BIG WEEK!

We’ve got a special edition of the From the Fabricator podcast for you out now.  Kicking it off with the outgoing Chair of the NGA, Brian Hale of Hale Glass.  Fun and wide-ranging conversation with a guy who has had an amazing 45+ year run in the business.  Then onto a newer guy in our space, Merv Campbell of Omni Cubed.  Merv took a wild path from Northern Ireland to Northern California and now is doing important things with carts and apparatus to move glass safely and efficiently.  Plus he’s got a great accent- that’s worth the listen alone!  LOL.  Last the best beards in our industry are back with Brandon Bellegarde and Tyler Faulk of Drafting Marketplace stopping by with an update on the newest addition to their offerings- engineering assistance.  Good stuff all the way around.  I really enjoy getting to know these folks and I hope you all do as well. Thanks for checking it out and look for all of these people at GlassBuild and tell them you listened/watched!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Search for From the Fabricator on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to pods)

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  It is indeed GLASSBUILD WEEK!  So pumped.  So much going on and I know this week will be a blur.  Looking forward to learning, catching up with old friends and making new ones, and prepping for 2024.  As for the show floor, I need to see James Wright and the gang at Virginia Glass as they celebrate 110 years in business with cake and drinks (Cake? That could be the sugar burst needed to finish the show day strong!) Oh and rumor has it James celebrates his birthday on Wednesday during the show, so you gotta stop for that too!  Plus I have to see what the big boys like Guardian Glass, Vitro, and YKK have going on.  I always have to see what new trail Michael Spellman and team at IGE at blazing (including the breaking news about IGE with KERAjet and Diptech), and look forward to catching up with many past podcast guests in their booths like Trent Thiry, Chris Hanstad, Barry Sutherland, Mike Synon, Mike Willard, Jeff Dalaba, Ben Beeler, and Kyle Lindersmith.  Also excited to see the new products that Kevin Roth and Privacy Glass Solutions are putting out as well as seeing what’s up Joe Silva and Mike DeBotte’s sleeves at SmartLift.  So much to see.  So many people to see.  So much to learn.  Can’t wait!  Of course next week my blog will be dedicated the who, what, when, and where at the show. 

 

--  Congrats to the great team at W&W for being named ENR New York Specialty Contractor of the Year.  An absolutely well-deserved honor and one that brings positive recognition to our industry as a whole.  So kudos to everyone at W&W on this and on continuing to do such amazing work out there. 

 

--  Sad news this week with the passing of Steve Howes.  Steve was the founder of Glasslam and he was a maverick and truly original and unique guy.  He developed many products over the years and was best known for his approach in the impact safety glass space.  Big loss for our world and condolences and prayers go out to his family, friends, and team at Glasslam.  

 

--  Last this week… my pal Josh Wignall of Quaker Window sent me this cool link with the news that Vikings during the time of 800 to 1100 had windows!  Glass was recovered.  Cool little read here.  So that means in like year 823 some Viking Glass Nerd was looking intently at the glass to see who made it…. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Holding on for dear life?  Wow

 

Seriously would anyone watch a fight between Seagal and Van Damme?  

 

Spiders- I hate em.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

From Chris Hill of Oak Cliff Mirror and Glass and this one looks great.  It is the District 121 office building located in McKinney, Texas and according to the post on LinkedIn, Chris gave kudos to US Aluminum, Guardian Glass, and Tristar Glass.  NICE work everyone!!  Next year with GlassBuild in Texas we’ll all have to get a tour of the great work in the state! 

