The SpawGlass Way is the story of a partnership of two men that evolved into a company owned entirely by its employees.
That evolution was neither smooth nor predictable. The company struggled so hard at times that collapse seemed inevitable. It grew so fast at times that anything seemed possible. At one point the company was sold to a French firm to ensure a secure future for employees. But the resulting culture clash led many to lament, “We just wanted our company back.” Fifteen years later, they got their chance. An unexpected turn of events forced the French to liquidate American holdings, and SpawGlass passed into employee hands.
There are stories within the story:
• How the founders put up their family cars as collateral for the first shares of stock.
• How the company could have been doomed when a founder ’s wife contracted polio.
• How an employee started as a summer laborer while in high school and rose over the years to an executive
position.
• How a convention center job nearly busted the company.
• How the Texas Capitol restoration could have gone all wrong.
• How the SpawGlass 10 bought back the company.
• How a Canadian-born CEO injected fresh ideas about how a company could be run.
• How employee-owners began to decide what they wanted for their company.
This book is for anyone who wants to know more about this Texas-based general contractor and what makes it tick. For that matter, this book is for anyone who enjoys an American success tale. It can rejuvenate those who believe in old-fashioned American values of hard work, integrity and family, and it can be equally inspiring to those who care about innovation, teamwork and empowerment.
