180+
Google reviews
About Alex Semencha and A Star Auto Glass
Owner-operated Sarasota auto glass company founded by Alex Semencha in 2012, replacing windshields, repairing glass, and recalibrating ADAS systems in-shop with the same standards on every job.
How A Star Auto Glass Started: Alex's Story
From Washington State to Sarasota: A Path Built Around Cars
Alex Semencha's path into auto glass didn't start with a business plan. It started with cars. He grew up around them, worked on them, and got serious about the industry in 2006 when he opened an auto accessories and window tinting business in Washington state. His brother-in-law ran an auto glass shop nearby, and that's where Alex learned the craft, hands-on, watching glass come out and go back in correctly. By the time he relocated to Florida, he had six years of automotive work behind him and an understanding of glass installation that most shop owners spend decades trying to build.
Founding A Star Auto Glass in September 2012
Alex founded A Star Auto Glass in Sarasota in September 2012, with no investor, no acquisition, and no franchise license. He started as a one-man mobile operator, took every call himself, and built the reputation that the business runs on today, one customer at a time. The company grew from a single van into a shop-based operation with a small team and a Google review profile that now sits at 180+ reviews at 4.9 stars, with most of those reviews mentioning Alex by name. That's what happens when the owner does the work.
Why Alex Invested in ADAS Calibration Before Most Shops Did
When lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision systems started showing up on everyday vehicles, most auto glass shops watched and waited, but Alex moved. He bought professional-grade calibration equipment, completed the certifications, built the shop environment required to do static calibration correctly, and added ADAS recalibration to the standard windshield replacement workflow. That decision is the single biggest reason A Star Auto Glass Sarasota customers tell us, in review after review, that we did something other shops wouldn't, performing the calibration the day of the replacement, in the shop, with the right tools, instead of skipping the step or subcontracting it.
Cars have always been my passion, but what really motivated me was the opportunity to grow, create more value, and offer greater convenience for customers. When lane departure systems became more common, I invested in the equipment, learned the process, became certified, and started calibrating. I'm always looking for ways to improve and better serve my customers.
(Alex Semencha, founder of A Star Auto Glass)
What Alex's Hands-On Approach Means for Your Vehicle
Alex Answers the Phone
Call (941) 893-7353 and Alex answers, or someone from his small team does. There are no phone trees, no automated menus, no callback queues. The person picking up knows the job, knows the schedule, and can tell you within a minute whether a chip is repairable or whether you're looking at a full replacement. That's a small thing on paper. In practice, it is the single most-cited reason customers stay with A Star Auto Glass Sarasota for repeat work across multiple vehicles.
We File Your Insurance Claim, So You Don't Have To
Florida Statute 627.7288 prohibits insurers from applying a deductible to windshield repair or replacement under a comprehensive policy. Most drivers don't know that exists, and the ones who do still dread the claims process. Alex and his team file the claim for you, communicate with the adjuster, and collect payment directly from the carrier. Your only involvement is handing over your insurance card and your keys.
No Subcontractors: The Same Person Books and Performs Your Job
National chains run on a dispatch model, sending subcontracted technicians to jobs across a region with minimal oversight on who does what. A Star Auto Glass operates differently: Alex or a member of his team performs the installation personally, and we don't farm out the work to a contractor who shows up in a generic van. That's how we know every job carries the same standards from start to finish, and it's why the lifetime warranty on workmanship means something.
The Technical Credentials Behind the Work
ADAS Calibration Training and Equipment
Alex completed manufacturer-approved training for ADAS calibration and operates an industry-standard professional calibration system with daily vendor technical support, the same class of equipment used by certified body shops and OEM dealers. Calibrations happen on a level pad in the shop, with controlled lighting and a target board positioned at exact specifications for the vehicle's make and model, with no improvising the setup and no swapping mobile shortcuts for the real process.
Autel Pre-Scan and Post-Scan Diagnostics
Before any glass work begins, every vehicle gets a diagnostic pre-scan using Autel professional tools. This documents pre-existing fault codes, calibration status, and any electronic anomalies the vehicle had before we touched it. After installation and ADAS recalibration, we run a post-scan to verify that every system is reading normally. That before-and-after record protects the customer, protects the shop, and is something most local auto glass operators skip entirely.
