Technician Daniel Darner removes brackets and wipers as part of the windshield removal process.

Michael Stein

Road construction generally means inconvenience for drivers. But when work started on the 11th Street underpass in midtown Moorhead, businesses in the construction area were forced to seek new locations.

One of those businesses, Glass Doctor of Moorhead, had been a fixture on 11th Street and 2nd Avenue South for many years, beginning as Harmon Glass. And while it benefited from steady traffic exposure and proximity to a major grocery store, it was limited by a relatively small shop area size.

Reed Kunnanz, who owns both the Moorhead and Fargo Glass Doctor service centers, turned the major inconvenience of relocating into an opportunity to expand with a large new building at 1413 23rd Street South in the Moorhead Industrial Park.

“With the underpass project, we were part of the property buyout,” Kunnanz said. “We needed a new space and the Industrial Park seemed like a good direction for us to better serve our customers. And that included servicing much larger commercial vehicles.”

The former location worked fine for cars and pickups, but larger vehicles was a challenge. “We had to work on those outside,” Kunnanz said. “Which meant we were installing large pieces of glass in the wind, rain and snow. We built the new shop specifically to fit in every type of vehicle such as semis or payloaders. A number of farm operations and construction businesses bring their big vehicles here for service.”

The new Glass Doctor of Moorhead was completed in November 2023, only about two weeks before their deadline to vacate the 11th Street location.

“It’s been a great move,” Kunnanz said. “We love the shop and the location. While we are not as visible here to traffic as when we were across from Hornbacher’s, it’s more of a destination for our customers. They come here specifically to do business with us.”

Kunnanz is from Minot, N.D., where his father and grandfather operated a body shop from 1964 to 2000. He has owned the two FM Glass Doctor locations since 2020. Along with Kunnanz, Glass Doctor of Moorhead has three employees: Jeff Bommersbach, Dave Lawrenz—who each have at least 20 years of experience in the business—and Daniel Darner, who has five years of industry experience.

“We service pretty much anything that has glass and wheels,” Kunnanz said. “Along with windshields, that includes windows on the doors and rear.”

Another service the Moorhead Glass Doctor provides is one that most drivers don’t think about when needing glass replacement—the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).

“When we moved here we purchased the equipment to perform the ADAS calibrations right in the shop,” Kunnanz said. “Everybody here is certified to do those calibrations.” He explained that some of a vehicle’s cameras and sensors are attached to brackets in the windshield, which the technicians have to remove during the installation process. When those parts of the ADAS are reinstalled, recalibration of the system is required.

“It’s more than putting a new piece of glass in,” he said. “For the recalibration process we have computer software and all the targets and setups to perform that right in the shop. It’s a step required by all insurance companies when we do a replacement. Pretty much all vehicles from 2017 on have some sort of ADAS feature.”

Because recalibration must be done in the shop, Kunnanz said they offer a free ride service to pick up and deliver the customer’s vehicle, whether it’s from a home or business. “We are 100 percent customer service oriented,” he said. “We are here to make your life easier and not be difficult to deal with. We are upfront and honest with our customers. When they call for a price, that is what they’re going to pay. There are no hidden fees or extra charges. We are still a 100 percent locally owned and operated franchise business, and a preferred shop for every major insurance company.”

The new Glass Doctor facility offers a lot of room for growth. For instance, Kunnanz said they have recently added new unbreakable, scratch resistant glass technology intended for heavy equipment.

While moving a business is complicated and time-consuming, Kunnanz said he’s happy to still be in Moorhead. “The Industrial Park made sense for us. We have great neighbors here who have welcomed us into their corner of the world. It’s awesome that we have a shop like this, and it means a lot to be in Moorhead and provide a top-notch repair facility.”