Sunny Show, Next Up, National News & More!

Escaped the miserable Michigan winter and spent a few days in Florida at Glass Expo Southeast.  This show is held every other year and I was excited to catch up with folks from the region and those I may have missed at major events like GlassBuild.  Overall vibe was Florida is rocking now, there’s a positivity that will continue and it’s not as worrisome as it is in other regions. So the weather wasn’t the only thing that was sunny! As always at shows, I was thrilled to meet and visit so many folks who have followed this blog and my podcast in person.  One was the very cool Kyle Frankman of Countryside Glass. Absolute powerhouse of a company and I look forward to getting one of Kyle’s jobs in my project of the week segment. He’s a sharp dude.  In addition, was nice to visit the NGA’s recent “Member Spotlight” company of Bella Architectural.  Brian Mudd is a machine!  They do such incredible work, was great to spend some time there.  Ran into Matt Sampsell of Press Glass for the first time in forever.  He’s rocking over there.  Love it.  Also rocking and doing quite well is Andy Amitrano of Architectural Glass Services.  Super to see. The Shower Door Pros were well represented. Eliben Morelos of Vitralum grabbed me and we got to chat for a few seconds- next time down here I gotta visit his place. Of course loved seeing Keith Daubmann. Wish I had a smidgen of his energy.   James Wright of Virginia is a great friend and he is always on fire, and good to see outgoing CEO John Korff there helping transition new CEO Larry Lamb.  I only get to see Dave Nelson of CRL at shows like this and I enjoy every interaction there.  And speaking of enjoying- if you can’t enjoy chatting with the positive and focused Ahlam Alqudah Qaimari  of Griffin Glass then you are in the wrong place.  It was great to catch up with her and look forward to seeing her at BEC and GPAD.  Jay Campbell of Billco gave me more tips for travel to glasstec in Germany.  If I go this year, Jay has me ready!  Was nice to see Jan Hulin of Q-Railing.  Missed him at GlassBuild, so wonderful to catch up here. Got a few seconds with Dapper Dan Reinhart of Salem and that immediately boosted my GQ rating just by association. Lucid Glass made a great splash and was tremendous to meet Besty Dolan in person (huge fan of her e-mail blasts) and see Clint Hopkins again.  The Global/Isoclima contingent was always busy but thankfully Trent Thiry, Krisy Kilpatrick, and Art Droste spared a few minutes for me.  Last but surely not least- just an honor to work with Andrew Haring and Melanie Dettmer of the NGA. I drive them batty but they are just awesome folks and I am blessed to be in their orbit. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Next up on the show scene is NGA Glass Conference: Isle of Palm/Charleston.  That kicks off February 5^thand will be an excellent event and one that will make news with regards to movements on the technical side of our world.  THEN!  In March it is the powerhouse double-header of BEC and GPAD. BEC is for the glazier, GPAD for the fabricator and both events feature very strong agendas and support. I think more of you know BEC because it is yearly and has been around for so long.  GPAD is every other year and its focus on the fabricator and improving and innovating is a big and important play. If you fabricate and you’re not sending someone to this you’re missing out- and doing it wrong.  Take a look at the agendas (BEC, GPAD) and any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me!

 

--  One angle you keep hearing out there is adaptive re-use and retrofitting commercial buildings into residential settings.  In theory these are incredible and needed approaches, in reality though not so easy.  There is excitement on this process though.  This article gives a pretty rosy accounting of it all.  Worth the read.  Also, on the latest edition of the superb Glass Talk podcast series from Patrick Flannery of Glass Canada, he and Rich Porayko touch on this item and several others in a very interesting back and forth on the year ahead.  Catch that HERE.

 

--  News being made by my good pal Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural Products recently.  Tom and team became one of the outlets for the prestigious PurOptima interior glass systems line.  This will be a great addition to the Clover offering and despite some worry about the state of the office I do think products that perform like PurOptima matched with great folks like Clover is a winner.  Good to see!

