Safelite AutoGlass, a national chain of shops that repair and replace windshields and other glass in vehicles, is adding 10 stores in Southern California, including one that will open Monday in Riverside.
The expansion will nearly double the company's Southern California footprint to 23 stores.
The 8,000-square-foot Riverside store, at 555 N. Main Street, will house more than 1,000 glass parts for vehicles along with service space for in-store installations. A new Gardena store already has opened, and eight additional openings are scheduled throughout the year in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
Rick Harvey, general manager of Safelite's Inland Empire and Central Valley operations, said each store typically employs eight to 15 people.
About 85 percent of installations are performed off site, he said.
The company also is relocating four existing stores. One moved in January from Colton to Redlands, doubling in size to 4,000 square feet.
Another one is scheduled to relocate within Victorville in April to a 6,000-square-foot space. Safelite also operates stores in Murrieta and Palm Springs.
In 2009, the company opened a 282,000-square-foot distribution center in Ontario that provides glass for operations in the Western U.S. and employs about 40 people. The company also operates three Southern California warehouses, including one in Ontario, to serve local retail centers.
Harvey said the company has felt the pains of the languishing economy, but it managed to increase sales last year by 11 percent nationally. He said the company is expanding in order to provide quicker service by putting technicians and parts closer to customers. Southern California, with its large population and commuter culture, is one of the company's biggest markets, he said.
Safelite AutoGlass is part of the Safelite Group, an Ohio-based cluster of companies that are a subsidiary of U.K.-based Belron and collectively manufacture, install and repair vehicle glass products and provide insurance-claim services.
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