Retirement of Glenn Miner

So the news of a major retirement in our industry has been floating out there for several weeks now.  I had heard that Glenn Miner of Vitro was hanging them up back in January.  It initially did not connect for me, after all Glenn is blessed with youthful looks and personality so I couldn’t even fathom retirement talk attached to him.   It was true however, he told me himself and I had the obvious emotions.  First and foremost I was so happy for Glenn and his family.  Happy that he’ll get out of the industry and now do all of those things he’s wanted to do…  next though was sadness because he is such a good man and such a major part of our world.  Glenn is  in my opinion one of the most well rounded folks in our world with regard to knowing so much about every product line that went into a building and understanding its value and place.  No tunnel vision there at all.  In addition to his great knowledge, Glenn’s desire to push for advanced education at all levels of our world is something that I hope gets carried on at Vitro (I am confident it will) but more than that- Glenn always made time to catch up with whomever crossed his path.  For me personally, he always cleared some time to chat (though he would skillfully push off any of my video requests to the great Joann Funyak) and I will always be grateful.  We as an industry will miss Glenn a ton and his impact will not be forgotten.  Go enjoy the heck out of that next phase of life Mr. Miner- you have absolutely earned it!

Elsewhere….

--  As I noted last week, this week the industry had two events happening at the same time.  I was at the Glass Processing and Automation Days (GPAD) in San Antonio and it was an excellent event.  Ron Crowl and the awesome Fenetech team did everything first class and the education there was off the charts.  The technology and innovation that is out there on the fabrication side is mind blowing to me.  Over the course of GPAD- I saw so many pieces of machinery and software that fundamentally would change the way we all work… very exciting stuff.

--  In addition to the education side of it, the networking was top notch and a great chance to catch up with some of the great technical and business minds in our industry.  Plus because of the operational nature of it I met a ton of new people from across our world.  That was really cool expansion of the network!  It really was like a BEC for the fabricator and it’s a conference I don’t plan on ever missing again.

Staying in Texas for three more items… (I do love the great state of Texas by the way.)

--  First it was great to spend some time in San Antonio before the GPAD Conference kicked off.  Getting to visit with my old friends, the Luna’s of Champion Glass was awesome.  I am such a huge fan of David, Ray, Joe, and Davey Luna- they are just awesome people and I am honored to be a friend.  Class acts and great for our industry.  In addition I got to see some old friends I had not seen in forever- David Shaw and Rod Pistokcha of Complete Line Glass.  Both guys are simply tremendous and their hospitality towards me and the team from NGA in town for the event was nothing short of spectacular.  It was great to catch up with them both and I was very impressed what they are doing with the Complete Line plant and brand. 

--  Second, it’s been recently finalized that I will once again be speaking in Texas at the Texas Glass Association’s TGA Glass Conference II.  The conference is May 17^th in Waco and I’ll be giving a piece on the state of our industry.  So please my Texas friends, I would love to see you at this event.  The agenda is fabulous and you can view that and sign up at this LINK.  Oh and the picture they used for me is no doubt old- but its nice to remember that once upon a time I had hair and could actually fit into clothes that weren’t marked “tent size” 

--  Third… Texas Tech!  Congrats to the fans of the Red Raiders… my pal David Shaw (mentioned above) and especially Bowie Neumayer of Cardinal.  He is a gigantic fan and no doubt will be floating all week until the Final Four begins Saturday!

--  Reading wise… This piece on lessons learned from past hurricanes and ideas for new hurricane builds… am I crazy or did it leave out or skip over hurricane glazing?  Maybe I missed as thanks to twitter my reading comprehension is not great, but I didn’t see it.  Hurricane glazing is an incredible product area- the aluminum and glass are superstars in a field that is till trying to catch up…

--  Last this week… I am so far behind in my sports… missed the start of baseball season and I know you all need my prediction on who’s going to win it… So here goes- It’s the Yankees to win it over the Braves in the series.  So congrats to every other city but NY and Atlanta- you have a chance now…

LINKS of the WEEK

Tough one here... it does violate the rules but he did save a cats life.

