Plan It Now

Have you registered for BEC and GPAD yet?  Those of you who have attended these conferences know the value and I assume you’ll be signing on soon.  But let’s say you have not attended and have no idea what the fuss is about… let me take you through it.  BEC is an incredible networking and educational experience.  The chance to learn and understand what the challenges are that the glazing community faces and be able to network with that space is what makes this so special.  I believe this year is my 20^thBEC (my brain is mush so not positive) and it has never failed to deliver something new to me with info or people wise.  If you are a glazier you need to be there to be ahead of the game.  If you supply a glazier you need to be there to see and understand what’s happening on that side of the ball.  Click HERE to learn more.  Meanwhile GPAD- also known as Glass Processing and Automation Days is a must attend event if you are a fabricator of glass.  With the challenges of labor and efficiency more severe than ever, getting to an event like this, where you can learn about the next level of machinery and software is crucial to your future.  Glass fabricators that are serious about improving themselves attend this conference and grow positively because of it.  Click HERE for more information and on GPAD and note that agenda will continue to be updated…. Seriously folks, these are events that can’t be missed! Plan it now and I'll see you there!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Big news from our world with the word that Chris Dolan of Guardian Glass is retiring.  Chris has had a massive influence on how we do things and the products we use each and every day.  Those of you newer to the business may not realize that Chris was a significant player in getting the Guardian SunGuard glass line launched, pushed, and now utilized all over the place.  When he took that responsibility on it that was a massive job and he aced it.  Now I know Chris well enough that he’ll deflect all credit and props but his efforts were big time substantial.  In fact, I would go as far as saying that on the Mount Rushmore of Guardian Glass it would be Mr. Davidson, Russ Ebeid, Joe Bruce (someone who many do not realize was a force in so many ways there) and Chris Dolan.  Without Chris’ efforts I honestly don’t think Guardian is where it is now with regards to respect, reputation, and standing in the market.  I am so happy for him, and thrilled to see him get ready to go off and enjoy the next chapter in his life! 

 

--  I sat in on a construction outlook call this week and really no major new ground was covered.  Labor issues and inflation continue to be the focus… Price escalation and volatility is getting people in some serious trouble, so folks please do what you can do to protect yourself and make sure your communication and paperwork are the best it can be.  As for the inflation and labor worries, the analysts feel that the inflation angle will eventually calm but there is not a great hope on the labor issue. We all have experienced labor being bad, but its surely getting worse.  And thus another reason why getting to BEC and GPAD is so immense because these areas will get addressed/discussed.

 

--  One of my favorite annual contests is back and open for nominations.  It’s the Eastman Vanceva World of Color contest.  I love this one because it shows off so many unique and interesting projects and usage of laminated glass.  So check it out and get your projects submitted!

 

--  Last this week, some big news on the manufacturer rep side…. One of the best rep firms in our world is Rowe Fenestration and they announced that they’ll be taking on Peerless Architectural Windows and Doors.  This is big news since Rowe Fen has really set the market table in their region and bringing this line on surely is a disruption.  Leave it to the legend Scott Rowe to always keep people on their toes!! Congrats to Rowe and Peerless (whom I know very little, but something tells me with the Rowe machine and the great Lindsey Parker pushing, I’ll know a ton soon) on this new deal.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Pretty fascinating story on a 7-foot guy showing off his perspective from that height.

 

--  I feel like I learned something when I read about a metal plan melting on a glass cook top

 

--  Long story but interesting and heavy at points on a home bought that was once a plantation with slaves. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

A few months back I stumbled onto the feed of Ty Clem of Global Fabrication and then connected with him. He posts (and does) some awesome work and this job in particular really delivered.  This is the Tulsa City-County Central Library and it is something to adore. According to Ty’s post it features cassette wall cubes from England (I think I know the brand but Ty didn’t mention on post and I don’t want erroneously guess) along with Kawneer curtainwall, tons of all glass entrances and TGP fire rated glass- which happens to be in the largest fire rated wall in the state.  NICE! Congrats Ty and Global Fabrication on a job well done!!

 

 

2022 Prediction Time

After a one-week delay, my fearless predictions for 2022 are here.  Let’s go…

Yes- Interior Growth this year- I called for Glass to be more dominant than ever in 2021 based in part to major design shifts to the interior using more glass.  Unfortunately, the delay of returning to any sort of work also delayed this growth.  Well, I am going for it in 2022, interiors with tons of glass will take off.

