A "Nickel" for your thoughts?

When USGNN linked the story about the Des Moines Library last Thursday I had a feeling that a new discussion issue would be right in front of us. The original story was from the local paper and did not have the details that we as industry look for or care about. Soon after the details began to trickle out and it brought back an old industry bugaboo… Nickel Sulfide Inclusions. The whole Nickel Sulfide thing was a hot topic back in the 80’s and early 90’s but it faded away because glass made domestically was improved to contain virtually no Nickel Sulfide. Thus any breakage that may have occurred was linked to something else on the job. It’s back now, and on this job, because the glass was made overseas. (And keep in mind, Glass from communist China has it because they ignore the sophisticated advances that the others in the world have made) So while it seemed to catch everyone’s eye and the call for unnecessary heat soaks rang out, the answer is simple… buy glass made in North America and Nickel Sulfide is a problem you probably WON’T have. Just another reason to support the home fires….

Elsewhere…

-- The comical part of the Des Moines Library job is that the glass was from Germany and it was very expensive. The taxpayers in that town are furious and they have every right to be. That EXACT look could’ve been reproduced using several domestic methods at a fraction of the cost and with no Nickel Sulfide included. (Not sure on the performance goals, but I can pretty much guarantee that could’ve been handled domestically too)

-- It is a real shame. This may be the first time I can remember that someone went overseas and paid more…

-- Plus the job is a LEED one… I guess they didn’t get the local manufacturing credits eh?

-- CONGRATULATIONS to USGlass Magazine for taking a plum sponsorship at the BEC event in Las Vegas next month. With every heavy hitter in the industry there, that sponsorship will continue to prove USGlass to be the industry voice. Furthermore, by being a sponsor USGlass is SUPPORTING the industries efforts and all of us should be thankful. And that sentiment goes for all of the companies who are sponsoring that event… It is money well spent and will be thoroughly appreciated.

-- Speaking of Vegas… saw this week that one of the new Hotel and Casino projects going up in Vegas is in some trouble… The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino is now facing foreclosure… due to open in late 2009, I guess we will see if they can get it cleaned up and back on track. That is one of 4 major projects happening right now there and you have to ask yourself, when will enough be too much? Eventually someone is going to “build it” and no one will “come”

-- A wild week so far on Wall Street… despite the up and down nature most of industry related stocks are hanging in OK… possibly the rate cut makes investors think that building will keep going on the commercial side, and maybe they are thinking the worst is over on the residential side… it bears watching….

-- On the flip side though, with the economy getting tighter, rumors do run rampant… most of the ones I get are about the possible closings of companies in our industry…. If any of the e-mails I get come true, it will be shocking and sad that some of these places are going by the wayside. Then again, there’s segments in our industry that are very fat… and in lean times, unfortunately not everyone can make it. Should be interesting to see what pans out and not… since the rumor of a companies demise has always been a popular one in our industry BUT its accuracy level is about the same as Brett Favre’s was on late Sunday night…

-- Last, I am looking forward to the Super Bowl… I’ll have my pick in this space next week. Remember I pretty much nailed last years game- even with the score listed! So we’ll see if I was a one year wonder or not…..