Columbia Glass opens Moses Lake location

Ephrata business expands area of coverage

There's an old adage that says something along the lines of, "When God closes a door, he opens a window."

No doors have even closed for Columbia Glass in Ephrata, but there's still a window opening.

The business recently opened a second location in Moses Lake, located at 307 E. Broadway Ave.

"We started the construction end of it in March," said owner Bev Shuford, adding that the business has been open "pretty much" since May.

Shuford will manage the Moses Lake location, while a full-service department of four employees and owner Tom Thomas will remain in Ephrata, she said.

Gradually, the business is changing its name from Columbia Paint and Glass due to confusion with Columbia Paint and Coatings.

"We are a dealer for them in Ephrata; we sell their paint for them over there, but there's no connection other than (that)," Shuford said.

Shuford said she and Thomas purchased the business from Larry White in July 2000.

"We just needed to do something," she said. "We had both been working a long time at both our jobs, and we just needed something different. It was pretty risky business; both of us aren't real young. We're almost retirement age and we decided to do this… It was an opportunity that came by."

Opening in Moses Lake provides more population and a little bit more opportunity, she said.

"From Ephrata, we serve Quincy," she said. "We go up north to Blue Lake, to Coulee City, Coulee Dam, Wilson Creek — we already serve that area, and we've been getting more and more calls in Moses Lake, so we thought if we wanted to expand or grow, we needed to open up another location."

Shuford said that she and Thomas were looking to open another location for about two years and hope to expand into auto glass in Moses Lake someday. For the moment, the Moses Lake location will remain a show room.

Columbia Glass offers windows, storm windows, shower doors, window treatments, wallpaper, borders and deck railings, to name just a few.

"I think competition is always good," Shuford said of the move. Most of her business has been through word-of-mouth so far, but she said the word is getting around.

"I love doing it, I love working with the customers," Shuford said of working in the business. "I love meeting new people, and I've met a lot of new people."