Saturday, March 16, 2024

Amazing Project and People

I had noted last week that I was afforded a great opportunity while at BEC in Nashville.  Troy Johnson, President of Apogee Architectural Services (Harmon) asked if I wanted to visit a jobsite that they had rolling in town.  For me timing was a nightmare (with my responsibilities to BEC) but Troy and the Harmon folks were accommodating and at 6:45AM on Day 2 of BEC we shoved off to Nashville Yards Parcel 3a, AKA, NYP3a. When complete the building will be known as the Pinnacle Tower. This is a 37-story beauty that will be in the Nashville Yards sector of downtown.   The job is a stunner.  Not your typical skyscraper thanks to an inspired design by Gresham Smith.  The building narrows as it goes vertical and the glazing is staggered which pops vs the typical symmetrical designs you see often. As someone told me- they called it “a very distinct façade” and it is!  What impressed me was the Harmon team overall.  Obviously, a small sample size but while I was there it was an remarkable display of craftsmanship, guile, will to get things done, and positive culture.  Oh and safety.  Safety everywhere.  It was organized extremely well making install very efficient overall.  Just so freaking extraordinary.  Also, as a glass guy in my blood, I was a bit in awe of the Viracon glass.  It looked fabulous.  (See my project of the week below for more info) As I mentioned on stage at BEC, walking this jobsite made me immensely proud of our industry.  The Harmon folks kicking tail, products looking great, and in the end that glazing will be a part of a selling point of this great structure.  Very memorable and I’m honored that I had a chance to spend some time there.  A sincere thank you to Troy for making this happen (Troy had so much happening, just blown away he took care of me here)  and then the incredible Harmon team that was with us including Danny Bostic who I actually worked with in a past life (he was a customer) and  Initially I could not remember that! (my poor memory is taking a beating).  Danny is a good guy and great talent and thrilled he is doing so well at Harmon.  Plus, the awesome rest of the crew that took great care of me there including Tim Ryals, Bill Brown, Hansel Pombo, and Mario Cordova.  Those guys are beasts getting the work done and repping our world well!  Can’t wait to get back to Nashville once done to check this one out.  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Quick In case you missed it thanks to the goings on in Nashville, my latest podcast was a fun one featuring serious talent.  The best spec writer in the land Aaron Pine and the awesome duo of Christina Elia and Brad Leamon of “The Shower Door Guy”- good insights all the way around.  Thanks for checking it out!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Also search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts)

Next pod coming in 2 weeks with another range of sharp folks from our world!

 

--  I’m gonna keep looking back on some of the best of BEC for a bit- this week, kudos to Tom Jackson of Steel Encounters.  6 years ago, he gave one of the best presentations we’ve ever had and while in some worlds the sequel is not as good as the original, in this case it was- and maybe even better.  (Kinda like Rocky 2 was better than Rocky 1).  Tom’s run through the culture advancements at Steel Encounters and the continued drive for recruitment was mesmerizing and it featured an incredible video that made me want to run through a wall and join up.  Truly an excellent job well done by an amazing human being.   

 

--  One of the bigger stories from last week was Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope announcing the departure of their CEO Bruno Baisiotta.  They noted he was stepping down for health and family reasons.  Well, I guess it only took escaping from the glass industry to feel better as Bruno already has a new gig as CEO of Covio Holdings, a mineral solutions provider.  Huh. Absolutely comical.  Not a good look by Bruno (as obviously he had this in the works and used the “health” as an out) and I can’t imagine ownership at OBE are real happy the way this played out.  (nor should Covio quite frankly) Meanwhile in the same release noting Bruno’s departure, OBE noted that they had hired Steve Dean as President of the Glass and Glazing division.  Immediately I was stoked.  I love Steve Dean.  Was a past Glass Industry MVP.  Then it hit me.  The past they listed for Steve Dean didn’t match up to the Steve Dean I know.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there’s another Steve Dean out there who evidently has some talent. Cool. So I look forward to meeting this Steve Dean and wish him the best in his new position.  Meanwhile I am sure the “original” (for me and others for sure) Steve Dean was probably getting inundated with messages…. 

 

--  I noted briefly that Giroux Glass made news last week with their launch of a new unitized system.  They’ll be moving into a state-of-the-art facility in Phoenix to manufacture it and I am pretty confident its going to go well given that Giroux has a ton of talented people leading the way.  And while I am at it- a Happy 25th Anniversary to the tremendous team there!  Best wishes for another great 25 and more!

