Safelite

Safelite Group
Safelite Group
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive, Insurance
Founded	1947 (79 years ago) in Wichita, Kansas, United States
Founders	Bud Glassman; Art Lankin;
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio, United States
Number of locations	832
Area served	North America
Key people	Renee Cacchillo (President & CEO)
Number of employees	~16,000
Parent	Belron
Website	www.safelite.com

Safelite Group, Inc. is an American vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration company and a subsidiary of Belron. The company employs approximately 16,000 associates and operates in all 50 states of the United States under the Safelite brand.

Company history

Safelite was founded in 1947 by Bud Glassman and Art Lankin in a small junkyard in Wichita, Kansas. Over the decades, the company expanded its presence and capabilities in vehicle glass repair and replacement services.

In 1968, Safelite was acquired by Royal Industries, which in turn was taken over by manufacturing conglomerate Lear Siegler in 1976.

Safelite acquired AFG Auto Glass, the fourth-largest auto glass installation company in the US, in 1988. The company relocated its headquarters to Columbus, Ohio in 1990 and established the Safelite Group, which consisted of three separate divisions: Safelite Solutions, Safelite AutoGlass and Service AutoGlass.

In 2007, Safelite was acquired by UK-based Belron, the world’s largest vehicle glass company. Belron operates in 42 countries and is owned by the D'Ieteren group.

In late 2021, Renee Cachillo became the president and CEO, succeeding Thomas Feeney, who had led the business since 2008.

Philanthropy

In 2024, the company relaunched the Safelite Foundation, originally established in 2005, to support nonprofit organizations that align with its mission of providing safety, stability and a sense of belonging to enrich the lives of families and underserved children, with a national focus on foster care.