Congratulations to Junior League of Fort Myers Sustainer, Bonnie Durden, for making the Business Observer “40 under 40” list! Durden oversees a company called Fort Myers-based Glass Design which dates back to her parents, Sandi and Don. They founded the business in 1996 but ran it mostly as a hobby. She made the courageous decision to buy the business from her parents in 2007 and would later shift the focus of the company by expanding their marketing efforts and expanding their product selection. She reported that the company has grown every year and now has 15 employees. Their secret sauce is top-notch customer service and hiring and retaining top people is her number 1 ongoing challenge.

In 2015, the firm, which does decorative glass work on a variety of household items including everything from shower doors to kitchen backsplashes., opened a second showroom in Naples, FL. Work starting to pile up in both locations and they started to have trouble keeping track of all the paperwork that was coming in. Durden stated that they had gotten so big, that things started to get out of control. Using a software program called QuickBase, she designed a new database system which created an easier process for all the work coming in. She loves to come up with an idea and then implement it and working on her business is what really drives her. Learn more by clicking here.