The ultimate perils of storm chasing

This story (like so many others in these days of awful journalism) is a mess.  It completely blows by the point and also references quickly a bizarre previous experience.  I just shake my head… 

VIDEO of the WEEK

I’m old school and one of my favorite announcers ever is Verne Lundquist.  Someone out there compiled his best play-by-play calls and there are some classics on here!  This was a guy that did it right that is for sure…


Click the link https://youtu.be/cO_pKjui0p0 if you want to see... blogger is not being nice to me today and allowing me to embed!

Worry on the Index Front

It was an interesting week with regards to forecasts, indexes and predictions.  As I expected…  the monthly Architectural Billings Index (ABI) came back to earth.  That big positive total in the previous month made no sense.  The ABI total still was in the positive range but just by a hair.  No we wait to see if this settles into a trend or if it seesaws high again next month.  Based on the on the forecasts coming into the year with regards to that report, growth was supposed to be positive but no by much, so seeing a big gain again soon would be odd.  The key of this process is that this is a picture of where our economic standing will be in a year from now… and that year- 2020 has many of us in a fog.  Trying to get a feel for it has been tougher than any forward looking forecast since the middle of the recession.  Also rough news from the Associated Builders and Contractors with their backlog indicator down to 8.1 months.  Those are 2014-like numbers.  Ouch.  But it has to be noted the report had serious bright spots including the Midwest.  In any case I am going to keep digging and working the angles to see what we have upcoming but it sure is murkier than expected…

Elsewhere…

--  Speaking of forecasts… good read here- what happens if the auto business starts a downward trend?

--  This week is a big one for events- in New York it’s Glass Expo Northeast and in San Antonio it is the Glass Processing Automation Days (GPAD) event.  I will be in Texas for that one… first time attending that event and looking forward to learning and networking there.  Whatever insights I can gather that are good for the blog I will share here next week… those of you in Long Island, please let me know the same!

--  Exciting news for a very popular industry figure and long time friend of mine… Jon Johnson.  Jon was named National Sales Manager at Architectural Grills & Sunshades.  Congrats my friend!  Super company and you will do great there.   I am sure I am not alone in looking forward to seeing you at all of the industry events again!

--  Speaking of new positions, a trio of people at Tristar Glass picked up promotions recently.  Tim Rome, Derrick Williams, and Erica Couch all moved up the ladder there and it was good to see.  While I don’t know Tim very well- I have always been a huge fan of Derrick’s (I can’t tell you how many people would rave about how great Derrick is when I traveled through Oklahoma over the years) and Erica is a true talent- a very positive force at shows/conferences and in our industry- her approaches and insights will be very appreciated for sure.  Congrats to all of you there and to Tim Kelley for making the call.

--  Glass Magazine review time…  the new look really took another strong step this month with the focus of the magazine being “green.”  The cover shot was a stunner!   The best article and section for me was the “The Green Building Maze” – a very well done walk through what can be a very confusing area.  I have to give major kudos to Katy Devlin and Wendy Vardaman on the entire section.  There was a ton of intel to be had there and its something that is worth keeping bookmarked for future reference. Also of note this issue had a couple of my favorite recurring writers, Joe Schiavone and Matt Johnson with must read pieces and I enjoyed once again the “Trendhunter” segment- this time with Ryan Park at Sage.  Those who know me know I love the dynamic glass space and Ryan did a fine job of laying out the innovation.

--  Ad of the month was a challenge- especially after last month raised the bar very high… still some wonderful pieces but only one winner this time… the nod goes to Tremco.  Great use of a building image that immediately catches the eye and then a big call to action statement in the middle.  Both were great hooks to get me to stop and read.  Well done to the folks at Tremco that made this one happen!

--  Last this week… March Madness is underway and I missed making my picks before the tourney started.  So I’ll make it now… and it was the pick that most expect… Duke.  The Blue Devils are loaded… but I will admit I’d be quite happy to be wrong here as I am not a fan…

LINKS of the WEEK

Feel good story of the week

Hudson Yards tried to own every photo you take on their property…  and then they changed gears…

Good story on “Dark mode” and its growth.  Personally I do prefer some of my sites in that setting- especially heavy texts ones.

