass replacement, door repairs, mirror work, custom shower doors, window replacement, and ongoing maintenance services for commercial and residential applications.
• Bullet Resistant Glass Ballistic glass systems with layered laminated construction offering protection for schools, government buildings, correctional facilities, and financial institutions, ranging from 3/4 to 3.5 inches in thickness.
• Custom Shower Enclosures Custom frameless, semi-frameless, and framed shower enclosures in 3/8 and 1/2 inch glass thicknesses with various hardware options including Clearshield and Showerguard coatings.
• Tubelite Storefront and Entrance Systems Tubelite T14000 Series (2x4.5 inch thermal barrier flush glaze), T24650 Series (2x6.5 inch for taller openings), E4500 series for interior applications, and curtainwall systems distributed and fabricated by Northwestern Glass Fab.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of only 3 NACC-certified architectural glass and metal contractors in Minnesota
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LuxWallcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Brin Glass Company partnered with LuxWall to bring innovative glass products to Minnesota. This partnership expands Brin's product offerings with LuxWall's innovative glazing solutions for the Minnesota market.
• TubelitecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorthwestern Glass Fab serves as an authorized distributor of Tubelite storefront and entrance systems. NWGF maintains ready stock of Tubelite materials and specializes in complete fabrication of Tubelite doors, storefronts, vestibules, and fixed windows.
• ASSA ABLOYminorOthersHardware vendor partner providing door hardware and locking solutions for Northwestern Glass Fab's Tubelite and storefront fabrication projects.
• ABH (Architectural Hardware)minorOthersHardware vendor partner for Northwestern Glass Fab's commercial door and storefront fabrication.
• AllegionminorOthersHardware vendor partner providing commercial hardware solutions for glass and aluminum door installations.
• First Choice HardwareminorOthersHardware vendor partner for storefront and door fabrication projects.
• PilkingtoncoreTechnology or IntegrationNorthwestern Glass Fab offers Pilkington Energy Advantage hard coat Low-E glass as part of their insulated glass unit product line.
• Cardinal Glass IndustriescoreTechnology or IntegrationNorthwestern Glass Fab offers Cardinal 272 (LowE2) soft coat Low-E glass as part of their insulated glass unit manufacturing.
• AGC (Asahi Glass Company)coreTechnology or IntegrationNorthwestern Glass Fab offers AGC Energy Select 40 soft coat Low-E glass specifically designed for commercial applications.
• National Glass Association (NGA)minorOthersIndustry association membership supporting glazing industry standards and professional development.
• NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction)minorOthersBrin employees actively participate in NAWIC and Women in Construction Week activities, supporting women in the construction and glazing industry.
• BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association)minorOthersIndustry association membership for building owners and managers, supporting commercial real estate industry connections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions: Fabricator and distributor of architectural glass and aluminum products, including IGUs, tempered and laminated glass, and storefront systems. Closely comparable to Brin's Northwestern Glass Fab and St. Germain's divisions in both product mix and multi-region distribution model.
• Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope: Largest North American manufacturer and distributor of architectural glazing systems, including storefronts, curtain walls, and fabricated glass. Directly comparable to Brin across the full design-fabrication-installation stack, but operating at national scale rather than regional.
• Binswanger Glass: Regional glass fabrication, distribution, and installation company with multiple locations across the South and Midwest. Closely comparable to Brin's family-of-companies model combining fabrication, distribution, and installation services.
• EFCO Corporation: Manufacturer of architectural windows, storefronts, and curtain wall systems for commercial construction. Comparable to Brin on the building envelope and high-rise glazing side, particularly for large commercial projects.
• Kawneer Company: Major manufacturer of architectural aluminum and glass systems including storefronts, entrances, and curtain walls. Directly competes with Brin's Tubelite-based storefront/curtain wall offering for commercial building envelope projects.
• Poma Glass & Specialty Windows: Commercial glazing contractor specializing in storefronts, curtain walls, and architectural glass installation. Comparable regional-scale commercial glazier serving similar general contractor and architect customers.
• W&W Glass: Specialty glass and glazing contractor focused on commercial curtain wall and storefront installation. Comparable to Brin's contract glazing and curtainwall installation services for large commercial projects.

Regional players

• Glasswerks: Custom architectural glass fabricator and distributor serving the East Coast with products including IGUs, decorative glass, and security glazing. Comparable product line to Brin's Northwestern Glass Fab, though serving a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Vitro Architectural Glass: One of the largest flat glass manufacturers globally, supplying Low-E and high-performance coated glass to fabricators including Brin. Brin sources Pilkington-branded products and competes with Vitro on large architectural specifications.
• Guardian Glass: Global manufacturer of float, coated, and fabricated architectural glass. Competes with Brin's IGU and coated glass offerings at the project specification level, and supplies inputs to the broader glazing industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user154515278
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrinGlassCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brin-northwestern-glass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brin Northwestern Glass