2022 MVP and Year end One on One Special Podcast

2022.  Get ready to enter this one into the finished column.  But before we do that there’s quite a bit to cover on my last scheduled blog post of the year.  First off, my year ending traditional “one on one” podcast with an industry influencer.  Last year was Mr. Don Friese.  This year its Steve Weidner of NSG Pilkington.  Steve is a legend in our space and our talk covered a ton of items including his years in the industry, supply chain, new tech, next steps and his ability to run into celebrities (which I do think he even sandbagged me there too- as even at glasstec he was hanging out with Japan’s World Cup Soccer team).  Great and important man in our world- check it out on VIDEO or on AUDIO and as always wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 

Then next up… it’s my annual Glass Industry MVP (and runners up) award.  Since 2013 I have bestowed this honor on some of the best of the best in our space, with a goal of always having new people mentioned each year.  To date I’ve noted 50 people and companies and this year 4 more make the list.  What I take into account are people or companies that support the industry as a whole, go above and beyond in those efforts, are great ambassadors overall in order further our mission.  In addition, innovation and education plays a role too.  This award comes from me alone, though many people do ping me to nominate deserving folks and I always listen, consider, and appreciate.  So, without further delay, let’s get to it!

 

2022- Runner’s Up

 

Stanley Yee- Dow.  When I realized that Stanley had never been on any of these lists I was stunned and embarrassed.  How could I miss him?  So this is almost a lifetime achievement nod as much as his continued efforts to make our industry better.  In that esteemed past Stanley played a crucial role in the GANA-NGA merger and going forward he continued to be a person who pushed innovation and collaboration at every turn.  Also a show or event within our world is not the same unless you see that classic Stanley smile.  Great man who cares a ton and backs it up always raising a hand to help.  Stanley my apologies for not mentioning you earlier!

 

Chris Phillips- Showcase ShowerDoors and Shower Door Pros on Facebook.  Chris is not only a strong businessman and inventor (more on that in a second) but his founding of the Shower Door Pros community on Facebook was a huge breakthrough in building collaboration in our space.  There are bigger forums out there but none that bring the sense of family that the Shower Door Pros have.  Every Wednesday night these folks gather and talk- and in one hour everyone gets better. I’ve been lucky to hop on a couple of these and they are just awesome opportunities for fellowship and growth.  On the inventor side, Chris has created amazing products to make the installers life easier and more efficient and he never stops hustling on that end.  A tremendous and genuine person, I am thrilled that I somehow ended up in the Chris Phillips camp.

 

Frameless Hardware Company- FHC- Hard to have a better year than these guys eh?  From a business side their growth has been dynamic (additional locations, manufacturing and the latest acquisition of Morse) and important to keep people ahead of supply chain crunches.  They’ve innovated to make people more efficient and they’ve supported and really pushed hard on items like MyGlassClass to ensure the glazier gets the best online education available in the market today.  Chris Hanstad and Barry Sutherland and team continue to always be active nationally and their folks like Danny Donahue who step up to support the industry during crucial NGA meetings.  Add in people like my pal Jeff Ziesche who proudly represents them and never misses a chance to promote NGA, GlassBuild etc. and this is a winner all the way around.  

Three fabulous and important runners up.  

But now it’s time to crown the 2022 MVP.

 

That would be…

 

Jodi Martinez of AllStar Glass.  Jodi is amazing and absolutely one of the coolest people out there.  She has slowly but surely become an absolute force in our industry and her approach and personality are a breath of fresh air.  Jodi is always learning, always collaborating and always putting her words into action.  One huge example this year was her pushing a “Trades Night” in her community.  We all know WE NEED to attract more people and youth to our space- events like the one Jodi supported are a great way to get there.  In addition, Jodi plays a great role on the NGA Board, is active at every NGA meeting (while getting a ton of her team involved too- spreading that knowledge and education) and she happens to be an amazing host of events too as she rocked the GEF this past fall making a certain host of the BEC (ahem) a bit nervous because- dang she is good. Very good.  Jodi and her husband Dan have a top-notch business (and note- I am huge fan of Dan as well) that really makes our industry look good. (AllStar installs some beautiful and challenging projects)  Plus this year the women in glass and fenestration movement took a major step and I think Jodi is one of the most important faces in that effort going forward.  She’s stepping up even before she’s called. No doubt to me that Jodi is a hustler day in day out and our space is better for it.  So Jodi- congrats- you are the top of the top for the Glass world in 2022!

 

Note I have been insanely lucky to have had Jodi, the FHC guys, and Chris on my podcast in the past and if you are looking for a listen this holiday season and want to know them better- here are the links.