ABI, HOF, CGA and More

Tough week both professionally and personally, but resilience is always the word around here so we plug on. First on the professional side. The Architectural Billings Index absolutely cratered, coming in with a brutal score of 44.8. That is the worst score since the teeth of the pandemic, and I think it was one of those scenarios of flying too close to the sun for a while and we finally got burned.  We expected down scores for a while, and it never happened so I think the dam just broke.  The analysts now say this starts a new cycle. The last 12 months this index was pretty sideways.  (Basically flat) so where does the index go now?  Does it follow previous patterns in the down times like the “dot com” or recession or will it be like the Covid one where the comeback was quicker.  Only time will tell.  There was some good news though in that backlogs are holding up for the architects and new inquiries were still coming in well above break even.  And hopefully with the Fed cooling on raising rates again maybe we’ll stabilize?  Now more than ever I cannot wait to see what Connor Lokar of ITR says at GlassBuild. He will surely give us the insights needed! 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  One of the things going on during the GlassBuild timing is the Debut of the Glass Industry Hall of Fame that was spearheaded and executed by Matt Day and team.  It has turned into an excellent process, and it’s been exciting to see it all come together.  Our industry finally has that place to honor those that made a difference in our evolution and day to day activity.  So kudos to Matt and team for pulling this through. It’s been a ton and Matt has done it up right.  In addition, the annual Glazier Nation awards will be handed out during the event.  I am still humbled to among the winners because this list of people is truly top notch.  So besides a great GlassBuild to take in, you have the added flavor of these incredible events! 

 

Also Matt and team have a documentary in the works- Check out the first 3 minutes HERE.  It is awesome. If you love glass (and if you are reading this you probably do) you’ll love where this is headed.

 

--  If you listened to my podcast with the ultra cool Amber Deimler of MyGlassTruck you may have heard her hinting at something fun for her booth at GlassBuild.  Well that hint is now a reality as MyGlassTruck announced they’ll have a very cool electric glass delivery tricycle on display.  It is the first of its kind and features a sleek MyGlassTruck glass rack and a range of up to 30 miles.  And best yet you can win it!  They have more on this awesome promotion HERE, check it out and then make sure you see it at the show!

 

--  Congrats to all the folks who worked so hard to get the California Glass Association re-born and off the ground as this past week the news came out that they are an official chapter of the NGA!  Tremendous news!  So kudos to the three fine folks I had on my podcast a few months ago to talk about the journey- Kristie Rehberger, Adam Posik, and Nathan Seeman and to my pal Dan Pompeo who had been banging the drum for this for a long time.  This is great news for the industry and all involved!

 

--  The list of the top 175 Architectural firms for the year is out and really nothing jumped out as a surprise.  Many of the same names lead the way but I always find it interesting looking at this list and of course looking at the revenue numbers.  Those numbers are also interesting because according to the last AIA Forecast call I was on, the bigger the firms billings, the longer the backlogs they have.  So the bigger companies are in better long term shape right now vs. smaller.

 

 

--  Missed this one… in early September it was reported HERE that New York’s Local Law 97 may not have the full teeth when it is due to go into effect next year.  It’s an interesting read on what may happen with this important legislation- one that I believe is a very positive one for our industry.  The key takeaway is the possibility that there could be a two-year grace period if there’s a “good faith” effort to meet the law.  We’ll see.  There’s another hearing on this in November which I assume will clarify it all and it surely will be interesting to see what happens.  And speaking of NYC- this nugget was good to see and helps ease the queasiness that I note above:

Construction spending on projects across New York City will reach $83 billion by the end of 2023, a gain of about $13 billion from last year and a 10% jump from pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent report from the New York Building Congress.

 

--  Last this week… some of you may have heard that my father-in-law Peter Meldrum Sr. passed away this past Tuesday. While he never worked in our industry, he was a huge fan of what we did and always had an insatiable interest in what was new and happening in our world. (Always got a kick out of me looking for tempered logos and for names on IG spacers)  He was obviously a huge part of my life and support system and a massive positive influence.   Plus when I was traveling like a mad man, he was always there to help with my wife and kids.  Never ever said no and loved every minute of it.  He was an amazing man who after he retired from 35 year's at Chrysler went back to school, got two advanced degrees, and then taught and in his spare time and volunteered at hospitals and medical facilities counseling those in need.  This week was tough and I will miss him dearly.  Thank you to all who have already connected with me on this, I and my entire family truly appreciated your prayers and support. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

United trying some new boarding techniques- but this one is fraught with problems too.

