Bill Daubmann Selected Top 10 Dynamic Leaders to Watch in 2025

Bill Daubmann has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Dynamic Leaders to Watch in 2025. The article discusses the challenges companies face as they expand, such as increased reliance on third-party vendors, which can lead to production delays, higher costs, and inconsistent quality. These issues often necessitate bringing key processes in-house to align operations with customer expectations and project timelines. This was a challenge Bill Daubmann encountered and strategically addressed.

Read the Executive Len’s full article here.

The Importance of In-House Operations
It is both challenging and essential for companies to maintain control over their operations as they grow. Often, growing businesses rely on third-party vendors, leading to delays in production, increased costs, and inconsistent quality. Over time, these dependencies can compromise customer expectations and disrupt project timelines, making it necessary to bring key processes in-house.

This was exactly the challenge faced by Bill Daubmann, founder of MY Shower Door. For years, the company relied on an external vendor for glass supplies. However, the limitations of this arrangement eventually drove Daubmann and his team to invest in in-house manufacturing. With the establishment of D3 Glass, they were able to enhance efficiency, control costs, and respond more effectively to the increasing market demand across Florida.

A Business Rooted in Family Values
The foundation of MY Shower Door was not crafted in a boardroom but emerged from a personal and family-centered necessity. In 1986, Bill Daubmann and his wife, Donna, faced a life-changing decision when their 10-year-old son, Keith, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. They chose to leave their traditional careers behind and start a business that would allow them the flexibility to prioritize their family while earning a living.

This journey was not driven by a detailed business plan but by necessity. Self-employment provided the control they needed over their time. Over the years, their decision evolved into a thriving business model characterized by adaptability and trust. Bill’s technical and sales expertise, combined with Donna’s motivational and creative skills, helped establish a service-oriented enterprise built on shared values.

The early years demanded on-the-spot learning, with decisions shaped by both immediate family needs and the business’s emerging demands. This period laid the groundwork for a culture of accountability and clarity of purpose. As Bill puts it, “You don’t build a company first. You build a reason strong enough to carry one.”

Lessons from Sports
Before entering the glass industry, Bill spent a decade as a professional ice hockey linesman in the American Hockey League. This experience taught him invaluable business skills, such as staying composed under pressure, making quick decisions, and maintaining impartiality in high-stakes situations. These abilities proved instrumental in managing people, teams, and navigating uncertain business climates.

In addition, Bill’s time coaching youth baseball offered him insights into effective leadership. By recognizing and leveraging the unique strengths of each player, he learned that success depends on adaptability rather than uniformity. This philosophy carried over into his business, where the focus shifted to hiring employees with strong work ethics and developing roles that suited their individual talents.

Bill’s calm and structured approach to conflict resolution and growth planning became a cornerstone of the company’s culture, influencing both staff dynamics and operational strategies.

Establishing a Strong Foundation in Florida
After nearly 15 years of running their business in Massachusetts, the Daubmann family relocated to Florida in 2002. This move was not just geographical but strategic, enabling them to adopt a more customer-focused approach. A year later, they opened the first MY Shower Door showroom in Naples.

As the business expanded across Southwest and Central Florida, it maintained a steady pace of growth. Each new showroom followed a consistent model that invited customers to explore materials firsthand and interact with trained staff. This approach built trust and allowed the team to effectively communicate the value of their work.

The company prioritized in-house training for all new employees, who came from diverse backgrounds. Bill emphasized hiring for attitude and building skills afterward, a strategy that ensured consistency even as the team scaled up.

Bringing Manufacturing In-House
With increasing demand, supply chain delays began to affect project timelines. At the time, the company sourced glass from a vendor in Alabama, with weekly deliveries that left little room for flexibility. Any delay in shipments could significantly impact installations and customer experiences.

To address this, the team decided to bring manufacturing in-house. This required setting up a dedicated facility, investing in machinery, staffing, and training, and taking personal financial risks. Ultimately, the move paid off. The creation of D3 Glass allowed the company to improve turnaround times, manage quality and costs, and even introduce proprietary hardware and coatings, giving them a competitive edge. As Bill explained, “If something starts affecting your service, you have to fix it at the source.”

Fostering Workforce and Culture
As MY Shower Door expanded, building the right team became even more critical. The company recruited individuals from various industries who were eager to learn and grow with the organization. Employees received comprehensive in-house training and a clear career trajectory, which enabled them to adapt to varying projects seamlessly.

Over time, the company’s work culture evolved into one where every team member understood their role and how it contributed to the larger mission. Whether working on the shop floor, in the showroom, or during installations, the objective remained consistent: deliver quality work on time without compromising standards.

Bill also participated in local workforce development initiatives, advocating for equal respect for trade careers and academic paths. “Some people are not looking for a shortcut. They’re just looking for a chance to build something real,” he noted during one of these meetings.