More 8mm- The trend really started to push with more 8mm glass in IGU’s then the traditional 6mm, and I think in 2022, it’s going to become more standard than ever.  Bigger sizes are demanding this and the quality options improve too.  (Though some tempering ovens will need upgraded and a bigger need for quality tracking because of this for sure.) The days of 6 over 6 as the ONLY go to are coming to an end.

Rough waters for some- We are going to lose some businesses this year.  I hope not, but my fear is the amount of crazy pricing, supply chain issues, and plain old bad luck will doom some folks.  This is one prediction I hope is wrong, but I have a bad feeling about this mostly because some businesses were not as organized as they needed to be or funded as well as they needed to be for them to ride out a monumental mess that certain things became.  We will see…

Code Crunch- The various code and guideline bodies have been pretty mellow lately which means I think we are about to see them raise up.  What will it be though?  Less glass or call for higher performing glass options?  I am confident that the brilliant NGA Superhero Code team will do all they can to keep glass flowing but I think they’re going to be awfully busy this year battling other construction segments. 

More than 1 big deal is coming- We know there are a few massive companies for sale in our industry and I think in 2022 more than 1 will actually get sold.  One of these deals will turn the industry on its head too either in who it is sold to or how it is broken up/restructured.   This is just a guess, I don’t have any intel yet, just a feel is all.  I just hope whoever makes these deals wants to do right by the industry as a whole.  Be involved with the NGA, GlassBuild etc.  We need to keep that rolling to keep our overall industry healthy and headed in the right direction.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  If you missed my podcast from last week- please check it out.  Three incredible guests in Nicole Harris, Tara Brummet, and Andy Russo and all with tons of insight and angles.  

For VIDEO  

For AUDIO

 

--  I am happy to say I was wrong on my prediction that the latest Architectural Billings Index would be underwater this month.  The latest came in at a winning 52.0 actually up one point from last month.  So, despite the bad “feel” out there the metrics came together on the positive side.  The analysis of the report showed some concern with staffing and holes in the market but otherwise hard to quibble with this streak we are on…

 

--  Congrats to the team at International Revolving Door (Led by Whitney and Josh Kratochvil) on the launch of their tremendous new website.  Check it out here- and love the headline “YOU KNOW WHERE TO TURN” when it’s on a revolving door site- cool. Well done team!

 

--  I really enjoyed seeing two of my favorite people combine on a cool blog post… John Wheaton and Matt Verderamo go back and forth on fasteners and engineering- so for me who is clueless on so many things technically- it was an intriguing dive into the minds of two really brilliant engineers.  Good work guys!

 

--  Last this week… the Daubmann family (MY Shower Door and D3) was back in the news as they met with United States Senator Rick Scott on the state of the supply chain.  I love that these folks consistently get in the conversation at high levels and elevate our industry along the way.  The report on the meeting can be found here and I am sure this is just the start of more dialogue that our world will be a part of thanks to the efforts of folks like Bill and Keith.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

This should be filed in the “don’t we have better things to do” category.

 

Here we go again… Google Glasses are back!

 

Brutal story of robbery gone bad and more.  Wow.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

One of my favorites in this world is Rick Alexander of Tom Brown.  Smart as heck and nice guy too.  He turned me on to a project that his company worked on with a technology I never heard of and it opened my eyes to something pretty darn amazing.  Check this project out from INOVUES.  This is their non-invasive, overglaze window retrofit system, named Glazing Shield™, that provides the same benefits of window replacement at a fraction of the cost and time, and without disruption.  READ this release for the details and more images- very impressive and intense.  Also impressive was their leadership (Anas Al Kassas and Alex King) team which I got to speak to thanks to Rick and a podcast appearance is coming soon.  Fascinating story and product line!

 

Pod, Rumors, Projects, Dogs and More

Because of so many other things going this week I am pushing my 2022 predictions to next week… I know for those of you planning your year you are devastated but it’s worth the wait!

 

I am thrilled to drop the latest episode of the From the Fabricator podcast and it’s a powerful one.  Leading off with Nicole Harris, President and CEO of the National Glass Association I thought was a great way to start the year.  Nicole is absolutely brilliant and thoughtful, and she delivered a lot of food for thought and she stunned me on who her current role model is….

