Mammen Glass & Mirror Named Finalist for Small Business of the Year Award

Chris Mammen, president of Mammen Glass & Mirror in Irving, Texas, says he is “really excited” to have been chosen as a finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award for the second year in a row.

Mammen Glass & Mirror Inc. in Irving, Texas, has been selected for the second year in a row as a finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award

The company is one of seven finalists, and represents the Southwest and South Central region, which includes Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Arkansas. The company was nominated for the award by its local Chamber of Commerce.

Mammen Glass & Mirror was selected specifically for its entrepreneurship and extraordinary growth, according to information from the Chamber of Commerce.

"We're a 52-year-old company, but we're not stagnant, we're changing with the times," says Chris Mammen, president of the company. "Over the past several years we've added various capabilities like tempering, bending and DecoTherm, and we're currently installing a laminated system. We're constantly reinventing ourselves to keep up with the times and continue to grow."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted in its announcement that Mammen Glass & Mirror has progressed over the years from an auto glass company into residential and commercial glass sales and installation and glass fabrication. Named one of Inc. magazine's 5,000 fastest growing private companies, it is expected to exceed its business plan's three-year goals six to twelve months early.

Mammen Glass & Mirror also gives back to its community by participating in the annual "gift of glass" program and donating materials and equipment to replace windows for the poor, elderly and disabled, the announcement notes. Mammen explains that the company is one of several participants in the charitable program organized by the local chapter of the Texas Glass Association.

"We have employees volunteer to go out on a Saturday; we supply the truck and the supplies, they supply their time, and they go out and repair windows and doors for low-income people in the Dallas area," he explains.

As a finalist, representatives from the company will be sent to take part in America's Small Business Summit 2008, April 16-18 in Washington, D.C.

"We're really excited about it," Mammen says. "It's a two-day long business seminar that culminates in the awards dinner the last night. They make a big deal and introduce all the finalists and show a short video about each one, and then we see who the Small Business of the Year is."

CLICK HERE to read the announcement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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