By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Mirror and Glass has passed from one family to another.
This past summer Tim Bartoe and his son Zach Bartoe assumed ownership of the long-time downtown business from brothers Bob and Phil Bortel.
They were looking to retire, Tim Bartoe said. “We decided to make them an offer and they accepted the offer and here we are. … We’re just glad it came right time for us.”
The shop is located along the alley behind ACE Hardware at 123 S. Church St.
Both Bartoes worked previously at Glass Doctor, a family owned franchise in Toledo. And both were looking to make a move.
They considered opening their own shop, Tim Bartoe said, but this was a better opportunity.
Because the business never closed, it comes with a lot of loyal customers.
“We just want to keep the legacy going,” the elder Bartoe said. “They had a real good reputation over the years, so we just want to maintain that.”
They will do commercial and residential work, and bring back automotive service, including mobile, as well.
Zach Bartoe said that they enjoy the flexibility of running their own shop. That includes being more flexible with pricing. “We’ll work with the customer.”
Tim Bartoe said it also means if they feel a job is too dangerous, they’ll be able to pass on it.
“We don’t have to answer to anybody,” Zach Bartoe said.
“Except the customer,” Tim Bartoe added.
Tim Bartoe, 57, has been in glass for 32 years. After studying electrical engineering at Owens, he took a job with a glass company.
“I kept advancing and ended up being a department head,” he said. He moved on from here before working at Glass Doctor.
His son, 28, followed him into the business, first with Ply Gem Windows in Walbridge before his father helped him get a job with Glass Doctor.
He’s only been in the business a few years. Nothing like his father’s longevity, adding “maybe one day.”
Tim Bartoe noted that several men in his wife Debbie’s family all worked in glass.
The variety of jobs is what keeps the family partners at the trade.
It can be something like replacing the glass on a carpenter’s level, or putting glass into the tiger enclosures for the Ringling Brothers Circus. Both were on that job, as were the tigers. The animals seemed tired, Zach Bartoe said.
Tim Bartoe put glass into mummy cases at the Toledo Museum.
They expect to encounter some vintage glass in the old houses in Bowling Green, which are similar to those in Toledo’s Old West End.
Tim Bartoe said it’s interesting to see the craftsmanship of the work in those historic structures.
They’re happy to be working in Bowling Green. “People are more laid back,” Tim Bartoe said. More people just walk in with a job.
“Customers down here are real loyal. They want to keep the money in the community. I like that attitude.”
The shop is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 to noon. Office number is 419-352-1610.
