Sunday, January 25, 2015

Positive Indicators Continue

We are very early into the new year but the economic indicators and predictions are all quite bullish.  The Architectural Billings Index and Dodge Momentum Index both have been plugging along in the positive.  In addition, cash flow predictions are finally improving and pointing to a healthy bump in non-residential construction starts.  So while we have legitimate concerns on supply and transport, at least for the near future the business climate is still looking to be very ripe. 

Elsewhere…

--  Excited to say there’s a new blog out there for everyone to check out.  One of the industries true influencers… John Wheaton of Wheaton-Sprague has joined the blogosphere.  Check out his initial efforts HERE.  With the incredible insight that John is always sharing, usually on twitter, his blog now will easily become a must read. 

--  Speaking of must-reads, major kudos to Katy Devlin of Glass Magazine for the coverage she provided from the BAU event last week in Munich.  Katy went solo to the show and cranked out incredible, timely coverage via Twitter and on GlassMagazine.com  She made the show come to life and allowed all of us unable (and unlucky) to attend at least have the ability to follow along in real time.  Great job Katy!

--  I mentioned this a year ago but was at this airport again this week… Dulles Airport is absolutely a masterpiece for a glass geek to take in.  Simply awesome applications everywhere.

--  It was on that trip this week to DC where for the first time ever I had a cab ride where the cabbie did not have a GPS.  So I’m running the directions from the GPS on my phone.  I am still scratching my head on that one.  How can you be in that position without that tool?  Another reason I try and do Uber instead- those guys HAVE to have GPS.

--  I was doing research this week and I ran into an old Glass Magazine article penned by Greg Carney.  Man I miss that guy.  With the annual GANA events coming up in the next several weeks, I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about Greg a ton.

--  Those GANA events I speak of, the Annual Conference and BEC are scheduled for early March in Las Vegas.  BEC, thanks to the incredible leadership from Jon Kimberlain of Dow Corning, is really primed to be another excellent edition.  The agenda this year is very strong with some great speakers including Joseph Puishys, the CEO from Apogee.  A few people in the know have told me that Mr. Puishys is an incredible public speaker.  So I am looking forward to that for sure.  In the coming weeks, I’ll surely highlight more of the agenda as well…

--  Last this week… so I have to ask… outside of the New England fans (including the great Dan Pompeo of Architectural Glazing Solutions who is off the charts with his support of Boston area teams) is anyone rooting for the Patriots next week?  I am on record already with my Seahawk support and prediction, so that’s not changing.  But I just wonder if there’s anyone who’s not a normal fan of either team rooting for New England.  Regardless I will be watching the game for the commercials as much as the game itself…

LINKS of the WEEK
 
--  An awesome story of when people come together… raising money for inner city kids to go to Harvard.  Now over 500K! 

--  Being someone who loves pizza and respects the people who make and deliver it… count me on the side of the driver… and the internet agrees with me… wild story.

--  Good food for thought one here… how TV inaccurately shows what real professions do.  It’s that creative license thing at its peak.

VIDEO of the WEEK

Well Kobe Bryant may be out for the season now but before that happened one amazingly creative person built this parody video called “Let it Tank” using the theme from Frozen’s Let it Go… just beautiful stuff here if you are basketball fan who happens to know Disney or that incredibly popular song.







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