Then Tara Brummet from Vitrum joined me and Tara is one of the most talented and popular people in our industry.  Loved her backstory and her approach/influence in our industry.  Last Andy Russo of Glass & Metal Craft joined and I absolutely loved hearing about his past, the drive, lessons learned and then the big key- the things we should all be doing to grow our industry.  Some of you reading this do what Andy is a big proponent of, we need to get more on that….  Thank you for checking this episode out- to watch it, visit HERE and to listen it is on Apple, Spotify and more but also HERE.  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  One of the big items people are talking about … the buzz surrounding a potential deal for Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope.  And that buzz is growing big time.   Due diligence is moving at a dizzying pace.  I just don’t know who’s behind all of the work because it is seriously shrouded in secrecy.  But things are moving…. So obviously stay tuned…

 

--  Speaking of items people are talking about… the absolutely monumental news that Andersen Corporation (Andersen Windows) is a part of an investment into Ubiquitous Energy.  This is massive given that Andersen is the largest window player in the world and now they are throwing in to this incredibly exciting and important technology.  And the release noted this is just as big for residential as it is for commercial, which is a massive move.   End of the day it is positive news for our industry and it’s no secret I am a fan of the team at Ubiquitous- so a giant CONGRATS to them!

 

--  Interesting week ahead with the next release of the Architectural Billings Index on Wednesday.  The feeling I have is we may have our first under water rating in a year.  I hope not, but I just have this feeling of dread coming.  I do think if it happens it will be an aberration though.  Possibly my negativity is coming from the overall malaise in our world and the Dodge Momentum Index being down 3% in December.  I will note the Dodge people said in their December release they are still confident on 2022 and it would be more “balanced” too and that is comforting.  Regardless let’s see what we get this week and go from there….

 

--  Some sad news to report.  John Baldry long time leading force in the Canadian glass market with Pilkington and then most notably AFG/AGC passed away at the age of 95.  Great person and leader and was admired by so many both in Canada and the U.S.- I didn’t work with him much personally (he retired a few years after I got into the business) but he worked a lot through the years in different ways with my family.  Class act and huge loss for our universe again.  My condolences to John’s family and friends. 

 

--  ENR Magazine had its best projects of the year layout and those are always fun and that is actually what spurred me to do my project of the week here.  Here are their choices for 2021 but I have to say I am pretty sure many of the projects I spotlighted here should’ve been on this list and were absolute winners.  Obviously, ENR is using different parameters, they are more international, and they don’t look at the glass and glazing like we do… still interesting reads and some wild efforts here. 

 

--  Last this week… you know I love dogs… we now have 5 of them in our house (including our first “grand dog”) so I’ll end with a cool link shared with me by the great Jen Marsik Friess of Guardian Glass.  Dogs saving their owners… HERE!  Love it!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  I know that going viral on YouTube can make you money- but is it worth blowing up your Tesla to do it? 

 

Tough story on a Moose falling through a window!

 

How does this happen?  Builder lies about owning a lot.  Ouch for person who hired him and more.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

We go to Denver this week… from the feed of Brad Holt of Element13 Facades (which Brad if you read this- where did the name Element13 come from?)  Tremendous looking project- this is the 240 St. Paul project and the glass and glazing are right on point.  Love it.  I saw in one of the comments the unitized came from Accura but no word on glass supply. Regardless this one is a beauty and one we can be proud of- Congrats Brad and the team at Element13!

2021 Prediction Review- How did I do?

So my tradition is always on the 2^ndpost of the year to review my predictions from the previous year and grade how they turned out.  I am never always right or always wrong and looks like 2021 stayed in track with that.  Next week my official predictions for 2022 will be out.  But until then lets grade out 2021.
--  Glass is going to be the big winner post COVID-19. – I’d say this is a “no” but I think I was just too early in the prediction as all indications still point to glass being dominant once any sort of normalcy returns.  I continue to underestimate the legs of this pandemic.  

--  2021 wiil be a “Donut” year- a hole in the middle and then solid- Get ready for a roller coaster ride.  This was a “Yes” and an adventurous ride it was. 2022 is shaping up to be a nice recovery especially for those that spent way too much time in the center of the donut.

--  Protective Glass is absolutely in style now- I’m going “yes” here.  New players into the market with the biggest news of the world leading Isoclima brand now in the North American market with the acquisition of Global Security and Dlubak. Plus strong debuts from companies like Thompson IG and Ballistic Glass and Armor Solutions (BGAS) really made an impact.  More innovations here and a ton of additional specifications.  This only scratched the surface in 2021 too. 

