Celebrating 70 Years of Broadway Glass: 1996-2005

We’re continuing our journey through the rich history of Broadway Glass as we approach our milestone 70th Anniversary this September!

In our last chapter, we explored our decade of evolution from 1986 to 1995, we now dive into 1996 – 2005, A New Chapter, a time of both change and progress for Broadway Glass.

As told by current Broadway Glass owner Ron DeWolf

1996–2005: A New Chapter

As we look back on the decade following 1995, it was a time of both change and progress for our business. After our grandmother passed in 1994, my sister and I officially stepped in as partners—each holding a 50% share—and proudly continued the family legacy.

Our long-standing relationship with American Shower Door remained strong during this time, as we continued working closely with them while diving deeper into the growing trend of heavy frameless shower enclosures. As this style gained popularity, we became early adopters—committing ourselves to the precision and craftsmanship required to deliver clean, modern installations. Frameless showers quickly became a defining feature of our residential work, and we’re proud to have been at the forefront as the trend reshaped bathroom design across the industry.

On the commercial side, we stayed busy with office buildings, storefronts, and tenant improvements—balancing larger-scale jobs with the kind of hands-on service we’ve always prided ourselves on.

Looking back, this decade also had its lighthearted and memorable moments. We built our very first website (a major milestone at the time!) and tried new ways to advertise in the pre-social media world. Some of our old flyers and ads are hilarious to revisit now—but they were effective, and they worked hard for us.

We typed proposals on a typewriter—yes, a real one, the kind with ribbon and clacking keys. When you look at those old documents and see the pricing – It’s almost hard to believe. It really puts into perspective how much the industry—and the world—has changed in just a few decades. Oh, and let’s not forget; we got a new area code – 562! Remember when that happen?

This was a decade of innovation, evolving tools, and a proud continuation of the foundation laid before us. Looking back, this decade brought a lot of great memories – it was inspiring to see how far we’ve come.