Press Release - 10/03/22
The Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) and Friese Foundation Invest Big in Glazier Education through the National Glass Association
Both organizations double down on their commitment to the industry, granting major funds to support MyGlassClass.com to deliver online glass and glazing education and apprenticeship programs to the masses.
Vienna, Va. (October 3, 2022)—The National Glass Association (NGA) is pleased to announce that the Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) and the Friese Foundation have committed to continue and increase respective generous support of glass and glazing industry education in 2023 through MyGlassClass.com.
Formed by industry veterans Chris Hanstad and Barry Sutherland, FHC has positioned themselves as a leading service-oriented one-stop-shop for glazing contractors and fabricators. In line with their mission, they’ve graciously dedicated substantial funds to support the industry on the education front.
“Our customers are our livelihood, and we owe it to them to support them in every way possible,” says Chris Hanstad, president of FHC. “The glass industry has given so much to me and my family, I want to offer the same opportunity to everyone I can. The only way to do that is through exposure and education.”
The Friese Foundation was founded by industry icon Donald Friese, former CEO of C.R. Laurence, who along with his wife Andrea Friese and son D.J. Friese have built a self-sustaining philanthropic model to support noble causes such as the American Red Cross, L.A. Regional Food Bank, National Veterans Foundation and Salvation Army, among others. With the glass industry being instrumental in their lives and success, they felt a duty to give back.
“I’ve always been in the business of people,” says Donald Friese. “Providing others with opportunities, some of which might not otherwise have access to, has been incredibly fruitful and rewarding to my business endeavors. It’s an honor to present these opportunities and invest in people in the glass industry.”
“We are thankful and humbled by the generosity of FHC and the Friese Foundation,” says Nicole Harris, NGA president and CEO. “As a not-for-profit organization, we are capable of so many amazing things, and we’re even more impactful and swift with the help of supporters like FHC and the Friese Foundation.
MyGlassClass.com offers courses for contract glaziers, full-service glass companies, glass and metal fabricators, customer service and sales reps, and business owners. Courses are designed to complement—and shorten—companies’ hands-on training. MyGlassClass.com also offers NGA Glazier Apprentice Curriculum for organizations and companies that want to establish a glazier apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Students who complete the NGA Glazier Apprentice Curriculum will earn a jointly endorsed NGA/NCCER credential indicating a journeyman-level minimum competency reached through knowledge and performance.
Chris Hanstad
President and CEO of FHC
DJ Friese
President and CFO of
The Friese Foundation