Jodi and Dan Martinez 

Audio  Video 

Chris Hanstad and Barry Sutherland  FHC  

Audio  Video

Chris Phillips

Audio  Video

 

--  Quick side note- I survived with no internet for 3+ days and ladies and gentleman- I liked it!  Yes the disconnect really was refreshing.  Now will I do it again soon?  Probably not but I surely will welcome it when it comes down the line again. Who knew you could get away from things and survive!!

 

--  OK, so unless something crazy happens this will be my last blog for the year.  THANK YOU for following along and supporting.  My traffic in 2022 was by far my best, with numbers that blow my mind (that 40% glass increase that brought new people to my blog and podcast I think increased all of my traffic 40% too!) and I am grateful to everyone on this. Since 2005 I have posted this blog weekly and it continues to be a therapeutic joy for me, I hope to keep doing it and hope you all keep following along!

Finally, a sincere wish to all of you for a HAPPY and HEALTHY holiday season and 2023!  It’s going to be an interesting year (like seemingly all are) but I know our world can work through and over anything. I am honored to be amongst all of you.  Thank you.

 

See you with my next blog week of 1/8 with I’m sure plenty to catch up on!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I think this fits the description of a frivolous lawsuit

 

I’m seriously glad I don’t ever run into any of these animal issues when I am in Florida

 

Dogs.  Love em!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This is a beauty and some of the names involved on it are real powerhouses… This is St. John's Terminal - 550 Washington- In Manhattan, NYC. Stunning right? The façade was fabricated by the folks at Intercom Facades via their NY operation.  Of course the glazier was the great team from W&W Glass working from a design via COOKFOX.  Kudos to Turner Construction too as the GC.  Congrats to all on a showstopping effort! 

Dynamic Duo and an Amazing System

We’ve reached the final month of the year and time has just flown right on by.  Lots to cover this week but kicking off with the latest From the Fabricator podcast.  Really fun one, first featuring the awesome duo of Michael Saroka and Laura Little from Goldray Glass.  This sibling team, along with their incredible company is making things happen in our space. They both dropped some strong insight too that I think we can all learn from.  Great people!  And also this month Kyle Lindersmith of innovative laminating system manufacturer Burkle.  He made a massive splash at the big GPAD event earlier this year and it was fun to catch up with him on that and his laminating machinery that is disrupting the space.  Loved his overall attitude as well. So please check this one out… as always I appreciate it!

To watch on YouTube

To listen you can click HERE or search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  With the year coming to a close it is now officially Glass Industry MVP season!  So in 2 weeks, the winner will be announced and I have to say that once again there are so many awesome options here.  Choosing the winner and runners up yearly is a challenge but a good one really because that means we have people and companies that really care about what we do!  Just as a reminder, here are the past honorees:

2013- Tracy Rogers

2014- CR Laurence

2015- Jon Kimberlain

2016- Chuck Knickerbocker

2017- Joe Erb

2018- Nathalie Thibault

2019- Bill Sullivan

2020- Tim Kelley

2021- Matt Kamper and Steve Dean

2022- ?????

 

--  I posted this separately on LinkedIn but wanted to note it here in case you missed it.  My friend Vardhan Mehta of Acelab wrote a great post on architects and manufacturers and the dynamic there.  Our industry always wants to engage with architects and Vardhan being an excellent architect himself gave some answers to the test.  Check it out here!

--  Major congrats to Kevin Nash of Agnora on his retirement.  Kevin announced he was hanging em up on LinkedIn and it almost crashed the site.  Good guy who helped push some smart and sophisticated glass into the space and made our industry look good.  Congrats Kevin- best to you in the next phase of life and thanks for all you did in our world!

 

--  Fun one for my fellow road warriors… have you noticed both Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn are both going heavy on advertising their breakfast options.  I laugh because the commercials show these bright and shiny spaces, with loads of options, great looking food, happy and helpful people everywhere- even bringing you fresh tea!  My laughter comes because these images are pretty far from reality… and I love my Hampton Inns but the next time I get a breakfast like the ones they show on the commercial will be the first.  I will say now that things have progressed on the covid side of things, it is nice to even have that option back. (Those who missed it, during the height of covid, the breakfasts were discontinued, and they gave you a mystery bag that could include anything from an apple to a handful of fiber bars… you never knew and it was truly an adventure.)

