There’s nothing better than local service. Dealing face-to-face with people you know, people who are knowledgeable and who have your best interests at heart. When thinking of national companies, this small-town feel may not be the first thought that jumps to mind.
Independent glass replacement and repairer National Windscreens, however, is working hard to ensure that level of service is felt country wide. Dominating a large share of Australia’s windscreen market with over 100 fitting centres and hundreds of technicians strategically located throughout the country, National Windscreens has been providing the Australian automotive industry with some of the fastest and highest quality windscreen replacements and repairs since 1987.
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Now, National Windscreens, in its drive to crack into the heavy vehicle sector, has acquired three of the country’s top businesses; Top End Windscreens & Tinting in Darwin, Alpha Bus Glass in Melbourne and Phoenix Glass in Brisbane.
“This acquisition has allowed us to reach heights we were never able to do on our own,” Phoenix Glass owner John Perrie told ABC.
Phoenix Glass has been operating in the Brisbane area for the past 25 years, with brothers John and Craig Parrie taking over from their father once they felt capable of running the business on their own.
“We started off basically from scratch, and built up the business over many years,” Perrie says.
“Phoenix Glass did a lot of insurance work and fleet work in the automotive sector before we began growing in the heavy commercial sector as required.
“We sort of do a little bit of everything.”
It wasn’t long before Phoenix Glass became one of the largest suppliers of automotive glass services to the bus and coach industry in Queensland, including being the preferred supplier to the Brisbane City Council bus fleet.
Building up an undeniable reputation in the industry for its attention to detail and customer service, National Windscreens soon caught wind of the company and wanted to join forces.
“The CEO and owner of National Windscreens approached us initially about the insurance and automotive side of the business,” he says.
“But after some talking and conversations back and forth, we realised there was a lot more that we could be doing to help each other.”
National Windscreens was wanting a larger presence in Australia, especially in the capital cities, but Phoenix Glass owned territories in Brisbane, which was blocking that process.
“We basically threw it out there that National Windscreens should purchase Phoenix, and our staff could come in and fly under the National banner, as long as everything works out in terms of the price and the business is evaluated correctly,” he says.
“They jumped at it.”
After 13 months of conversations, Phoenix Glass was officially acquired by the National Windscreens Group in November, 2023. Craig and John were taken aboard as national heavy commercial managers and are now the frontmen of the operation.
“We can now be Australia wide, which is a massive opportunity for Craig and I to continue the growth of not just what we do, but as people, to then reach out and do something a bit different.”
With over 45 years of combined experience, the brothers bring unparalleled expertise and a deep commitment to delivering exceptional service and competitive pricing.
Under their leadership, National Windscreens continue to offer a comprehensive range of services, including supply and fit, repairs, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) calibration, and wholesale solutions tailored to the heavy commercial sector.
“We offer a lot more services than many people realise,” Perrie says.
“We supply bus and coach glass for all current model and older vehicles throughout Australia and New Zealand, with distribution warehouses in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Auckland and Christchurch.
“We also do custom made glass, modifications and more.”
A standout offering from National Windscreens is its ADAS calibration, being only one of a few companies offering the service in the country.
These systems are technologies that assist drivers with the safe operation of a vehicle, from management of adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking.
ADAS must often be calibrated after accidents, power window replacement, control unit replacement and adjustments in the vehicle chassis. National Windscreens has the equipment to diagnose faults in these systems and calibrate them after repair.
“We service on site – where suitable – to ensure the customer’s vehicle is back on the road as quickly as possible,” he says.
“As a customer you will also receive a certificate to show the work has been completed to the individual manufacturer’s specification.”
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