This is our story:
1984
Our story begins more than 35 years ago. But the themes of that story remain the same today: providing an uncompromising work ethic, doing what’s right, and delivering the highest standards of excellence. While working at her family’s home improvement business, Philadelphia native Terry Graboyes recognizes a niche in the commercial marketplace for energy efficient windows. She launches Graboyes Commercial Window Company, a glazing company that would become an unmatched leader in the Philadelphia area.
1985
Graboyes Commercial moves into its first commercial office space in West Philadelphia, specializing in projects for the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia School District, and the Housing Authority.
Ms. Graboyes becomes a union contractor as a signatory with the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters; shortly after, she adds a labor agreement with Local 252 of IUPAT DC 21, the Glaziers Union.
1990s
The company makes a strategic move to Philadelphia’s Callowhill Business Center, where it eventually occupies 13,000 square feet of office, warehouse, and shop space. Graboyes Commercial becomes an early adopter of construction workplace safety practices.
1993-2011
Graboyes Commercial Window Company is a named among the Top 25 Largest Woman-Owned Business by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
2001
The company receives a GBCA Building Excellence Award for Best Specialty Contractor for its retrofit window replacement on the Loews-PSFS Building, the first international style skyscraper built in the US and a National Historic Landmark.
2009
Graboyes Commercial celebrates 25 years in business and is listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies.
2012
Founder Terry Graboyes decides to partially retire, selling the majority of the company to Tricia and John Scott.
2013
Along with winning the State of Delaware Governor’s Safety Award, the company moves to a LEED-certified office location at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Commerce Center.
The move to The Navy Yard is designed to further unify all of the main staples of the company from sales and design to engineering and installation while underscoring its commitment to energy efficiency and high-performing buildings.
2014
Graboyes celebrates 30 years in business and is named one of Glass Magazine’s Top 50 Glaziers, as well as Philadelphia Business Journal’s Philadelphia Fastest Growing 100.
2015
The company wins the FCA International CREST safety award, and is one of the first companies to achieve the NACC architectural glass & metal contractor certification.
2016
Glass Magazine again names the company to its list of Top 50 Glaziers, as does USGlass Magazine. Graboyes starts work on its largest project to date — Alden Park, a historic apartment complex built in 1926 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The three sets of towers have more windows than the Empire State Building.
Graboyes is again listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies.
2017
Graboyes Commercial Window Company announces that Ellis Guiles is its new president when Guiles and investment partners acquire the company. With the new ownership, Graboyes Commercial begins expanding its offerings and building its smart envelope and building performance position within the sustainable building market of the Mid-Atlantic region.
The company is again named to the list of Top 50 Glaziers by USGlass Magazine and receives largest-dealer recognition from manufacturers TRACO (now Alcoa/Kawneer) and Graham Architectural. Guiles is named to the advisory committee of the Philadelphia 2030 District.
2018
Among a significant roster of completed projects during 2018, Graboyes Commercial Window Company completes the second phase of its largest project to date with historic window replacements totaling 6,688 windows during phase one and 171 additional windows during phase two at the c. 1920s Alden Park Apartments in Philadelphia, a National Historic Register site. The project, as part of a massive renovation by L3C Capital Partners with architect BartonPartners and GC Briarwood Construction, includes deteriorated steel windows being retrofitted with carefully engineered, energy-efficient replicas manufactured by Graham Architectural of York, Pennsylvania. Graboyes installation crews achieve completion in 14 months, four months ahead of schedule. Read a case study about the first phase of the project here.
In 2018 the company again is named to the list of Top 50 Glaziers by USGlass Magazine and ranks in the Top 3 of FCA International’s Crest Safety Award.
2019
Realizing continued steady growth, Graboyes enters its 35th year in business with a management team that is more than 25 percent larger than in previous years, positioning itself to offer an increasingly broad and diverse selection of window replacement, architectural glazing, and energy services expertise. Graboyes during 2019 serves as a glazing subcontractor for several award-winning projects, including Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School and the rehabilitated historic Hale Building. Graboyes also helps complete the first guaranteed energy services agreement for the City of Philadelphia School District at Northeast High School — a $23 million energy makeover that included new historic replica windows.
2020
Graboyes changes its name to Graboyes Commercial Window and Glass Solutions to more accurately reflect its broad array of architectural glazing and fenestration expertise and offerings. The company relocates to a larger space just outside of Philadelphia at 171 A Rittenhouse Circle in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