 

--  Last this week… NO BLOG next week from me.  Yes I know I was already off very recently but that was Thanksgivings fault.  Next week I’ll be disconnected on a family cruise. This was booked in June of 2021 not knowing if cruises would even be happening, but here we are.  The bigger issue is me not being connected for 3+ days.  At this point I am choosing NOT to get the cruise Wifi.  I guess we’ll see how strong my willpower is!  Anyway, see you back in this space week of 12/18 with a special year end podcast and as mentioned above our industry MVP! Good stuff ahead….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The mascot for the 2024 Olympics is out- I kinda like it. 

 

Crazy lucky no one was hurt and the broken glass a bit ugly too.

 

Interesting code addition here with residential fire sprinklers.  Not sure how I feel on it all.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This week we head to the Philly area where a few of my favorite glaziers are… one is Paul Rabinowitz Glass and I have always been a big fan of Mark Rabinowitz and his team there.  This project popped on to my feed and I LOVED the picture but also the caption- how about this:

 

“On site before the sun. When you work with RabGlass, you can always #ConsiderItDone.”

 

What an awesome line…Kudos to Mark and team on this project and please also would love to know who fabricated the glass and aluminum too.  Keep up the great work!

Index Down

Hope everyone in the US had a good Thanksgiving holiday.  The one area that did not was the Architectural Billings Index.  After months of waiting for the “other shoe to drop” and the index to be underwater, its latest reading limped in with an ugly 47.7 rating.  Remember 50 is the break-even mark and for close to 2 years we’ve been over it and in the last few months we’ve expected the drop and it finally happened.  Obviously, this now tracks with the predictions Connor Lokar made at GlassBuild looking at a negative turn in the commercial market for March of 2024. (Because of the runway from design to build)  There was a bit of good news in the monthly forecast though- new project inquiries stayed above the 50 mark- so the tires are still being kicked.  

Meanwhile there were a few other forecasts that happened in the last 2 weeks, and both were similar to what I’ve reported previously.  However, there were some interesting nuggets including:

·      When we do hit negative territory, that run is expected to be short.

·      Labor continues to be an issue (and will always be) but right now we are at the highest amount of construction job openings- ever.

·      New office construction is ugly.  The renovation side may help us but the new stuff is somewhat bleak.  Did you know the best year for office construction was 1985?  I am astounded by that.

·      Education looks strong- both on new and on the renovation side. 

So we’ll keep plugging along…

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Very sad to hear about the passing of Joe Sennese of Vitro.  What a good guy.  I met Joe several years ago and he had this awesome enthusiasm for his work and for PPG/Vitro.  It was always a pleasure to run into him and I am truly bummed that will never happen again.  My thoughts and condolences are with Joe’s family, friends, and co-workers at Vitro.

 

--  Some exciting news with the big acquisition by Clover Architectural Products.  The great Tom O’Malley and company expanded their footprint with the addition of American Custom Metal.  Tom and the team have been on fire since day 1 there, and so exciting to see the growth continue!  Congrats to all on this awesome deal.

 

--  Also congrats to the latest Board of Directors at the National Glass Association.  Once again the board is made up of the best of the best in our world.  The rundown on who’s involved can be found HERE.  I have confidence that this group will continue the great work the NGA has going on and keep advancing us as an industry.  

 

--  Did you see you could have an opportunity to be at the United Nations for the closing ceremony of the International Year of Glass?  This is something very special and I am depressed I can’t be there, but if any of you can- especially those in the tri-state area- you should jump on.  For more information on how to gain access and more- click HERE.

 

--  Hotel design in 2022… fun piece here which I am sure a guy like David Corle is all over when it comes to the glass.  I like a lot of these enhancements and I will say every time I drive past “The Wave” in Florida it blows my mind. 

 

--  Last this week… new show I’m watching is “Tulsa King” with Sylvester Stallone.  For me it’s like Rocky plays a gangster and that alone because my love of “Rocky” makes me enjoy it.  Similar to watching “Your Honor” and seeing the same lead character (Bryan Cranston) from “Breaking Bad” and me thinking “Walter White as a judge” – anyway good stuff!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Something tells me we’ll hear more on this kid some day- great story

 

Amazing story- guy sees cracks in a building, alerts officials, and they clear it before collapse!

 

The whole FTX saga continues to be amazing/riveting reads.  How so many smart and rich people could fall for this is unreal.  Meanwhile the Miami arena now needs a new name sponsor… “From the Fabricator Arena” anyone?  LOL 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

From the LinkedIn feed of the legend Heather West and Heather West Public Relations comes this stunner from Washington University.  LEEDv4 Gold and WELL rated and it’s got the best of the best from some of the real heavy hitters in our space including Tubelite, Linetec, Viracon, and Wausau Widow.  Nice work everyone! 

