AGC Automotive Americas commemorated the 40th anniversary of its Bellefontaine plant with a full-scale outdoor celebration this month for employees and their families, paying special recognition to longtime associates who have made this milestone possible.
In 1985, Japanese-based AGC established AP Techno Glass, currently AGC Automotive Americas, as a joint venture with the largest flat glass manufacturer in the United States. The construction of the 1465 W. Sandusky Ave., Bellefontaine, plant began that year, Plant Manager Scott Guenther said.
Japanese suppliers were needed in Ohio and North America to provide support for Honda’s quickly-expanding manufacturing growth in the region, with the opening of its motorcycle plant in Marysville in 1979, and then the Marysville Auto Plant in 1982.
With the construction of AGC’s Bellefontaine plant completed, the first windshield rolled off the production line on Oct. 10, 1986, Guenther said. Since that time, the plant specializing in automotive safety glass fabrication has tripled in size to approximately 740,000 square feet and the facility currently employs about 600 associates.
“What brought us to today are our hard-working and innovative associates,” the plant manager said during the anniversary celebration June 21. “I appreciate and respect all of their contributions. Today wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated people.”
To celebrate their contributions, employees and their families were treated to a variety of fare from food trucks parked just outside of the plant, along with family-friendly activities for young and old alike, including inflatables, face painting, carnival games, a corn hole tournament, hula hoop contest and other games. A raffle with various prizes also was available, with proceeds benefiting the United Way of Logan County.
Self-guided tours of the plant were offered as well, providing a welcome reprieve from the warm temperatures outside and enabling the associates to give their families a behind-the-scenes look at their workplace.
AGC began in Japan during 1907 when Toshiya Iwasaki decided to start domestic production of flat glass and established Asahi Glass Co., Ltd, (currently AGC Inc.). Under him, it succeeded in the first Japanese production of sheet glass.
In 1956, AGC began manufacturing automotive glass in response to growing demand for automobiles in Japan.
In addition to AGC’s operations at the Bellefontaine plant beginning in 1986, and the global company’s Elizabethtown, Ky., plant began production in 1989.
Guenther was hired at AGC’s local plant in February of 1993 as a process engineer in lamination. Since then, he has served in a variety of roles for AGC, including as plant manager for the Kentucky plant, before assuming his current position back in Bellefontaine during April of 2023.
He noted the major advances in automation that have positively-impacted the plant over the last several decades.
“When I first hired in, I shared a computer with a fellow engineer. We didn’t have laptops and cell phones,” said Guenther, whose educational background includes studying chemistry at Northern Michigan University. He and his wife, Lisa, live locally and their two adult children graduated from Bellefontaine High School.
“The processes were very manual on the production line, including packing the glass manually. Now they’re very automated and computer-controlled with robots. Our automation and speed has grown exponentially.”
One of the long-time company employees who attended the celebration event, John Stanford of East Liberty, said he was hired on Jan. 5, 1987. He remembered only one robot in the plant when he started, and the many advances in technology that Guenther detailed as well.
Stanford retired in January of 2023 after spending 36 years working at the Bellefontaine plant.
“It was a great place to work and it allowed my family to have everything they needed. When I retired, everything was paid off,” he said, noting that his son now works at AGC as well.
“It also afforded me with some unique opportunities, such as work trips to Mexico and Japan. I’ve made lifelong friends here and sometimes that makes retirement a little bittersweet. I miss seeing these friends every day.”
When Stanford began his employment at AGC, he worked in production for about one year, and then moved to the tool room, where he worked for approximately 29 years.
“I didn’t think factory life was for me, but when I moved into the tool room, it was something new and different every day and I loved it.”
After his long stint in the tool room, Stanford concluded his career as a maintenance coordinator at the facility.
“I have so many good memories of this place. It’s always nice to come back,” he said.
Fellow long-time associates and retirees with 30 plus years with the company were honored with periodic shout-outs throughout the celebration event. Newly-hired employees were recognized this way as well.
Among those honorees included individuals with 39 years at AGC: Tony Barrett, Carl Birt, Brian Clemons, Teresa Cummins, Tom Dalton, Chris Givens, Jeff Hodge, Jenny Hodge, Eddie Johnson, Debra Kipker, Darrel Lucas, Mark Mitchell, Scott Protsman, Paul Richter, Jim Rittenhouse, Chris Schultz, John Simpson and Mark Thompson.
