Spotlight: Beverly Hills Glass
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People who live in glass houses should get to know the Martinez family. Even for glass house dwellers who wisely don’t throw stones, it’s good to have connections, just in case. I met with Janay Morago Martinez at the Beverly Hills Glass office. It’s close by, in the business complex on the northwest corner of Southern Gables, at Jewell & Garrison. Janay is the marketing manager of Beverly Hills Glass, and she sees a bright future for the business. As I had already heard, it’s a family affair. When I asked about how she got into the glass business, she told me about her Grandpa Stanley…
Spotlight Interview by Bruce McDonald.
Janay: I think it was 1991 when Grandpa started the business. At first it was auto glass only, and he started it with his brother. They did other work on cars too, but getting more into working with glass was something that he found he could do, and do well, and there was a demand for it. Auto glass was always Grandpa’s bread and butter. As the business grew, there was more and more work in flat glass, and it’s niche that he did very well in filling. Grandpa grew up dirt poor, and was the second of seven children. He started working when he was ten. Incredible work ethic and we’ve all learned from it. He loves the security of building something lasting. Now we do all kinds of glass work, for anything from picture frames to big commercial buildings.
As if to illustrate the point, Kelly Martinez came out from a back office and apologized that she was working on getting a boom lift for a big contract, and couldn’t visit right then. She checked something with Nicole at the front desk, smiled a goodbye, and hurried back to get it done. Kelly is Stanley’s daughter, and Janay’s mom.
Bruce: So that makes three generations right together in the business, right? Pretty nice! Janay: Yes, it’s nice, and you could say I grew up here. My mom started working for Grandpa shortly after I was born. I spent my days here ever since I was a baby. Built-in daycare, right here in the office. The back room went from being a nursery to a playroom for me and my brother, and a study hall for homework. We came here every day after school and it was just a part of home. And your actual home was here in Southern Gables too, right? Yes, a 5-minute walk. It was a great place to grow up, just a short walk to the playground, and the neighborhood is a comfortable in-between – not like the so-expensive places with HOAs and all, and not all run down, I mean like people keep up their homes and it’s friendly; you can walk around at night and it feels safe.
Well, it’s easy to see why you found yourself staying in this area, and in the glass business… kind of a foregone conclusion…. No, it wasn’t so certain. I came in to help out during the pandemic, but in 2021 I wanted to do something different. I went to cosmetology school. After a while I wanted to come back but Mom resisted. I think she just didn’t want me to take too easy a path. I went to work for a competitor in the glass business. I learned a lot there, and found myself checking with Mom for advice on one situation or another. That made her realize I had a genuine interest, and she got me to come back. I’m handling marketing now and learning about the accounting side of things.
The building has a lot more space that it looks like from the outside. How many employees do you have? Seven, including Grandpa who is a little bit retired. He still comes in to check on things, and when we need an extra set of strong arms he’ll come in with his work clothes on. My brother Ian also comes in when we need extra help. Patrick, the logistics manager, joined us in 2021 and brought some really strong experience on the flat glass side. He knows all the suppliers, types, uses, and products. James is our lead installer and he has been in the business 25 years, 22 with us.
I asked if I could see the facilities and Janay took me into the cutting room, with a huge padded table in the middle and sheets of glass stored all around the room. She started telling me about the different types of plate, tempered, and laminated glass for various uses. I took in as much as I could, and wrapped it up with a new appreciation for what three generations of knowledge and dedication can bring to something we see every day and might all take for granted.
We are proud to have Beverly Hills Glass as a Southern Gables Selected Business Supporter. Be sure to look them up on your big yellow Southern Gables fridge magnet – and do it before you need them for a repair or installation. (Hint: three coupon deals, the first being a noteworthy $50 off.) If your magnet isn’t handy or if you don’t do QR codes, here’s a direct door to their Neighbor Deals: Beverly Hills Glass Neighbor Deals.
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