Sika Adhesive and FMVSS 212 Compliance
Windshield retention in a crash is governed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 212, known as FMVSS 212. Auto glass installed below that standard can detach during a collision and turn the airbag deployment into a worst-case event. A Star Auto Glass uses Sika-brand urethane adhesives that meet FMVSS 212, with proper primer application and manufacturer-specified cure times, and no fast-setting shortcuts that compromise the structural bond. Your windshield is part of the vehicle's structural safety cage, not an accessory bolted to the dashboard, and it gets installed accordingly. Background on the standard is available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
OEM and OEE Glass Sourcing
Cheap aftermarket glass distorts vision, fits imprecisely, and interferes with ADAS forward-facing camera systems, which is why we don't use it. A Star sources OEM glass (manufactured by or directly for the vehicle's original factory) or OEE-quality glass that meets the same specifications for fit, optical clarity, and ADAS sensor compatibility. It costs more, but it's the only kind of glass that won't compromise the safety systems that your insurance is helping us recalibrate.
Our standards align with the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council, which sets the industry benchmark for replacement procedures and installer training.
What the Industry and 180+ Sarasota Drivers Say About A Star Auto Glass
A 35-Year Industry Veteran on Alex's Work
Bryan Suter, a 35-year auto collision industry veteran, summarized something we hear from other industry professionals: "I have spent over 35 years in the auto collision industry and it is very difficult to find an auto glass technician with the experience and mindfulness that Alex possesses." That's not a customer testimonial. That's a peer assessment from someone who has watched hundreds of installers come and go.
Bryan Suter · 35-year auto collision industry veteran
180+ Reviews at 4.9 Stars, With 35 Percent From Google Local Guides
A Star Auto Glass holds 180+ Google reviews at 4.9 stars, with roughly 35 percent of those reviewers being Google Local Guides, the trained volunteer contributors whose ratings carry higher credibility weight inside Google's local algorithm. Alex personally responds to over 85 percent of reviews, positive and negative, and customers recommend him by name rather than the company itself in 30-plus reviews. That distinction is the single clearest signal of how this business actually runs.
4.9★
Average rating
85%+
Owner response rate
Repeat Customers Across Multiple Vehicles
Look closely at the reviews and a pattern emerges. The same names show up across multiple cars, multiple years, multiple insurance carriers. People who got a windshield replaced on their Kia Telluride and then came back when their Tesla needed calibration. Body shops and dealerships that send work to A Star on a recurring basis because the calibration paperwork is clean and the installs hold up. Retention like that doesn't happen by accident, and it doesn't happen at the chains.
Fred Falkner, a Google reviewer, put it simply: "If you need auto glass repair, just call Alex. You can trust him for complete professional service."
— Fred Falkner, Google reviewer
Why A Star Auto Glass Built a Shop, Not Just a Mobile Service
Static ADAS Calibration Requires a Controlled Environment
Static ADAS calibration is the type required for most sedans and SUVs equipped with forward-facing camera systems, and the procedure demands a level surface, controlled lighting, and a calibration target board placed at exact distances and heights specific to the vehicle's make and model. None of those conditions can be reliably reproduced in a customer's driveway, in a parking lot, or under a tarp on a windy Florida morning, no matter how much we'd like mobile to work for every job. The shop exists because the work demands it.
About 80 to 85 Percent of Our Work Happens In-Shop
Mobile service is the right answer for some jobs, and we offer it for standard replacements in suitable weather across Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties. But about 80 to 85 percent of our work happens at 4023 Sawyer Rd. That ratio is intentional. It reflects how many vehicles on Sarasota roads now require static or dynamic ADAS calibration after a windshield replacement, and it reflects our refusal to skip the step or hand it to a third-party calibrator who shows up a week later.
The Sarasota Facility at 4023 Sawyer Rd
The shop sits at 4023 Sawyer Rd, Unit 133, Sarasota, FL 34233, with a dedicated bay, level pad, professional lighting, and the calibration equipment described above. If you've never been to an auto glass shop that's actually built for ADAS work, this one will look different from what you expect, because most shops aren't built that way and ours is. A Star Auto Glass is registered as an active Florida limited liability company on file with the Florida Department of State.
What "Owner-Operated" Actually Means at A Star Auto Glass
Alex's Name Is on Every Job
When you book a windshield replacement with a national chain, the technician who shows up may be a subcontractor you'll never see again. When you book with A Star Auto Glass, Alex either does the job himself or has a member of his team do it under his supervision. He answers if there's a follow-up question, he handles the warranty if something goes wrong, and his reputation, the same reputation that built the company from one van in 2012 to where it is today, sits on the line for every job.
