CBrand profile

Cardinal Glass Industries

Cardinal is one of the few major producers that both manufactures its own float glass and fabricates finished insulating glass units in-house, rather than selling raw glass to independent fabricators.

Company background

Cardinal Glass Industries was founded in 1962 and remains privately held, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Where many competitors split into separate float-glass manufacturers and downstream fabricators, Cardinal runs both ends: it melts and floats its own glass, applies its own Low-E coatings, and assembles the finished insulating glass units that go into windows, all within its own network of plants.

That vertical integration is the main thing worth knowing about Cardinal as a company; it is also why Cardinal-coated glass is harder to buy loose, it tends to arrive already fabricated into a window manufacturer's finished IGU.

Founded
1962
Headquarters
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA
Ownership
Privately held
Type
Vertically integrated: float glass + in-house IGU fabrication

Product lines you'll see in specs

Cardinal's Low-E coatings are branded LoĒ (read "low-E"), numbered by generation and silver-layer count. The numbers roughly track how much they prioritize solar control over visible light.

LoĒ-180
Highest light transmittance of the family, favors daylight over solar control.
LoĒ-272
The most commonly specified variant, a balance of light and solar performance. See Low-E glass explained.
LoĒ-366
Triple-silver coating with the lowest SHGC in the family, prioritizes solar control.
LoĒ-340
A further variant in the same family, see the product database for its specific COG performance numbers.
Disclaimer: LiteSpec is independent and not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Cardinal Glass Industries. This profile is compiled from publicly available company information for general reference. Verify current products and specifications directly with the manufacturer before specifying.