“I like to impress upon my team members that I am just a ‘regular’ guy who has a job to do. My skill set and responsibilities might be different as the CEO but it doesn’t make me any better or smarter than they are.” – Bill Sullivan, CEO of Brin Glass Company.

When Bill Sullivan started his career at Brin Glass Company in Minneapolis, MN in July of 1984, he never imagined staying more than six months. At the time, he was a recent college graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, ready to take on a world of opportunities. Sullivan was searching for a job that would help pay his bills in a season of transition. Then, in an instant, a newspaper ad caught his attention, and his path crossed with Brin.

For nearly 40 years, CEO Bill Sullivan has built a legacy at longtime NGA member company, Brin Glass Company, starting from the ground up. Since 1984, Bill’s leadership skills and perseverance helped the Brin team navigate through unthinkable challenges. From the economic crisis of 2008 to the hardships of a global pandemic, Bill has continually succeeded in building relationships with clients, co-workers, and vendors alike.

COLLEGE YEARS, FINDING BRIN

“I planned to stay for six months, I stayed because of the leadership.” – Bill Sullivan

In 1984, Bill graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in construction management. Throughout his college career, he explored the possibilities of various industry-related careers but never considered the world of subcontracting. Bill said, “My college career was focused on learning business and on estimating, scheduling, and engineering classes all geared towards working for a general contractor.”

The summer after graduation, the trajectory of Bill’s future was changed by a single newspaper ad. Retrospecting about his college job hunt, he said, “Back then we either had to look at the job board at the university, or in my case I would go to the library and check out the Sunday newspaper.” One week, he came across a job advertisement for an estimating position at Brin. Bill said, “I applied, I mailed my resume to the hiring company and I applied for an estimating position at Brin, and I got a call from Doug Nelson, owner and president. That just tells you how involved he was back then, they didn’t have an HR department.”

Bill was informed that the position at Brin had already been filled, however, Nelson told Bill that Brin was creating a new position named service sales. In July 1984, Bill was hired as a sales representative for then Brin Northwestern Glass. He said, “I interviewed, and he (Doug) offered me the job on the spot.”

However, Bill didn’t plan on putting down roots at Brin. He said, “When I took the job at Brin, I planned to stay for six months. I stayed because of the leadership of Doug Nelson, Stan Mariska, and Pat Rome and because of the opportunities it provided for me and my family.”

Bill recalled a particular moment from his start at Brin that has stayed with him 40 years. Being hired at Brin meant that Sullivan needed to move from Wisconsin to Minnesota. However, being a recent college graduate, Sullivan didn’t have the financial resources to do so. “I had to ask if he could advance me some money because I was a poor college student,’ Bill paused to laugh, ‘and Doug floated me an advance so I could move to Minnesota.” This generous act became a piece of the cornerstone in Bill and Doug’s friendship.

FRIENDSHIP AND MENTORSHIP FROM DOUG NELSON

“Doug said ‘Give me your goals for your career…’ So I wrote a letter to him outlining my goals, and one of them was to run a division for Brin,” Sullivan said.

Stan Mariska, a former president of Brin Northwestern Glass, was hired in 1973 as a sales representative. At the beginning of Bill’s career, Stan and Bill worked together under Doug’s leadership. When Doug acquired Heartland Glass in 1990, he needed someone to oversee the division in Waite Park, near St Cloud, MN. Stan said, “Doug came to me and said, ‘Is there someone at Brin that you think could manage that?’ and I had highly recommended Bill because first of all, I felt very confident that he could do that job successfully. I also knew that he was very successful as a salesperson in those early years at Brin.” In five years, Bill increased sales by 600%.

“In the summer of 1990, Doug asked if I was interested in being a manager for a company he was planning to buy,” Sullivan said. In December of 1990, Sullivan became a general manager and a minority partner for Brin’s’ Heartland division. Within his new role, Sullivan took on more responsibility and grew in his passion for leadership. During this season, Sullivan was responsible for managing the four employees of Heartland, including two of the founders. “They were my first employees ever. Other than that, I was a shift lead at McDonald’s a couple of times,” Bill laughed. Bill would later take on the role of President at Heartland Glass.

