This and That

I hate being the one to deliver bad news, but right now, it is what it is… and you can’t just bury your head in the sand and hope it goes away.  This week, the latest Construction Stress Index was released, and it was ugly. Private work is getting abandoned at record levels, and the index is now 22.8% above the baseline set in 2021.  To read in more detail- go HERE.  Then, get back to the basics to continue riding it all out.  Note I remain confident that once we get some stability things will start to break free… but the question of when that happens is a big one.

Elsewhere… some quick hits as I am trying something new at the end of this section

-- The NeoCon show in Chicago got very positive reviews. Nice to see, especially since the interior space has had its challenges. 

-- Congrats to my friend Nathan Seaman on his new gig at Form Metal Systems.  Nathan is a remarkable talent and person, and a big key in the formation of the California Glass Association.  I appreciate his drive and desire to work for the best of our industry.

-- Got word that John Aiello Sr. will be retiring at the end of this month. 60 years in our industry, and took part in some iconic jobs in the Pittsburgh area and beyond.  His contributions to our space were immense.  Congratulations, John, on your retirement. Go enjoy some serious fishing!

-- I know most of you reading are commercial players, but I do have a batch of residential folks, so this is for you. Window + Door Magazine is running a poll about the potential effects of eliminating Energy Star.  Would you mind going to this link and casting your vote?  Thank you

So, last this week… since summer is light on news, I am going to bring back some quick Q&As to the blog.  I had done this in the summers- way back before the podcast- so here we go again.  This time, a salute to Mike Willard, CEO/Owner of Salem Fabrication Technologies, as this past week, after 40 years, he’s hanging ‘em up.  A very good man with a strong career, one that started at Pilkington and lasted 13 years before going to Salem. I caught up with him this week to talk about the past, the industry, and what he’s going to do next.

Max: What are you most proud of in your career?

Mike Willard: I came to Salem in June 15th, 1999. But I would say what I'm most proud of is the ESOP that we have here at Salem, and it's just a great wealth building tool for our employee owners, and it's been very satisfying for me to see the account balances grow for these employees. And of course, with an ESOP, they're not putting any of their own money into it, much like a 401k. So, it's all company generated, and we've had employees retire and they've got additional wealth that they didn't count on along with their 401k and personal investments and social security. So yeah, I'm just very proud of that. And Salem is a very well-known company within the ESOP world. We go to conferences and people know us, they know who we are, and they know myself and our CFO, Gail Marett, and it's just been very satisfying, 

Max: What will you miss the most about our wonderful Industry?

Mike: Oh, clearly people like you. I mean, just all the people. We got great customers, great suppliers. I'm going to miss that a lot. I'll miss not going to GlassBuild later this fall. Miss going to Dusseldorf every other year. So, I've enjoyed the travel, enjoyed meeting with our vendors as time progressed. I've been in sales all my life. Customers were always number one, but as I matured through my career, suppliers were number one. Just the value of having great suppliers and delivering great products to us was very important to me. So, all supplier development was important to me. So yes, I'll miss all that 

Max: Salem is in great hands, Dan Reinhart and the other owners there, rowing in the right direction. It's got to make you feel good as you retire that you've left the company in really good shape. 

Mike: As you know, Terry (Hessom) and Mike (Synon) retired last December. And selfishly, I could have retired at the same time, and I would get my first ESOP payout probably this month, actually. But I didn't think the optics on that were going to be very good. People will make up their own stories about the whole executive team leaving at the same time. So decided to stay on until now. And so I just said, well, I joined the company June 15th, 99. I'll depart the company on June 15th, 2025. But yes, we have left the company in good hands. I worked on succession plans for about three years, and so vetted out people to replace Mike and Terry. I think we have some great replacements to fill their roles. And yes, Dan's going to be a great leader. He's been with us for 14 years, and he'll do a fine job. 

Max: What's next for you? You mentioned Terry and Mike, and I know Terry went onto a boat and started fishing. 

Mike: My wife was a middle school principal, and so as I traveled throughout the world, she couldn't leave school. So yes, I'm going to take her on a lot of places that I've been to and experienced. We'll be doing a lot of traveling. We're going to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary on the 29th this month. We're going to Key West later this month. And then she's got four sisters and we’re going to a family reunion up at Cape Cod. That's August and then September, we have a southern Caribbean cruise. And I'm going to start planning a trip to Italy probably September, October. So probably go over there for a couple weeks and just hang out. 

Max: Any final words of advice for the industry you're leaving behind? Any words of wisdom from you? 

Mike: Gosh, I would love to see more innovation. I think the Europeans are far ahead of us as far as innovation. I think the industry needs to get into more automation, which we're starting to slowly see.  I guess that would be the biggest. But it's great industry. I've been doing it for 40 years and have really, really enjoyed my experience. 

Thank you, Mike, for all that you have done. Enjoy the next phase of your life!

LINKS of the WEEK

A runaway pet Zebra named Ed… was on the loose this week.  A pet zebra….

https://apnews.com/article/runaway-pet-zebra-captured-tennessee-54669b2fc2c1dffb87a09f4081d6c135

Incredibly cool- middle schoolers designing a prosthetic for a paralyzed labradoodle.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/06/12/Valley-Catholic-Middle-School-prosthetics-dog/9191749748577/

Guess we’ll make this an all-animal edition of the links…. This one... a bear casually walking the streets in Connecticut. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/black-bear-spotted-casually-roaming-155510284.html

PROJECT of the WEEK

I’m a fan of Daniel Capen on Noble Custom Glass & Mirror, and I usually see him heavy on the shower door side.  But this recent commercial one caught my eye and I decided it deserved this week’s spotlight.   Nice work on this structure, and it was good to see Daniel recognize Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope and Skyreach Equipment for their collaboration on it all.  Kudos to Daniel and the great team at Noble on a job well done!!

