The History of Glenny Glass Company
Glenny Glass has been a trusted name in the glass industry since 1851, when William Glenny founded the Wm. Glenny Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. In its earliest days, the company held exclusive distribution rights for European-made window glass, small mirrors, and polished plate glass for all territories west of the Allegheny Mountains. Horse-drawn delivery wagons carried our products across the region, while our partnership with Captain John Ford helped introduce the first American-made plate glass to market. From the beginning, William Glenny built his business on integrity, fair dealings, and reliable service.
In 1885, under the leadership of Daniel Startsman, the company was incorporated as The Wm. Glenny Glass Company. For more than a century, the Startsman family guided the company with the same principles of integrity, customer satisfaction, and timely delivery.
In 1989, ownership transitioned to Rufus Smith and his son Braxton Smith, who remain committed to the same values while guiding Glenny Glass into a new era of innovation and growth. Today, Glenny Glass operates from a modern 107,000-square-foot facility in Milford, Ohio, with an additional 12,000-square-foot Decorative Glass Division. With over 95 employees and two operating shifts, we combine state-of-the-art technology with nearly two centuries of expertise.
As the Midwest’s oldest continually operating glass manufacturer, Glenny Glass is proud to serve commercial glaziers, glass shops, OEMs, and shower door installers across a five-state region. We offer one of the widest selections of flat glass products in the Midwest, paired with a full range of fabrication capabilities—including tempering, insulating glass units (IGUs), edgework, CNC milling, and premium coatings.
Through every decade, our focus has remained the same: delivering precision, reliability, and unmatched customer service. With a legacy rooted in history and a vision for the future, Glenny Glass continues to be the partner businesses trust for quality glass products and fabrication.