Lifetime Warranty on All Workmanship
Every installation at A Star carries a lifetime warranty on workmanship for as long as the customer owns the vehicle, with zero recalls or redo installations reported in the current year. That's a function of the standards on the install, the quality of the glass, and the calibration verification on the way out. If something ever isn't right, you call the same phone number you used to book the job and you get Alex directly, no queue.
We Fix What Other Shops Got Wrong
A meaningful portion of A Star's incoming work comes from customers who already had a windshield replaced somewhere else and something isn't right: leaks during rain, wind noise at highway speed, dashboard warning lights for ADAS systems that were never recalibrated, or adhesive jobs that didn't bond properly. Alex sees this work weekly, diagnoses it on inspection, and fixes it in the same shop where the original installer should have done the job correctly the first time. The lifetime warranty applies to our installations, but if you've got an install from somewhere else that needs sorting, we can usually help with that too.
A Star Auto Glass Sarasota Serves Three Florida Counties
Sarasota County
Sarasota County is our primary market. The shop is in Sarasota, and we serve the city, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the broader county including Osprey, Venice, and Nokomis. If you're searching for a Sarasota windshield replacement local shop, that's us.
SarasotaOspreyVeniceNokomis
Manatee County
We regularly serve Manatee County, including Bradenton, Palmetto, Ellenton, Parrish, Lakewood Ranch, and surrounding communities. Mobile service is available for standard replacements in suitable weather. Shop appointments are recommended for vehicles requiring ADAS recalibration.
BradentonPalmettoEllentonParrishLakewood Ranch
Charlotte County
Charlotte County is the southern edge of our service area, covering Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Englewood, and the surrounding region. The drive from Sarasota is reasonable and we handle Charlotte County calls regularly. For ADAS-equipped vehicles a shop appointment in Sarasota is typically the right call, while standard replacements are fine for mobile service.
Punta GordaPort CharlotteEnglewood
Frequently Asked Questions About A Star Auto Glass
Who owns A Star Auto Glass?
Alex Semencha owns and operates A Star Auto Glass. He founded the company in Sarasota in September 2012 and continues to lead installations, handle calibrations, and respond personally to customer calls and reviews.
How long has A Star Auto Glass been in business?
A Star Auto Glass was founded in September 2012 in Sarasota, FL. Alex has worked in the automotive industry since 2006, including training in auto glass installation in Washington state before relocating to Florida.
Is A Star Auto Glass certified for ADAS calibration?
Yes. Alex obtained ADAS calibration certifications and invested in professional-grade calibration equipment with daily vendor technical support. Calibrations are performed in-shop in a controlled environment with a level surface, proper lighting, and precise target placement, with all work handled in-house.
What kind of glass does A Star Auto Glass use?
OEM or OEE-quality glass on every job. OEM glass is manufactured by or for the vehicle's original factory. OEE glass meets the same specifications for fit, clarity, and ADAS sensor compatibility. We don't install cheap aftermarket glass, even when an insurance carrier suggests it, because the cost difference shows up later as distortion, fitment problems, or ADAS errors.
Does A Star Auto Glass have a physical shop?
Yes. Our shop is at 4023 Sawyer Rd, Unit 133, Sarasota, FL 34233. The facility is a dedicated bay with a level pad, controlled lighting, and the professional-grade equipment required for ADAS calibration. About 80 to 85 percent of our work happens here.
What areas does A Star Auto Glass serve?
Sarasota County, Manatee County, and Charlotte County. That includes Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, North Port, and Englewood at minimum. Mobile service is available for standard replacements in suitable weather. Shop appointments are recommended for ADAS-equipped vehicles.
Does Florida insurance cover windshield replacement?
In most cases, yes. Florida Statute 627.7288 prohibits insurers from applying a deductible to windshield repairs or replacements under a comprehensive policy. If you have comprehensive coverage, you typically pay $0. A Star Auto Glass files the claim and handles the adjuster communication on your behalf.
Ready to Work with A Star Auto Glass?
Whether you're dealing with a fresh windshield crack, a calibration question after someone else's bad installation, or a fleet account that needs reliable single-point service, Alex and his team in Sarasota are standing by. Same-day appointments are common, the phone gets answered, and the job gets done correctly.
Since 2012
ADAS certified
Lifetime warranty
Owner-operated since 2012
FOUNDER
Alex Semencha
Owner & Lead Technician
PHONE
(941) 893-7353