 

--  The VIG space is really gaining steam.  The products are looking better, performing better (which already was awesome) and there’s now a legit push for usage.  With that in mind, it was not a major surprise that Guardian Glass dipped their toe (and really more body parts than that) back into the VIG pool with the appointment of  a Product Manager for Vacuum Insulating Glass.  As some of you know, Guardian was heavy into developing VIG for years, then set it aside.  Now it’s obviously coming back just in time for more growth in the space. 

 

--  Last this week… Kicking myself as I failed to mention while at BEC I was lucky enough to do my annual Nashville dinner with the great Brian Thomas of Super Sky.  Those who know me know I never go out during events like these but I have done these dinners with Brian for a few cycles and it's always awesome to catch up with him.  Super Sky is rocking with so many amazing projects (including a beauty opening in my town of Detroit this summer that I am excited about).  So thank you Brian and on the Super Sky note, I somehow missed seeing their Jeff Rutledge while there- so hopefully I run into him during one of my Texas appearances in the next couple of months. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

-- Interesting typo case here.

 

-- You know the whole 80/20 rule? 80% of sales from 20% of your customers?  This company was 100/0 and lost it and now are done.  Ouch. Odd.

 

--  This is depressing- lengths you have to go to for true security… and also wild with the sort of money some people keep in the home/easy to access.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Obviously if I start the blog raving about a project I walked, it has to be the project of the week right??  So we go back to Nashville for what will be known as the Pinnacle Building in Nashville Yards.  That glass I raved about?  Make up was very cool. 5/16” VRE-46 over ¼” Double Silver Low E with ½ high performance VTS thermal spacer.  Harmon unitized it all and this project will be epic when done. Kudos to everyone involved this one.  Great work!!



Sunday, March 10, 2024

Tremendous Week in Nashville!

What a run in the music city for our industry with an amazing BEC and GPAD. Truly a top notch and memorable experience all the way around.  So, settle in, this is my traditional extra-long recap that features thoughts and lots of name drops too!  First up was BEC and I think I can safely say it exceeded expectations. We knew with the lineup that was expertly built by Katy Devlin, Sara Neiswanger and the amazing BEC Planning group, had something special and it truly delivered.  A sincere thank you to everyone who presented!  Ricardo Maiz of Vitro kicking things off with humor and then going into so many details, important and crucial items to understand and plan for and around.  The audience gained some serious insight.  And while they were still taking it all in, Troy Johnson of Apogee Architectural Services (Harmon) stepped on stage and delivered a tour de force of a presentation that had everything and then some.  Back-to-back powerhouses. With those guys setting the tone, the rest of the programs just kept delivering and it was awesome.  I’m going to hit on more of what we learned here and in the other sessions in future posts because I don’t want it lost in this massive recap. (So that includes Tom Jackson returning to the stage 6 years after one of the best presentations of all time and TOPPING it, Matt Aragon and Keith Fine absolutely holding the entire audience in their hands during an amazing one-on- one and an absolutely powerful and extremely important session from Cal Beyer and Dave Argus on addiction and recovery. Unreal!  These and more…)

 

--  The overall vibe at the show was one of hope and resilience.  While some areas are continuing to report softer conditions others are saying they’re hanging in there and they’re seeing work slide a bit and that’s helped them stave off the potential 2024 blues.  Though it is making them wonder what 2025 could look like.  Given a bonkers US election coming in the fall- who knows.  But without a doubt people who attended this week gained so much critical intel it will allow them to plan much more effectively.  

 

--  Obviously, I love the sessions but networking is a major key as well and I was not let down.  Unfortunately, because I was running all over the place, I think I saw less people than normal- especially acute since this was the 2nd most attended BEC ever.  Regardless I still connected and here we go on the breakdown there.  The nicest guy in the industry Tom O’Malley of the red-hot Clover Architectural Products was holding court as always. He’s a staple here and a key for me always to chat up.  Art Huard and Shawn McHale of NVOY Architectural had a few irons in the fire there including Art playing a video from TSC that captivated the audience.  Always fun to chat Art up after, he’s a riot.  Also a riot- Alan Kinder of Guardian Glass who changed the words in the tune “Friends in Low Places” to a more appropriate glass one.  That song needs recorded!  Seriously though hopefully Alan shares that incredible creativity on his feed.  BRILLIANT! 

 

--  Got very lucky to catch a ride from the airport to hotel with the awesome folks from Isoclima/Global Security. Krisy Kilpatrick, Trent Thiry and Art Droste are top notch.  Was great to visit with Tom Donovan and Lorne Flaig of Thompson Innovative Glass – first time I have seen either in a while and was good to catch up. Tom will be on my podcast soon and I am looking forward to that one.  As I always say, the gold standard in the PR game in our industry is Heather West (rhymes with “the best”) so that tracks.  I’m always thrilled to get nuggets of insight from her.  Ran into old friends Gary Tongco of Harmon and Kevin Roth of Privacy Glass Solutions and super to see them doing so well.  Speaking of Harmon- next week I will go into detail but I was afforded a tremendous opportunity by them and one that will be kept into my memory forever- an unexpected awesome outing- next week I’ll break that down.

