A Reflection of Her Vision

Anne-Merelie Murrell knew it defied logic when she bought a small glass shop on 24th Street that had been around for years.

After all, she didn’t know anything about the glass business.

Now, six years after taking over Giroux Glass, Murrell runs one of Southern California’s most prominent commercial glass contracting companies. Under her direction, the shop has landed projects at the J. Paul Getty Center, Walt Disney Production Studios, Hollywood Bowl, Mondrian Hotel and other high-profile sites. Earlier this year, Giroux Glass was ranked the nation’s 20th-largest glazing contractor by Glass Magazine, the official publication of the National Glass Assn.

The story of Giroux Glass reflects the mission of a woman who drew inspiration from her love of a community to transform a modest business into an industry leader. By updating outdated practices, aggressively pursuing new clients and encouraging employees to assume more active roles, Murrell has proved it’s never too late to infuse an old business with new life.

“She’s just exploded that company,” said Robert Timme, dean at USC’s architecture school, which sends student interns to Giroux Glass. “That company before was just a small glazier. Now it’s one of the largest in Southern California and is known for doing very high-quality work.”

Nicole Harris, Glass Magazine’s publisher, said she’s impressed by Murrell’s business acumen, company practices, and what she’s been able to accomplish in a brief time.

Under Murrell’s leadership, annual sales jumped from $1.2 million in 1991 to $9 million last year. This year’s sales are expected to reach $10 million to $12 million.

The number of employees likewise rose from 11 in 1991 to 65 this year. The company, which was founded in 1946, plans to move to a nearby location later this year that is double the size of its current site.

Much of this growth results from the company’s expanded business base. Instead of concentrating on just small commercial jobs, Murrell has been bidding for extensive, long-term projects that require more workers, experienced glass architects and, most of all, a grander vision.

The company in recent years helped refurbish the Pacific Design Center’s atrium, set the glass at the new St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, and worked with United Airlines to build a new immigration terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

“She likes to think on a big scale,” said Mike Franklin, a service manager and 17-year veteran of Giroux Glass. “She goes for big advertising, big budgets and big jobs.”

How did a sixtysomething woman with no previous experience as a glazier transform a small, inner-city glass business into one of the country’s largest?

Unintentionally, Murrell said.

Murrell stumbled into the glass industry by means of a real estate purchase. Over the years, she had acquired and refurbished several commercial and residential buildings near USC, in an attempt to revitalize the neighborhood and upgrade historical structures. Murrell now owns six area residential buildings and 10 commercial properties.

Murrell’s real estate drive goes back to her long-standing bond with the university and local community. She met her husband at USC. Her mother attended the school, and so did her son and daughter, who also ended up marrying Trojans.

“I believe in the university and this part of L.A.,” she said. “There’s been a lot of disturbing press about this area, so I thought maybe I could do one thing to change the image.”

One of the buildings that Murrell long admired was owned by Louis Giroux, the longtime owner of Giroux Glass, who was in his 80s and preparing for retirement.

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Giroux agreed to sell the building and some adjacent structures under one condition: Murrell had to take over the business.

Without pondering the consequences, Murrell accepted the deal in 1991 and named herself head of the company. Although she took up the venture simply to acquire Giroux’s so-called Victorian village at 24th Street and Hoover Boulevard, she decided to try to give the business a second wind.

“At first, I didn’t want a glass company,” she said. “I had no idea the company had potential when I bought it. I was just motivated by a desire to do the best I could and stay afloat.”

She improved the telephone system, established an 800 line, created customer evaluation sheets, started a company newsletter, acquired customer lists from recently closed shops and initiated direct-mail and phone campaigns.

She also sought advice from the people she believed knew the business best--her employees. “I ask them to be candid about their concerns,” Murrell said. “Last year, 293 ideas came in. This year, we’re hoping for even more. We take those ideas to our annual retreat and try to incorporate them into our next year’s planning.”

With new ideas flowing, modernization underway and a more aggressive marketing plan in place, business started to pick up. But a pivotal boost to Giroux Glass came unexpectedly, during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Murrell was stirred from sleep the night of the riots by a call from a frantic Los Angeles Times building manager. Rioters had destroyed all the windows and doors on the first floor of The Times’ buildings.

Within hours, Murrell was able to organize a team of employees to repair the shattered glass. While that job was being completed, more damage occurred at the former Bullocks Wilshire. Looters destroyed all the glass on the department store’s first floor, including the windows, mirrors and showcases.

“It was just destruction,” Murrell said.

But handling those jobs quickly and efficiently helped build the company’s reputation and gave Murrell the confidence to bid for some of the area’s most prestigious commercial projects.

Then, in January 1994, the Northridge earthquake rattled Los Angeles, leaving many businesses in disarray. The company again proved it could handle big jobs promptly and smoothly. Its reputation grew, and now even the most prestigious contractors and architects turn to them when they need glass.

“They pay attention to detail and are willing to work through things,” said architect Dan Benjamin of Richard Meier & Partners, who worked on the Getty Museum interiors project.

To allow the company to take on large projects, Murrell made an important decision early on to invest in the latest equipment and technology.

For instance, instead of cutting glass by hand, computers can now do the job. Keeping up with technology requires extensive capital, but Murrell believes it’s a necessary investment to remain competitive.

Murrell acknowledges that it’s sometimes difficult to gain respect as a woman in a male-dominated field, especially because she does not have an extensive background in technology. But she believes her business practices have allowed her to overcome any barriers.

“I was able to empower my employees to take responsibility, and that became an advantage,” she said.