VIDEO of the WEEK

You get done hang gliding and someone “special” is there to meet you!  Look out!

Catching Up

The last few weeks have been a real whirlwind… so time to get caught up and clear off my desk...  Here goes…

--  The annual “Top 50 Glazier” issue is coming soon from Glass Magazine and to make the 27^th annual list as best as it can be, please take a few minutes to do the survey. (if you are a glazing company of course) Click HERE for link.  I love that issue- always great to see the who’s who on that list!

--  The Dodge Momentum Index went down again in its latest report.  That index has been pretty volatile of late but I think the one takeaway here for sure is that things are a bit murky in the construction world.  I am staying positive but I would like to see this index find some consistent trends.

--  I am enthralled with the whole “college entrance scandal” that broke this week and ended up in the arrests of high-powered businesspeople and entertainers.  It really is amazing that when you have the sort of money and power that these people have you would go to illegal lengths to get your kids in to college.  In many cases the kids DID NOT WANT to go to college but the parents wanted them to go…  It’s an incredible story that I have feeling still has a few more chapters to it.

My pal Ted Bleecker had a tremendous quote on this whole scandal:

“Considering what people are doling out just to get their kid's into college, I feel content paying six figures the old fashioned way... No entrance fee required”

Considering what people are doling out just to get their kid's into college, I feel content paying six figures the old fashioned way... No entrance fee required pic.twitter.com/XJfHDzjJog

— Ted Bleecker (@TedBleecker) March 13, 2019

--  Off topic- one movie to see and one to get excited to see…. First up “Free Solo” the Oscar Award winning documentary about a guy who free climbed “El Cap” was incredible.  The last 20 minutes will have you on the edge of your seat.  Insane.  The other is coming in the next month or two- called “Yesterday” it’s a creative look at a world without the “Beatles”- check my video of the week for a preview!

--  Speaking of videos… go to this link and see a glass door in “action”… thank you to my good friend Jon Johnson for sharing.   The glass “worked” the hinges and install?  No so much!

--  Thirsty Thursday alert… March 21 the legend Bill Lingnell and the great Urmilla Sowell will have a presentation on edge grinding of laminated glass.  I was honored to work on a session with this topic at the 2018 GlassBuild with Bill.  It’s a deep, interesting and important topic if you are dealing with laminated glass.  Register HERE

--  Last this week…  We as an industry and the world itself lost another great person recently with the passing of Ruben Huerta of Glasswerks.  Ruben was a part of the management and ownership at Glasswerks and was absolutely loved.  Great guy and a huge loss.  My thoughts and condolences go out to Ruben’s friends and family and the entire team at Glasswerks. I know Ruben will be sorely missed.

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Best owner ever and when I am Raleigh next I am going to this restaurant!

--  It amazes me how people ignore boundaries with regards to animals.  This lady is lucky to be alive.

--  Really fascinating story on the “fine print” on contracts and agreements. 

VIDEO of the WEEK

Here it is the trailer for “Yesterday” – and yes my excitement for this may be because I love the Beatles but my gosh its an incredibly cool concept and I can’t wait to see how they pull this off.

Recap- BEC 2019

BEC 2019 was like a blur to me.  One moment it’s starting and the next I’m in a crazy cab line at 3:30AM headed back to the airport.  Thankfully I took notes along the way to share with everyone…  My overall feel was the event was a huge success at every level.  Networking is always top notch and it did not disappoint this year.  More on that below.  The educational content was off the charts incredible.  We had a lot of new voices and personalities on stage and they brought a great energy to the event.  There was so much detailed info that it almost was too much (if that’s possible!)  The planning committee has its work cut out for it for 2020.  One person I hope is back at the next BEC is Cynthia Paul of FMI- her forecast and sharp presentation was a major highlight for me.   On a personal note, I was very fortunate to host a panel that featured some serious brilliance.  Paul Robinson of Pioneer, Brian Filipiak of Alliance Glazing and Neil Opfer from UNLV were fabulous.  Getting to work with industry guys like Paul and Brian was a thrill for me- they are superstars. 