 

--  Whoa to the national news goes Josh Burg and Glass Enterprises!  This past week NBC Nightly News (Lester Holt big- not some local play) rolled into Josh’s plant in PA and focused a story on the economy headlining with him and GEI.  Absolutely super cool to see.  Here it is if you haven’t seen.  Josh is a good guy and I am proud to say was a very early guest on my podcast (my 3^rd ever episode in March of 2021) but I am sure he has an agent now and a book/movie deal. (Bradley Cooper in talks to play Josh I hear)  So I’ll never get to chat with him one on one again.  LOL.  Congrats to Josh and the team there and making our world look great! And a huge thank you to the awesome Warren Hagey of Clover Architectural Products who first alerted me to this news segment! 

 

--  Last this week- if all goes well, next week, my next edition of the From the Fabricator podcast will drop and I’ll have two people who return by popular demand. So get ready for a great “recurring” guests edition and the planned talk on forecasts and the future will be MUST listens!  Can’t wait! (And not naming because even me teasing this podcast scares me that I jinxed it!)

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Hybrids really should’ve been the next step vs all electric. And we’re seeing more and more why

 

Oooh a documentary on the 80’s group “Devo”- may have to watch that.  Whip It.

 

This could be a huge breakthrough- an end to breast cancer? 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

To New Jersey for this one and from the feed of Linda Jurman, owner of MatLin Glass & Door service.  This is the Moorestown Cooper Hospital and job looks fantastic!  No word on who supplied the glass and metal but KUDOS to all involved!! 

 

 

2024 Predictions- Take 2

Funny I have been writing this blog since 2005 and for the first time ever, I wrote it all and then deleted it (and cleared the trash too, hurriedly because I am a putz) by accident.  So hopefully this version will work but as I sit down to rewrite, I swear my mind is blank.  Yikes.  Ok, so here goes. 

Predictions for 2024! 

Rates- Obviously this is something that everyone is watching in every walk of life and how these are handled in the new year will play a role downstream on how our livelihood progresses.  Rates on top of other issues including a slower return to work, are a massive concern for 2024 and beyond.  My prediction?  Cuts will come but on the later side of things, causing very choppy waters and slowing conditions- especially in the bigger markets. (See this one in NYC)  Which leads to the next prediction…

Look out!- If you are not ready for some of these tougher times by now, then time is running out and there is no PPP parachute waiting on the other side.  Preparing doesn’t mean battening down the hatches but to be smart with your spends, strategic with your sales and marketing and open to wholesale communication up and down the chain.  A lot of great companies are doing this and will be fine- but many are not and those may not see 2025.

Security glass but with a twist- Amazingly I have predicted big years for this product segment in both 2019 and 2021.  However, this time it’s different because it’s not just the typical offerings that is making waves but new make-ups, approaches, and options.  The security side is getting very creative and is very active in making better and more usable products in an area that keeps growing.  And if codes continue to push this way, those that are active will be leading the way.

Training and Certification- Organizations are realizing this is where you can improve your bottom line and now with more options than ever, I see this space exploding in 2024.  I look at the incredible work that the brilliant Jeff Dalaba and Ben Beeler of NACC/AGMT are doing and the way they are improving companies and skills day by day.  Then add on the National Glass Association and their new MyGlassFab along with the expanded MyGlassClass and Apprenticeship programs and you now have more paths to success and improvement.  These areas are all poised for massive growth in the new year.

Culture and Tech helping the labor pool- This is my favorite prediction.  We know we need to get more people attracted to our world and many companies are getting it by really focusing on their culture.  But another aspect is attracting folks with the advancements in equipment, robotics, manipulators, movers, software and more.  We have to keep working past the days of back (and shoulder and knee) breaking work and dive into smarter and more efficient ways to install, move, and manage our products.  That will take a leap this year thanks to many companies bringing these needed products and services to life!

So there ya go… I am staying positive that as a whole we’ll ride out the storms in ’24…. We’ll keep an eye on it all… 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Reminder on Pod- if you missed the latest edition of the From the Fabricator podcast, please check it out. Thrilled to have the whip smart duo of Sterling Guyette and Luke Jacques of Insulite Glass on followed by the awesome Stefanie Couch of Build Women.  All three brought insights on a range of issues and bring a youthful enthusiasm we so desperately need. Thanks for listening/watching.

