Charlotte Glass: 25 Years of Family, Integrity, and Vision—Building the Southeast One Panel at a Time
When Chris Lee, President of Charlotte Glass Contractors, co-founded the company in 1999 with his father Ed Lee, they didn’t begin with a multimillion-dollar skyline project or a sprawling hospital wing. They started with a handshake.
“Our very first project came from a contractor my dad had done business with 40 years earlier when he was at PPG,” recalls Chris. “They remembered his honesty, his handshake deals—and they took a chance on us. That project helped us get off the ground.”
Twenty-five years later, Charlotte Glass has grown from a three-person shop into one of the Southeast’s premier architectural glazing firms, with regional offices in Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN, and projects spanning five Southeastern states.
But the foundation hasn’t changed.
“We still do business with many of the same subcontractors and vendors we started with 25 years ago,” says Chris. “The lessons my father taught me—about integrity, hard work, and treating people with respect—are still how we operate today.”
From Auto Glass to Architectural Visionaries
Ed Lee began estimating glass work with PPG Industries in the 1950s, then founded ARG in the Carolinas in 1977. Chris grew up around the business, eventually joining his father at ARG where the two spent decades honing their craft—mastering everything from distribution of auto and architectural glass, precision auto and residential installation to customer relationships.
In 1999, they made the leap into architectural and commercial glazing, bringing their decades of experience into a booming construction market. Early jobs included small bank branches and retail storefronts. Today, their work spans multi-tower residential complexes, healthcare campuses, hotels, stadiums, and large-scale mixed-use developments. “At one point, we had just three employees accounting for over 100 years of combined glazing experience,” Chris recounts. “We leaned on that knowledge heavily, and it helped us avoid mistakes that might have sunk companies early on, as well as to design robust and reliable best practices that transferred to the systems built out by our younger generations over the last 10 or 15 years.”
Expertise that Speaks for Itself
Charlotte Glass Contractors offers a full suite of services across both interior and exterior applications. Their expertise includes:
- Curtain wall and window wall systems
- Storefront and entrance systems
- Interior glass walls and partitions
- Custom architectural glazing
- Historic window replication and restoration
The company works closely with general contractors from the earliest design-assist phases, providing both engineering insight and field-tested problem-solving—traits that have made them a trusted partner in virtually every sector, including:
- Commercial and mixed-use
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Sports and entertainment venues
- Education and public sector
- Historic preservation and adaptive reuse
Still a Family Business—With a Bigger Footprint
Despite the company’s growth, Charlotte Glass remains guided by the same principles Ed Lee carried with him from the 1950s into the new millennium.
“My dad believed that your word should be enough,” says Chris. “He always said his integrity wasn’t for sale—and I’ve tried to lead this company by that same code.”
That unwavering ethos has earned Charlotte Glass not just return clients, but long-standing partnerships across the industry. Contractors know they’re getting more than just a glazing sub—they’re getting a team that shows up, communicates clearly, and sees the job through to the end.
Looking Ahead
As the company enters its second quarter-century, the leadership team remains focused on balancing tradition with innovation—bringing old-school values into a fast-changing industry.
“We’re not chasing trends,” says Chris. “We’re chasing better buildings, better relationships, and better work. That’s what keeps people coming back to us—and what will carry us into the next 25 years.”
