History

A Snapshot in Time

• 1962 – Founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota by M.L. Gordon
• 1977 – Introduced triple-pane insulating glass for energy savings
• 1978 – Began use of silicone dual-seal insulating glass for improved durability
• 1983 – Introduced LoĒ™ coatings to produce triple-pane performance in dual-pane construction
• 1983 – Built dedicated factory to supply LoĒ coatings for residential windows
• 1987 – Introduced argon gas filling of insulating glass units: combined with LoĒ this provides “quad-pane” performance in a dual pane IG unit
• 1991 – Introduced LoĒ²® coatings for year-round energy performance
• 1992 – Built first float glass plant to stabilize a glass supply chain for IG and CG plants
• 1993 – Launched XL Edge® glass, a durable, warm edge IG spacer system
• 2002 – Introduction of easier-to-clean LoĒ² Plus® glass – built for the busy lifestyle
• 2002 – Preserve® film application launched. Protects windows through the entire construction process
• 2006 – Neat® glass introduced, the next generation of easier-to-clean glazing
• 2006 – LoĒ³-366®. The next generation of low-E: triple silver for low U-factor, low solar heat gain, and high light transmission
• 2010 – New: LoĒ-i81®. A durable low-E coating that can be used in exposed applications without the haze attributable to most “hard-coat” products
• 2011 – New: LoĒ-180. High solar gain low-E, re-engineered. The highest light transmission and lowest U-factor of any passive solar glazing

Technology leader

Cardinal has always positioned itself as a technology leader. Here are some of the many new developments that Cardinal has presented to the industry:

• Dual seal insulating glass
• Sealed corners on IG spacer frames
• Volume introduction of heat-strengthened 2.3mm glass for resistance to thermal stress breakage
• Steel packing pallets for all glass products, eliminating waste of wooden shipping boxes
• Cullet repurchase program for float glass recycling
• Rotating targets for sputtering on new coating materials
• Post-temperable LoĒ and LoĒ² coatings
• On-line color measurement and quality assurance (QA) for coated glass
• On-line laser inspection/QA control of float glass
• On-line measurement of IG unit air space thickness

Success is at our core

Our success in the residential glass industry is due to three core ambitions: Providing superior-quality products, staying highly competitive in the marketplace and executing high-end customer service every day.

Thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of our employees, we consistently meet these objectives and continue to maintain our leadership position in the glazing industry.