M3 Glass Technologies is pleased to announce the acquisition of Thermotec Glass, a manufacturer of exterior insulated glass located in Georgetown, Texas and founded in 1995.
Owner Luis Najarro and the management team at Thermotec will stay on and continue to grow the business in the Central Texas market. Najarro commented, “We are excited to join the M3 family. Their focus on quality and service matches that of Thermotec. We look forward to growing with M3 and taking the business to the next level.”
M3 Glass Technologies is a leading fabricator of architectural glass with locations in Irving and Austin, Texas that provides a variety of interior glass products throughout the United States. David Jackson, CEO of M3 Glass Technologies, shared, “We are thrilled to partner with Luis and his outstanding team as M3 expands into insulated glass. This acquisition is a critical step in building a complete portfolio of glass products to provide our customers a ‘one-stop shop’ experience for both interior and exterior glass. In conjunction with this acquisition, M3 will soon be breaking ground on a state-of-the-art commercial insulated glass line at our Georgetown facility, which we hope to have online by the end of 2022.”
M3 Glass Technologies is a portfolio company of LongWater Opportunities, a private equity firm headquartered in Dallas, TX and Fargo, ND that partners with family-owned, U.S.-based manufacturing companies. Jordan Bastable, Partner and Co-Founder at LongWater, commented, “The acquisition of Thermotec by M3 Glass brings together two very complementary businesses that can now better serve customers. Additionally, the transaction presents an incredible opportunity for these two successful companies and their employees to continue to grow and develop.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the visual appeal of design glass, but it’s more important to ensure that the architectural design glass you choose meets the necessary safety standards for your application. Design glass safety is an essential consideration during the architectural design glass sourcing and production process.
Your design glass manufacturer should be able to provide you with strong, durable products that will meet or exceed the relevant safety parameters for your application. If your design glass selection falls short of required safety standards, you’re not only on the hook for expensive building code violations, the welfare of employees and customers may be at risk.
Glass Applications Where Safety is a Must
While there are myriad applications for design glass, some have superior durability and other safety requirements. If you’re in need of one of the following types of glass, you’ll need to perform due diligence to ensure that the product is safe enough for the intended purpose.
Laminated Glass
The shatterproof properties of laminated glass have made it an indispensable commodity in the car industry for the last 50 years. It has become an essential tool for both passenger and driver safety. Outside of the automotive sector, however, laminated glass has become a more common offering among glass providers as architects and designers move toward safer building solutions and ensure compliance with strict regulations.
The benefits of laminated glass are two-fold. It supports the creativity of architects by bringing innovation to buildings and structures because laminated glass allows for more complex designs. Laminated glass also allows design glass processors to add value and custom appearances to your project, because it enables them to expand their portfolio and offer a wider range of end products.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is specially heat treated or chemically treated so that it is several times stronger than non-tempered (annealed) glass. It cannot be cut, drilled, ground, or polished without fracture. Standard tempered glass solutions are typically usable at temperatures up to 500° F. Most importantly, when highly tempered, a fracture at any point will cause the entire piece to break into small particles. It is this property that makes tempered glass a SAFETY product. Federal law and building codes require tempered glass in many applications, so make sure your Design Glass partner manufactures to the ANSI Z97.1 and CPSC 1201 standards.
Because tempered glass cannot be cut after tempering, tempered glass must be produced to size, but it’s not feasible to keep all sizes that might be needed in inventory. As such, tempered glass is a custom-manufactured solution.
Fire-Rated Glass
Most glass offers little-to-no fire protection, but fire-rated glass is designed to withstand even the most dangerous environments, including temperatures up to 1600° F. There are two common types of fire-rated glass. The first, polished wire glass, is the oldest glass fire solution available. The second, ceramic glass, is produced with a clear ceramic fire-rated glazing rather than wire reinforcements. Polished wire glass is NOT a safety glass and should NEVER be used in an application that could put it in the path of human impact.
Fire-rated glass must pass a series of nationally established testing standards before being assigned a fire-rated glass safety rating. This rating corresponds to the length of time the glass is expected to remain reliable during a fire.
Think Safety When Sourcing Design Glass
When sourcing architectural design glass, be sure to prioritize design glass safety and the glass safety standards relevant to your application. To learn what else to look for when sourcing architectural design glass, download our eBook: 7 Factors to Consider When Working with a Design Glass Manufacturer.