 

--  The talent of the Aragon brothers is ridiculous.  Cool guys who just get it.  Another guy who gets it and I was super grateful that he reads my blog is Pat Pennington of Kovach.  Pat has accomplished a ton out there and continues to crush it.  I was blown away when we were chatting along with Cameron Scripture of Viracon. He basically quoted my past blogs where I note Cameron is a Hollywood model.  I know folks will tell me they read this but it sure is cool to hear someone who has followed it religiously.  Oh, and I have a new one for Cameron.  See we had the astonishing Stefanie Couch talking AI and prompts and such.  Super learning session too.  So, anyway, for Cameron if I asked my AI engine “build me a picture of a person with Hollywood good looks, and knows glass intensely and is insanely cool” I think we’d get a result of a picture of Cameron. 

 

--  We potentially had controversy when Salem’s Dapper Dan Reinhart’s luggage was lost by his airline.  I was convinced that it was stolen by someone who saw the outfits Dan packed.  Thankfully the luggage was found and Dan rocked the style like only he can.  Also rocking their style was the dynamic duo of Brandon Bellegarde and Tyler Faulk of The Drafting Marketplace.  And they floored me by presenting me with my very own Drafting Marketplace flannel.  Stunned.  Was super nice of them to think of me. I’m honored.  I got to meet Jeff Heymann of Giroux in person right ahead of their breaking news of their new unitized system.  Loved that. Also, from Giroux I got to meet and chat with Rob Carter and Tremain Roseman.  I think those two walked away truly wondering what planet I was on.  (I was geeking out over Vegas landmarks and stories with Tremain.) 

 

--  I did miss seeing Dan Zucchi of Halio.  So failed there- but I did meet Sara Barchak of EFCO (She’s a Dr Pepper person like myself though she drinks the real stuff while my jam is Diet Dr Pepper) and Priscilla “PK” Koeckeritz of Brin.  Who along with Heather Pavlas of Brin/Northwest Glass Fab are absolutely impressive people. I did however not get enough time at all with old friends/coworkers Scott Goodman, Mike Dishmon and Dan Plotnick.  Quick pass by hellos were it- a bummer for me.  Same for the trailblazing legend Michael Spellman and the entire IGE team as well as the glass genius Ian Patlin of Phoenix Architectural Glass + Metal.   Too short of time!

 

--  I usually only see tremendous talents like Jeff Scalisi of Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA) at BEC and this year was no different.  And while we’re on subject of west coast superstars the amazing Kendal Rowe was everywhere and just bringing her enthusiasm in full doses and I did get to see Chris Rowe and his perfect hair too.  (I’m not jealous- he spends millions in products to keep that going- me- 0$.  LOL) Always a fun show when RoweFen in the house.  I must say I was super impressed with the Vitro trio of Andre Kenstowicz, Annissa Flickinger and Emily Losego.  Talented, unflappable messengers for our industry. 

 

--  I didn’t get as much Texas influence as I usually do- but that could be because I’m speaking in Dallas in April and in Austin in May- so those folks will get their fill.  But seeing the legend Sam Hill of Oak Cliff Mirror for a few moments is so valued and I enjoyed meeting Valerie Nagy-Jorgenson of Hartung for the first time in person before I see her at the TGA-NTD event next month.  

 

--  GPAD by the way was a strong event that allowed more networking to breathe while in-depth sessions really took hold.  And as noted above I’ll hit more on all of this in the future but I gotta call out the spectacular Syndi Sim of Diamon-Fusion International.  Absolutely an unreal presentation and enthusiastic style that was hard to match.  I also did enjoy chatting with her cohort, Medfly legend Carl Christ on hidden messages in music. From 25 or 6 to 4, to Relax and Roxanne I think Carl will never look at me the same way again!  

 

--  The team at the National Glass Association were tireless- they’re in non-stop motion to ensure a great time could be had by all.  Tremendous venue and vibe and that is thanks to serious due diligence by folks there that always blow me away.  It’s an honor to be included in their universe.  

 

--  I’m gonna stop here, I know I missed name checking some folks- but I truly enjoyed every communication and I am sure I’ll add some more name nuggets along with the newsy presentation recaps coming in future weeks. 

 

Next week, I’ll hit the amazing opportunity I had, more from BEC/GPAD, big and kind of confusing news (at least for me) from OBE, and back to the regular happenings of the glass and glazing space. Thanks for reading all of this and supporting me and this awesome industry we all share!

