Apogee Enterprises Inc. saw fourth-quarter results jump, thanks to beefed-up demand of architectural building glass, officials reported late Wednesday.

The uptick suggests a marked improvement in the construction and building trades.

A year ago, the Bloomington-based company's architectural glass division suffered a $500,000 operating loss. This year, it made $2.2 million and showed a rise in backlogged orders.

The building glass division contributed to a bump in overall results.

Total revenue rose 7 percent to $180 million during the quarter. Earnings rose 48 percent to $4.4 million, or 15 cents a share. On average, analysts expected 17 cents a share.

Results were posted Wednesday after the stock market closed.

Apogee announced last month that it was investing $30 million to expand its Owatonna campus and to introduce factory efficiencies.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725