VIDEO

AUDIO (or on Spotify, Apple, Google or wherever you listen to podcasts)

Thanks again for checking it out!!

 

--  Later this week, I get to escape the misery of winter and go to Orlando for Glass Expo Southeast.  I enjoyed this show 2 years ago and fully expect to do the same this time.  A lot of familiar people I am hoping to see including friends like Michele and Scott Welch of Illustrated Interiors (tremendous on the Shop Drawings by the way) great pals Jeff Ziesche of Jaz Sales and FHC among others and hopefully Tony Kasprzak of Seawall Architectural.  He’ll be busy all over. And of course, I can’t do a show in Orlando without seeing the busiest man in show business Scott Goodman of CRL.  That’s his hometown and he’ll surely be holding court. Looking forward to it all!  And yes I may even drive to the closest Buc-ee’s in Daytona just because I’m close.  LOL

 

--  Big deal in our industry featuring great people at Walker Glass and Gardner Glass. Ironbridge Equity which has controlling interest in Walker now has done the same with Gardner.  Nice combo of groups featuring some of the best folks in our space.  Happy for Randy Brooks, Jim Ventre and the gang at Gardner and the team at Walker not only dress well and throw a great party but they are seriously strong operators too.  Good stuff and congrats to all! 

 

--  As always nice when people in our space get recognition from those in power and that happened to the fine folks at K Space recently.  They rec’d a visit and provided a tour for Congresswomen Debbie Dingell of Michigan and showed her a ton of great tech that not only helps the quality of glass in our industry but is crucial in other building product spaces too.  Very cool to see.  Congrats to K-Space for showing off and making us all look good!

 

--  Last this week… the Building Merit Top 10 was released and the state of Georgia led the way for the first time.  This is a ranking by states for which one is best for construction according to the ABC.  The scorecard, released yearly since 2015, ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on policies and programs that strengthen career pathways in construction, encourage workforce development, and advocate for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Georgia stood out because of their commitment to workforce development and nailed the other requirements too. 

The rest of the top 5 were Florida, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Indiana.  Really stunned that South and North Carolina were not in there. Still an interesting top 5. (Does Arkansas make top 5 without Courtney Little though?  Doubtful)

Meanwhile who’s at the bottom? Hawaii, Rhode Island, New York, DC, and Washington state.  Hawaii has unique challenges for sure, RI has had various political adventures.  NY and DC have probably waaay too much red tape and I just laugh at Washington state because every nightmarish code seems to emanate from there.  We’ll need Brad Glauser of Edify Studios to weigh in on that.  Interesting list and curious to follow it in the future. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The fallen door from Alaska Airlines has fascinated me.  Amazing no one was hurt!

 

The sound of mating fish.  Never thought about it til I read this one.

 

This story continues to evolve but unless new owners come in and really spend to build the brand back up- Sports Illustrated is done.  Shame- that was a key go to for me in my youth. (In the mail every Thursday!)

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I go way back with Kurt LeVan of Chicago Heights Glass and Entekk and this week one of his projects hits the spotlight with “The Dylan” in Chicago featuring Kurt’s incredible Talon Wall product in a super design from bKL Architects. Building looks tremendous!  Not sure who supplied and fabbed the glass but kudos to them too.  Nice work Kurt and team at Entekk! Keep it rolling!

New Pod, Predictions Reviewed and More

The newest podcast in the From the Fabricator series is up and it’s a fun one that has some younger stars in our space.  I kick it off with Sterling Guyette and Luke Jacques of Insulite Glass.  They have done some amazing things with that fabricator, took excellent approaches and are really sharp and grounded guys.  Then I get to visit with Stefanie Couch of Build Women and also the new Grit CRM.  She spoke at GlassBuild and rocked it, and she delivers again on my podcast.  Good takes on her past and experience and then moves now and into the future to make us all better. So really good stuff all around to kick off 2024.  