--  Automation- real automation, and continued software growth- I am going with a “no” here as there wasn’t a big enough push into automation but that also may be delayed given some fully automated systems are out 2 years lead time wise.  This is still an area to watch and I love the software space too.  Big year last year for folks like BidClips (led by the amazing Jim Evans) Fenetech (with a big deal to continue their roll) and the good folks at SPIL who are growing in North America nicely.  More to come I am sure.

--  Emergence of high performance code busters-  This is an absolute “Yes” with VIG hitting the jackpot led by Michael Spellman and VIG Technologies connecting with Vitro.  Plus another major VIG startup is making waves too meaning that world is here to stay.  We also saw the great people from Ubiquitous Energy arrive on the scene and really step to the plate with game changing transparent solar technology. That is huge. And not to be downplayed at all but SAGE and Halio (with a big connection with Viracon) boosted the dynamic space nicely.

 

So I count at 3 wins, 2 losses but those losers were close…. Bottom line is I do like some of the directions we are going in and the positive effect it is going to have on our world. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  This past week I was at the Glass Expo Southeast and it was fantastic.  Kudos to the organizers there as this event was first class and it came off extremely busy and well.  Great way to start the year to see some excellent companies and people and everyone fired up for a great 2022! Some key takeaways… was tremendous to see super rep duo Tony and Kristen Kasprzak.  They were hustling the show on their anniversary no less- so romantic right? Speaking of reps, my pal Jeff Ziesche was holding down a very busy FHC stand- always love visiting with him. Speaking of busy the Virginia Glass duo of James Wright and Jeremy Hoy were so busy, I barely got a chance to say hi. Also swamped?  Jay Campbell of Billco but he always makes time for me and if I end up in Germany later this year he’ll probably bail me out there again like he did a few years ago. (At least I hope he does!) 

I was super impressed with Michele Welch and her company Illustrated Interiors.  She specializes in shop drawings for all glass entrances and just a super setup and service offering. Loved meeting her and seeing the work.  Good stuff!  

Always cool to run into people in new places like Andy Amitrano who I knew from his days of being one of the forces in the Colorado glazing community and now is doing his awesome work in Orlando at Architectural Aluminum Techniques.  Cass Buczek was a guy I worked with way back in my past in Michigan and now he has really settled in nicely at this gig with a great company in Banner Solutions.  

I am a fan of what the NACC is doing and they are on a huge roll right now, so it was cool to be able to congratulate Jeff Dalaba and Ben Beeler in person on continued jobs well done!  

Old friends like Gus Trupiano of GGI and Scott Goodman of CRL never fail to bring a smile to my face. Class Acts!

I don’t think I ever met Barry Wood of the legendary Wood’s Pwr Grip brand so that was very nice and same with getting to chat with Shaun Gustafson of ClearShield Technologies.  I’ve always seen their names and know their brands so getting a chance to meet was super. Meeting Jason Rodgers of G+ and him noting he was a reader of the blog and listener to the podcast was pretty cool for me. 

Last the MyGlassClass.com booth was jammed mostly because icons like Andrew Haring and Melanie Dettmer were holding court. (Those two just have me in awe) Amazing how they just rock and roll at events like this and add real spirit to our world.  Plus the absolute thirst for education from the audience really made the day(s).  People WANT and NEED to learn more and it was obvious at this event that applications like MyGlassClass are perfect to fill that request.

 

--  BEC and GPAD are now open for registration!  So excited about these events.  I think most of you know about BEC- the ultimate networking hub for the glazing community.  But GPAD is a great one too and its education is geared towards the glass fabricator.  If you are looking for equipment or software to improve your operation (and I assume you should be) then you NEED TO BE in Nashville for GPAD.  The best in the world will be on hand pitching the latest and great efficiencies for the plant floor.   If you need more info or insight on this, please just hit me up.  

 

--  Last this week… my annual Super Bowl pick.  So in my article with Katy Devlin I picked the Ravens- and I loved them to win it until they seemingly lost every game possible down the stretch.  So now, as of this posting, they are not even in the playoffs so I need to pick a new winner.  Here it is.  I am going with the Rams over the Titans, though I would love to see a Buccaneer/Patriot final for the storyline (Brady vs his old coach and team) and to see the Daubmann family have to split their allegiances between their two favorite teams….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Apple “Air tags” may be nice but this is problematic

 

Wow- I know my friends in Canada can party but this is even more than that! Plus how to get home???