 

No links or project due to the length of this one!  See you next week!



Saturday, March 02, 2024

New POD and It's a HUGE WEEK!

Big week & month ahead and a great way to start it is with a new podcast episode with folks that bring some fresh insights!  This one kicks off with one of the best specifiers in the country Aaron Pine of Construction Specifications.  Aaron has seen a ton out there and shares thoughts on trends, approaches, and best practices.  Lots of nuggets in there especially if you want to gain share in the design community!  Next up was the daughter/father duo of Christina Elia and Brad Leamon of The Shower Guy.  Really cool dynamic here with a pair of smart and gutsy people doing good things now and with sharp moves to the future (co-op).  Was neat to dive into the shower door space, hear some trends, and lots of good banter back and forth.  Thank you in advance for checking this all out – I do appreciate it!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Also search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts)


Elsewhere…

 

-- So, HERE WE GO are you ready for Nashville?  The town will be covered up with best of the best in our space and I can’t wait to learn and listen and catch up with old friends and make some new ones as well. BEC and GPAD gonna be awesome!  I always have a goal when I go to any event to expand my network and this time out, I am looking forward to meeting in person Dan Zucchi of Halio, Sara Barchak of EFCO (great blogger in her own right) and Priscilla Koeckeritz of Brin.  Hopefully I see them but with the throngs of people attending sometimes time flies and I don’t get around to all.  Please stop me if you see me too! Anyway, can’t wait for these events to get rolling and next week I’ll have my usual report from the scene.  

 

--  The initial reporting for the 2024 hurricane season is out and it is expected to be a busy one.  But will it be like 2023 where it was busy out in the water away from most land?  Or will we get storms that come ashore. Obviously, I am wishing/hoping for that very light season overall.  Still one to watch and regardless there are no better hurricane resistant products than what we put out in the glass and glazing industry.

 

--  One of the classier folks in our space is Frank D’Aprile of KENPAT.  He showed it once again this past week with his report from an event that he was at in Central Florida.  Frank and team got to educate students from 2 local high schools on the greatness of construction and building products. It is fantastoc to see pushes like this gaining more and more momentum.  Any and every opportunity that you see that we can get in front of youth and talk about what we do- we need to do it.  Kudos Frank and KENPAT for going all out here. 

 

--  We’ve had discussions a few times here and on my podcast about transforming offices into living quarters.  The challenges are many, but it can be done.  Construction Dive just noted 5 big ones HERE.  Anyone out there involved with these?

 

--  I have a few friends that either need Adderall or have kids on it and this story about the delay and problems in making it is absolutely maddening.  No idea why we can be better at the entire oversight process.  

 

--  Last this week… very very cool stuff.  Patrick Muessig was named President at Azon.  Patrick has done it all in his career and is a fantastic person much deserving of this position.  Patrick is a staple at the shows and events and always had something new and cool for me to see. This is just super news and will be great for Azon and our industry!  Congrats! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Wild story and use of broken glass as a weapon


My guest this week on the podcast was a dog guy.  I am too.  And this story cements that feel.  Nice work!

 

Change and innovation at Waffle House

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Architectural Glass & Metal out of Indiana gets the spotlight this week with this beauty for the Indiana Pacers. This is the Pacers Entertainment Complex and it’s got a little of everything from the glass and glazing trade.  Job well done and CONGRATS to the team at Architectural Glass & Metal.  Some excellent collaborators too in Kawneer, Viracon, and Basco among others. 



Saturday, February 24, 2024

Almost There!!

Next week!  Yes, next week brings on the month of March and it finally brings on BEC and GPAD in Nashville.  Obviously, I am very excited on both.  The chance to connect with so many has me jumping out of my skin.  But also, I do think this year brings the best education aspects we’ve ever had.  Two quick spotlights- one at each.  At BEC, we’ve got a on one conversation between the great Matt Aragon of Aragon Construction and Architect Keith Fine of the renowned SLAM Collaborative.  This will surely provide insight into a world we always want to know more about.  At GPAD, we get to see the truly larger than life Mike Synon of HHH/Salem talking potential tempered pitfalls and so much more.  Mike always brings the straight talk and for the brilliant fabricators who made the call to attend GPAD (still time to join them) they’ll benefit. 

More info on BEC HERE, and GPAD HERE. Can’t wait to see you all there!

 

Elsewhere…


--  In case you missed it, last week I had a bonus podcast with Matt Kamper of Woodbridge Glass and Kyle Lindersmith of Burkle.  Obviously, a lot of BEC/GPAD talk mixed in with other views you can use.  Thanks for taking a listen or watch!