VIDEO

AUDIO (or on Spotify, Apple, Google or wherever you listen to podcasts)

Thanks for checking it out!!

 

Oh and speaking of checking it out- tons of you did so last year!  THANK YOU.  Thousands upon thousands of downloads and listens and up double digits in % from 2022 too.  So I’ll take that!  

As for most listeners in cities/areas… 

1-    Minneapolis- Last year #2 but I think having Garret Henson on this year moved the needle.  His podcast that featured him as well as Nicole Mann and the trio of Michael Spellman, Art Huard, and Charlie Boyer (another Minnesota guy) was my most listened to pod of 2023. 

2-    LA- Last year #3 grew a bit and I appreciate my friends in So Cal.  

3-    Houston- Last year #1 slipped a bit but I’ll never complain about anything in Texas except for the Austin airport.  LOL

4-    New York- Not ranked last year and jumped into the top 5 this year.  Very cool.

5-    Dallas-  Also not ranked in 22, so very nice to see the home of so many great folks and friends of mine on the list.

Not in top 5 this year Orlando and Charlotte… 

All in all that was a fun year on the pod and I have a ton lined up for this year and we’ll see if “Minnesota Nice” continues to lead or California dreamin’ can catch up.

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  Traditionally on my 2^nd post of a new year I review my predictions from the previous year and note if I made the right call.  I am usually good on a couple, off on a couple and then a toss-up or two.  Let’s see how ’23’s prognostications turned out.

Imports are back – They did come back and the supply chain was more settled.  So this one I’d take as a win though it was an easy call. 

Residential players to push into commercial- Count this as a wrong answer.  There was a little push here but not the way I forecasted and without the depth too.  

VIG- Some may say I was wrong, but VIG made significant growth in ’23, new companies jumped into the fray and the education on it was at a high and constant level and I saw a lot more projects and specs calling for VIG. 

More consolidation- The buying continued but the consolidation I envisioned did not.  May be a year too early here.

Unitized /Modular- Unitized stayed steady but I think I was too early on modular.

Bonus- The SHOWS KEEP GROWING-  Oh yeah!  Incredible attendance at BEC, the Glass Conferences, and GlassBuild as well as a floor overflowing with oversized cowboy hats at TEXPO.  Yes, a great year for the shows and so excited for this year!

So not bad overall- seems to always follow the same path.  Next week, I’ll bring out the crystal ball for the industry predictions for 2024!

 

--  Two massive moves involving great people and iconic organizations hit to start the year.  First Brin Glass announced a transition in leadership with Priscilla Koeckeritz taking over as President.  Bill Sullivan, will remain as CEO and Chairman but will pass the CEO role on to Priscilla in 2 years.  Of course, this is some excellent planning from Bill, Priscilla and the team at Brin and I’d expect nothing less from a previous industry MVP!  Bill is one of my all-time favorites and I look forward to getting to meet and know Priscilla.  Meanwhile at Virginia Glass Products and Virginia Mirror, John Korff has moved on to the Board of Directors clearing the way for Larry Lamb to take over as President and CEO.  I have known John Korff for many years and he’s a great guy who did tremendous things in his leadership of Virginia.  I am glad he’s staying involved.  Meanwhile same as my sentiments on Priscilla above I look forward to getting to know Larry and wish best of luck here.  Looks like both companies will continue to be in good hands going forward!

 

--  Good news all around Bill Daubmann and the team My Shower Door/D3 in Florida.  In just the first 2 weeks of the new year they had a nice piece published about them in a regional newspaper, appeared on a TV remodeling show, their NIL sponsored football player won a National Championship (GO BLUE!) and Bill was inducted into a school Hall of Fame.  A continuation of an incredible run by some great folks who not only do well for themselves and their employees but are huge supporters of our industry.  Congrats to Bill and team on all the well-deserved props!

