20 Under 40 - Glass Magazine

Syed Kazim Application engineering and sales representative
United States Aluminum | Los Angeles
W hen
Syed Kazim graduated from India’s University of Madras in
1995, little did he know his degree in mechanical engineering would
take him around the world. After working in Dubai for three years as
a fabrication estimator for Alico Aluminum, Kazim moved to the United
States in 1999.
Just six months into his career at the Los Angeles location of United States
Aluminum, Kazim was promoted from estimator to engineering and sales
representative. His responsibilities at the architectural aluminum product
supplier include application engineering, project estimating and project management.
Kazim works with customers throughout the entire construction process,
from the initial bid to the final installation, and is known for going above and
beyond to help his customers.
“Syed is a committed, exceptional person for the glass industry to have,” says
Lisa Mueller, an assistant project manager for Sashco Inc., Los Angeles, who has
worked with Kazim for three and a half years. “He is dedicated to the work he
does and the outcome of the entire project. Syed spends weekends doing takeoffs
and reviewing plans to make sure he can satisfy all his customers.”
Says Kazim: “I’m most proud of the customer relationships I’ve built. My
customers are more like a big family to me now. The biggest challenge is being
able to accommodate all of their requests.”
It’s all worth it to Kazim. “The [United States] really is a land of opportunity.
All the hard work I did in the last seven years has paid off. I’ve developed
relationships with customers who I talk to every day, and when I come to
work, there’s always something new.”
Chen returned to Crystal in 2003 and is now executive vice president,
focusing on sales and marketing for the company’s curtain wall and high-end
fenestration efforts as well as its aluminum extrusion subsidiary. Sales grew
from $48.6 million in April 2005 to $62.1 million two years later. Crystal
made Inc. Magazine’s inaugural list of America’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Private
Companies last year.
“He’s just a terrific, humble young man who has really taken values he has
learned from his father,” says Howard Ecker, president of Ecker Windows,
Yonkers, N.Y. “He knows the importance of this bond between customers and
suppliers.”
It’s more than just numbers that motivate Chen. “We’re actually creating real
products here,” he says. “I can see my product working on a building. There’s a
lot of pride in that. As the business grows, we like to shape the landscape, especially
the landscape of New York City.”
Crystal had a part in shaping Manhattan by supplying 2,500 window units
for Confucius Plaza, which at 44 stories is the tallest building in Chinatown.
The Chen family, emigrated from Taiwan, is also known for its philanthropy.
The nonprofit Crystal Foundation, created in 2002, sponsors art exhibits and
provides college scholarships for lower-income Asian Americans.
“Being a minority business in Queens, N.Y., it was a community that helped
build our business,” Chen says. “We always believed in giving back. Now that
we’ve done well, we’d like to be a role model. If you take care of the community
around you, it will eventually take care of your back.”
34
Education: 1995, Bachelor of Science, mechanical engineering,
University of Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Career: June 2000-present, application engineering and
sales rep; August 1999-June 2000, estimator, United States
Aluminum, Los Angeles; 1996-98, fabrication estimator, Alico
Aluminum, Dubai
Personal: Age, 34; born, Chennai, India; single
One-word description of self: Independent
Favorite Web site: www.howstuffworks.com
Lesson learned the hard way: Sometimes you have to say no
Favorite movie: “Philadelphia”
Favorite sports team: San Diego Chargers.
Education: 2004-05, Executive Business Program, Tucks
School of Business, Dartmouth University, Hanover, N.H.;
2001, Bachelor of Science in economics, Penn State
University, University Park, Pa.
Career: January 2006-present, executive vice president,
Crystal Window & Door Systems, Flushing, N.Y.; 2003-05,
project manager and special assistant to the president,
Crystal Window & Door Systems; 2001-03, team leader, First
Union Asset Management, Malvern, Pa.
Personal: Age, 29; born, Taiwan; single
Diversions: Performance cars
One-word description of self: Energetic
Favorite Web site: eBay
Lesson learned the hard way: Managing the credit department
Favorite movie: “Shawshank Redemption”
Favorite musical artist: Frank Sinatra
Favorite sports team: New York Yankees.
February 2008 • Glass Magazine ® 9