 

I’d call this a happy accident.  Getting to go to Disney better than most alternatives

 

I’m very familiar with this area and this story does not surprise

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Over the years I have seen posts from Sunrise Erectors and thought for sure I had spotlighted them here- but upon checking I had not.  Wow.  They’ve done beautiful work.  So here’s one…

This is Gillette Stadium; home of the New England Patriots and this great looking Curtain Wall may be the only good thing that’s happening with the team this year (Ouch sorry Pats fans!)  Anyway great work Sunrise team and kudos to Viracon and EFCO on the Glass and Metal.  Good stuff!   (Note this job is probably done now so if anyone has the completed picture feel free to post in the LinkedIn comments)

All About the Prep

Obviously everything in the industry right now is GlassBuild focused so of course the latest Glass Magazine leads with it and goes in heavy on the event.  If you are attending, being prepared by checking out that issue now will really help you get ready for the show.  If you are not attending, you can at least learn a bit of what the latest and greatest of what will be happening in Atlanta in a few weeks.  The editorial team at Glass Magazine did a great job in breaking down the event, it really got me fired up. Not GlassBuild related, so make sure you catch an awesome piece from Katy Devlin on the “underground history of glass”- very cool. Also the issue had some tremendous “food for thought” articles from regular contributors Matt Johnson of Paul Gary Law and Joe Erb of Quanex.  So check this one out and get up to speed on all!

 

As always I award the Ad of the Month from each issue and given this is a massive edition and one of the most read, the advertisers come out strong.  So a tough choice for me, but each month I do it and I’m up to the task.  The winner for this month is Trust Seal.  Really sharp way of showing their product both in place and then zoomed in.  The color and layout were really strong and it passes the “make you stop and look” rule that I have.  So whomever at Trust Seal did this one- congrats!  Job well done!

 

Elsewhere…

 

One more item on the GlassBuild front… if you are coming and have NOT registered yet, please do yourself a favor and do it ahead of time (like now for example).  Lines in Vegas last year extended out because of so many walk-ups and I would assume that could happen again this year.  So save time and get it done now.

 

The lates Dodge Momentum Index is out and it was a mixed bag.  The overall ticked up, but the segment we all care about was actually down 1%. Year over year, the commercial segment is down quite a bit and so that is continuing concern.  So while the headlines are positive and overall bounced back, we still have those challenges ahead. 

 

Has anyone seen the Planet Fitness commercials touting  “Low E” – they obviously are playing the Low Energy card for working out, but every time I see it, I’m thinking about our Low E glass options.  I really need to get away from the industry for bit don’t I?  LOL.

 

Last this week… the best small cities in the US was released. These are cities with between 25,000 and 100,000 residents.  Interesting list for sure… and here goes.. from 10 to 1.

 

10- Brookfield, WI- Been there- really nice area. 

9- Saratoga Springs, NY- No clue here but I do love Saratoga Springs at Disney

8- Melrose, MA – I am sure a legend like Brian Shaw of OBE knows this one

7- Milton, MA- If you are someone who knows Barstool Sports history- you know Milton

6- Fair Lawn, NJ- I’m so sheltered- didn’t realize there were any small towns in Jersey

5- Fishers, IN

4- Westfield, IN- The Hoosier state has come in strong

3- Brentwood, TN- The Nashville halo? 

2- Lexington, MA- ok is there a New England bias to this list?

And 1- Carmel, IN – have heard a ton good on that spot- guess I’ll need to visit some day

 

So looks like Indiana and Massachusetts feature some of the best small towns around.  I am stunned nothing in the Carolinas made the top 10 and I assume everything in Texas is too big to make it?   Anyway always interesting stuff

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Interesting story on predictive policing and how it works… or doesn’t.  

https://gizmodo.com/predictive-policing-cops-law-enforcement-predpol-1850893951

 

I truly don’t understand the lack of logic here

https://www.engadget.com/the-epa-wont-force-water-utilities-to-inspect-their-cyber-defenses-232301497.html

 

More frustration- the car dealer adventure

https://jalopnik.com/ftc-rule-would-make-a-special-exception-so-car-dealers-1850921959

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Slightly different one for me this week.  Dustin Price of Texas Glazing Solutions (and also all around good guy and one ½ of the awesome team he forms with wife Lindsay there) posted this one that is a great looking project for sure.  It features black painted curtainwall corner closers, bone white break metal strips, and Dark Bronze break metal.  It is a great look.  Glazier was Western Glass LLC and Southern Aluminum Finishing (SAF) was the manufacturer.  Project is in Round Rock, Texas and is something to show off!  Congrats to Dustin and everyone involved in this beauty!! 

