Glass contractors open solar powered business in San Bernardino

SAN BERNARDINO - Giroux Glass, a glazing contractor that built a glass bridge over the Grand Canyon, has opened a new fabrication facility.
Division manager Rick Lawler said Giroux's facility, which is in southeastern San Bernardino near the Santa Ana River bed, is the city's first business to be boast its own solar panels.

Lawler said the rooftop panels can generate about 20 percent of the facility's power when things are running at full tilt.

"It doesn't generate all the power, but it will pay for itself over time," he said.

Giroux Glass isn't the only place in San Bernardino where solar panels are used to generate power. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers' local chapter uses solar panels

Giroux Glass Division Manager Rick Lawler points to a picture of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which the company built. Giroux Glass has opened a new fabricating facility in San Bernardino and plans to hire from the area. (Al Cuizon/Staff Photographer)not only for the juice, but to train future electricians are how to install the technology.
Giroux is based in Los Angeles and also has an office in Las Vegas. The company has been in San Bernardino for about three weeks. The firm's local spot has offices and workspace in a nearly 40,000-square-foot warehouse on Riverview Drive.

Inside the facility, glass can be sawn and prepared for delivery to construction sites in the Inland Empire, High Desert or Palm Springs area. The firm derives most of its business supplying glass for commercial construction, and also deals to builders of pricy homes.

"We do the high-end residential homes. The Disneys. The J-Lo's. The glazing contracts will range from $1 to $2 million just for the glass," Lawler said.

Lawler said the company tallied about $80 million in sales over 2008 and spent about $3 million to acquire its San Bernardino facility.

"We picked San Bernardino, I don't know if you want to quote me on this, but you get a lot of bang for your buck here," Lawler said.

As is the case with homes, the Inland Empire has been home to a buyers' - or tenants' - market lately for industrial locations.

In its Industrial Market Trends report for the first quarter of 2009, real estate firm Grubb & Ellis' found that for the first time since 1997, more industrial units were vacated than filled.

The business is also located inside the San Bernardino Valley Enterprise Zone, where businesses can be eligible for certain tax breaks.

A dozen people work at the facility, Lawler said. The payroll could eventually expand to 24 to 30 people.