Mars Glass Founder Amir Merikhi Profiled in San Francisco's Winter 2025 “Contractor Tools”

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Business-to-Business (B2B) graduation. L–R: Miguel Galarza, president of Yerba Buena Engineering and program mentor; Amir Merikhi, owner of Mars Glass; and former San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

We're proud to share that Mars Glass founder Amir Merikhi was the featured contractor in the Winter 2025 issue of Contractor Tools, the newsletter of the City & County of San Francisco's Contractor Development Program (CDP), administered by Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services, a HUB International company. The profile traces Amir's path into glazing, how he built Mars Glass, and why community and mentorship sit at the center of his work.

Finding his niche

Amir grew up around construction in Iran, where his father was a residential and commercial developer. He earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in Malaysia, then moved to the Bay Area for a master's in architecture and building design. When a language barrier made breaking into architecture harder than expected, an acquaintance offered him an internship at a glass shop — and glazing clicked. Over three years he took on project management, estimating, and field troubleshooting, using his architectural background to advise clients on materials and the jump from design to construction.

After a brief return to a former employer as a partner, Amir realized he needed to build something of his own. He founded Mars Glass Company in 2022.

Building a business — and a community

Today Mars Glass offers virtually every type of custom glazing, window, and door combination — from secure glass storefronts and large-scale window walls to windows, doors, and glass tinting. Amir credits much of the company's momentum to the certifications and networks he tapped after his first two years in business, becoming a certified Small Business (SBE) and Local Business Enterprise (LBE) and connecting with the CDP.

Through the program he found mentors in Jennifer Elmore and Ken Heiman, who helped organize the company's financials for prequalification and loan readiness and guided him through the paperwork-heavy world of public works. Just as importantly, he found a peer community — and he pays it forward, recently connecting another contractor with the CDP for bonding support.

Left: Clark Construction Strategic Partnership graduation. Right: Amir Merikhi, founder of Mars Glass Company.

Projects that matter

Mars Glass' first major breakthrough came in 2022 with more than 2,000 square feet of oversized glass storefront at a hotel on Powell Street in San Francisco. Since then the company has delivered glazing at the Federal and State Buildings in San Francisco and Oakland, a 150,000-square-foot office building at 505 Van Ness Avenue, and the State Building at 1515 Clay Street in Oakland — with upcoming work on the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Recycled Water System Project.

For Amir, the most rewarding projects are the ones that serve the community. Mars Glass provided glazing for the new 24/7 Behavioral Health Stabilization Center at 822 Geary Street — a city initiative offering urgent care and compassion for people in crisis, just blocks from where Amir first lived when he arrived in San Francisco.

A spatial-design glass installation by Mars Glass at the San Francisco Zoo, set with a mechanical vacuum lift.

Investing in local

Amir is a vocal advocate for giving small, local contractors a fair chance to compete — and for getting the next generation into the trades. He recently moved the company's fabrication to a larger shop in downtown San Francisco, choosing to pay more to keep the business in the city rather than move outside it.

Along the way he has completed a Project Management certification from Turner Construction School, a Business Development certification from Clark Construction's contractor school, the SBA THRIVE Emerging Leaders Program, and the SFPUC's B2B program — the graduation pictured above with former Mayor London Breed and Yerba Buena Engineering president Miguel Galarza.