Winding Down 2022

Down the stretch of 2022 we come.  These next 7 weeks will fly on by, so buckle in.  While usually some people start to coast to finish out the year, many others are grinding trying to get their plans for next year in line.  I suggest that hustle approach because you surely don’t want to be working from behind when the calendar changes.  Get the budget done, plan the marketing and communications, get those new product and material meetings on the books (and done if possible) and plan, plan, plan.  I think post-Covid our world has changed, more angles are fluid, and the standard approaches just don’t exist anymore.  And obviously there is time to decompress with the way the holidays are structured, but don’t go overboard or you’ll regret it!  

 

As for me on the blog/podcast.  I have 4 more blogs coming for the year including my annual Glass Industry MVP one.  I have 2 more podcasts, that if it all comes together (one is very much in flux still) will be exciting to do and to listen/watch.  Note- no blog next week leading into Thanksgiving.  I’ll be back in this space the week of 11/27.

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  In case you missed it- my current podcast is one with the awesome Lisa Lococo Smith of Kawneer and Jennifer Lang of Minneapolis Glass. Amazing talents those two!  Also, an apology I screwed up and called the wonderful Alicia Hamilton of NGA, Alicia Smith.  My brain really is mush most of the time.  So sorry Alicia and great work from you, Melanie Dettmer and the NGA team on the Women in Glass and Fenestration event.  Check out the podcast in your pre-holiday travels via VIDEO or AUDIO.  Thanks!

 

--  The Dodge Momentum Index continues to chug along and yet another nice month from it.  This is the index that is more “now” and from the general contracting side.  So we’ll take it.  There are soft spots out there still, but most are staying busy and positive, so let’s keep rolling.  NOTE- the next Architectural Billings Index drops early this month on 11/16- so because of the early release possibly it stays positive?  We will see and I’ll break it down on my next post.  In addition, two other forecasts are due to report out this week, so we’ll be monitoring those and reporting back later.

 

--  A big congrats to Coleman Jones at Pioneer Cladding and Glazing.  Coleman was named Chief Business Development Officer this past week and he’ll be awesome there.  He’s been a standard bearer at Pioneer for a long time and I am sure he’ll continue with the great success he’s always had.  My guy Paul Robinson there has just a dream team of folks on that squad.  Love it.  Congrats Coleman!

 

--  A couple of good resources out on the Inflation Reduction Act and how the investment tax credit works for dynamic and solar.  The fine folks at Ubiquitous Energy broke it down nicely in this post that includes some additional resources. On the dynamic side, SAGE Glass did a great job with a well thought out FAQ that features a bunch of links for more detail.  Good stuff from both and it seems like if people take advantage of this (and it is a big “if” since we’ve all been through previous stimulus and other tax credit plays that stalled out) it will be a positive for high performing specialty glass! 

 

--  I’m old.  And so this is a comical pet peeve.  But my kids will slam the door my jeep like they are trying to hold off an army or something.  These doors are lightweight- no need to slam.  I mean if you had to shut a door on a 77 Monte Carlo, you had to use all the muscle in your being to get that one shut- but now?  No major energy needed.  Anyway, had to get a “get off my lawn” rant out. 

 

--  Last this week- Thanksgiving is approaching and those who know me know it is my all-time favorite holiday.  And so with that- THANK YOU dear reader/listener/watcher/supporter.  I truly appreciate it.  It means so much to me that I can use this space as a weekly therapy and also share what is going on in our space.  No doubt blessed with great people in this industry and grateful that for 17 years now so many of you have followed me on this journey.  I wish only the best to you and yours and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I’m torn on the whole new twitter debate- it’s not any worse than it used to be, but no doubt the rollout of the $8 verified button went badly.  

 

Did a meteorite destroy this guys home?

 

Dogs are the best.  Another winning effort here

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I have no idea who Allstate Glass is but this project appeared on my feed and l liked it!  This is a job somewhere in the Boston area from what I could tell from the post, and I loved the glass work and ribbon windows.  So nice work Allstate team and if anyone knows them- tell em to keep up the good work (and to also give credit to whomever supplied and fabricated the glass and metal too!!)

New Pod and the Deal Gets Done

Busy week in our world, so let’s get to it!

 

--  First off, a new podcast for you... the latest From the Fabricator episode has two people who aren’t usually in the spotlight in our industry but should be and are very interesting and cool!  I lead it off with Lisa Lococo Smith of Kawneer and her path to the industry is not what we are all used to but it works!  She brings some serious energy and presence to our space.  Then on to Jennifer Lang of Minneapolis Glass.  She is a very accomplished and brilliant player in our industry and a major leader and influencer.  She also breaks some big news about her company towards the end of our talk too which was incredible.  Overall, two awesome people for the great month of November.  Thanks for checking it out!

