20 under 40 | Tom Howhannesian

February 2008, Glass Magazine, Page 39

Each year, Glass Magazine honors 20 leaders under 40 years old in the glass industry. This year we honor Mr. Tom Howhannesian of Heinaman Contract Glazing. In its fifth year, the honors generated a record 105 nominations, choseny by an elite staff of 7 judges from Glass Magazine.

Tom Howhannesian - Vice President | Heinaman Contract Glazing | Lake Forest, CA

Tom Howhannesian's wife, preparing for maternity leave as Heinaman Contract Glazing's chief financial officer, needed a temporary replacement. Having just sold his business, Tom Howhannesian accepted the temporary arrangement. "Quite candidly, I was not looking for a permanent position working for my wife's family."

However, the company turned out to be "the ideal work environment where creativity and respect are valued," and Howhannesian decided to stay on as vice president and general manager of its California operations. During the last two years, Tom has led the company from yearly sales of 10 million to over 28 million in sales, says Randy Diener, senior project manager. "He's been in charge for several years but it's in the last year that he's truly brought this company to its full potential and has earned all of our support as a team.

Howhannesian learned team-building skills while starting a commercial property service company prior to joining Heinaman Contract Glazing. "...When you start a company from scratch, like the seed of a plant, you need to nurture it and give it the proper amount of attention and nutrients to ensure the development through each stage of growth." he says.

Unafraid of the hard work of managing, Howhannesian believes in delegating authority. Diener says. "Tom has formed a core leadership group... that sets and holds each other and all of our team accountable to the company goals."

Howhannesian enjoys problem-solving with his team and seeing team members grow in knowledge and confidence. "I want to be remembered as a person who enabled the team members to achieve greatness," he says.