OcuGlass improves production, engineering, and website

Because of these enhancements, the company has added six new jobs, bringing the total number of employees to 30. The plant is operating with (4) shift crews and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“We saw a significant increase in sales in 2017 and expect that number to grow again in 2018. This has created the need for a more efficient production process as well as an increase in the number of production hours and employees,” said Brad Aldrich, OcuGlass CEO.

OcuGlass continues to produce OcuMatte, its acid-etched glass product as well as OcuWrite, its innovative writable surface acid-etched product. Both products have seen growth over the past year and the popularity of OcuWrite has the company talking about further expansion in the next two years.

Currently, OcuGlass is shipping glass that is approximately 80 square feet per piece in shipments totaling 15,000 to 25,000 square feet. Their primary customers are in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina, Arkansas, and New York.

Production Supervisor Brant Ryynanen said, “We ship to glass fabrication, lamination and tempering companies who create high-quality products that are being shipped all over the U.S. It is exciting for us when we see our products end up in a skyscraper in New York City or Chicago.”

OcuGlass, LLC started in 2013 as D.A. Glass America, Inc. with four employees. Today, they sit at 30 employees with 24 being full-time. In recent months, they have hired consultants in mechanical and chemical engineering, as well as interns from Michigan Tech, Gogebic, and Finlandia in various fields.

Aldrich says, “The local talent has been great and the assistance of MTEC SmartZone in coaching us and helping us identify qualified consultants has made a very positive impact on our business.”

The company has launched its new website, www.ocuglass.net, which puts an emphasis on its personal service, American manufacturing, and its performance as a team.