VIDEO

AUDIO or on Apple, Spotify etc.

 

--  Obviously, news of Trulite sale was a big one and folks THAT was the deal I had been waiting on for last few months.  I can’t tell you how many times I was told “it’s done, will be announced Friday” and it just never would happen.  Well, it finally happened, and it surely is an interesting one for all parties. First deal for the new company and new owners for Trulite for the first time in a long time… So within a year two of the biggest players in the fabricator side of things have changed hands. And I think there’s a few more adventures ahead M&A wise.  

 

--  A very good man is hanging it up.  Jerry Schwabauer of Azon is retiring.  Jerry has always been one of the nicest and most welcoming guys to me and to many others in our world and someone who has worked hard to improve energy performance through great innovation at Azon.  Our industry will absolutely miss him, and I will personally- great guy.  I will have him on my podcast before he gets too deep into his next phase of life!  Congrats Jerry!!

 

--  As I noted last week, I did sit in on an AIA forecast and it does connect a lot to the previous economic data we’ve heard including backlogs at architectural firms are strong and that 2023 should be positive in the commercial space.  Residential?  Look out.  And that includes the prediction that shower door installs will suffer as more and more homeowners tighten their belts thanks to inflation and interest rates slowing new builds.  Obviously, the shower door side is BIG in our space, so that’s a red flag to keep an eye out on.  There were a few other nuggets for commercial with the retrofit approach looking like it could weather a lot of storms, its numbers are strong and getting better and that forecast is close to hitting all-time best.  Bottom line as always though?  Stay focused on what you do, diversify those options, get more efficient and communicate.  That approach can overcome a ton.

 

--  I am soooo late to this but a great connection/follow on LinkedIn is Benji Bolick.  He is the “Door Dork” and his content is fabulous.  His Top Ten Fails of Doors in Vegas during GlassBuild was fantastic.  If you are on LinkedIn- see that post HERE and connect with him.  Sorry that I am like years behind on this stuff! 

 

--  Something to keep an eye on- the shortage of Diesel fuel is now starting to make news.  The shortages are more concentrated in a few areas of the US but if this grows this obviously affects our industry (and the entire economy) a great deal.  Most of our trucks, no matter where you are at in the chain run on Diesel.  Shortages and then the obvious price increase that comes with a supply chain crunch, will surely play a nasty role if this thing grows.  I am hoping maybe the fear here is either overdone or is addressed and improved on quickly.  But heads up none the less.

 

--  Last this week… Midterm election in the US and make sure you vote!  And if you are on the fence, the legendary Carl Christ of DFI, who in a past life was a serious music superstar did a Public Service Announcement on voting.  So if you need a boost, check out his post, watch that video and get to the polls.  Keep rocking Carl.. and slowly but surely I am going to get the whole story of “The Medflys” out to the masses!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  I love the chain store Wawa (Sheetz and Cumberland Farms in that category- all behind Buccee’s in the glass station/store/must stop rankings) but this promo went south…

 

--  Well at least this house had a ton of trick or treaters!  We surely did not have not for a while now.

 

--  Update on the Walleye competition controversy that I had on here a few weeks ago and we talked about on a previous podcast.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Country Glass is one of my favorites in the industry- great owners and team and have some of the best swag going (thank you for sharing some with me too!) – So this week’s spotlight on them- this is a small gig but looks great… glass and metal standing out nicely and I am sure once done the entire project is one for our world to be proud of.  Cheers to Brian Risinger, Joe Lambertson and everyone there who really do amazing things in our space and FOR our space.  Kudos!

Catching Up

I’m still flying high after an amazing GlassBuild but it’s back to the day-to-day grind right?  Some catch up items from the show and elsewhere around our industry below!

 

--  I missed Congratulating Pete deGorter and team on their 100^th Anniversary that they celebrated at GlassBuild.  Obviously, a great run and happy see them rolling along.  Pete is truly one of the good guys in our world and I loved his “hat” promo at the show- all well done.  Congrats DeGorter on the century in business!

 

--  The hotel I stayed at in Vegas probably didn’t do us any favors as an industry because the glass allowed a TON of heat in- especially in the workout facility.  Really bizarre stuff there as I know Vegas is hot, but I have never stayed at a hotel there where I could feel the warmth coming through the window like this.  And I won’t put the fabricator on blast (though it is one I am not friendly with or know much on) because maybe this was a spec issue or a fluke- but still very odd.

