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President’s Note

From Garage to Glass Legacy:

The Sowards Family Journey

At Silver Lake Bank, we’re proud to support businesses that grow with purpose, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility. Sowards Glass is one such business — a family-run company that has been transformed from a garage-based operation into a trusted name in commercial glasswork, all while staying true to its values.

Founded in 1992 by Keith Sowards, the business began with a simple mission: fix windows for local apartment complexes and do it right. With each job, Keith earned the trust of his customers. By 1995, Sowards Glass had become a Chapter S Corporation, and in 2000, his wife Linda officially joined the business, managing the books and helping guide the company through a period of steady growth.

“We still remember when we hit our first $100,000 in business,” Keith says. “Back then, we were just a mom-and-pop shop. Now, we’re doing multi-million-dollar projects. It’s been an incredible journey.”

But for the Sowards, it was never about the money or chasing growth. “We have a very strong faith,” Keith shares. “We’ve never chased the work. Instead, we live with honesty and integrity—and the rest of it takes care of itself.”

That philosophy has served them well. Today, Sowards Glass has worked on 60 to 70% of the commercial buildings in the Topeka area, with a growing footprint in Kansas City. Yet, they remain humble. “We like flying under the radar,” Keith says.

Their success is rooted in careful decision-making and financial discipline. “We are always cautious in our decisions,” Keith explains. “We don’t jump fast. We don’t make decisions lightly because it affects our employees, it’s not just about us.” He adds, “We leave the money in the company so we can grow. You must be careful with finances because the business can come down a lot faster than it took to build it up.”

Linda adds, “Our biggest mistake over the years was not getting more key people in place sooner. Fortunately, we learned from our mistakes.”

Patrick Gideon,

President & CEO

Silver Lake Bank

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