Remembering Russ

As most of you surely know by now, former Guardian leader Russ Ebeid passed away at the age of 77.  Russ was a unique man, a powerful man, and someone who I had tremendous respect for.  Russ was a major key in the incredible growth of Guardian and his impact on the companies that worked with Guardian was huge as well.  He was not afraid to share his thoughts with customers and industry observers with the goal of improving the overall lot.  He told it as he saw it and clearly laid out his cards each and every time.  At least that’s how I saw and experienced it.  I didn’t spend a ton of time with Russ but I was fortunate enough to have a relationship with him that allowed me to pick his brain on occasion and gain insights that were incredibly valuable.  When I was at a major transition point in my professional life I went to see Russ.  He was behind his “famous” table that as always was devoid of paper or clutter (how I wish I could do that!)  I ran through my plan and he laid out his opinions straight to me.  He told me that the road ahead was probably going to be pretty rocky but I needed go forward with my approach because it was going to be for the best in the long run.  He was completely right (like he seemingly always was) and I will always remember and appreciate that conversation. I am sure I am one of many people who were blessed to get insight, advice, direction, and a push from Russ.  I’m not alone in being grateful that is for sure.  The world lost a great person last week and he will truly be missed.

My thoughts and condolences go to the Ebeid family and all of the friends and co-workers that knew and loved him. 

Elsewhere…

--  Big week in the industry for deals with two done and another one soon to be announced.  The ones that did go public, Ferro buying Dip Tech and Trex adding SC Railing were very interesting.  Dip Tech in a very short time became an extremely active industry player.  I will always appreciate that and hope that Ferro continues to support those efforts.  On the other deal, SC Railing has grown dramatically with some of my favorite talents doing the super work there and I’d assume this new arrangement will only enhance that set up. 

--  GlassBuild America is now coming up on a month away!  Have you registered?  Got hotels?  If not… do it.  Do it now. 

--  At GlassBuild there are always events that add to the value of being in town.  One such meet up is a pretty important informational session that Fenetech is putting on 9/12 and 9/13.  They are going talk about the IoT (Internet of Things) and Industry 4.0 and the communication standard that we will need for our industry.  You may not think you need to know about this stuff but if you are a fabricator you will want to learn because this is an area that could make a difference in your plant.  This is just a jumping off point and I give massive kudos to Fenetech for taking a lead here.  More will follow but I say get on board now. 

--  Big moves on the Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT) Certification Program…, the folks developing it Administrative Management Systems, (AMS), held a meeting in Chicago recently to work on the basic design for a program, one that will provide validation of glaziers’ fundamental knowledge and skills.    This is an area that brings quite a bit of debate from all sides of the industry and with this effort growing, if you are for it, now’s the time to get involved.  If you are against, be prepared because its gaining steam.  This program looks like a nice combo with the NACC program that certifies companies in the glazing world.  Bottom line if it improves what we do in the field and how we are perceived I am a fan. 

LINKS of the WEEK

Those of you in HR will NOT be surprised by this article.

Now I have a legit excuse not to work out

Build a house for you and ALL of your friends….

VIDEO of the WEEK

The best news bloopers for the month of July…. Some good, some not, but always a fun watch.