Watch- VIDEO

Listen- AUDIO (or search From the Fabricator on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts)

 

--  Forecasts continue to be studied and parsed more than normal with some locales in North America experiencing softer conditions at the moment.  The latest Dodge Momentum Index stayed flat in January and the year has started off down 1% on the commercial side of things.  Meanwhile in the just released Architectural Billings Index, the main score of 46.2 was better than last month but still off from the score of 50 that shows break even.  However once again new project inquiries stayed strong and that gives optimism that things will hang in there for a while.  The problem is commitment- people are trying to push forward but is the money/funding there to make it happen?  We’ll stay on that   In the meantime, the survey also noted more firms are investing in Marketing.  Which made me laugh as once upon a time a great man I worked for told me “Marketing?  Who the hell needs Marketing” Anyway as you all know I am a big believer in marketing so anytime people want to push it- I’m all in. 

 

--  We lost another absolute titan in our industry with the passing of Stanley Albert of S Albert Glass.  Glass Magazine did a great job with this tribute; it helped me get to learn about a true leader and man that I never got to meet.  Even though I never knew Stanley- I had obviously heard of him and had and have massive respect for S Albert Glass.  I am an unabashed fan of his son Michael, who has been extremely dedicated to the industry and also is a good man.  I am glad that Michael and his son Steven continue to build on the legacy of Stanley- that always gives me hope for all.  My thoughts and condolences to Michael and Steven and the entire Albert family and team at S. Albert Glass. 

 

--  Very good to see the gang at Thompson Innovative Glass making positive news with their recertification of ISO-9001.  Why does this matter?  Because we’re seeing more and more specs coming down demanding that the glass fabricator meet this standard.  We’re always being pressed to perform better and prove it and Tom Donovan & Company are stepping up.  Congrats to them and keep it going. 

 

--  Also good to see old friend Andrew Kennedy get a new start with the launch of Dv8 Glazing.  Andrew had a pretty adventurous previous run, and I am glad he has shown the resilience needed to get back at it and go hard with this new company.  Congrats my friend!!

 

--  Last this week… saw Josh Wignall of Quaker Window picked up an honor at the recent FGIA Conference. Good to see an awesome person get some positive pub!  Plus, now Josh passes Caitlin Clark of Iowa basketball fame as the most decorated and successful current Hawkeye out there! Josh has done in his career what Caitlin is doing to college hoops right now… very cool! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Unreal video here of an unruly customer getting what they deserve and good for the owner of the business for backing her

 

A lake in death valley? Huh.

 

Stained glass rear auto taillights.  Cool but are they safe?

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

We go to the great Northwest and to BC, Canada for this one.  This is Bridgeview and kudos to PFG Glass who supplied the IGU’s with Cardinal Glass.  And also amazing work from my great friends at ICD High Performance Coatings and Chemistries as the spandrel turned out picture perfect.  CONGRATS to all on a job well done!! 



Saturday, February 17, 2024

Bonus Pod, Tough Loss, "Shrinkflation", and More

BONUS Podcast time… so with the final countdown to the big BEC & GPAD events here, I decided to do a bonus podcast with 2 guys that have significant roles in both and also have a lot to share.  First up is Matt Kamper of Woodbridge Glass.  Matt is off the charts unreal.  He shared some incredible insight on approaches and focus and his thoughts on importance in the volunteering and event area was huge.  Plus, he throws out a ton of credit to some big industry icons.  Love it.  And of course, he’s been a huge factor in BEC, so we covered that.  Next was Kyle Lindersmith of Burkle.  He made a major splash at the GPAD event 2 years ago and is gearing up again.  We talked that along with trends and usages and he also shared some great views on what is next tech wise for laminating.  GPAD was good for him and the fabricators that met with him so expecting the same next month.  Fun pod overall with a lot of takeaways.  Thanks for giving it a listen or watch!  And if you’re not registered for BEC or GPAD yet- do it now!  BEC HERE, GPAD HERE.

Watch- VIDEO

Listen- AUDIO (or search From the Fabricator on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts)

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Tough one this week with the passing of Newt Little of Ace Glass.  Newt was a super super human.  Nice, funny, inspirational, classy, and a friend immediately to all.  I loved getting any time I could with Newt during various industry meetings.  He always brought the energy and was a true industry guy.  His son Courtney has picked up right where Newt had left off being everywhere he can- so I know that had to make Newt super proud.  Huge loss of a wonderful human.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Courtney and the entire Little family and team at Ace.  Newt will be missed!  

 

--  On the positive this week- nice to see a good man get a great new title- Greg Grothoff was named President of the Southwest region for GlassFab.  I met Greg 2 years ago at the Texas Glass Conference (which the next one is coming in May- can’t wait) and you could tell this was a guy who “got it” and really had a passion for our space.  Was fun chatting with him then and look forward to doing it again.  Congrats again Greg and GlassFab!

