Guardian Industries
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| Type | Private, Holding Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Glass, Auto Parts, Fiberglass & Building Products |
| Founded | 1932[2] |
| Headquarters | Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA |
| Key people |
William (Bill) Davidson, Guardian's owner, chairman and (CEO), Ralph J. Gerson (Executive Vice President) |
| Revenue |  $5.33 Billion USD (2006) |
| Owner(s) | William Davidson[3] |
| Employees | 19,000 (2006)- 21 countries, 5 continents |
| Website | www.guardian.com |
Guardian Industries is a privately held industrial manufacturer of glass, automotive and building products based in Auburn Hills, Michigan
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[edit] History
Guardian Industries was founded in 1932 as Guardian Glass Company. This world leader in glass, automotive and building products got its start as a small windshield fabricator. In 1957, the same year Guardian filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, William Davidson[4] became president of Guardian, 10 years after he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1947. After three 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 began 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 from Novi to their present location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. In 2000, Guardian acquired Cameron Ashley Building Products to add to its growing building products sector.
[edit] Current activities
In 2006, Forbes named Guardian #41 on their list of largest private companies.[5] In 2007, Guardian moved down on Forbes’ list to #50.[6] 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.[citation needed] 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.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "Yahoo! Finance - Guardian Industries Profile". Yahoo! Finance. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/40/40191.html. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "Guardian History". Guardian website. http://www.guardian.com/en/about_history.html. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "The William Davidson Institute – About Our Founder". William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080514093818/http://www.wdi.umich.edu/About/People/Founder.aspx. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ^ "The Daily Oakland Press" (PDF). The Daily Oakland Press. http://www.wdi.umich.edu/files/News/oakland_press_5_27_04.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "Forbes The Largest Private Companies List 2006". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/21/biz_06privates_Guardian-Industries_BARO.html. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "Forbes The Largest Private Companies List 2007". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/21/biz_privates07_Guardian-Industries_BARO.html. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
- ^ "Guardian Luxembourg Gov. presence and awards" (PDF). Luxembourg Gov.. http://www.bed.public.lu/news/2004/09/27_guardian/press_release.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
