Boards, Indexes, Talking Shop and More

A lot happening in our world… so this week we’ll go with quick nuggets…

 

--  First, we’ll start with sad news, the passing of Thad Max Ziegler.  Thad Max was great man who I had to honor of meeting back in the 90’s when our respective companies almost became partners.  He was an amazing person and leader who worked an astounding 73 years in this business.  My sincerest condolences to the entire Ziegler family including his son Thad W. who truly carries on the class and professionalism that Thad Max and the generations before started.

 

--  News out of the NGA with the new formation of the Board of Directors being announced.  New to the board is the fabulous Jodi Martinez of AllStar Glass.  Not sure if my podcast with her put her in that position, but I’ll assume it was! LOL.  Seriously though, Jodi is tremendous and a great addition.  Also taking the lead as Chair is Guy Selinske and he’ll do an amazing job. He massive shoes to fill since Cathie Saroka set a very big standard, but I am sure Guy and this board are up to the challenge.  Congrats to all!

 

--  Good news again on the Architectural Billings Index.  Up for the 7^th straight month.  And while for some the business is soft (and I talked about this odd busy but not really phenomenon a few weeks ago here) and inflation is very very worrisome, the future does look bright.  All of the indexes are pointing that way- hopefully they’ll be glass and aluminum available to support it all and things will settle (on the inflation side) the way the experts are predicting in 2022.

 

--  Super hit this week by Susan Stone the CEO of Ubiquitous Energy. She was interviewed during a fascinating 2 day “Green Summit” from Green.org.  Susan’s push on the need for active glass and how products like a transparent solar glass can truly help our overall world was very effective and well received by the audience.  Glass overall got a great boost during this event thanks to Susan’s appearance.  

 

--  Have I mentioned how I can’t wait for BEC and GPAD now?  Both back-to-back in Nashville in March.  That is going to be an amazing time.

 

--  A cool one to follow now on LinkedIn is the “Talking Shop” series from Matt Verderamo of Alliance Exterior Construction.  I love what is happening on that platform overall with excellent pieces of technical info being shared and then the dialogue that comes with it. Matt started his series this week with a strong look at productivity on jobsites and ways to advance it.  Matt is another young star in our orbit- and between him and the machine that is Adrian Lowenstein, I think I gain more knowledge in my morning LinkedIn run through than I do with anything else.  Keep up the great work!

 

--  Last this week… Sherwin Williams paints named its “Color of the Year” and it went to the “Evergreen Fog” color.  It is evidently a gray green shade… very cool and I like the name too. (Not as good as Jade Ice though, best glass name ever.  RIP Lowell Rager and Ford Glass)  I love that the paint guys can have a color of the year- that’s one thing in our world because we are so static that we can’t have….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Any of my road warriors on here ready to stay at a hotel with these “Smart Doors” – wow

 

--  A friend of mine sent this one to me about resurrection the Wholly Mammoth with the perfect line of “Have they not seen (or read) Jurassic Park?!?!”

 

--  Supply chain issues everywhere but I imagine tooling around a major truck in NYC makes it even more the challenge

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This week it is from Bell County Glass via LinkedIn.  This is the New Mounted Warrior Museum on Ford Hood.  Bent glass and very sharp.  Obviously the job is in process here but would love to know who’s glass and metal on it.  Congrats to Bell County on what looks to be a super project in the making!

The Official GlassBuild Who's Who Recap

Well, that was a heck of a week…. What a show we had in Atlanta.  The opportunity to be back in front of people face to face really was energizing for all that attended, and my expectation of a motivated audience came true. In addition to the vibes I mentioned last week (being “busy”) the trends that emerged from the show were that efficiencies and supply chain improvements are more than just marketing speak- it was truly the goal of so many there.  Plus the focus on a ready to burst renovation market was huge as well.  We all know there’s still tons of challenges out there, but these three days showed that this industry is truly resilient and focused on overcoming every obstacle and moving our world forward!

 

Now to my annual “Who’s who” at the show.  After every big event I go on a pretty long name-dropping spree, so buckle in and follow some of the flavor of the folks I was lucky enough to run into in Atlanta.

 

--  First and foremost, getting a few minutes with Don Friese was seriously special.  Mr. Friese is so important to our industry (his Friese Foundation is incredible) and just being able to chat with him for a short period of time had me fired up.  I am grateful for that time too!  In addition, the Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) exhibit where he was holding court was packed all three days and I loved seeing folks like Keith Stockman and Jose Quinonnes there just working the spot at a frantic pace. Not sure if those two had time to breathe.   Plus my good pal, super rep Jeff Ziesche was there and I continue to be thrilled with the way he’s built his business.

