The headquarters, factory and warehouse spaces sprawl horizontally, but inside, glass is fabricated and dispatched for structures that will alter skylines across the globe, including the bold, iconic new Vikings stadium that is rising in Minneapolis.
Insulated glass is fabricated in this factory and shipped to approximately 35 countries each year, but there is particular pride in working on units whose destination is just 65 miles north.
The first units of about 8,500 total that will be used for the stadium were installed Wednesday by workers from Twin Cities-based specialty contractor, Egan Company/InterClad. Installation is scheduled to continue for roughly six months, providing enclosure of the stadium in November. The venue remains on schedule to be completed in July 2016.
Viracon VP of Sales and Marketing Garret Henson said the stadium project is only the second he can recall in his 22 years with the company during which a special T-shirt was created. Designed through a campaign, the shirt has been distributed to 1,500 employees, a substantial increase from the 20 employees on site when the company launched in 1970.
The shirt features the Viracon and Norseman Vikings logos, along with the phase, “A Winning Combination.” Several workers were wearing their shirts underneath their gear Tuesday during production of some of the units that will be used for the stadium.
“I can only remember a couple of times when we created a campaign and did something with a T-shirt,” Henson said. “The other building we did that on was for the Freedom Tower in New York City, so that will tell you the emotional draw that we have to the proximity of the stadium.”
Henson said he’s explained to his sons, ages 12 and 9, that Viracon has produced glass used in several of the tallest buildings in the world — the Freedom Tower, Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago, Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — but the stadium is of particular interest.
Read More: Glass Installation Begins at New Vikings Stadium by Craig Peters
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