Bill and Doug’s mentorship and friendship continued through the years though Bill’s roles shifted several times. Even when his company-specific roles weren’t under Doug’s direction, Bill continued to be mentored by him. From the beginning, Doug invested in Bill’s life and helped him to develop his leadership skills. Speaking about his early years with Brin, Bill said, “Back then, I had a sales manager who was my boss, but Doug appreciated my ambition, so he always encouraged me and brought me into his office to talk.”

Patrick Rome, another former president of Brin, was hired in 1986 shortly after Bill began his career. During their shared years at Brin, they collaborated on many projects and grew a friendship that has lasted. In an interview, Patrick retold stories about their shared collaboration that helped to problem solve and overcome obstacles like the 2008 economy. Patrick said, “Bill’s customer oriented. He’s very good at understanding where business is going and understanding the importance of culture within business.”

In 2007, Bill acquired Heartland Glass Company from Brin. Though Bill ran the company independently, Heartland continued to be a customer of Brin. Because of the economic climate in 2008-2012, Bill considered selling Heartland for a time. When he brought it up to Doug, Doug said, “I wouldn’t do it. Your best years are ahead of you. You’re coming out of the recession, and I wouldn’t sell.” But another option presented itself to Bill.

Bill said, “He (Doug) goes ‘Why don’t you let me buy you out?’ And I said ‘What are you talking about? You just said not to sell!’ And he said, “Well, I’m looking for a successor and I think you’d be a good successor, and I’m starting an ESOP.” In 2013, Heartland Glass re-merged with Brin Northwestern Glass, and the company became an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).

LEADERSHIP GROWTH

“I didn’t necessarily have any fear that would hold me back. I jumped in with both feet.” – Bill Sullivan.

From the beginning, Doug saw Bill’s incredible work ethic and determination. Bill spoke about his first few years at Brin saying, “I was a young, ambitious person back then. I was pushing the envelope in terms of wanting more responsibility.” A few years before his passing, Doug pulled Bill aside to talk about the future. Bill reminisced the scene of Doug holding an unlit cigar between his teeth as the two of them sat in his office. Bill said, “Doug told me he was looking for a successor.” Over the next several years, Bill was promoted several times, and in 2016, Bill took on the role of President for the now Brin Glass Company (after the company spun off Northwestern Glass Fab as a unique division located in Fridley, MN).

Under Doug’s leadership, Bill began to learn qualities that would soon become a part of his leadership skills. Bill added, “Doug had the unique ability to walk into a room full of attorneys and CEOs and be comfortable discussing any topic. He could also walk out to the shop floor and or on a construction site in bib overalls and fit right in. For me, this has become one of my strengths.” For Bill, Doug instilled in his leadership style an attitude of humility and hard work. Bill saw that Brin’s success was tied to the collective strength of its leadership and employees.

In 2017, a terminal cancer diagnosis unexpectedly hit Doug. Despite his illness, he continued in the same spirit he always had. Though he retired in 2018 after 40 years at Brin Glass, Doug continued to come to work. “He never missed a day of work,” Bill said in reflection of Doug’s last two years. Doug continued to work up until shortly before his passing on May 8, 2019.

For Sullivan, Nelson’s life left an everlasting impact on not only his career but his heart. “Next to my wife Kathy, Doug was the most influential person in my life and certainly had the most influence on my career. Doug cared deeply for his employees and always said that ‘people were our greatest asset.’ Bill continued, ‘Doug saw the potential in me and gave me the opportunity to ascend to the position I have today.”

BECOMING CEO – 2019

“It was a bit of a blur when I transitioned into the CEO role…Doug passed away in May 2019, and within a year we had a full-blown pandemic,” said Bill.

For Bill, the transition to CEO happened almost overnight. When asked if he ever expected to become the CEO of Brin Glass, Bill answered, “No! When I bought Heartland Glass from Brin (Doug), I thought that was going to be my last position. The merger of Heartland and Brin in 2013 re-energized me and my career. The fact that Doug had the confidence in me to lead the company was very important to me.”

In 2019, Bill became the CEO of Brin Glass after Doug’s passing. Because of the nature of the situation, Doug had little time to prepare Bill for the role of CEO. “Doug kept a lot of stuff inside and up here,’ Bill said pointing to his head, ‘He was really good at telling people how to do something, but not the why’s and the how’s behind it,” he said. Bill stepped into the role of CEO sooner than he ever expected and began to learn through personal experience and team collaboration.

