The auto glass industry has a perception problem and Kaizen Glass Solutions is no longer waiting for someone else to fix it.
The Texas-based company recently celebrated its designation as an ASE Accredited Training Provider. It’s the latest move in a long-term bet that the industry’s talent crisis won’t be solved by poaching technicians from competitors but by building new ones from scratch.
“The industry is changing too fast for anyone to stay stagnant,” said Shauna Davis, president of Kaizen Glass. “The technicians and businesses that continue learning are the ones that will stay ahead.”
Not just swapping glass anymore
For Davis, the core problem is awareness.
“A lot of students and even instructors simply aren’t aware of how advanced and technical the auto glass industry has become or the career paths it can offer,” she said.
Modern glass technicians don’t just swap windshields. They’re responsible for restoring and verifying advanced driver assistance systems: the cameras, sensors, and radar units now embedded in nearly every piece of glass on a new vehicle. Get the installation wrong, and the car can’t see.
“We’re no longer just replacing glass; we’re restoring a vehicle’s ability to see, think, and react safely,” Davis said.
Two industries, one floor
That technical reality is also pulling collision and glass operations into closer orbit. This September, Kaizen is acting on that directly by partnering with the Auto Body Association of Texas annual tradeshow to bring glass-focused vendors, education, and exhibitors to the event floor. The collaboration has been more than a year in the making, developed alongside ABAT Executive Director Jill Tuggle.
Shauna Davis of Kaizen Glass Solutions“There really hasn’t been a strong blend of both collision and auto glass together at a major industry event in years,” Davis said.
Rounding out the weekend, Kaizen is also hosting its first annual golf tournament as a pre-event to the show, which is part of what Davis describes as a genuine effort to build community across two industries that have long operated in parallel, with little overlap.
The push mirrors what’s already happening in collision shops, where bringing glasswork in-house has become more common as ADAS liability concerns grow. Davis believes the two sides need each other more than they currently acknowledge.
“Collision shops are increasingly bringing glass operations in-house, but many still don’t realize how many resources are available to support them,” she said.
“I truly believe the closer collision and glass operations work together, the better shops can manage liability, customer safety, training standards, and overall repair quality,” Davis said.
Planting seeds in high schools and trade schools
On the workforce side, Kaizen is intentional with its strategic partnerships. It has built pipeline relationships with high school automotive programs, trade schools, and vocational instructors across Texas, showing up before students graduate, not after.
“The industry can’t wait until students graduate to introduce career opportunities,” Davis said. “We need to start building awareness much earlier.”
Internally, the company runs on what Davis calls a “1% Better Every Day” philosophy, which is a continuous improvement mindset that shapes how technicians are trained, how procedures are taught, and how the business operates day to day. The emphasis is on understanding the why behind every step, not just memorizing a process.
The fix starts in-house
For shop owners struggling with staffing or training bandwidth, Davis offers a simple starting point: invest in the people already on your team.
“Cross-training employees in additional services not only creates more value for the business, but it also helps employees feel more engaged and invested in their careers,” she said.
“Small improvements made consistently over time can completely change the direction of a career, a business, or even a person’s life.”
Leona Scott