 

--  So in March of 2022 I wrote this:

--  Last this week… inflation.  Pure misery. Has anyone else noted that not only does most food items cost more but they are coming in smaller quantities or packaging not coming close to containing the normal or advertised amount.  This whole stretch we are in is a mess and I don’t see it getting better.  Just a tough one all around.  And I didn't even mention gas prices....

So as I ended up noting a few weeks later in ’22 the term for this was “Shrinkflation” and now this past week it’s become a national issue.  How about that?  Interesting that I was ahead of this 2 years ago.  Sad that it’s taken 2 years for the powers that be to jump in. (and probably nothing will get accomplished)

 

--  Last this week- Congrats to all the KC fans out there on the Super Bowl.  I really should’ve kept with my original pick of the Chiefs eh?  I learned my lesson and got a few messages from folks on that!  Now onto the commercials.  I thought this year was better than last but still not great overall. I mentioned Andrew Haring could take these over but I should also add I think Keith Daubmann for sure could be the Czar of future Super Bowl commercials.  I know Keith would do better than the awful ones from people like Homes.com.   Anyway, here’s my list of winners and comments! 

Best overall:  M&M’s. “Almost champs.” Funny. They never fail.  Just always gets a chuckle out of me.  

Why spend: Lindt candy.  Seriously these ads are 7 million.  Why?  Odd marketing outlay for a candy that doesn’t even make the cut at tradeshows.

Lio the Great: The Messi one soccer on beach was fun and cool to watch plus as a bonus Messi and industry stalwart Hernan Gil are friends.

“Ahnoll”:  Funny accent sure but I love Arnold. And these State Farm ones were well done. 

Movie I’ll see: Twister.  Great trailer and considering I usually use a clip or two from the original in my speeches, I may get some new material now. 

Nice Touch: Gronk commercial paying tribute to the great Carl Weathers was super. RIP Apollo Creed.

Pickleball:  E trade babies come through again and the text of this as great as the comical imaging.

May be just me: But for the 2nd year in a row, I loved the Affleck/JLo Dunkin one.  This year the addition of Matt Damon was clutch and one-week later people are still talking about it. 

Music for the win:  Queen’s music in the Pfizer commercial just made it work a billion times better. 

Coach:  For Friday Night Lights fans (tv version) coach Eric Taylor was the best.  Well actor Kyle Chandler reprised the role for United and it was awesome.  

Understated and Perfect: Last but not least- kudos to Disney for doing a sharp one with just all-time famous quotes from their movies.  It hit perfectly and gave me chills.  I think even the news king of Disney (the one and only Zach Perilstein of Boardwalktimes.net) would agree. Good stuff!

Otherwise after these I was in the “meh” camp.  Brands trying too hard to be edgy or funny and sometimes just overdone overall.  It’ll always floor me the spends involved and then this is the swing you take?  Just my opinion though- feel free to share yours in comments on my Linkedin post of this blog or always feel free to e-mail me. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I think I knew this about Flight Attendants pay- but maybe not.


This is a good idea and seeing more and more of it at stadiums.

 

This is a wild one- living for free in a NY hotel for 5 years? Then more twists…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

One of the big attendees at GPAD will be the gang at Glenny Glass.  They support this event and smartly learn and grow from it each year.  And you can tell by the growth of their company and great projects that they do.  This one is in Lexington, Kentucky (aka “Lex Vegas”) and is just a sharp and solid job all the way around.  Congrats to Braxton Smith and team on a great job- keep it up!!



 

 

 

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Conferences, Sales, Boards & More

The latest edition of the NGA Glass Conference wrapped up this past week in South Carolina and I am always amazed at how much gets done at those things.  Not being close to a technical stalwart, I tend to review these events from afar, leaving the technical superstars from our industry to do their thing.  This outing covered the gambit of items including codes and guidelines but deeper dives into school security- which hopefully takes another step forward here soon. (This moving into the code realm HAS to be done right!  Meaning with the right style of products that have the teeth to get the job done- no bare minimums here. )  Also, there was a bit of a cliffhanger as the DOE had representatives on hand and noted that in the next few weeks something is coming out that will make the folks in the room very happy.  That surely bears keeping an eye on.  I’m excited to read more of the follow ups and now all focus turns to BEC and GPAD. Can’t wait!

 

Elsewhere….

