When Luke and Star Bray bought Glass Doctor of Montrose in 2023, owning a small local glass shop was enough.
Now, the couple operates two.
Glass Doctor of Montrose has acquired the Glass Doctor territory in Grand Junction to form the new Glass Doctor of Western Colorado, adding five employees and expanding the company’s footprint into the Grand Valley. The move increases the company’s workforce from 10 to 15 employees and positions the business for continued growth across western Colorado.
Bray said the opportunity came about when the owner of the Grand Junction territory, who had operated the business for about 15 years, was looking to step back and focus on another venture.
“The conversation kind of started when I noticed there were projects happening in the Grand Junction territory that they weren’t tackling,” Bray said.
At first, Bray worked out an arrangement to pursue some of those projects. Eventually, he said, it became clear that a permanent deal made sense for both sides.
“It was just like, ‘Hey, you don’t want to be here. I want to be here. Let’s make a deal,’” Bray said.
The acquisition significantly expands the company’s customer base, though not necessarily its geographic footprint. While the Montrose territory stretches from Norwood to Naturita and Telluride, Grand Junction offers a larger concentration of customers in a more compact area.
The merger already is paying dividends for the Montrose operation.
Bray said the addition of the Grand Junction location has improved the company’s purchasing power and reduced costs by giving the business access to commercial deliveries that suppliers often are unwilling to make to Montrose.
“I just did some pricing quotes on a single shower door and it was $200 cheaper in Grand Junction than it is in Montrose,” he said. “The people in Montrose are overpaying for glass right now.”
Bray said he expects those cost savings and expanded capabilities to benefit customers on both sides of the valley.
He also believes there is untapped potential in Grand Junction despite the market’s existing competition.
“I still think people are looking for a better option,” he said.
The Grand Junction operation had been doing less business with fewer employees despite having a larger shop, according to Bray. He believes his company’s experience and capabilities can help grow the operation.
For Bray, however, the expansion is something he never envisioned.
“No. Never,” he said when asked whether he imagined owning multiple glass shops. “I always wanted to have one — one okay-size shop, even smaller than what we have. I would’ve been happy with that.”
Instead, the acquisition has sparked ambitions for even more growth. Bray said he is already eyeing the Vail market for a possible third location.
“It’s starting to get addictive almost,” he said. “When you look at another market, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to be in that market.”
Even as the company grows, Bray said he wants Glass Doctor to maintain the small-business feel that helped it gain a foothold in Montrose.
“Our most important asset is that local charm,” he said. “I don’t want to be seen as this giant conglomerate thing. I want people to see that small little mom-and-pop shop that carved a little spot in Montrose. That’s our jam.”
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.w
