There was a pretty significant deal in our world this week
from the machinery side of things. Salem
Distributing acquiring HHH Tempering marries up two well-run companies with
very respected leaders and strong products.
Both companies also are huge industry supporters- something I always
rail about and appreciate when people step up.
I am happy for Mike Synon, Mike Willard, and everyone at these
organizations. This will be a great
combo for many years. We’ve had a ton of
moves on the fabrication side in the past few years so it only makes sense that
some deals on the machinery side would start growing and now we’ve had two big
ones with this and the previous Glaston/Bystronic one.
Elsewhere…
-- While I am handing out congrats on good news… how about a
happy anniversary to Paul Conners of Conners Sales Group- he is celebrating his
25th year in business! That
is awesome. I have always been a big fan
of Paul and the team he built- especially the great Lauren Anderson. The work they do is top notch and they are
always stepping up to support the industry.
Happy Anniversary Paul!
-- The Glass Magazine review is easy this month because it’s
the annual Source Book. Everything you
need is in there- so don’t leave this one too far from your fingertips. Ad of the month goes to Pulp Studios. Love the elephant, the cute slogo that went
with it and especially the Gorilla caught in a jar. Perfect ad.
Kudos to Bernard and Lynda Lax, my buddy Kirk Johnson and everyone there
involved for that one.
Big 3 Interview- Josh Wignall, Director of Marketing, EFCO
Corporation
I have a soft spot in my heart for Marketing professionals
and Josh is one of the best around. Josh
has been a guy that I followed for a long time before ever meeting in person
and I always came away impressed at his approach and his support of industry
people and tactics. He gets it. Then I met him in person and he was extremely
cool, so that made it better and made me want to learn more about him and what
he thinks… so here goes.
What do you see as the hottest trend in
Architectural Aluminum these days?
In Architectural Aluminum, we have been seeing a lot of
trends over the past few years that continue to push our industry to
improve. There has been a greater demand
for sustainability in all facets of our industry. With programs like Environmental Product
Declarations (EPD’s), Health Product Declarations (HPD’s), LEED and countless
other sustainability measures being pushed, we will continue to strive for ways
to be transparent in our sustainability goals and ensure we aren’t having a
negative impact on our environment in the process. We have also seen accessibility requirements
stay at the forefront of architect’s minds.
That all being said, with codes getting stricter, thermal efficiency
will continue to dominate the spotlight for aluminum manufacturers. Some might argue that a trend must be new to
be “hot” but I’ll argue that thermal performance in our products still takes
the cake. While the U.S. has been slower
to adopt as stringent of codes as Europe, we continue to see a steady push
towards a net-zero energy consumption.
For this to be achievable, architectural aluminum technology must
adapt. We have seen a push to escalate
efficiency plans in cities like New York recently and I’m guessing it won’t go
away any time soon.
I know when you are
in Marketing you are always on the lookout for that great story or message in a
project your company has done. What’s
the best story or message that you’ve worked on in your career?
I do love a great story and we are in story-rich industry
with all of the amazing projects we get to be part of! While there have been some incredible
projects throughout the years, I think the best story I have been directly
involved in is one about our local school district here in Monett, Missouri. At EFCO, we do a lot of education buildings
all across the nation and, as a parent, nothing makes me prouder than seeing
how our products can impact the learning environment for the better! Over the past 10 years, EFCO has worked with
our local school system on replacing and adding daylighting to every building
in our school district. We worked with
the superintendent to tell the story about why our local schools decided to
update all of their facilities with new fenestration products. The video segment was so much fun because we
got to see firsthand how our products have helped the school meet their
efficiency and student comfort goals. (Check it out: http://www.efcocorp.com/education)
Being able to see
that in my hometown where my kids are going to school really warmed my
heart! It’s easy in this industry to
forget that we aren’t just building windows and doors, we are building
communities. Places for our families to
learn, to grow, to eat, to work and to heal.
This story really brought all of that home for me and made me proud to
work in an industry that shapes our nation for the better!
What’s the job you
had that was the most fun in your life and why (aside from your current one
which I know is a blast.)
I have to admit, I’ve been pretty fortunate throughout my
life to have some really fun jobs! I
worked at an old Tastee Freez (I’m not sure these are around anymore??) in high
school where I served ice cream and pizza burgers. I landscaped, worked in fast food (okay, so this
one wasn’t as much fun), gave campus tours in college and even worked at a
local vineyard in Iowa where I labeled, sealed and served wine! That all being said, I would have to say the
job I had the most fun in my life at was when I was a bartender in a Cuban
dance club in Bristol England. I’ll let
that one sink in a bit… J
When I was in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Wales for a
semester and just absolutely loved the culture!
I loved it so much that I decided to go back the next summer and get a
work visa. One of my best friends talked
me in to coming and working in his home town for the summer which just happened
to be Bristol. When I first moved over there,
I didn’t know what I was going to do or where I was going to live! I went door to door to every restaurant,
office and bar that was hiring. After
many interviews and rejections, I ended up getting a job at this Cuban dance
club called Fiesta Havana. I had never
bartended before, so the learning curve was large (not to mention, I never
thought about how difficult it would be to understand drunk English people with
loud Salsa music in the background). I
was able to find a bed available at the youth hostel down the road from the
club, so I rented a bed to share a room with 10 strangers for the next 3
months. We shared a room (bunk beds and
all), bathrooms, living room and kitchen.
While my job and living arrangements were a bit stressful, there were
things about this experience that I have tried to bring with me in whatever I
do. Here are the three things I loved
most about this job: 1. The job was high energy. I found that I loved being surrounded by
chaos and that I loved being able to bring organization to that chaos. As a bartender, I quickly found that I needed
to prioritize and efficiently use my time because there were always 3-4 other
people waiting. I also found that
staying calm with a smile on your faces goes a long way when things get
tough! These skills have helped me grow
throughout my career and keep me composed when things get crazy. 2. Helping people have fun. This job was so much fun because it was my
job to make sure others were having fun.
I loved going to work each day and I found that a smile goes a long
way. To this day, making work fun is a
huge priority to me! What’s the point in
working if I can’t have fun in the process? J
3. I loved the challenge! The final
thing I loved most about this job was that it provided me a daily
challenge. Not only the job of pouring
drinks, taking orders and understanding drunken English accents, but the
challenge of taking on a new adventure without knowing the results. This job allowed me to test my abilities,
stretch my comfort levels and grow as a result.
I may not be able to make a killer mojito anymore, but the lessons I
learned about hard work and fun still carry on with me today!
LINKS of the WEEK
Breaking Bad is one of my favorite shows of all time… but even this story about the newest alternative to Meth wouldn’t make that show
WILD story about a woman tracking down her own stolen
car. Good stuff
Great 5K time here.. by a 96 year old!
VIDEO of the WEEK
This reporter absolutely RULES!
This is why we love Darla Miles 😆 #smooth pic.twitter.com/cXdNTNE4HM— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 4, 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment