As a child, not everyone thinks about what they will become when they grow up.
But for Lawrence County resident Andrew Morisi, his mission in life was clear.
Andrew is a father, a football coach at Shenango High School, and the owner of City Glass, a family-owned business serving the community since 1949.
Andrew said he spent many summers as a child working at the local shop on Newcastle's east side, which has been in his family for four generations.
“When my great-grandfather started in business, he sold scarves,” Andrew said. “When his father and uncle took over, they stopped selling mufflers and started buying glass.”
“The other day we were setting up a commercial store in the morning and working on a 1970 Chevelle in the afternoon. We never get bored with one thing, there's always something new,” he continued. “One of the good things about this business is that glass always breaks.”
City Glass specializes in a variety of services including commercial glass, residential glass repair, automotive glass, and custom glass.
Before taking over the business, Andrew had been working full-time with his late father Matthew and uncle Michael since 2013. Andrew became the sole owner of City Glass after Michael announced his retirement in May last year.
“I always felt it was my responsibility to continue in the family business. It was never forced on me, my dad gave me the option, but it was always something I wanted to do.”
“It's all about problem solving. You don't care about the problems that arise, it's about solving them. It's the same in business, in coaching, and in life.”
Although Andrew is currently the only staff member, he said there is still a family-like bond in the workplace. When describing the staff at City Glass, Andrew listed each employee by name.
“We have a great staff working here and I feel like family to them. We try to keep that small, individual charm. It's just about the people. It's always been about that. When you have good people, everything becomes easier.”
One of those employees, Jeff Stiber, has worked at City Glass for nearly 30 years.
“If I didn't like my job, I wouldn't have stayed here for 27 years,” he said with a smile.
Mr. Stiver recalled his early days at City Grass, when Andrew was about 8 years old.
“I've watched him grow from a little squirt cleaning the floors, taking out the trash, and making his dad excited.
“When you look at him now, he's completely different. It took him a while to figure it out, but he did great,” Stiver said.
Andrew had intended to take over the family business from an early age, but after his father passed away in 2021, he sought another way to protect the Morichi name.
Andrew started the Matthew Morisi Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a senior football player at Shenango High School.
“We have our underclassmen pick players that make them feel like they're part of the team, because that's what my dad valued more than anything. He was really good at what he did, and he was really good at interacting with people. He was very good at it. I wanted to pay tribute to his legacy.”
Andrew hopes the business will continue into the next generation, but admitted it was too early to tell as his eldest son Matthew turns six this month.
“I want it to last for generations, but people have their own ambitions and ideas. That's up to him. Since I took office, I've tried to treat people fairly and do a good job. I hope everything else falls into place from there. That's always been my mindset.”