 

--  Quick dose of Architectural Billings Index news.  Ugly.  Again.  So we are in the belly of the beast now for sure with another rough outing.  This month it came in at 45.3 which was slightly better than last month but still not good.  But there was one area that had some positivity and that was the fact that new inquiries bounced back and had its best outing since last May. So there’s that.  We knew that this index was going to turn rough for a bit and its coming true, the thing now is how long will it last?  The prediction was 8 months.  By my estimate we’re halfway through it.  So we’ll continue to monitor… 

 

--  Super Bowl Prediction time.  Each year I make a pick at the start of the year that usually turns out woefully wrong and then before the playoffs get rolling I pick again and in the last 2 years I have nailed it.  Can I make it a 3-peat?  At the start of the year, I picked KC over Minnesota for the title.  The Vikes struggled because all the players were spending too much time listening to Garret Henson on my podcast, so they didn’t make the playoffs.  I am not confident in my KC pick with the way they’ve been playing so I am going to take my mulligan here and make the call of Baltimore over Dallas in the Super Bowl. It’s the year of the Harbaugh!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A good rundown on what’s to come on a favorite site of mine.

 

Road Warriors- what’s next in hotel innovations?

 

I do enjoy a good biopic. (Iron Claw was excellent by the way, though very dark) and soon we’ll get one on Linda Ronstadt.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

A big favorite of mine is Alan Kinder of Guardian Glass.  The guy has a serious gift of being one of the smoothest talkers/presenters out there.  (I’d say Wade Arnold also in that class too- I may have to do rankings someday) Anyway, each year Alan counts down the year with some of his favorite projects and this one caught my eye. This is 222 N. Detroit Ave in Tulsa, OK and the glass looks tremendous! Congrats to Alan and Guardian Glass along with the fine people at Tristar Glass who fabricated and the team at American Glass Inc. in Tulsa who installed.  NICE WORK!

2024 is here... Let's go!

Happy New Year!  Back at it here on the blog as we head towards the 19^th anniversary of this effort.  As I always joke, I started the blog at and around the same time as Facebook and Twitter launched.  Man did those folks miss the boat with their ideas vs. mine!  Anyway, it’s another adventurous year ahead and I do think 2024 will surely be of the rollercoaster variety.  But before I dig into that, I need to do some housekeeping.  Next week I’ll review the predictions I made for 2023 and see how my crystal ball was working.  Then the week after my predictions for 2024 will be posted.  Yes, a little later than normal but it’s too good of content to rush out.  Ok now back to the matter at hand.  2024.  We know from the various indexes and industry economists that there’s some murky water ahead. Initially most predictions pointed to slower work in March and continuing for the rest of the year.  Lately though the predictions have changed some with some segments slowing down faster than others (one being small to medium work drying up quickly but bigger work hanging in) then a longer path to a comeback for all.  Now all of this is also on pretty shaky ground because in the US it’s an election year and normally those cause weird iterations to all markets but this year’s edition is poised to be like nothing we’ve ever seen before, so those rumbles may have a deeper effect than normal.  Meanwhile companies that are being strategic with cash, looking to be diverse, and working/communicating at high level up and down their supply chain will be in good shape while those who are not will suffer.  And unlike the last downturn, there’s no PPP out there as a lifeline.  So this could be very interesting overall. Bottom line is our industry is resilient and we’ll all keep hustling but the coming year is surely going to have some battles. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  In case you missed it… before the break I did a pod with John Dwyer of Syracuse Glass/Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope. John is an absolute champion and was fun to just hear his stories and feel the energy and enthusiasm he brings.  

VIDEO

AUDIO (and you can search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.)

And on the podcast side, I’ve got a new episode, the first of 2024 next week and I’ve got some amazing folks lined up for the first few months of the year.  Next week I’ll share a couple of fun stats from 2023 too!

