Westhampton Architectural Glass Inc. gets tax breaks for facility

Westhampton Architectural Glass Inc., a fabricator and installer of custom glass for high-end homes, has received $209,000 in tax benefits to build a $2.9 million facility in Speonk.

The company plans to consolidate operations from three buildings it leases in Westhampton Beach, Riverside and Calverton into one 31,571-square-foot building. The company said the project, which was approved for tax breaks by the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency last week, is needed for efficiency.

“Our biggest problem that we have has been growth,” said Paul Siller, co-owner of the company. The size of the company’s current facilities have made work difficult and, in some cases, weather-dependent. “A lot of that glass that we’re working with today is so large that we have to actually glaze it in the parking lot,” Siller said.

The IDA approved the company for a sales tax exemption of up to $103,324 on the purchase of new materials for the proposed site, including overhead cranes, storage racks and a computerized milling machine; an estimated $29,925 mortgage recording tax exemption; and a property tax break for 10 years valued at $76,010.

Founded in 2008, Westhampton Architectural Glass primarily services homes on the East End, installing custom skylights and expansive windows. The company, which has 37 employees and plans to add nine after finishing the new site, is a sister business to Westhampton Glass & Metal Inc., founded in 1969.

Siller said the company plans to begin construction later this month and open the new manufacturing facility — located at 1368 Speonk-Riverhead Rd. — in 16 to 18 months.

Salaries at the company, which hires estimators, installers, metal workers and draftsmen, average $78,421, according to IDA documents.

“These are well-paying jobs for the East End,” IDA executive director Anthony J. Catapano said. “They needed room to grow.”

Long Island is home to one of the most prominent architectural glass industries in the country, with at least 392 glass fabricators and contract glaziers here, according to estimates by USGlass magazine, an industry trade publication.

Glass companies on the Island bring in $700 million in revenue annually, employing about 19,500, according to USGlass estimates.