This year, Billco celebrates its 70 · a conveyor which runs large sheets of glass through a series...
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Transcript of This year, Billco celebrates its 70 · a conveyor which runs large sheets of glass through a series...
This year, Billco celebrates its 70th year of bringing innovation and quality to the glass fabrication industry. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of equipment for the flat glass and fenestration industries.
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Written by Pauline Müller
Well-known for its excellent customer care and
industry-leading design, Billco’s portfolio is packed
with powerful innovation. Its equipment delivers
on stability, expertise and promise, giving fabricators the tools
needed to deliver high quality glass products to the market.
In this way, Billco contributes significantly to the capabilities of
American architectural design.
Ethel Billinger started Billco in 1948 in Zelienople, Pennsylvania.
She is remembered as ‘one fine lady’ and an astute business-
woman who genuinely cared about her employees. It is said
that she knew every employee by name and that every Friday
afternoon, the staff would line up for Ethel to hand each
employee his pay packet in person.
Mrs. Billinger was very much ahead of her time. She started
the business on her own, after splitting off from another family
enterprise. In those days, there was some local competition,
but Billco’s commitment to research and development allowed
it to outpace the others. Ethel knew that she could do it better
– and she did. Her grandson, Bill, inherited the business. He
followed in her footsteps and continued her legacy of pro-
ducing top-quality products and taking good care of Billco’s
workforce. “To this day, the company is very employee-focused
and generous with employee benefits,” says Danielle Blewitt,
Marketing Manager.
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“The machine that ultimately built the company and secured its future as a leading equipment manufacturer was a simple circle-cutter.”
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The machine that ultimately built the company and secured its
future as a leading equipment manufacturer was a simple cir-
cle-cutter. This was essentially a template cutting tool that was
relatively straightforward to manage. An operator would move
its adjustable handle in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise
motion, which in turn would score circles onto the glass. With
this development, Ethel and her team began supplying glass
fabricators with the equipment needed to produce round auto-
motive mirrors and other circular glass products. When rect-
angular mirrors came into vogue, Billco developed a template
cutter that could render rectangles, art-glass and many other
shapes. This was the bedrock of the company’s early innova-
tion on which its successors built the Billco as we know it today.
The company’s next major growth spurt is ascribed to its auto-
mated glass washers. When one Googles ‘glass washer,’ an array
of red herrings appear – everything from liquid soap to bar-
tending staff. However, what Billco refers to as a glass washer
is a thoughtfully engineered, high quality machine that clears
huge sheets of flat glass of impurities. This eliminates the need
for hand-washing prior to assembly. The machine constitutes
a conveyor which runs large sheets of glass through a series of
spray lines and scrubbing brushes. The process renders large
volumes of clean, dry glass ready for downstream processing.
Much of Billco’s reputation today is based on its developments in
glass cleaning technology and Billco’s high quality glass washers.
One of Billco’s latest developments is its Z-Series washer, which
won the 2017 DWM Readers Choice award for Best Equipment.
This washer is a high-performance glass cleaning system that is
focused on the bottom line. With unique maintenance features
such as on-screen maintenance feedback prompts, the days of
guessing these machines’ service status are over. It now notifies
operators of maintenance or service requirements and also offers a
superior level of automated process control, giving the system the
ability to deliver consistent, high-quality results. Its more compact
size, easy-access maintenance points and processing flexibility
make it the top cleaning choice for all flat-glass fabricators.
Another popular model of Billco’s is its Ultra Series Cutting
System. The Ultra Series offers a linear motor machine for the
high-speed, high-volume glass cutting needs of large flat-
glass fabricators, as well as window and door manufactur-
ers. Originally designed in 1995, the Ultra Series was recently
revised. The new design incorporates a lighter and more rigid
bridge frame, which means faster and more accurate process-
ing. For those in the know, this is a pretty big deal. The technol-
ogy used in the Ultra Series was developed by Hugh Trautman,
a long time Billco engineer. To this day, it is still the leading
cutting technology in the glass industry.
Another recent introduction is an improved version of Billco’s
laminating assembly line. The new line is modular, allowing
companies to set up laminating lines at decidedly lower capital
cost. They can also expand capabilities, as their demand for
higher output increases over time.
When it comes to challenges, most manufacturers agree that
cheap imports cause the greatest frustration. Faced with the
notoriously low production costs of offshore outfits, American
producers have their work cut out in competing on price. As
with most things, however, you get what you pay for, and
buying knock-off machines can end up costing more than
anticipated. Supporting innovation and quality is still the best
way to go, and the price is worth it. Not only is Billco’s quality far
superior to any Asian producer’s, but it also provides after-sales
service that is second to none.
Jay Campbell, Billco’s Glass Solutions Specialist assures us that,
“In the unfortunate event that anything goes wrong with your
Billco machine, our expert service technicians can perform
remote diagnostics. We have a multi-million dollar warehouse
with spare parts. We are able to supply original components
and our dedicated service team is ready to get on an airplane
or in a car to fix machines that customers can’t get running.” In
the end, the company estimates that buying quality machines
result in lower maintenance costs over the long term. Proof
of this fact is in the 160 machines across Malaysia, and many
more worldwide, that Billco’s maintenance team keeps in top
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condition. “Our service guys are on the road nonstop keeping
everything running smoothly,” says Danielle.
Billco’s innovation legacy matches its drive to do the right thing.
“Sometimes it costs us money, but it’s the right thing to do. We
do everything we can to take care of our customers. We support
them at pretty much any cost,” says Jay. “That’s what sets us apart
from our competitors – that, and our excellent sales support.”
To be sure, the company has always been known for its quality.
Billco doesn’t cut corners, and its premium machinery and
service make it an industry leader on every level, while its devel-
opment team focuses on anticipating customers’ needs. “That’s
been a major contributor to our longevity,” Jay says.
Billco also custom-builds. Clients can arrive with a wish list and
the design team will make it happen. This type of flexibility is
quite rare in this industry.
Certainly, Billco is dedicated to moving forward. Its future is
mapped out with the same precision that it applies to every-
thing else it does, and it has more new products in the pipeline
now than ever before. With this expanding product line,
employment opportunities are on the rise and a comprehen-
sive revamp promises to refresh and revitalize the company at
all levels. The shake-up started in 2017, when Billco rebranded
from the bottom up. Everything is getting a makeover this year,
including the company’s workspaces. Part of its projected mar-
keting strategy is a greater media presence, which will firmly
secure its market share in years to come.
Design-wise, customers can expect to see more automation,
with a major reduction in manual glass contact as well as
lowered operator intervention in glass transportation in and
around plants. Billco’s new Remnant Storage system, which
optimizes and reuses assorted offal, or reclaimed glass lites, will
transform how the industry handles remnant. With all of this
action, one thing is clear: Billco is Moving Glass Forward.
“Supporting innovation and quality is still the best way to go… Not
only is Billco’s quality far superior, but it also provides after-sales service that is second to none.”
100 Halstead Boulevard Zelienople, PA 16063 | P: 724.452.7390
www.billco-mfg.com
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As featured in March 2018
