A Transatlantic collaboration built on expertise and innovation

It’s a partnership built on trust, close collaboration and a shared commitment to expertise and innovation in glass.

Indeed it is testament to the reliability and quality of Pilkington products that the partnership has thrived for more than a quarter of a century and from across the Atlantic – spanning our base in St Helens to the gleaming skyscrapers and incredible architecture of New York.

W&W Glass is itself a market leader with a 70-year history in the metal and glass industry. The family owned business has a wealth of experience in the design and installation of various building enclosure systems including stick built curtain walls, pre-glazed unitised curtain walls, Pilkington Planar™ structural glass facades and custom metal and glass enclosure systems.

As the largest supplier to W&W Glass, Pilkington has worked closely with the company on a wide range of groundbreaking projects. Here Jeff Haber, Managing Partner at W&W Glass, explains how expertise sits at the heart of this thriving partnership.

Q. How did the partnership between W&W Glass and Pilkington come about?

They called us one day out of the blue and it all sprung from there! Pilkington has always been known in America as the leader in glass manufacturing, so when the call came we were of course interested in hearing more. We had an opportunity to get together with the senior management of Pilkington in the early 1990s and we knew then we could collaborate in a way that would be very positive for both businesses. We’ve had a partnership ever since, and I think you can see from the work we’ve done together that it’s gone from strength to strength.

Q. Why have you chosen Pilkington glass over the competition throughout all these years?

For a whole range of reasons – from the innovation and expertise they have, to the quality of the glass itself and the durability, reliability and rigorous testing that goes into everything they do. I would also point to the standards in engineering, the service we receive and the long-term track record of a successful product that we’ve seen over 25 years. Pilkington is a world renowned name in glass and that expertise and influence in the industry are valuable attributes to have in a partner.

Q. What is required to make such a long-term partnership work across the Atlantic?

I think it’s the people across both businesses that are vital to making it work. We both approach the partnership from the point of view that we are mutually important to each other, and that’s a great place to start. From there it’s about collaborating closely through regular communication and knowledge sharing. We look for capability, expertise, service and reliability in an ideal glass partner, and from Pilkington we get all of that.

Q. What project would you consider to be the most impressive out of all the work you’ve done with Pilkington?

I would have to say the the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of natural History in New York City. It’s a fantastic example of how the Pilkington Planar™ system can be applied to create stunning facades and highly innovative glass enclosure systems. It’s also a spectacular addition to the museum building itself, and a great space for visitors to walk through and enjoy. It’s just one reason why we’re so proud to be the exclusive distributor of the Pilkington Planar™ system in North America.

Q. What exciting new projects are coming up? 

There’s a great deal to look out for. I would say our work on the people mover system at Los Angeles International Airport is very exciting, as is our work on the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.