CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORY
All Bay Area Glass, Inc.
many years working for other companies, where there always seemed to be periodic rounds of layoffs. Growing up, Shaune had witnessed first-hand how hard he worked, “My father did everything on his own – paperwork, billing and installation, which meant a lot of long days and nights.”
In 2004, what started as a short-term offer from Shaune to help improve her father’s business organization evolved into her learning the company’s inner workings from front to back, as she took on marketing, client relations, cost estimating, bidding and administration. “I’ve learned a lot from my father, but he was often too busy to explain how everything works, so I also learned a lot by trial and error on-the-job, then I got credentialled later,” she recalls. Shaune also credits her brother, Frank Page – who has the experience of installing automatic doors – with being a skilled consultant and mentor to her. Additionally, a sister joined the business in 2006, and with this family collaboration, Shaune’s father was able to concentrate on his craft and field operations, while Shaune focused on growing the company. “We have a great core group,” she notes, “and because we have always been a union employer, we have skilled, union-trained employees.”
All Bay Area Glass was originally referred to Alameda County’s Contractor Bonding Assistance Program (CBAP) by Hensel Phelps, as part of their commitment to include and foster local small contractors.
African American, woman-owned and Oakland-based All Bay Area Glass has developed a long-standing reputation for offering competitive pricing, attractive aesthetics, and high-quality craftsmanship. President and CEO Shaune Edwards Gbana officially took over her father’s business, originally known as Adolph Glass, when her father retired in 2015. However, as Shaune explains, “Initially, I wasn’t interested in being part of the business – I was planning to go into fashion design.”
Shaune's father, Adolph, had gotten his Journeyman Glazier’s License in 1981 and later established the business in 1987, after he’d spent
Shaune Edwards Gbana, CEO
All Bay Area Glass