Nov. 22, 2023 By Rachel Butler
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, state Sen. Toby Stavisky and Assemblymember Ron Kim joined workers at the Tempco Glass Fabrication facility in Flushing on Nov. 21 to celebrate the company’s 10-year anniversary and the opening of a new glass lamination line.
Tempco Glass, located on Maple Avenue in Flushing, specializes in refining glass they receive from their manufacturers to create various forms of glass which are then made available for purchase and can be used for personal or commercial use.
The recent $1 million investment in the company will create the funds needed for the company’s brand new lamination glass line.
Richards congratulated the company on 10 years of business in Queens and said that he hopes Tempco will continue to provide employment for locals in the area.
“Industrial manufacturing can and will continue to play a huge role in our borough’s economy,” Richards said. “As the Borough President’s Office continues to invest heavily in community centers, libraries and other buildings we need you to continue to manufacture good quality glass.”
Stavisky echoed the borough president’s thoughts, saying that she is passionate about the creation of jobs in Queens.
“Jobs are so important as people who are working are contributing to the economy,” Stavisky said. “They’re buying things locally, they’re participating in community events and, quite frankly, they’re not committing crimes.”
The new lamination glass line takes glass which goes through a process for it to be cleaned and refined before a plastic film is then placed between two or more panes of glass. This glass then enters a machine called an autoclave which acts as a pressure cooker to fuse the glass panes together.
The new autoclave at Tempco GlassPhoto by Rachel Butler
The glass can then be dyed many colors depending on customers’ needs and, in the case of the glass breaking, it won’t shatter everywhere as the plastic film inside holds the glass together.
Tempco Glass President Johnson Chen thanked the elected officials for officially opening the line and reflected on the past decade of business.
“Ten years ago, when Tempco first started in 2013, we had one piece of equipment and 10 employees,” Chen said. “We have faced many challenges over the years but we were able to overcome every obstacle as a team. This new lamination line represents a stepping stone in terms of what we can do and what we can offer our customers and I look forward to the future of the business.”