Glassmaster Controls Company, Inc. About Us / General Information

• Office Hours:  7am-5pm M-F, Eastern Standard Time (EST) .
• Holiday hours:  closed on Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day.
• Payment Methods:  Company check or bank wire, Visa/MasterCard/American Express. 
• Military/Defense Cage Code:  0F630 
• Manufacturing Facility: 110,000 sq. ft, climate controlled 
• Union Status:  Non-union 
• Ownership:  Private 
• Exports:  Globally
• Engineering 3D Modeling/CAD Software:  SOLIDWORKS - Latest Edition and AutoCAD.
• Quality Certification:  IATF 16949  <View  Certificate> 
• Environmental Management System:  ISO 14001  <View  Certificate>  For more information on our Environmental Management System, please see our Environmental Policy Statement.

---

Established in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1921, Shakespeare Products Division built a reputation as the leader in flexible controls, first for the automotive industry, then gradually expanding into all types of controls for land, sea & air.  
     Transitioning into Glassmaster Controls in 1989, we have continued this reputation by further expanding our product capabilities for an even wider range of industries.  
     By utilizing our in-house manufacturing capabilities, we are able to control quality, cost, and delivery which benefits us, as well as our customers.  This is reflected in our mission statement: 
           To Give Maximum Value and Service To Our Customers

Product History Timeline:

• 1897: Shakespeare Company originates in Kalamazoo, Michigan, manufacturing fishing reels.
• 1921: Shakespeare Products Company formed to manufacture the push-pull type controls required by the auto industry.
• 1940: During World War II, Shakespeare Automotive Products division manufactured push pull cables for tanks, Jeeps and other military vehicles.  Shakespeare Company manufactured mechanisms for bomb sights & aircraft gun turrets.
• 1960: Shakespeare Products Company purchased it's first shuttle molding machine in the early 1960's for overmolding conduit and cable fittings used on pull cables, a process still used by today by Glassmaster Controls and competitors.
• 1982:  After many changes within the Shakespeare Company, the assets of the automotive products division were sold, with Speareflex becoming the trademark.  In 1984, Speareflex Corporation became the official designation of the the company.
• 1989:  Assets of Speareflex are purchased by Glassmaster Company of South Carolina, ran by former President & CEO of Shakespeare Company.
• 1998:  Electronics assembly capabilities are added to meet current customer's growing demand for electronics products.

• ​2007:  Achieved ISO/TS 16949 Quality System Certification, the latest automotive quality system advanced from the former QS 9000, which had been implemented and certified at Glassmaster Controls Company, Inc. since 1997.
• 2008:  Achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification for responsible management of the environmental aspects related to the manufacture of mechanical and electronics products.

• 2015:  Awarded "Masters of Quality" Supplier Award by Daimler Trucks North America for the second year in a row.
• 2016:  Purchased new injection molding machines to meet increased demands for molded products.
• 2018:  Awarded IATF 16949 Quality System Certification, the next generation automotive quality system expanded from former ISO/TS 16949, implemented at Glassmaster Controls since 2007.
• 2019:  Electronics circuit board assembly phased out to focus on increased demand for mechanical controls, paving the way for a record year of sales of mechanical products.

CONTACT US

Contact us to discuss your specific push pull cable or wire rope assembly requirements:

email

​request@gcontrols.com
or Information Request Form​

phone

269.382.2010 (tel)
269.345.5613 (fax)

address

Glassmaster Controls
831 Cobb Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

IATF 16949 Certified Quality Management System  <View  Certificate> 
ISO 14001 Certified Environmental Management System  <View  Certificate>