Occasionally I’m asked how JIT Companies got its start and it causes me to reflect back to the early days when it was just a one-man show creating stained glass lamps; so here’s the abbreviated story…
Starting with a Hobby of Creating Stained Glass Lamps
Going way back to when I was in high school, my hobby was creating stained glass lamps. For whatever reason, I was intrigued with the original Tiffany lamps. After all, some of the more elaborate ones were prized by art collectors and some selling for close to a million dollars at the time. So I followed my passion of creating stained glass lamps until graduation. At this time, I took a serious turn and pursued a degree in Mortuary Science so you guessed it, I buried people for the next ten years. (Many stories to be told about this career choice but for another time). It took this long to figure out this was a bad career choice for me. However, I did observe one thing while I was out conducting funerals.
Church Window Restoration & the Classic Glass Company
The church windows at the time were in serious need of restoration and this was the genesis of Classic Glass Company (later to be named JIT Companies). Drawing on my skills to tear things apart and breathe new life into them, along with a passion for stained glass, this seemed like the perfect occupation for me. I learned quickly that things do not always go as planned and soon we were producing cabinet door inserts for several cabinet manufacturers and other things that had nothing to do with stained glass. More unique opportunities kept coming and soon I found the company morphing into something other than providing art glass creations.
Expanding to Laminated Glass, Metal Finishing, & Waterjet Cutting
Along with growth, came changes that required a new business plan to follow. Needing to find a faster way of doing things, we found ourselves being the proud owner of our first new waterjet cutter. Because we could now cut any type of material with this new technology, other opportunities opened up for us to pursue. Since we now were creating much more than stained glass products, this required a name change to JIT Companies, Inc. We expanded into the areas of custom laminated glass for architectural applications, metal finishing and waterjet cutting for a multitude of manufacturers ranging from aerospace to signage contractors. We’ve had the privilege of forming relationships I would have never dreamed of having.
Thankful for the Past 39 Years and What’s to Come at JIT
Looking back, I’m lucky to have enjoyed the many twists and turns throughout my career but it couldn’t have happened without the understanding and sacrifices of my family, the unbelievable employees that I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and of course, the great customers and friendships that have developed over the past 39 years. With our continued growth and technological advancements, we are even more excited about the future. We all have a lot to be grateful for so take the time to look back at your journey to see where you came from and where you are today. I’m sure you will agree with me, it can be a wild and exciting ride. We encourage you to join our family at JIT Companies to continue this ride with us; you’ll be glad you did.
Let’s Chat!
If you have any questions related to JIT Companies services (or just want to chat more about how JIT Companies started) please contact us and we would be more than happy to assist you. Call us at 507-326-5240 for further information or request a quote here.