 

--  The end of the year marked a couple of massive retirements in our space.  Carle Abernathy and John Linhart both hung ‘em up after absolute landmark and incredible careers in our industry.  Carle is a guy that I competed against early in my career and was in awe of.  Heck I was in awe of him even when I saw him this past October at GlassBuild.  Class act and who always was a major presence in his markets and at least for me always greeted me with a smile and a hearty handshake.  I never got to know John that well and then was lucky enough to sit next to him during a group dinner in 2023.  Wonderful guy and I came to find out we had so many shared past adventures in this space where we  could compare notes.  John spent the last 10 years as a part of the Tristar Glass powerhouse and his knowledge and approach was the picture-perfect fit there.  Plus he’s another one of those guys that no one ever had a bad word for- at least to me.  Our industry will dearly miss Carle and John and all they brought to the table- but I am thrilled for both of them and wish them the absolute best in their next phase of life!!

 

--  Also, news from the end of the year had these two notes… First - Mark Jacobson is retiring from full time work at Kuraray and transitioning into a consultant role.  Mark is laminating legend and a guy whose wealth of knowledge and passion for the space is unquestioned.  I am glad he’s hanging a consultant shingle out as I hope he keeps tabs on our space and shares insights and knowledge when he is able! Congrats Mark on the move and incredible career at DuPont/Kuraray.  And Jon Kimberlain, one of the most popular guys our industry has ever seen, recently was promoted to Principal TS&D Scientist for Dow Performance Silicones.  When it comes to talking about “great industry guys” – Jon’s name is ALWAYS in that conversation and I am thrilled to see him getting some positive recognition and advancement at Dow. Congrats my friend and keep rolling! 

 

--  FYI!  Did you know registration is open for GPAD and BEC?  First let’s talk GPAD.  If you are a glass fabricator, and thinking about expanding into that space, this is a no doubt must attend.  The opportunity to get excellent insight and education from some of the best machinery people in the world in a close setting is huge for your business.  Really strong agenda!  If you have questions or need more details, ask me!  The info for it can be found HERE.

Meanwhile I think most that read this blog know about BEC, and it’s something that once again will be an incredible event.  Two keynote speakers have been secured so far in Ricardo Maiz of Vitro and Troy Johnson of Harmon.  It is worth it alone to see them but then there is so much more.  It will truly be a special show.  For more check HERE.  

 

--  Last this week- you know me- love the lists- so why not start the year off with one… the Top 10 affordable cities (no specific order) for homebuyers are out and here they are:

Columbia, SC and Greenville, SC- I do love South Carolina and can see how these both make it.  

Indianapolis, IN- Amazing the growth there and still affordable

San Antonio and Houston- A ton of my readership comes from the great state of Texas and these two areas make sense.  We surely know a city like Austin isn’t but I have to admit I’m surprised to see Houston.

Cincinnati, OH- The home base of sales king James Wright of Virginia Glass & Mirror 

Greensboro, NC- Speaking of Virginia Glass- not far from this spot and good to see the area thought of positively.  It took a step back after Mike Dishmon (now at Vitro) left town, so nice to see it back

Raleigh, NC- I did not expect or think this was affordable thanks to so much growth but evidently it is.

Louisville, Kentucky- Tony Kamber of AMG has kept this as his secret of an amazing place to live but that secret obviously is now out. Hearing tons about how great it is too for business and meetings as well. 

And Lakeland, Florida.  Interesting as the only Florida location and especially given its proximity to the theme parks etc.  Nice town and I was visited there last summer and liked it. 

That’s it- note very clustered overall with 9 of the 10 combo’d with an area nearby.  Also surprising that some of the areas in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri did not make it and nothing west.  Read the whole story with context HERE.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Wildest things caught on the doorbell cams in 2023

 

I’m old.  This story about a resume hack and TikTok made me feel even older.  No way this works right?

 

And if you didn’t see the guy flying in to attack a judge, here it is.  Gotta assume his sentence just got a lot worse!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

We start the new year with a jaw dropper as the project of the week.  Via the feed of Seth Madole of Viracon.  This is the Harwood 14 project in Dallas, Texas and it was obviously fabricated by Viracon (since Seth posted) and glazed by Harmon.  The façade is stunning and glass looks perfect.  This is the way to get the year started!  Congrats to all involved!