Within a year of becoming the CEO and chairman of the board of Brin, the global pandemic hit. Bill said, “We had to navigate really uncharted waters. I didn’t make all those decisions myself. We started having leadership meetings virtually and collaborated and talked about what everybody was experiencing.” During this difficult time, Bill joined forces with the Brin leadership team across the four locations (Brin, Northwestern Glass Fab, Heartland Glass and St. Germain’s Glass in Duluth, MN). Together they traversed the uncertainty of 2020. Amid the pandemic and daunting times, Bill realized the importance of supporting employees more than ever.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEES

“People became even more important, and we had to find new ways to support them.” – Bill Sullivan

While Bill grew in leadership during his first years at Brin, he also grew a passion for Brin’s employees. Sullivan saw that it was the people, not the corporation, that ultimately made Brin Glass successful. “I was one of the first office employees to ever play on the Brin softball team. It was composed of glaziers and shop workers, and I was the only office person on the team for a while,” he said.

Though a tumultuous time, the pandemic brought Brin’s core DNA to the surface. In a 2022 interview with Jim Molis from Bizjournals.com, Bill is quoted, “We’ve recognized the importance of supporting our team more than we ever did before, particularly in helping employees manage their work-life balances. Some employees used to work 50 to 70 hours a week, but we told them if they couldn’t get it done within a normal workweek that we would communicate that to the customer. The customer may not like to hear it, but they respect the answer. We’re also focused on [ways to care] for the mental health of employees, such as by sending a monthly wellness newsletter and sharing contact information for resources they may need.”

Bill also acknowledged the challenges that Brin’s employees faced in the last several years. He said, “It’s not just the individual employee, it’s their co-workers that are impacted by those events too.” He mentioned the various ways the Brin team stepped in in 2020 to help several Brin employees overcome personal hardships and seek the help they need. When asked about the most crucial lesson he learned during the pandemic, Bill answered, “The importance of employees and supporting them through all the challenges they’re going through.”

Ultimately, Bill’s heart for people and humble leadership has led to his success as the CEO of Brin Glass. He said, “I like to impress upon my team members that I am just a “regular” guy who has a job to do. My skill set and responsibilities might be different as the CEO but it doesn’t make me any better or smarter than they are.”

THE FUTURE

“Our 10-year goal is to become a 100-million-dollar company through organic growth and strategic acquisitions.” – Bill Sullivan

For Bill, the future of Brin Glass is bright. When asked what has caused Brin to survive two World Wars, The Great Depression, and a global pandemic, Bill answered, “It’s people! Our team members are resilient.” As he reflected on his 40-year career at Brin Glass Bill said, “I am most proud of the great relationships that I have developed with my coworkers, clients, and vendors.”

Over the last four decades, Bill’s leadership and kindness have made immeasurable investments in Brin’s employees and their families. While most companies tend to focus on products and profits, Bill’s leadership has kept his focus on enriching the lives of individuals. He said, “Brin has created a safe environment for their employees to earn a living wage and an opportunity to advance their careers while serving their customers in the upper Midwest.”

In the next season of Sullivan’s life, he is looking forward to seeing the execution of his own succession plan at Brin. He is also excited to continue his involvement as chairperson of the Brin board. But at the end of the day, what matters most to Bill is his family. “I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life. Volunteer work, travel, golf and someday playing with our grandchildren,” he said.

BIOGRAPHY

Bill Sullivan didn’t intend to find a career in the glass industry after graduation, but his first job turned into a 40-year opportunity to help establish Brin Glass Company as a midwestern leader in the glass and glazing industry, where he now serves as CEO, and Chairman of the Board.
Bill believes in caring for employees and delivering exceptional customer service – as noted by Brin’s core values: We Show Up; We Bring It; and We Do It Right. His commitment and passion for developing people and growing the company led him to adopt EOS in 2020, changing the operating mindset of the entire company and preparing the leadership across all five entities for growth.

Brin Glass Company is the parent company of: Brin Glass, Northwestern Glass Fab, Heartland Glass, and St. Germain’s Glass.