 

--  A few years ago after a BEC show in Vegas Steve Cohen of Vitro hung out with Mike Tyson at the airport. (I believe Steve and Iron Mike are still close, that's why I try to stay on Steve's good side)  This year after GlassBuild, Dave Anderson of HHH/Salem may have topped him by running into and getting a picture with Terry Bradshaw.  VERY COOL.  I have not gotten lucky like these guys but I did see the movie star good looks of Cameron Scripture of Viracon so that should count for something right?

 

--  And speaking of Salem/HHH…Lost in the shuffle of the GlassBuild run up was a podcast I did with the gang from Salem/HHH and Vardhan Mehta of Acelab.  Was a good pod and catching up with some very interesting players in our world.  

Check it out

VIDEO 

AUDIO 

--  And of course, if you missed the Van Ride podcast- the masses are asking two questions from that one… What call name did Patrick Elmore pick (he was deciding between 3 last I checked)and when will Carl Christ and the Medflys tour again?  Answers to come on both… but if you missed and want context and so much more:

VIDEO

AUDIO

 

The next podcast is in the works and will be dropping next week… plus I have some really interesting guests lined up for the next few months including a major major industry player on a solo appearance to end the year.  You can subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify and follow on YouTube too.  Thank you!

 

--  The Architectural Billings Index is wobbling but still positive.  51.7 in the last rating.  Can it stay above water another month?  Remember what we heard at GlassBuild was the downturn for us would start around March of 2024… so every month that the ABI hangs in there could mean delaying a downturn on the other end.  Next week I’ll have some insights from a recent AIA forecast call to share as well. 

 

--  New rules coming to the Florida condo market that I think would have a long-term effect on what we do and who we do it for.  I can see a lot of old buildings coming down because of this- making room for new.  But also I think there’s enough confusion here that the push back may be strong.

 

--  I did see the news on Walker Glass partnering with a PE firm and I’ll go back to my tried-and-true plea that hopefully that does not change the support of the company industry wide.  Walker has been a huge player in the industry universe always attending everything out there and sponsoring etc.  Walkers’ reputation is pristine and features some of the best folks in our world.  Obviously, this is an exciting time for the owners and management at Walker and I congratulate them so hopefully the past track record can continue without issue!

 

--  Last this week… Interesting news that the AIA show is going to be managed by the AIA and not a third party (like it has been for years) So will this mean this show improves and cares about its exhibit floor?  That will be the first thing to see.  They do have their work cut out for them with the next show in San Fran (terrible for shows right now) and getting past the previous missteps.  I guess we will see! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

No cars are good when flooded- that includes electric too- and the last hurricane took its toll on some Teslas.

 

I sincerely think we are in a combo of inflation and gouging.  Eventually something has to settle right?  First up- Halloween candy (thankfully my lifestyle change avoids this)

 

I love Florida but the animal thunderdome continues to get worse… now Bears just rolling up to houses like no biggie…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Grabbed this from the feed of Mario Gutierrez of Hale Glass.  Did not see any of the details (like who manufactured and fabricated the glass and aluminum) but the pictures were very nice and building looks great!  Congrats Mario and Hale Glass team and keep up the great work out there!!

The Giant GlassBuild Recap

What a week in Vegas. A crazy packed and somewhat confusing show floor led to an epic time at GlassBuild. I love this event with the learning and comradery at every single turn.  This year really came through at every level and was pretty memorable.  The overall trend on the show floor was “screens” as more exhibits than I have ever seen put the video screen in play.  It is a great way to get your point across visually and allow you to use your booth space more effectively.  The other part was the vibe.  People are feeling positive about 2023 and while worried about 2024, they used this show to seek out efficiencies and ways to diversify their offering to guard against the downturn that’s coming.  (And according to the amazing Connor Lokar, the economist who spoke at the Glazing Executives Forum, it’s headed our way in the commercial space in early 2024.). And there were plenty of options of efficiency and diversification on that floor!  So with all of that said, time for my annual name dropping and recognition of seen and heard at the show!

 

--  Walker Glass celebrated their 80^th Anniversary with a party so gregarious on the floor, I couldn’t get near it to say congrats or even see Danik Dancause in a legendary suit. The great Casey Anderson and the ICD team were also in celebratory mode after winning one of the Best in Show awards thanks to a brilliant video screen. And I loved seeing the Chris Phillips led Shower Door Professionals group.  I only saw Chris for a moment and visited with a few of the guys, but it is amazing the bonds that Chris and these guys (like the awesome Billy Britt, Bill/Keith Daubmann, Brandon Nicastro, Chance Forman etc.) have forged.  A deep and meaningful set of relationships that is good for our world.

