Guardian Industries Corp.

Infobox Company
name = Guardian Industries [ cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/40/40191.html | title=Yahoo! Finance - Guardian Industries Profile |accessdate=2008-08-24 |work=Yahoo! Finance ]

type = Private, Holding Company
genre =
foundation = 1932 [cite web |url= http://www.guardian.com/en/about_history.html |title=Guardian History |accessdate=2008-08-24 |format=html |work=Guardian website ]
founder =
location_city = Auburn Hills, Michigan
location_country = flagicon|U.S. USA
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = William Davidson (CEO), Ralph J. Gerson (Executive Vice President)
industry = Glass, Auto Parts, Fiberglass & Building Products
products =
services =
revenue = profit$5.33 Billion USD (2006)
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner = William Davidson [ cite web|url= http://www.wdi.umich.edu/About/People/Founder.aspx|title=The William Davidson Institute – About Our Founder |accessdate=2008-08-27|format=html|work=William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan ]
num_employees = 19,000 (2006)
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.guardian.com www.guardian.com]
footnotes =
intl = Guardian Industries is a privately held industrial manufacturer of glass, automotive and building products based in Auburn Hills, Michigan

History

Guardian Industries was founded in 1932 as Guardian Glass Company. This world leader in glass, automotive and building products got it's start as a small windshield fabricator. In 1957, the same year Guardian filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, William Davidson cite web|url=http://www.wdi.umich.edu/files/News/oakland_press_5_27_04.pdf |title= The Daily Oakland Press|accessdate=2008-08-24 |work=The Daily Oakland Press ] became President of Guardian, 10 years after he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1947. After three short years in 1960, Guardian came out of bankruptcy. In 1968, the company officially changed its name to Guardian Industries Corp. and under William Davidson’s leadership; they went public with the initial trade valued at $17 a share. The following year Guardian begins trading on the American Stock Exchange and in 1973 it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company went back to a privately held company in 1985 after 17 years as a public company. In 1995, corporate headquarters moved to their present location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. In 2000, Guardian acquired Cameron Ashley Building Products to add to its growing building products sector.

Current Activities

In 2006, Forbes named Guardian #41 on their list of largest private companies. [ cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/21/biz_06privates_Guardian-Industries_BARO.html |title=Forbes The Largest Private Companies List 2006 |accessdate=2008-08-24|format=html|work=Forbes ] In 2007, Guardian moved down on Forbes’ list to #50. [ cite web|url= http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/21/biz_privates07_Guardian-Industries_BARO.html |title=Forbes The Largest Private Companies List 2007 |accessdate=2008-08-27|format=html|work=Forbes ] In 2006, Guardian Industries enjoyed a 6.60% growth in revenue to bring their combined 2006 revenue to be quoted at $5.3 billion.
This organization remains one of the world’s largest manufacturers of float glass and fabricated glass products. In addition to those product lines, Guardian Industries also manufacturers and supplies the automotive industry with a range of exterior products. With more than 100 distribution centers in the United States and Canada, Guardian Industries employs 19,000 people that operate facilities in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Guardian Industries, which has had a presence in Luxembourg since 1981, owns a specialty glass coatings manufacturing plant in Bascharage, Luxembourg which opened in 2004, the largest of its kind in the world. In addition, Guardian is also the third largest industrial employer in Luxembourg, running an automotive glass manufacturing plant, a research and development center, and two float glass complexes. [ cite web|url= http://www.bed.public.lu/news/2004/09/27_guardian/press_release.pdf |title=Guardian Luxembourg Gov. presence and awards |accessdate=2008-9-25 |format=html |work=Luxembourg Gov. ]

References

Guardian Website

* [http://www.Guardian.com/ Guardian Industries website]

External links

* [http://www.sunguardglass.com SunGuard Advanced Architectural Glass]
* [http://www.climaguardspf.com/product/spf.html ClimaGuard SPF]
* [http://www.climaguardspf.com/product/rle.html ClimaGuard Low-E]
* [http://www.showerguardglass.com ShowerGuard Glass]
* [http://www.guardianbp.com Guardian Building Products]
* [http://www.griptuning.com Automotive Aftermarket Products (Grip Tuning)]
* [http://www.guardian.com/en/na/gp_000586.html DiamondGuard]
* [http://www.guardian.com/en/na/gp_001018.html Guardian UltraWhite]
* [http://www.rvglassparts.com RV Glass Parts]
* [http://www.guardian.com/en/na/gp_001582.html Auto Glass Network]
* [http://www.guardian.com/en/na/gp_014284.html SatinDeco]

Major Competitors

*PPG Industries
*Saint-Gobain
*AGC Asahi Glass Co., LTD