Hear the Trends and then More

I get asked a ton on “trends” and what I see coming down the path, so I am pretty stoked that I’ll soon have the ability to moderate a panel all about trends and what is next!  At GlassBuild on day 1- the very first session on the Main Stage at 10:30AM will be focused on trends and happenings to watch in our space.  The panel is absolutely rock solid awesome.  It consists of Alan Kinder of Guardian Glass, who if you’ve never heard or met is brilliant and in-depth.  I always learn from him.  Shelly Farmer of Sightline Commercial Solutions is the best sales/biz dev person I have ever worked with and always has a laser focus on the market.  Ron Crowl of Cincly, is the godfather of the entire software space and knows seemingly every movement happening in every nook and cranny of our world, and someone new for me that I have heard a ton of positive things about in Bruce Wesner of PGT.  PGT is one of the best around, so I am confident Bruce will be delivering the goods.  So please add this to your schedule for GlassBuild.  Get in the doors, say hi, then work your way to the Main Stage for this session.  I am so looking forward to sharing the stage with this awesome crew!

 

If you haven’t checked the schedule yet of sessions- do so HERE.  A strong mix of business and personal level insight and info available over the three days of the show. 

 

Elsewhere… 

 

-- In case you missed it, the latest From the Fabricator podcast is out and people are talking about it! (Thank you!)  The main themes have been, the advancements that Chris Hanstad, Barry Sutherland and the entire FHC crew have made in a short time and the excitement of more expansion.  And pretty much everything Amber Deimler from MyGlassTruck talked about- but led by the appreciation how the team there goes to work and communicates with their customers.  That was a theme overall in most of my feedback- people really like working with these companies because they communicate with their base effectively.  Love it. This was just a small part of the talks- check it all out. Thank you!!

VIDEO 

AUDIO (also on Apple, Spotify, Google and more) 

 

--  Sad news from our world this past week with the passing of Frank Iaquinto.  Frank was a major player at AFG for many years and has had a lasting effect on our industry.  To me Frank was a classic character- told it to me like it was, but always had our best interests in mind and took care of our needs. (we were a customer of his early in my career).  Frank’s impact is still felt clearly today with quite a few of his proteges are out there making serious waves (the great Gus Trupiano among them) and with the company his sons own in Michigan- Midwest Glass Fab. My sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends.  A very good man that truly will be missed.

 

--  It's a common wonder out there, especially in the traditional glass industry on where all the solar panels are going.  Thanks to a few of you for thinking of me and sending me items that show solar panels in various uses.  This one linked HERE is a pretty interesting use but not sure it’s the healthiest around.  The more popular use of panels and the one that WILL affect our space capacity wise are the massive solar fields that are being built to replace energy sources that are transitioning out.  These are happening at a rapid pace all over and will need a lot of glass and that glass comes from the same supply that we work from.  So just to keep an eye out on it.  Things aren’t tight now but forecasts focused on solar growth mean that it will be down the line for us. 

 

--  Last this week… saw the movie “Dumb Money” and it was really well done and entertaining.  Also a bit infuriating/frustrating too.  The movie is about the run on the stock “Game Stop” that happened a couple of years ago and took a dead in the water stock to insane heights… and all done by the regular buyer- the retail buyer- also known as the “dumb money” buyer.  Obviously it got the Hollywood treatment but the moral of the story was there and for those that play or follow the stock market, it adds to the mystifying nature of how it all works there.  Check it out though as it was a well-done flick/story telling.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

An alcohol-free pub- I’d assume there’s more than this out there but I guess depends on liquor license?

 

I’m good with dogs.  This run of exotic pets never ends well- like the escaped rare monkey in Indy.

 

I know retro is in- but this one makes no sense on how it can make it in the times of Amazon and other online shopping.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

The state of North Carolina keeps putting up beautiful buildings!  This week the spotlight is on Tom Peruc and Charlotte Glass.  Saw this one on his feed and it’s tremendous.  This is the 400 Hillsboro job that Tom and his team Charlotte Glass glazed.  Nice rundown of collaborators on it too with folks like Gensler, YKK, Guardian, and Press Glass involved.  Congrats to all on a winning effort for sure!!