In August, I traveled to Miami as the 2025 GlassBuild Ambassador to visit GlassBuild exhibitors ES Windows and Oz Machine. One builds some of the most advanced hurricane-rated glazing systems on the market. The other powers the shops that bring those systems to life. Together, they show two very different answers to the same question: how do we build smarter, safer, and faster in 2025?
ES Windows: Built for Florida’s Toughest Storms
Walking into ES Windows’ Miami showroom, the sunlight reflected off tall glass panels that seemed to stretch forever. Behind each one was a story of engineering and survival.
There, I met Jack Redden, Director of Architectural Sales. After three decades in the industry, his excitement has not faded. “I have the best job in the company. I’m like a kid in a candy shop,” he said with a grin.
What makes ES different is its vertical integration. They fabricate their own glass, extrude their own aluminum, and apply finishes in-house. That control allows them to keep lead times steady, quality consistent, and prices competitive.
But in Florida, aesthetics mean little without performance. ES is, first and foremost, an impact company, with more than 100 Miami-Dade and Florida product approvals. Their systems are tested to withstand some of the harshest wind loads in the world. Jack described the process: two-by-fours fired from air cannons, windows cycled through thousands of positive and negative pressures, giant panels bending like “iron lungs” before earning certification.
Alongside their curtain walls and window walls, ES is pushing the boundaries of design with giant pivot doors and cavity sliders that allow walls of glass to glide away, creating uninterrupted openings. These are not just luxury features. They are hurricane-rated solutions engineered to meet the same codes as their towers of glass.
Hearing Jack describe it all made me pause. I could almost hear the thud of impact, see the glass flexing under strain, and then imagine the smooth pivot of a massive door opening onto the Miami skyline. This is not just about passing codes. It is about designing products that protect people while elevating how they live.
Jack is just as passionate about training. In the last three years, he has led more than 200 architectural lunch-and-learns for over 3,000 people. His mission is to turn architects and dealers into “ES ambassadors.” In Miami, every hand goes up when he asks who has heard of ES. In Orlando, only one or two. That challenge drives him to expand brand recognition across the state.
Oz Machine: Automation in Action
A few miles away, I stepped into the Oz Machine showroom with Adil Sasmaz, Managing Director of U.S. Operations. Where ES focuses on products, Oz focuses on the tools that create them.
“We offer solutions for any size of company,” Adil explained. From single-head saws to full fabrication centers, Oz gives small shops and large manufacturers the same chance to improve speed and precision without hiring more people.
He was quick to point out the biggest challenge in the industry: skilled labor shortages. Shops struggle to find workers who can handle advanced processes. Automation bridges that gap. Machines do not take vacation days, and they allow the people you do have to focus on higher-value work.
Adil showed me two of their standout solutions:
Garnet XS4 machining center: reduces labor needs, accelerates production, and delivers precise finishes.
Alcor fabrication center: cuts and machines profiles in one station, allowing a single operator to handle what used to take several people and multiple machines.
Later, Adil took me to one of their Miami customers. The shop was buzzing with activity, profiles moving smoothly from station to station. Watching Oz machines in action, I understood what he meant. Automation was not theoretical. It was right in front of me, turning out windows and doors for the Miami market with consistency and speed.
As Adil put it, “We can send photos or videos, but at GlassBuild you can touch the machine, see it running, and understand what it can do.”
Why It Matters
ES Windows and Oz Machine show two sides of the same story. ES is building products that can withstand the fiercest storms while introducing features like giant pivot doors and cavity sliders that redefine how people experience space. Oz is delivering the automation that helps fabricators scale up despite labor shortages. One is about protection, the other about production. Both are essential to the future of our industry.
See It at GlassBuild
Both companies will be at GlassBuild 2025 in Orlando this November. Jack is especially excited since Orlando is his hometown. The ES booth will showcase massive commercial systems, including curtain wall and window wall products with glass panels up to 18 feet tall, along with their oversized pivot doors and sliding systems. Oz will bring its Garnet XS4 machining center, saws, and fabrication systems for attendees to see, touch, and watch in action.
In Orlando, you will see them come together under one roof. That is the spirit of GlassBuild: the full picture of where we are headed.