--  The tabletop area was really interesting- so many neat products- main ones that stood out were the handrail glass and IG with glass spacer from sedak.  The other one was the new safety clothing from Bohle America.  I saw this material at glasstec and fell in love and now its advanced from what was on the floor in Germany.  Game changer for safety.

--  So now on to the networking and the folks I got to run into and visit with… and I’ll say it up front, it is an honor to share an industry with these folks and all that attended.  Class acts everywhere!

--  So the industry MVP from 2018 was there and getting a few minutes with Nathalie Thibault of Prelco is awesome.  As is reminiscing with her co-worker Greg DiVona.  Greg remembers me when I was breaking in and he treated me just as great then as he does now- I will always be grateful for that.   It was great to Darand Davies who just started a new company Black Line Glazing and was 150 pounds lighter- he looked tiptop!   Meanwhile seeing Keith Stockman of Glassworks was very nice, a reminder of a great friend from past work history.

--  Dan Pompeo, one of the best manufacturers reps around was a bit down in the dumps, after all it’s been like 28 days since one of his Boston teams won a world title.  Poor guy.  LOL.  I always love visiting with Mike Gainey of Ensinger.  Mike’s knowledge base never fails to impress me and I always learn something when we visit.  The same goes for Dr. Helen Sanders, as it doesn’t matter what she’s focused on- I am learning. 

--  It was very cool to meet Josh Wignall of EFCO for the first time in person.  He is a force online with a great marketing mind, so to meet him face to face was an honor.  Same with Steven Brooks of Smart Lift USA.  His energy level is infectious!  Not the first time I met him but it was Tom Donovan of Suntuitive’s first BEC and it looked like he was doing well with tons of people interested in his growing product.

--  A blast from the past was Brad Austin of Harmon- this event and its success can be sourced back to the support that Brad gave it in the early years when he was at Viracon.  And of course speaking of that great company, once again my admiration for Garret Henson, Cameron Scripture, and Seth Madole could not be any higher.  Such good people and I appreciate them giving me just a few seconds of their time.  Same with Jim Stathopoulos of Ajay Glass who is always welcoming and classy.

--  This was the 2^nd BEC where NGA and GANA were combined and I thought about the commitments that people like Stanley Yee of Dow made to make this industry better.  Stanley is always ten steps ahead of the rest of us.  So is Julie Schimmelpenningh of Eastman.  We were on same flight out and got to catch up at the airport because once we get to the conference Julie gets mobbed by people and I never see her again.  Same scenario with Chris Dolan of Guardian- airport catch up and then not again.  Their popularity is awesome.

--  It wouldn’t be a BEC without celebrating a birthday for Jerry Moser of RA Kennedy.  Jerry is an absolute legend.  Love the guy.  And if I didn’t include Max Halls and Ian Patlin is that same category I’d be doing a massive disservice to them.

--  It would not be an industry event if I didn’t see the great Tom O’Malley from Clover Architectural and the amazing Shelly Farmer from Trex Commercial.  Both of them do such a great job working the room and event- they get it.  I should put Chuck Knickerbocker of TGP in that same group too!

--  I was bummed that Jon Kimberlain of Dow could not make it to the event.  Jon is another one who had such a major role in BEC’s past; it was noticeable not to have him there.  Hopefully he followed along on social media. 

--  Last this week a quick story.  Twice during the event I was confused for Max Halls.  Both folks who confused me for Max had a bit too much to drink but I have to say I was pretty pumped to be confused for a very skinny, tanned guy with great hair.  I guess I should hang around folks drinking more?  Anyway this event is now done, now my focus show wise will be on GlassBuild America in September.  Get ready folks we have an event like no other coming in a few months… and we are going to pack the A-T-L with thousands of glass industry professionals who all want to advance their businesses and careers.

LINKS of the WEEK

Swept out to sea on an iceberg?  Could’ve been bad- thankfully not in this case.

Developing a flu virus.  They could come see me since I think I have a post BEC flu…

My friends in Columbus- let me know if there are any updates to this story- this is really dumb management. 

VIDEO of the WEEK

If you didn’t catch the first season of Cobra Kai on YouTube last year you missed out.  Now comes the trailer for season 2 and my gosh it looks good.  Plus I’m loving the remix/remake of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.”