About Our Family – Northwest Glass & Mirror

Our History

After working as a journeyman electrician in Colorado, David Wackerly moved to Houston in 1972. Ready for a new challenge, he began working at Champion Glass, a local glass company. After a few years getting to know the business, David and his wife Cherolyn decided to branch out and start his own company: Northwest Glass & Mirror.

Northwest opened for business in a storage warehouse in Aldine, with a staff of just 3 people, including his wife. From the start, they provided service for everything their customers needed, from auto to residential to commercial glass. The business began to grow quickly, and David realized that he needed to hire more staff to keep up with demand. In 1983, Debbie Perez joined the company as one of David’s new hires-–and she’s still with Northwest today!

From the start, Northwest has been a family business. Bruce Chumley, David’s oldest son, helped out around the shop while in high school, and came to work with David full time after graduating in 1985. Two years later, Bruce’s brother Jerrod graduated high school and also came to join the team.

The business expanded rapidly as the Houston economy grew and new communities sprang up. Throughout the 1980’s, Northwest was the largest independent glass company in all of Houston, supplying glass for the construction of almost every master planned residential community in the greater metropolitan area.

Beyond Houston, Northwest pursued expansion opportunities in other cities, owning and operating Southland Glass in Nashville from 1985 to 2000, and Platte River Glass in Denver from 1993 to 1997.

Ultimately, David, Bruce, and Jerrod decided to focus on their local partnerships, allowing them to contribute to many major projects around the city. This included work on hospitals such as St. Luke’s, St. Joseph’s, and Memorial Hermann; the multiple campuses of KIPP Public Charter Schools throughout Houston; and Smart Financial Center in Sugarland.

The family connection grew when Bruce’s son Clay joined Northwest in 2009, and Jerrod’s son Trey came on board as the shop foreman. In 2017, David officially retired after more than forty years in the business, leaving the glass work in his sons’ and grandsons’ capable hands.

Thanks to David and the Chumleys, Northwest Glass & Mirror continues to lead the local industry as one of the largest and most experienced glass companies in the Houston area, supplying glass for custom homes in new residential areas and for major commercial projects.