 

--  I love seeing the West Virginia legend Joe Staffileno of Fuyao anytime I can, and same with the great Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural.  Tom doesn’t need a booth at the show as wherever I saw him he always had a crowd around him- the man is incredibly popular!  Tim McGee of Glass Coatings and Concepts always greets me with a smile and positive feel as does Tom Herron of NFRC- both guys are always super to see.  I did get to visit with the industry look-a-like for James Franco in Dan Poling of Schott, and it was an honor to hear this was the first event he’s attended since Covid broke.  

 

--  Every show I try and pick out the best dressed booth team and this year, Samantha Hudeck and FeneTech win that recognition.  Samantha always supports GlassBuild and I am grateful for that, but the organized and stylish looks really delivered a win on its own!  Also winning was IGE’s Michael Spellman’s call to have a Forvet on the floor- that machine was packed and Manny Borda from IGE was in his glory walking people through the process.  Very cool.  And I decided “best hair” this year (since I am jealous and have none) goes to Brad Bartley.  Brad was in great spirits and fired up over his new gig at Consolidated.  And he does have a quality head of hair for sure.

 

--  I am big Rick Alexander of Tom Brown Inc. fan- smart and class guy- and he downplays his intelligence probably to make mere mortals like me feel better!  Running into Devin Bowman of TGP was a pleasant surprise- it’s a heck of a distance from Seattle to Atlanta, so awesome of him to make the trip.  Visiting with hands down the BEST plant and operations consultant in our world Ron Parker was an honor.  Ron is unreal and every conversation I learn a ton from him.  The fab plants that utilize him are extremely smart.  

 

--  We are lucky as an industry to have some amazing young professionals.  Among them…Kayla Natividad of NSG Pilkington.  Loved meeting her in person- so much so I was speechless.  Also impressive in this “future MVP’s of our world” were the duo of James Wright and Jeremy Hoy of Virginia Glass, Rachel Korfhage of Alexander Metals, Adrian Lowenstein of Skyline, David Corle, of HMI, Billy Britt of Britt & Tilson, and Nathan Seaman of Architectural Grilles and Sunshades. Keep an eye on all of these folks!

 

--  Dan Shields of Fabricated Products Group is a battler- guy started his business in the teeth of Covid and is kicking butt.  Proud of him!  Same with Tim Finley who also launched T.Fin Building Solutions at one of the toughest times too.  I mentioned in a comment on a LinkedIn post that Tim has this amazing ability to fire up everyone he runs into.  I dig Josh Burg of Glass Enterprises- sharp as hell and just a great guy and an industry bright spot.  

 

--  I always get a charge out of seeing Brian Thomas from Super Sky.  The work Brian and his team do are amongst the best our industry has ever seen.  I also enjoy visiting with Mike Synon of HHH/Salem though I think I only saw him for 30 seconds because there was a line of folks waiting to talk to him.  Plus seeing David Anderson in that booth too was amazing since we go way back to my PDC days, not to mention being in the same fantasy football league for more than 20 years.  A big part of the event was the Mercedes Benz tour and one of the great sponsors of it was CR Laurence.  Was so cool to meet so many CRL folks for the first-time including Crista Tekstra and David Nelson.  Plus my longtime friend Scott Goodman is there now and I am so happy for him as I think he’s found his forever home.

 

--  It was also fabulous to meet Mike Mazelon of Royal Glass for the first time in person.  I think he enjoyed the heck out of the event, and he networked with everyone he ran into.  Now that’s how you do a show!  Speaking of networking, the “Mayor of Glass Town” is none other than Jon Johnson.  Jon was there in his new position with Arow Global and I am absolutely over the moon for him.  Jon is a great one, and he’s going to do super in his new position.  And also in a new spot- Joe Butler as Senior Vice President of Sales and Service for Glaston America.  Good to say hi to him as well as Michael Schmidt there.

 

--  I can’t do a blog about who’s who with a mention of someone from my favorite state of Texas, so props to Joe Lamberston and Brian Risinger of Country Glass.  Kudos to them for making the trip and always supporting this industry.  I also was pumped to run into Shawn Hickman and his bright purple jacket, Kyle Sword of NSG Pilkington, Cathie Saroka of Goldray, Jodi Martinez of AllStar Glass, and Ivan Zuniga and Sneh Kumar of Kawneer.  All wonderful folks, that I am lucky  to know.

 

--  Last to the staff at the National Glass Association.  These folks (led at the show by the absolutely unstoppable Molly Grenn) absolutely bring it, and I am humbled to even be a small part of that team.  And to the insanely talented duo of Andrew Haring and Melanie Dettmer- Thank you.  Those two hoisted me on their backs several times over the last several months of planning when I would inevitably fret about whatever bump appeared in the middle of the road.  Plus those two are also great friends of mine that I will always appreciate and adore. 