 

--  From the parts I attended, the Glazing Executives Forum was strong- Jodi Martinez of AllStar Glass is a natural as the host. Today she’s hosting this, give her time and she’s hosting the Emmys and Oscars next!  I got to meet Jon Gaines and Leah Kerr-Michaels of Island Glass and they were extremely cool (as most from Hawaii are.) I saw Jeff Haber of W&W for about 10 seconds which was a bummer, but hopefully I’ll see him and crew at BEC in the spring. 

 

--  I love getting to see the fine folks from IGE led by Michael and Carolyn Spellman.  Special shout out to Jeff Spicer there who was moving a thousand miles an hour getting their booth built from the ground up, Nice work!  I also got to see my old pal Lyle Shimazu for the first time in many many years.  What an awesome experience!  And speaking of awesome, Ray Luna of Champion Glass fits that bill to a T.  Thrilled to spend a few minutes catching up and look forward to seeing him at Texpo next spring. And obviously a visit to Texpo means I’ll get to see the incredible Brian Risinger of Country Glass.  Brian hooked me up with some Country Glass gear that of course turned heads- and I was honored to wear it.  And in Texas I’ll get to see the bros Kyle and Clint Sharp from Sharp Glass.  Classy to the core there.

 

--  Chris Cullum and CMS had one of the best booths in the show in my opinion, the blue carpet popped and layout was strong. GGI also had a showstopping exhibit and Spencer Raymond built it in like 30 seconds- what a monster.  LOL.  Was also super to see cousin Scott Cook too there as well as the Kentucky Colonel Brad Thurman.  While visiting there I met Sean McEneaney of Glass Concepts- good guy!   Stanley Yee from Dow is always a favorite of mine and when I needed Febreze for a musty smell, my main man Stanley was clutch! And also hustling was Andrew Kennedy of Naverra- he was a machine on that show floor with meeting after meeting as his company gets closer to launch. 

 

--  Winner of the best-looking clothes by an exhibitor again went to Dapper Dan Reinhart of Salem Fabrication Technologies.  Especially the day 2 blue shirts- they may be the nicest shirts in GlassBuild history. Speaking of history- guys I go way back with that I was able to see included the great reps Jeff Ziesche of Jaz Sales and Tony Kasprzak of Seawall Architectural.  Both were swamped the entire time, Jeff at the bustling and packed FHC booth and Tony somehow walked the show with a phone constantly going- that was serious multi-tasking!  Rich Porayko was everywhere as always and saw a ton of Sand & Soda gear throughout- especially at the Tailgate Party! Also all the Rowe’s from Rowe Fenestration- just freaking fantastic people.

 

--  On the bummer side I only saw the terrific Devin Bowman of TGP/Allegion for a second as I was tied up and he was on the move.  Same with Tom Herron of NFRC- Tom and I usually grab a picture and I never made it to his booth- sucks.  I did not get enough time with James Wright of Virginia Glass because that guy never stops working the room!  And Jim Ventre from Gardner was only a brief handshake and wave-, but I did get to chat with Lucas Brooks from there and that worked out well. 

 

--  Was great to visit with Ray Garries.  He is always on top of every move- as is the legend Heather West.  She is and will always be the gold standard in our industry both as PR pro and person.  Loved meeting Aaron Blom of FGIA.  Was a blast talking the past with him and just a very cool cat.  Got to meet Alex Reed of Reed Rubber Products in person and she has that “it” factor that will be big in our space for years to come. We need youth like her and may as well add in Sam Olson in on that praise too. He’ll be a future pod guest and any old pal of Melanie Dettmer is someone I want to know. Keep an eye on Hari Atkuri of Smart Glass Labs- he has that next gen product with a next gen mindset behind it. And Bruce Murray of TruClad is just a beast.  He is rocking with his new company and has one of the best hat games in the biz.  

 

--  Hats.  Oh the hats.  Specifically, the “NGA Glass Nerd” hat via the OG Andrew Haring.  Everyone wants one.  And I mean EVERYONE.  More than a few times after someone started to talk to me and I am thinking “wow this person is interested in me” to then have the conversation veer to “so do you think you could get Andrew to get me a hat?”  Those babies have to be earned folks…. 

 

--  My Pittsburgh roots were in play, good to see the very talented Emily Yukish and Ryan Seitzinger of Specified Systems.  That is a fantastic company and those two networked all over the place.  Also from the steel city?  The awesome Sue Errera & Renee Ferrari of Global/Isoclima and I also got to meet in person Trent Thiry from there.  He’s new to our side of the world and he’ll do very well. Sharp guy who gets it.  Also new to our world Dennis Higgins of Fenetech, and first impression there was very positive!