--  ICYMI- the latest podcast has been burring up the podwaves!  I had a feeling that bringing back Nick St. Denis and Tim Widner would do that, and it did.  If you missed it- see below for handy links.  The two areas making news among others?  Nick’s talks on the way 23 ended and thoughts on 24 and Tim’s solar stats.  Surely both getting people talking!  Thanks again for checking it out.  And if all goes well, I have special “bonus” edition of the podcast next week. So stay tuned!

VIDEO

AUDIO (And search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you listen to podcasts!)

 

--  Deals are starting to pop more and more.  After months of hot rumors, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope bought Midwest Glass Fabricators. Will be interesting to see how this fits in the OBE portfolio with the legendary Perrysburg, OH facility not that far away.  Meanwhile at least 3 other deals are close including another one that will have an effect in my backyard in Michigan (among other areas).   With some areas softening (as I mention below) the time to sell may be sooner than later for some on the fence or close. 

 

--  Those who know me know I love the glass universe in the great state of Texas.  Over the past few weeks, the various Boards of the trade associations in the state have been set and folks- it is awesome and stunning the talent that in on display.  So many tremendous folks.  The big overall board from the Texas Glass Association reads like a “who’s who” of incredible people.  

Executive Board:
Kyle Sharp- President
Brian Risinger- Vice President
Landon Lovette- Secretary
Jody Hilton- Treasurer
Board Members:
Wade Arnold
Chris Bayer 
Kristina Buckett – (also TGA- North Texas President)
Jacque Freeman – (also Houston Area Glass Association-HAGA President)
Tyler Hall
Sam Hill
Kyle Lamb
Felix Munson, Sr.
Rick Newnom
Scott Theut
Chance Lloyd
Valerie Nagy

The takeaway? You cover every base here. Between Kyle Sharp and Brian Risinger you have 2 of the nicest, classiest guys around who also happen to be off the charts leaders.  Then below, one of my all-time favorites in Jacque Freeman is there.  Jacque just continues to climb to awesome heights thanks to talent and a relentless drive and nothing will stop her- and she’s a fabulous person too. I’ve written about many of these other folks over the years- so many instances of them giving back to our industry to make it a better place.  Congrats to all and THANK YOU to all for volunteering and supporting. 

Also not listed, but I gotta mention because I’m a fan… Michael DeFrank and Robert Heffernan are on the board of TGA- NTD, and RJ Hernandez and Lindsay Price are on the HAGA board-  so great to see- all excellent people.   Texas truly has it going on!! (and for those I don’t know I look forward to meeting soon either at a meeting or at GlassBuild in Dallas this Fall.)

 

--  AIA consensus report was released recently.  The top line was that 2024 for non-residential may be up 4% with a lag in 2025 at only 1.2%.  Remember this is taking several forecasts and boiling them up into the consensus.  This chart allows you to look at all.  If you listened/watched the pod with Nick mentioned above these numbers do align.  For me- the public safety one is fascinating.  That is a large jump- one I have been bullish about for too long.  Is it going to hit now?  Overall though I know some are staying busy while others have softened.  So we continue to try and mine all we can from the data and chase work responsibly.  

  

--  Been meaning to get to this… a truly different view of the office space issue.  How about this headline “The looming office space real estate shortage. Yes, shortage”  Now this article takes into account the challenging happenings in that space that could actually make things tighter?  Interesting quick read. 

 

--  Last this week… the best travel writer on the planet is Dawn Gilbertson of the Wall Street Journal and recently she took part in a new airport security set up in Denver.  Great read and will be very curious on how this works as it goes live. Road warriors if and when you experience this new arrangement in Denver, let me know-- this could be our future!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A record-breaking opportunity shot down by a wild technicality!

 

This may be the oddest story you read all week- a disco bathroom at Kentucky gas station I guess If you can’t be Buc-ee’s than try this!

 

Furry clawed crabs?  Nope- I’m out.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I seemingly pick on Oregon all the time- so this week I’m throwing a positive spotlight because this project out there is mind-blowing. Instead of me trying to re-write… this description from Nupress Facades wins the day and I decided to print verbatim.  Amazing looking job. CONGRATS to everyone involved in this beauty! 

 

The Cascading Wall at The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at The University of Oregon.
This unique wall utilizes a double skin glass façade, with the outer skin representing “water cascading over rock”.  Nupress was tasked with designing and fabricating the outer skin under considerable wind and seismic criteria. The strut system cantilevers nearly 3 feet off the face of the interior curtainwall system allowing for periodic cleaning. The strut system was integrated with knife plates off the curtainwall which transferred the loads back into re-enforced mullions. We used 3D modeling and analysis to design the exoskeleton and associated unique sized glass clamps.  The glass is a dual pass Opaci coat with the interior side being granite gray, and the outside surface being white. This frit design allowed for ease of visibility to the exterior from inside the building, while maintaining a frosted appearance from outside the building.
All of this made possible with the generous donation by Phil and Penny Knight who have collectively donated 1 Billion dollars towards scientific discovery, research, and innovation at the University of Oregon. 
Project: The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at The University of Oregon
Location: Eugene, OR.
Architect: Ennead / Bora
Glazing Contractor: Ferguson Neudorf Glass Inc.