 

--  So there ya go… another event in the books!  I am sure I missed a bunch and I am sorry for any slights.  I truly enjoyed seeing everyone I could.  Next up is NGA Glass Conference in January (though I don’t think I’ll be at that one, but a crucial one for the tech side of things) and of course BEC and GPAD in March.  We are back folks, back to doing things in person, safely and smartly, and we have to keep moving in that direction so we can elevate our world to the levels it needs to be.  Nothing beats in person, interpersonal communication.  The roadblocks are always going to come, but we can battle past them, and I am thrilled that we are pushing the tough times of 2020 into the far end of the rearview mirror.  

 

Oh and I end with this brilliant picture!  Seeing these folks as Super Heroes is so cool and true- love it!!  So perfect and if these action figures aren't the hottest gifts at Christmas this year I give up!

LINKS and PROJECT of the WEEK

None this week- way to long of a post to ask you to click on anything here!  All of these will return next week!

GlassBuild Kicks Off

This week writing this mostly from the floor at GlassBuild as we’ve finally made it, we’ve finally gotten to the show!  It’s been a heck of a run since the last GlassBuild in person in 2019, and so far so good in getting to see people and build back those great personal connections that we all strive for.  Next week I’ll have my traditional “who’s who” from the show, but for this post it will be more vibe and news from the event.  The biggest feeling going on the commercial side is “business has slowed but the work has not” – let me unpack that some.  What is happening is the number of orders coming and projects being released has slowed more and more over the last several weeks- remember we are in the middle of the expected hole in the forecast right now- but despite that everyone is “busy” and that’s because labor at every level is a massive challenge. Shortages in the field and warehouse are always a given in our world but this latest challenge is office based. Less project managers than ever dealing for with more complex materials and settings.  So many folks here are swamped but without the benefit of an increased top line benefit.  A real frustrating pickle for many.  And that aspect of labor shortage and being busy absolutely affected attendance here as well.  Obviously, there’s another issue that played a role, but I know several folks that stayed back because they simply couldn’t get away.  

 

The thing people are looking for the most here are ways to ease that burden of busy.  More operational effective materials and processes (including automation) are really driving interest along with new products that could separate one from their competition.  I was excited to see so many full scale machines setup here that caught many eyes.  Also among the new products with great buzz was the VacuMax VIG product from Vitro via VIG Technologies.  I’ve covered that one a bunch and it was great to see some product live and in person. Plus, Glazier Nation setup their new software and I expect their spot to be jumping with glaziers and vendors signing up.

 

In addition, as previewed on my podcast last week (if you haven’t checked it out yet, please do- it features Jim Evans of BidClips, Michael and Carolyn Spellman of IGE Glass Technologies, and Barbara Haaksma of CR Laurance.  Video here, Audio here) the product releases from CRL really delivered in a BIG way. What I mean is that I felt like I was in the movie “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” because everything in their booth was gigantic.  Super impressive work there!

 

Plus CRL made news on the eve of the show with the naming of Arty Feles as President.

Feles spent the past 12 years in roles including Chief Financial Officer and, most recently, Regional President of U.S. operations for CRL and steps in for Lloyd Talbert who’s transitioning to new initiatives inside the company.  CRL has always been a tremendous supporter of the industry and GlassBuild and I assume that will continue under Arty’s guidance. 

 

This week the many winners of the most prestigious award platform in our industry were recognized- The Glass Magazine Awards.  These are truly the Oscars/Emmys of our world and congrats to everyone who was honored. All the winners are details are HERE!

 

In addition, this year Glass Magazine commissioned an Ad Study award program and I felt pretty vindicated by that…. Why?  Because each month I pick an “ad of the month” when I review Glass Magazine and sure enough the top two honored ads were ones that I had previously recognized on here. Congrats to the great Rob Struble of Vitro for grabbing the top spot.  That guy is an absolute legend.  Those winners can be found HERE but look at it this way, keep reading this blog and you’ll know ahead of time who the winners are!

 

See you next week with a longer rundown of the show and happenings!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

This is stunning.  Almost 40 years in a coma before passing away.  Had to be brutal on so many.

 

With GlassBuild this is very timely… the cautious returns of conventions

 

This list of Nobel prizes can’t be real right?

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

This week from the LinkedIn feed of Nick Beaumont Publisher of Intelligent Glass Solutions. Classic project in Denver with the new Welcome Center at the Museum of Art.

Players listed were: 
Architect: MACHADO SILVETTI (Design Architect), Fentress Architects (Architect of Record)
Glazing Contractor: Harmon.
General Contractor: Saunders Construction
Building Envelope Consultant: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.