 

Paper mill asking for “donations” - Isn’t this just recycling anyway?  Such an odd story.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Since I was in Florida this week, I went with some of that flavor for the project of the week.  Down to South Florida we go, and this amazing auto showroom done by the awesome team at Miller Glass & Glazing (by the way the open on their website is super) This is a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Fort Lauderdale. Miller did great work on a full glass exterior, showing off the product nicely and making our industry look great once again.  Kudos to Sid Miller and team there and the lucky suppliers (they weren’t listed on the LinkedIn post) who worked on it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 2022- Now Let's Go!

2022.  We made it.  Time to start another year and maybe, just maybe we’ll see more “normal” vs. what we have experienced since early in 2020.  For our industry the year will get off to a fast start with the Southeast Glass Expo taking place later this week.  I’m pumped for this event as it should be a great kick off for the year and It will be exciting to get to once again see folks in a show setting.  Soon after that wraps up, we’ll have a nice run of events as we have the NGA Glass Conference scheduled for January 24-26 (Register Now) and then of course the return of the monster BEC and GPAD events in Nashville at the end of March.  2022 is also the International Year of Glass, so let’s all lean into it- get involved- join NGA, get to these events, educate yourselves and your co-workers and let’s all grow together in the best industry around….

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  When I speak of NGA and joining one perk is member only deals like presentations from Connor Lokar of ITR Economics.  His presentation before the year was out was incredible and the ability to plan accordingly with that info is huge for any business.  Two key takeaways for me were that he sees inflation starting to stabilize and then decelerate and he is not bullish on the shower door space in 2022 because of slowing consumer spend.  Interesting on both.  The whole 30-minute presentation was incredible though and loaded with info- so if you are member get to the members only portal on the NGA site and check it out.  Not a member?  Seriously time to join!

 

--  Supply chain update via Gilbane came during the holiday season too.  In the three categories they track of price, inventories, and delivery we are now listed as stabilizing, contracting, and delayed.  And on that first one, I don’t see that stabilizing for long especially since the only other tracked business area that is not in the “increase” mode is PPE. (Which I find odd given how much everyone needs it.) Obviously, we are living in this world, so we don’t need a report to tell us what we are experiencing- but it is at least some reinforcement that we are surely still in the middle of the muck out there.

 

--  While laying low during the break I found myself on the Vitro Education Center page and it was like ultimate glass rabbit hole for me just reading piece after piece and checking it all out.  It is like when you are on YouTube and looking for something about the 80’s and you end up being on there for 2 hours- that was me on the Vitro Education site.  Super well-done folks… kudos to the great Rob Struble and team for this amazing resource.

 

Two from the “In case you missed it” file… 

 

--  Here’s my one-on-one podcast with Mr. Don Friese HERE (on video) and HERE (audio) and the reaction to it has been amazing.  Especially in regard to the lessons Mr. Friese delivered over the 25 minutes or so of the cast.  Please check it out and coming soon the first episode of season 2 with 3 awesome guests!

 

--  And I was honored that the amazing Katy Devlin of Glass Magazine asked me to join her to talk “Crystal Ball” for 2022 and it was a blast- fun look at a few things including what could be a horrendously bad Super Bowl pick.  Potentially my worst ever!

 

--  Next week I’ll review my predictions for 2021.  I honestly have not looked back yet and am scared to see what that thinking was 365+ days ago… I’ll give an honest accounting though and take the wins and losses accordingly!

 

--  Last this week… so with the new year means some great TV shows will be back with new seasons soon.  Looking forward most to “Ozark” which will be back later this month and “Better Call Saul” which I hope is back in February.  Comically I have just started to watch “The Sopranos” – yes I know I’m like 20 years late to this and it is so good- no spoilers please folks…LOL.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  An old story that I had never heard before but crazy way to sneak an inmate out of jail- in a dog crate.

 

--  Another take on the “tiny home” trend

 

Nothing in this story of a man renting a crane to steal a bridge makes sense.  But I’m linking it anyway- maybe one of you can figure it out.  LOL

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

When I started this segment, I had no idea how it would fly, but it’s been a blast showing off work from great folks in our industry.  So, I’ll start 2022 with a favorite of mine, from the feed of the awesome Matt Verderamo of Alliance Exterior Construction.  This is the Howard County Circuit Courthouse and Alliance did the stunning sunshades on this one. Those were manufactured by another all-time fave of mine Tom O’Malley and Clover Architectural Products.  HOK did the exquisite design and Clark rocked it as the GC.  NICE work everyone!