Family-owned glass supplier and distributor, GGI, marks 125 years of industry-leading excellence
Blending innovation, artistry and expert craftsmanship, GGI has been pushing the boundaries of glass fabrication for over 100 years. Founded back in 1900, glass isn’t just a trade for GGI: it’s a passion. The company has been owned and operated by the Balik family throughout the entirety of its journey, now leading at the fore of glass sourcing, fabrication and distribution throughout the industry. GGI is currently led by company President, David Balik, with his cousin, Richard Balik, as Executive Vice President and son, Stephen Balik, as Vice President of Business Development. Together, with a talented team by their side, David, Richard and Stephen continue to grow and build upon the Balik family legacy, skyrocketing their business to new horizons.
In 2025, GGI is proud to celebrate its 125th anniversary – an incredibly monumental achievement that’s representative of its strong family values and reputable
legacy. In commemoration of this remarkable milestone, Construction Today is joined by David and Stephen to learn more about how the company’s continuous pursuit of excellence has led to its longevity and success. Stephen starts by providing some insight into the history and heritage of GGI.
“I represent the fifth generation of the business, and I joined the company in March 2010,” he begins. “The company was founded in 1900 as a small, local business in the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Up until around the 1940s-to-1950s, the business was focused on smaller-scale jobs, like fixing store windows, glazing, and so forth. Right after World War II, there was a big housing boom, and we started to ramp up our reputation in the area. We soon became one of the biggest importers and distributors of glass in the area, and that’s what really set us up to be the success we are today.
“We had two locations up until the 1990s, when we decided to join our facilities and do everything under one roof, and that’s when we started to foray into complex custom fabrications. We’ve now been at that location for around 30 years and we import from six continents across the world. We’re working with bigger contractors, swimming in bigger oceans and we have a great team in place who have made transitioning through each generation smoother. We’ve come a very long way and it’s very exciting.”
State-of-the-art technology
Having garnered a stellar reputation for being a reliable end-to-end solutions provider, GGI can do it all. Whether it’s sourcing the finest glass from all corners of the world or fabricating and printing the perfect design in-house, GGI works closely with architects, designers and trusted supply chain partners to transform visions into reality. Its catalogue offers a comprehensive array of high quality glass, all varying in color, texture and style; combine that with the company’s vast scope of capabilities, and the sky’s the limit.
GGI’s expertise is further bolstered by the state-of-the-art technologies and equipment it leverages. As an early adopter of digital printing technology, to give one example, GGI’s commitment to innovation has been integral in its longevity and ability to adapt and evolve to changing market expectations. Presently, the company is in the process of implementing a new laminating line, which will offer even more flexibility in the decorative designs it can provide to its clients, and is always on the lookout for new technologies to enhance its operational efficiencies.
“Every year, we attend the Glasstec trade show in Germany to see the latest evolutions of new technologies; as one of the leaders in the industry, we don’t want to be chugging along with older versions of machines,” Stephen continues. “A lot of the technology we use – aside from the digital printing and laminating – is to minimize handling so that we don’t have as many chips or scratches. There are still a lot of fabricators who handle things by hand, so it’s an area we’ve identified for improvement in terms of product quality and the safety of our employees. Most of the new technologies that we implement are for ease of use, safety and efficiency, rather than for digital printing.”
Having significantly invested in its facilities and infrastructure over the years, GGI’s project portfolio boasts a plethora of exciting, ambitious projects. One particularly notable project for the company was on Harlem Hospital Center, designed by HOK, New York. The project saw the creation of a 13,000-square-foot glass mural inspired by Vertis Hayes’ ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ and truly personifies architectural beauty. Utilizing its cutting-edge Alice® Direct-to-Glass printing system, GGI crafted 429 unique glass panels, low-E laminated and fully insulated. The result? A visually striking masterpiece that encapsulates personality and elegance both night and day, excellently showcasing GGI’s capabilities.
Reputation for reliability
Reflecting on its journey thus far, GGI is due to celebrate the anniversary milestone with its customers and employees later this year with a party that pays homage to its continuing legacy.
“A part of our reputation is derived from people knowing that they can rely on us. It’s not too fancy a thought, but it’s a really important one for our customers. We’ve been around for a long time, and they know us, they know we tell them the truth, and they know that when we say we’re going to do something, we’ll do it right, and if we don’t, we’ll fix it straight away,” David explains. “We have great products and great designs, but we’re not the only ones with those offerings. There’s plenty of people out there with great products and designs, but it comes down to how they approach and treat their customers. The thing that attracts people to us is that we’re usually able to produce something quicker than most and we have enough equipment and people on hand to react fast if there’s a problem. A lot of our competitors can’t do that. It all boils down to people knowing that we deliver on our word.”
With over a century of experience and expertise under its belt, it’s clear that a successful future shines brightly on the horizon for GGI. Armed with a talented team and a wealth of innovative technologies, its creativity and capabilities know no bounds, and Construction Today cannot wait to see what the next chapter holds for GGI.
“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to keep growing and evolving. I’ve been on a mission to shift the balance of our work from clear glass to decorative glass – visually interesting projects with paint and texture. Our facility is packed to the gills with machinery and, especially once we implement the laminating line, I think we’re in a position where we can grow a lot in this area; digital printing is only scratching the surface of what we can do out there,” Stephen affirms.
“I’d love to see a second facility at some point over the next five years. We’ve made a lot of investments over the past five-to-seven years that have completely transformed our facility, which has allowed us to offer 20-to-30 percent more products, so my focus is to continue to grow these products and sales. My father has always reinvested back into the business and taken care of its employees; rather than pulling profits out and pocketing them, they’ve taken the money and bought the next round of machinery needed to keep us leveling up. It’s something that I’d like to embrace as a move further forward within the business. For a small business like us, growth is significant.
“From the point of view of multi-generational companies, they’re not very common in the world of business today, and we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” David concludes. “We’re very cognizant of the fact that we’ve been able to keep it within the family, and 125 years is not very common. It means a lot to us.”