Congrats to all on an amazing project!! (Picture does not do it justice!!) 

Trailblazers and Disruptive Forces

Episode 9 of the From the Fabricator podcast is out and it’s an interesting one with some folks that are really disrupting our industry in positive ways.  Before I dig in to tis tease- I know there’s a ton of great podcasts now in our industry, so thank you for still hanging with me- it is appreciated!  This month, I start off with the energetic and dynamic Jim Evans of BidClips.  His customer service platform is incredible and his past that drives him forward each and every day is inspirational.  The guy is a winner.  Then on to Michael and Carolyn Spellman, founders of IGE Glass Technologies and VIG Technologies.  These folks blazed a trail and created a segment in our industry that still thrives today on the machinery side and are leading the way with VIG now as well.  Absolute legends. Was fun to get the background and more here.  Then my final guest Barbara Haaksma of CR Laurence was very cool, I enjoyed getting to know her path to today and also getting a ton of sneak previews of what to expect from CRL at GlassBuild and beyond.  All good stuff and once again an honor for me to interview such talented and important people. 

To watch- CLICK HERE

To listen (and also available wherever you get your podcasts) CLICK HERE

Thank you!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  I know in some pockets of our industry there’s stunningly no sight of a glass shortage, all is well.  In others it’s a struggle.  Well folks the bad news is I think things on the glass side are going to get even worse.  So those of you not having issues, get ready, and those of you who are battling- buck up and be strong because capacity is being sucked away and if we heat up business wise like we all expect in 2022, lead-times and glass availability are NOT going to be what you are used to, even in todays challenges.  I hate being negative, but all the indicators I am seeing look very ugly. 

 

--  On to more exciting stuff… GlassBuild is NEXT WEEK!  Two things I am looking forward to among many others are the Mercedes Benz Stadium Tour and the Glazing Executives Forum.  The tour is a treat- it is a great structure and while glass isn’t a major part of the exterior, the usage inside the building is awesome and major kudos to Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, CRL, and my good friend Tom O’Malley at Clover Architectural Products for work well done AND sponsoring this event!  The Glazing Executives Forum is always a cool chance to network and learn and this year I am honored to moderate a panel with David Ben-Isreal of MGAC and John Nolan of The Gary Law Group on Best Practices to Avoid Legal Headaches on Projects.  These two guys have so much great insight to share that I am going to toss the ball up and let them play- the audience is going to win big.  So pumped for this and the show overall!  Next week I’ll have a bit of the flavor of GlassBuild with then my normal “who’s who and seen at the show” coming the week after.

 

--  Congrats to Maheshi Perera on her being named as Business Development head at SPIL Glass Software.  Really sharp person and an excellent hire by the always astute Lakshman Kalupathirana.  SPIL has made some nice moves and additions in the last year and this yet another one- congrats to all!

 

--  Last this week…pro football starts this week and my good friend James Wright of Virginia Glass Products shared a fun poll with me.  It is the pro football fan bases that drink the most per game. Now before I break down the top 5, I will tell you I take issue with this list.  For most of my young life I went to every Steeler home game and those folks there could drink… a lot.  And on this list Pittsburgh finished a stunning 23^rd.  Also my team here Detroit, which gives fans PLENTY of reason to drink a ton checked in at #10.  Impossible!  Your top 5 were:

5- Carolina Panthers- Really?  I didn’t know they actually had fans

4- Chicago Bears- Yeah I can see that.  I’ll ask Tom O’Malley at the Stadium tour if true.

3- Buffalo Bills- No doubt Bills mafia fits this ranking

2- Baltimore Ravens- No way. I refuse to believe this one.  

1- Cincinnati Bengals- This happens to be James’ team and he confirms personally its true and I know a lot of Bengals fans who are frustrated- so I am good with it.  

Interesting poll for sure… and while I am at it- my fearless pre-season Super Bowl prediction is Green Bay beating Tennessee for the title.  I am on a roll now after picking Tampa's Super Bowl win last year... 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Ok which one of you manufacturers are making the Goat Resistant Windows now? 

 

--  There is so much going on in this story of using guns (seriously) as a marketing tool and then doing really shoddy work, denying it, ripping people off and so on.  Just amazing.

 

--  Banning a woman from the chimp she loves.  Wow.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This week a slightly different twist- this is keeping a project safe- so that goes to Matt Price and his team at ArmorGuard.  This is the Hard Rock Biloxi and the glass and frames are being protected by ArmorGuard as the building is renovated.  Matt and his team are big supporters of our industry and will be at GlassBuild so I wanted to give them this spot and throw the spotlight their way in thanks for all they do to protect our products and support our world.