GANA BEC Show

The GANA BEC conference is coming up starting Sunday. With over 400 people attending it is possibly the largest "seminar" like conference in the US. Its not a trade show and its not a "National" or "Annual" meeting. It is a solid day and half of pertinent subjects presented by the top people in their fields.

Plus the mix is unbeatable as you have primary glass mfg's, fabricators, aluminum mfg's, spacer and sealant suppliers, industry tech consultants and of course glaziers. No where and in no meeting, guaranteed, can you get that mix.

It is truly the meeting to attend, and more so now that it is surrounded by meetings from AAMA, IGMA and NFRC. Some folks have to attend all four! Meaning they could be away from home for 2 solid weeks- then again for some folks in the "Travel club" they live for this stretch. The shame is more business will get accomplished and more education will take place in 2 days of BEC than 12 days of the other guys.

CSI Show

I will continue my breakdown of the latest "news" from NFRC with the CEC (which should just be considered a subsidiary of NFRC anyway) later- now I want to point out an interesting item- the CSI show.

Years ago this trade show had everything and everyone, but over the last 4 years, unorganization and blatant arrogance really took the shine off and now, with the CSI coming up at the end of March the only commercial oriented division 8 suppliers/providers showing are PPG and Tubelite. That's it. No Viracon, Oldcastle, ACI, AFG or Arch. No YKK, Vistawall, US Aluminum, or Kawneer.

To me that is simply amazing that the CSI membership would stand for this, but then again I think they may have their own problems. There's tons of debate and rumors of strife among the CSI elite, so maybe that's why no one is aware that this phenomenon is taking place.

Oh by the way, the NFRC IS having a booth there. Surely so they can tell everyone how great they will make the architects and specifiers lives with all of this extra testing... they'll of course "forget" to tell them that all of these wonderful new services will cost THOUSANDS of dollars.

So it should work into NFRC's hands- unless PPG and Tubelite want to explain to specifiers that the NFRC and their key members are just interested in shaking them down, I am sure the story will not be challenged.

Oh well- we'll keep trucking along.

So much for being quiet

Well I know Marcia and Jim and Gary all read this but I did not think they would jump into action to create some news! A couple days after my posting about the calm, we get the classic Potomac Communications PR piece about the California Energy Commision's "need" for NFRC. Here is the link from USGNN
http://www.usgnn.com/newsCalECom20060215.htm

Now its a classic Potomac piece, you know, "forgetting" to mention that the California Energy Commision has a current board member with NFRC (Elaine Hebert), and a board ex officio and past president (Tony Rygg). This time Potomac though decided not to use a fluff quote from Rygg like they did in US Glass a few months ago, no this time they trot out Nelson Pena since he's not actually on the board.

You know I started this blog to talk all about glass and the industry and ut has gone down as pretty much an exclusive NFRC blog, but you know what, when there is so much smoke.... its easy.

So back to the piece- first the title:

NFRC Agrees to Complete its Component Modeling Program In Response to Request from the California Energy Commission

Wow they make a resquest and BAM NFRC is all over it. Maybe we can ask the CEC to request all of the items that GANA has asked for the last 15 months and been blown off on.

Then this:

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) Board of Directors has directed the organization to move forward with its Component Modeling Program with the goal of meeting the schedule and needs of the California Energy Commission (CEC). The Board reached its decision at a meeting held February 9-10, 2006 .

Gee a meeting on 2/9 and 2/10... OH yeah a CLOSED meeting! Yes gotta love that transparency. Yep I know they are a 501 c 3- they can do whatever they want. Oh but didn't the board say at the Santa Fe meeting that they would post the agendas... maybe they did but I sure as heck did not see...

There's more, much more- and I will keep breaking it down on another post- because I can only handle so much of this at a time.

Been awfully quiet

Sorry I have been off for a few days, after the glow and glory of the SuperBowl, I have had a bunch of other adventures going on. In the meantime, our pals at the NFRC have been awfully quiet. Not a peep recently... maybe they owe Potomac Communications too much money!

Anyway it's been odd, but obviously more will start to break before they have their next meeting in San Diego. Yes San Diego, the first semi- normal locale for a meeting in a while.

We'll keep plugging away, there's no way we are going to go away, not with the obvious money grab they are trying to thrust upon the "public" they serve.

Speaking of that, I'd love to see the magazines look into the whole"third party" certification angle. In some instances I am sure it makes sense, but when it comes to NFRC and Commercial building it surely does not.

Glassweek Recap

Glassweek is over, and while my body is back on the east coast, I think my brain is still in California.

Great week and tremendous effort by the GANA staff. One thing jumped out though... do you realize the powerhouse of technical minds that came together in the divisional technical meetings?

Led by one of the best technical whiz's in our industries history, Greg Carney we had an all star line up of technical people in town.

Also big was the speakers this year- very easy going, humorous, insightful and interesting.

All in all a good conference...

Now its almost BEC time- which should be top notch as well.

Superbowl Sunday... getting worried that Seattle and Shaun Alexander are not getting any love. He could do some serious damage!