K & W Glass, multitasking in every glass situation!

By Cindy Ladage

Located on the Virden Square at 130 W Dye Street, K & W Glass has been in business for 26 and half years.  Owned by Rod Westendorf, his office Manager and right-hand woman Peggy McKain has been on the job for the last 13 years.

Rod didn’t start out in the glass business.  This farm boy that grew up in Northeast, Iowa in the town of Hawkeye, went to college at SIU in Carbondale and majored in agri-business.  “After graduating I went to work for Growmark F.S. that’s how I ended up in Illinois.”

But he didn’t stay in the Prairie state, he took a transfer with F.S. to Monroe, Wisconsin. Soon he was back and working in Springfield as the superintendent for the FS feed plant that was located on Stevenson Drive.  “I grew up on a farm and I liked the feed part.  We lived on a dairy farm and had cows and pigs. There were seven dairy herds on our strip of land, they are all gone now.”

Rod met his wife Mary in Iowa way back in Junior High.  They have three kids that are grown, and six grandkids.

Working for FS at the feed plant, Rod said that his plan was to retire from there, but when the plant closed in 1997, Rod said, “I was looking for something to do.”

That something ended up going into the glass business with his neighbor George Kamees.  “We started this, George had been in the glass business, but he wanted to go out on his own, but not alone.”

Working together, Rod learned the glass business from George.  “I have been fixing stuff all my life but learned the glass business on the job.  I like fixing stuff; it is my first love.”

His favorite part of being in the glass business is also the hardest, “I like being my own boss,” he said.  Rod’s wife Mary doesn’t work with Rod, she has been with Country Companies in Auburn, Illinois where they live for many years.

While Rod and George started the business together, George eventually decided to move on. “He stayed for seven years, then went to work for the County.  I bought him out and ran the business alone for six to seven years.  Then I couldn’t do it anymore, and Peggy came to work for me.”

“I used to work at Smith and Brown Insurance.  I wanted to stay local.  I like living and working in the same town,” Peggy added about her hometown of Virden. Peggy is an all-round worker, and her list of jobs varies depending on the needs of the shop.  “I am office manager, gopher, chauffer anything he needs me to be.”

The move to K & W Glass was a good one for Peggy.  “Rod is a very family-oriented boss and an all-around nice person.  We have a lot of fun.”

Peggy has valued the fact that Rod is family oriented since she is a family person herself.  Peggy and her husband Dan McKain have four grown kids. They have 15 grandchildren. Peggy is an avid gardener, while Rod’s hobbies run toward things that run like motorcycles, tractors, and a cool collection of Coleman lanterns that he displays in his shop area. One tractor that has been in the Westendorf family for years is Rod’s grandfather’s 1947 Farmall Cub.  “My grandson is the 5th generation to run this tractor,” he added.

Besides his family enjoying Farmall red, Rod said his brother is also a Redpower fan.

When asked what services they provide at K & W Glass, Rod said, “We do automotive glass to trucks, and tractors to house glass, and mirrors. We do picture frames and glass shelves and cabinets.”

About the variety of items they offer, Rod said, “In a small town, you need to do everything.”

Repairing chipped glass in automobiles, door glass, back glass etc. is a big part of their business. While he used to go to the customer’s vehicles, today unless it is a semi-truck, customers come to him.  “Automotive glass is the biggest portion of our work,” Rod said.

At K & W Glass they do repair work both on automobiles, and buildings residential and commercial alike. Rod said they don’t however install new windows.

Chips and cracks appear in windows for all sorts of reasons.  “Birds fly into and break windows, and lawnmowers and weed eaters are our best friend,” Peggy said sharing that they often cause breakage by throwing a rock or item.

While working on houses and vehicles, Rod uses many skills to accomplish the job.  He multitasks using both carpentry and automotive skills!  “There is a little difference between a picture window and a car window,” he joked.

K & W Glass does business in Chatham, Springfield and about a 20-mile radius from Virden.  “I like to stay local and that’s 95% of what I do.”

For a while he was traveling to Decatur, Illinois for what he said was one of his most interesting jobs, fixing glass at the Caterpillar plant when windows broke on the assembly line.  “I gave it up because it’s too much climbing these days, but it was really interesting.”

One of the more unusual jobs he has done is repairing stained glass, but that is something he said he doesn’t really enjoy.

Open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., they are also open on Saturdays by appointment.  “Sometimes I’m out on a job, but those are the general office hours,” Rod said. These days they no longer have a website, Rod said there wasn’t any need to advertise when they are busy enough so not loving social media he opted out and these days gets business through his stellar reputation and word of mouth.  For information or details you can call Rod or Peggy on 217-965-4704.

Committed to the Virden Community, at K & W Glass, they support almost any activity taking place on the square.  That varies from sponsoring the cars show, to helping fill stockings for local students.  Recently they enjoyed watching the square Christmas decorations appear.  In fact, they built their own wooden Christmas Tree that greets visitors as they come to the front of the store.  This creativity and involvement marks K & W Glass, where they are ready to take on any task involving glass.  This business lights up the Virden Community during the holiday season and year-round!