Saturday, February 03, 2024

Forecast and Other Insights

The newest episode of the From the Fabricator podcast is now up!  This time out we’ve got 2 making their return to the airwaves with great insight and info.  Kicking it off for the 3rd year in a row- a forecast session with Nick St. Denis of KMR.  Nick does a tremendous job, has great offerings overall, and we spend most of the cast talking the various ups and downs in our space and where the optimism stands. Really helpful stuff.  Then Tim Widner from Lippert joins me for a rollicking run through our world, new products and tech, resiliency, and focus. Tim has done it all and seen it all and it is always fun to get his perspective on our world.  So please check it out! Thank you again for the support!

VIDEO

AUDIO (And search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you listen to podcasts!)

 

Elsewhere…

--  One area Nick and I talked about was the hotel and recreation space and that area continues to roll along. Nick had it pegged that things are promising there, and this column backs it up with a big number of projects in the works.  Good to see.

 

--  On the flip side and as expected, the latest Architectural Billings Index showed a below water number again, staying basically flat from last month with a 45.4.  The positive side was the design contract number jumped to the break-even of 50 and the inquiries stayed alive at 53.1. The down main number is not a surprise but nice to see the others hanging in there. Again the thought was these negative numbers would run through 1Q and start to rebound so that has been the case to date.  We’ll continue to monitor!

 

--  Big news out of Apogee this week with the restructuring of their Architectural Framing division.  Not all completely clear to me but at least what was shown publicly was the Tubelite plant in Michigan will close and other work is going to be consolidated.  And there is word out there that brands will be combined, and certain long-term company names may be going away.  No doubt this will have a trickle-down effect on how people work and the availability of talent that may have gotten caught up in the downsizing.  Given this talent is coming from an industry leader like Apogee I don’t expect anyone to be without work for long.  Bottom line though is Apogee saw an area to streamline and improve and went after it- and with that comes those tough calls on people and brands. But I do always preach on here about really working your business and they are doing just that.  I would assume with the high-end way they communicate things will become clearer on what’s what soon enough. 

 

--  The annual Movers Study for 2023 came out and I am shocked at the results…. 

This was done by United Van Lines for the 47th Year.


Top Inbound states?

Vermont

Washington, D.C.

South Carolina

Arkansas

Rhode Island

North Carolina

South Dakota

Alabama

New Mexico

West Virginia

 

Honestly- DC floored me.  I guess working for the US Government is a big deal?  Also shocked- no Florida or Texas on this list.  

 

The top outbound states for 2023 were:

New Jersey

Illinois

North Dakota

New York

Michigan

California

Massachusetts

Kansas

 

Interesting on the outbound was North Dakota.  Surely doesn’t fit with the others and I really thought Oregon would be on here. (I know I always pick on Oregon)  Anyway love these lists and find it fascinating to follow….

 

--  You keep hearing and seeing more on embodied carbon so it was refreshing to see brilliant industry folks like Ricardo Maiz, Martin Bracamonte, and Rob Struble at it again with Vitro’s release of their new Emissions Carbon and Energy Calculator.  Really sharp stuff and kicks off with a well-done step by step video.  Kudos to all at Vitro who had a hand in this- good info!!

 

--  Last this week…. So the Super Bowl is coming up… and it’s been a contentious one for me.  At the beginning of the season I picked KC to win it.  But when I had a chance for re-do I went with the Ravens.  Ouch.  So, I am hoping KC does it because maybe I can count it as a ½ win?  (And they should win because Mahomes is amazing)  But full win and credit should go to the great Junaid Saleem of CSG Global Talent Experts.   He’s been on the KC train all the way! All I want now though is a good game with some great creative commercials. If the commercials fail this year, then I think we push Madison Avenue to hire Andrew Haring to produce them for next year….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Speaking of the Chiefs- that first playoff game they played was in truly insane weather.  Wonder if changes are coming for the future?l

 

This story starts with a bonkers headline and sadly proceeds from there

 

And on the opposite- hilarious headline and comical story

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

The amazing team at Ajay Glass in New York pop into the spotlight this week with the The Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED) project at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Great looking building and the one picture below just doesn’t do it enough justice- so check out more HERE. Kudos to the Stathopoulos family and the entire team at Ajay for being a part of an epic job!  Those guys always make our industry look good!