Who We Are...
Frameless Hardware Company LLC (FHC) Experience and Innovation is a manufacturer and supplier to the glass, glazing, and fenestration industries. We provide a complete range of tools, supplies, and innovative architectural hardware for frameless shower doors, all-glass entrances, aluminum storefronts and entrances, architectural railings, and transaction windows.
As a privately owned, American based company, our mission is built upon the core principles of customer service, product innovation, and entrepreneurship.
As a privately owned, American based company, our mission is built upon the core principles of customer service, product innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Chris Hanstad
President and CEO
History of the Firestone Building in South Gate, CA
The facility of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in South Gate began in 1927–28, built on a 40-acre former bean field as the company’s first production facility outside Akron, Ohio.
In 2014, the parcel at 2323 Firestone Boulevard began a new era of state-of-the-art manufacturing as the corporate headquarters of Frameless Hardware Company (FHC).
In 2014, the parcel at 2323 Firestone Boulevard began a new era of state-of-the-art manufacturing as the corporate headquarters of Frameless Hardware Company (FHC).
1927
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company’s South Gate plant was held on December 16, 1927. A crowd of onlookers gathered as a large rendering of the future plant was displayed behind a wooden stage filled with notable guests.
1928
The first tire is produced on June 15; the plant officially opens. The plant becomes a major economic engine, establishing Los Angeles as a leading tire market.
1935
Workers form the United Rubber Workers union. A long history of labor activism begins in response to difficult working conditions.
1942
A major expansion of the plant is constructed. Reflects the plant's pivot to military production and its vital role in the World War II effort.
1944
Leonard K. Firestone greeted wounded soldiers on the lawn, when they paid a visit as guests of the Labor-Management Committee.
1950
Decorations on the buildings mark the Plant's observance of the Company's 50th Anniversary of its founding by Harvey S. Firestone. Employees, their families and friends will be guests at an Open House and plant tour.
1951 - 1954
Firestone receives the contract for and begins production of the MGM-5 Corporal guided missile. The plant becomes a key component of the Cold War military-industrial complex, producing a nuclear-capable weapon system.
1964
A 38-ply heavy duty tire for earth-moving equipment weighing 2141 pounds and costing $5361.20 is trundled on a fork lift by operator I.H. Goodrich.
1967
Workers go on strike. About 100 pickets began parading in front of the main gate, after failure of negotiations for a new contract.
1980
The South Gate plant is permanently closed. 1,300 workers are laid off, marking the end of an era and devastating the local economy as part of a national de-industrialization trend.
2009
The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) purchases the adjacent parcel containing the historic Administration Building ("Building 2"). Begins a decade-long process of demolition and a contentious battle over the preservation of the last historic structure.
2014
The parcel at 2323 Firestone Boulevard is sold to Glasswerks L.A. for $12.5 million. The property begins a separate path of private-sector industrial redevelopment, distinct from the publicly owned adjacent parcel.
2025 - Present
2323 Firestone Blvd. is acquired by Friese Family Real Estate. Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) successfully adapted the existing industrial buildings for cutting-edge manufacturing, honoring their historic integrity while maximizing long-term economic potential.