 

--  Few more before I wrap up- saw the brilliant Paco Bono for a few seconds as well as one of my all-time favorites the spectacular Shelly Farmer.  She was chatting with Joe Brklacich who I finally met in person! Luc Boileau of Herzog Glass is one of my guys- can’t wait to catch a Kraken game with him some day.  Last but never least the Mayor of Glasstown- Jon Johnson. Always da man. 

 

--  I’m sure I missed a bunch and I am sorry- my brain is pretty mushy right now.  But I’ll finish with kudos to the entire NGA team.  Everyone was in pure hustle mode to put on a great show, deal with issues as they arose, and kept plugging along.  Honored to be a part of that legendary team! So in the books 2022’s edition goes… Next year back to Atlanta and I’m already pumped.  But before that we have a big Glass Conference in Miramar, Florida and then the 25^th Anniversary Edition of BEC.  So massive stuff ahead!

 

NO links or project of the week this post- they both will return next week!

 

VanCast and GlassBuild Week!

What happens when you stuff 6 people and a plastic cut out in a van and head to GlassBuild via the desert? A seriously memorable time and an audio disaster.  First the good, the van trip from LA to Las Vegas was something else- fun people and interesting sights made for a great day.  Major props to Casey Anderson of ICD for being the ring leader and then hanging with Danny Estrada of CRL, Kendal Rowe of Rowe Fenestration, Carl Christ of DFI, a very stiff Patrick Elmore of Infinite Recycled Technologies (he was unable to attend, so his plastic cutout did) and Andrew Haring of NGA was awesome.  If you are on any social media you’ve probably seen the exploits of the trip by now- if not check it out!  The bad was I did a podcast with folks in the van and somehow 2 of the interviews of the 4 had unusable audio.  I have no idea what happened and am seriously bummed because it was great content from Danny and Casey that you missed.  I will make I up to both and in the meantime PLEASE check out their booths at GlassBuild!  I did get an interview with Kendal in the Van, and pre-taped with Carl and Patrick, along with a bonus of Casey interviewing me, so that is still worth a listen- some neat ground covered both professionally and personally.  Thank you for giving it whirl!

VIDEO 

AUDIO 

 

Obviously, this leads into a massive week.  GlassBuild is here.  Finally. I am so excited to visit with people and also learn about all of the new products and services available in our world.  This is going to be great run!  If you are at the show, please stop me to say hi!  I may look harried and rushed but I think I always look that way. LOL. Next week I’ll have my usual breakdown on who and what I saw and we’ll see how many great names I can drop! 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Nice news on a couple good industry guys…  first up Brad Boone taking on the role of sales director of advanced glazings and architectural government sales liaison for Vitro.  Brad is a great guy and someone who has a sincere passion for our space that I really respect.  In this position he will truly advance products (like VIG) that are incredibly important for our world. 

And congrats also to Matt Verderamo, who is now the Vice President of Preconstruction & Sales at Alliance Exterior Construction.  I met Matt over a year ago and he’s been nothing short of a dynamo rocking and rolling through our world and gaining knowledge and network along the way.  Genuinely good man too. Happy for both guys and props to both Vitro and Alliance Exterior Construction for making these smart moves.

 

--  There was movement at the top of Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope that I missed mentioning last week with the naming of Bruno Biasiotta as Chief Executive Officer. Obviously, this is a huge position atop the biggest player in that space.  My hope, as I always say in moves like this, is that the new management takes to our industry and looks to be supportive and active in events like GlassBuild and the various conferences.  The support there is always crucial and appreciated.  Welcome to our world Bruno!

 

--  Last this week…That big deal I mentioned a few weeks ago is worse than the movie “The Runaway Bride” – my gosh I keep hearing about being to the altar so many times without the wedding happening, it’s making me crazy.  Almost starting to wonder if I’m getting punked… but If I am the amount of people in on it is pretty impressive.  Anyway I still think a deal is coming down the pike sooner than later…

 

LINKS of the WEEK

File this under- Not good.

 

Timely since we are in Vegas this week- this town really is for adults more and more.  

 

Slowly but surely everything in life is going to get cancelled.  Just easier. Also my attitude is bad while writing this since I just discovered the audio nightmare mentioned above.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This one from the great folks at Prelco and their LinkedIn feed.  This is a job in progress at 

McMaster University's Hamilton Campus. The focus is on the health and comfort of users through the addition of fitness and academic spaces. Glass delivers always! Sharp looking project featuring laminated and decorative.  Props to the Architect MJMA Architecture and Design on a great design and the install so far looking stellar from bmg. Glass + Aluminum. Congrats to all involved!