Meet Steve Marino
Manager, Technical Services, Vitro Architectural Glass
Steve Marino is a skilled troubleshooter – but not in the way some might think.
“A lot of people don't understand what technical services is, or they think it’s the same as IT,” Steve explains. “Technical services really has nothing to do with computer support, necessarily. It's really a team within Vitro that serves as a liaison between our customers and the company with regard to technical glass information.”
As manager of technical services, Steve’s primary responsibility is managing the day-to-day operations of the Flat Glass Technical Services Department that provides customer technical support to flat glass customers in the Vitro Certified™ Network. However, it’s the problem-solving aspects of the job that excite him most.
“Part of this job is forensic investigation of a potential problem or defect during audits, as well as education,” explains Steve. “First, we support Vitro Certified™ Network customers by identifying the cause of issues on their site and suggesting ways to fix it. Then, we provide hands-on training during which we ask, ‘what's the best way to troubleshoot this problem?’”
The responsibilities that fall to the technical services group are all-encompassing. Major functions include maintaining educational materials, data in print (such as technical documents) and all information and tools on Vitro’s website. These efforts align with Steve’s major goal of supporting Vitro Certified™ Network fabricators by answering their questions and helping them develop their own knowledge and skills.
Vitro Certified™ Network fabricators have access to a wealth of knowledge through Steve, who enjoys having the opportunity to not just solve a process issue, but advance the client’s problem-solving skills as well.
“In particular, working with individual customers and helping to improve their knowledge through educational trainings like ‘lunch-and-learns’ is rewarding,” Steve says. “Then, being able to solve their problem and offer a recommendation is personally satisfying.”
As manager of technical services, Steve also represents Vitro among various trade organizations. He currently sits on the Fabricating and Forming Committees with the National Glass Association (NGA), where he helps to develop informational bulletins that serve not just Vitro customers but the entire glass industry.
Steve also serves on the board of directors for the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), which is an independent non-profit organization that establishes objective window, door and skylight energy performance ratings.
“Being involved in these organizations means being involved with the education that they put out,” Steve says. “Using the avenue of trade organizations, I contribute to educational materials and tools that benefit not just Vitro’s immediate customers, but the public as a whole.”
In addition to his leadership roles in industry organizations, Steve has contributed articles to The Construction Specifier, the official magazine of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and the only peer-reviewed publication in the U.S. that relates directly to the job functions of professionals involved in the specification process. Steve’s articles have covered topics ranging from spandrel glass to diagnosing glass breakage to considerations when specifying large IGUs.
In November 2020, The Construction Specifier announced that Steve’s article “Breaking it Down: Keys to Diagnosing Glass Breakage in Buildings” from its July 2019 issue had been awarded the magazine’s 2020 Article of the Year Award. This piece offers extensive information about glass breakage and techniques for building stakeholders to conduct “postmortems” on glass breaks to identify the likely origin of failures more accurately.
Steve joined Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) just out of college in June 1985 as a production engineer in Crestline, Ohio. Since then, he has moved through multiple positions from automotive glass tempering to flat glass technical services. Thanks to his vast experience, Steve has hands-on knowledge with most aspects of the glass fabrication process as either a support engineer or manager, which has given him the kind of firsthand experience and knowledge that Vitro Certified™ Network members count on.
In his spare time, Steve is an avid woodworker. Having come from a family of mechanical engineers, he grew up making cabinets with his father as a side business and appreciates the chance to work with his hands. He’s currently restoring and enhancing a wooden storage unit that was handcrafted in Mexico.
If you’d like to get in touch with Steve, the best place to reach him is by e-mail: smarino@vitro.com.