AIA, Milestones, & More

AIA Boston took place this past week, and I received a mixed bag of feedback.  Some said that traffic was solid on the first day, while others said that, although there was traffic, it was the wrong kind, meaning students, other vendors, and so on—basically, people who could not specify what you were selling.  That’s always been an issue with AIA: the architects who attend avoid the floor like the plague. In some cases, more people benefit from walking the floor vs exhibiting.  I’ll note that for some day 2, with less traffic, did garner a few more quality leads.  As for the vibe check among all there, including vendors, it’s a cautious optimism and preparing to ride a longer storm than expected.  That’s not a surprise as well. So, not much more to report other than the glass industry, which showed up looking great!  I saw many pictures and videos of exhibits from our world, and we stood out, so kudos there.  Now bring those to GlassBuild in November and let’s go!  Next up is the NEOCON event in Chicago, and given its different overall focus from AIA, it will be interesting to see what the attitude is and how people are feeling about the future.

Elsewhere…

-- ICYMI! The latest “From the Fabricator” podcast is racking up the listens, and so if you’ve missed it, you may want to add it to your playlist.  Brian Risinger of Country Glass & Mirror and the Texas Glass Association, and Tom Caldicott of Unity Search were the guests, and the energy and insights they provided were truly tremendous.  Thank you to all who have checked it out, and thank you in advance to those who will do so soon!

VIDEO

AUDIO (or search “From the Fabricator” wherever you get your podcasts- Apple, Spotify etc)

Thank you as well to FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the sponsorship of this episode!

-- Two significant anniversaries featuring some of the best people in our space have recently occurred.  First up, Brin Glass is celebrating 113 years in the industry.  That is epic, and that organization is poised to continue for another century or more!  Kudos to Priscilla “PK” Koeckeritz and the team there on this milestone.  To hear more about Brin, I have had both PK and former CEO Bill Sullivan on my podcast.  You can listen to PK’s here and Bill’s here. 

Meanwhile, Steel Encounters turned 40! Tom Jackson and the team have done an incredible job not only in their markets but for the industry overall.  Tom has always been at the forefront of promoting our industry and leading the way in recruiting and workforce development.  Steel Encounters has been a part of some fantastic projects that truly showcase the excellence of our industry.  Congrats to Tom and the team on this anniversary, and I wish them many, many more!  Also on this a very nice article here- https://www.utahcdmag.com/40-years-of-aiming-high on the journey Steel Encounters has taken. 

Plus, I also had Tom Jackson on my podcast too- you can listen to him here.

As noted above, you also search “From the Fabricator” on your podcast app and grab these or any of the other 67 podcasts I have done to date!

-- BIG NGA Thirsty Thursday is coming this week.  We have a Bluebeam session with the ultimate Bluebeam guru Troy DeGroot.  Those of you who saw Troy at BEC can attest to his presentation and skill set.  For many, he unlocked Bluebeam, enabling people to go further and deeper than they thought.  This Thursday, he brings his mastery to us via a free webinar!  Learn more and register today! https://www.glass.org/event/thirsty-thursday-bluebeam-and-beyond-how-improve-your-project-workflow

-- Private equity is slowing down, but one company is not- Thoma Bravo.  The Wall Street Journal has a great story on Bravo and what appears to be a massive glut of private equity companies battling the headwinds of our current rough economy.  Worth the read and noting there is actually a lot of money sitting on the sidelines waiting for the muck of our current situation to clear up… (If you can’t access the article and want to read, let me know!) https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/thoma-bravos-34-billion-fundraising-haul-bucks-private-equity-slowdown-dd33bb56?st=WjvZgz&reflink=article_email_share

-- Last this week… Guess what is coming to the “Tiny House” scene?  The all-glass Tiny House!  These look pretty cool, especially if you’re in an area with a view. Glass rules, folks - the more it can be used, the better!  Nice stuff here! https://www.autoevolution.com/news/this-triple-axle-tiny-house-is-wrapped-in-glass-for-a-one-of-a-kind-living-experience-252108.html

LINKS of the WEEK

Using ice to cool a building- pretty interesting! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/innovative-ice-battery-system-cool-buildings-lower-energy-costs/

A new style of magnifying glass? https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/etsy-co-founders-new-startup-is-making-what-really-looks-like-a-mixed-reality-magnifying-glass-224247515.html

Every year, I think I post about some hidden door found during remodeling.  Here’s this year's entry. https://www.newsweek.com/family-rip-down-wall-reveal-245-year-old-door-shock-where-leads-2079708

PROJECT of the WEEK

Got this one from the fabulous Marion Pynn of Walker Glass.  Her comments were:

This is a personal favourite. The original bank building is an Art Deco icon, and it's been renovated to improve sustainability and occupant comfort. Glass nerds like us will especially enjoy the new bronze mirror covering the lobby walls, echoing the gold accents from the original Art Deco design.

Architect: B+H Architects

Fabricator: Imagic Glass

Glazier: Redspire Architectural Glass

Thank you, Marion!  This is an excellent use for acid-etch mirror, and it's beautiful.  Kudos to the team at Walker, as well as my friend Adam Shearer at Imagic Glass, on the fabrication. (Adam still may be dealing with the Maple Leafs loss, so maybe this project spotlight will cheer him up!)

Price Increase & Podcast

((Reminder I post this on my LinkedIn page every Sunday as well. Please let's connect so you can see it there))

 I’ve got a new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast for you, and that typically leads off, but this past Friday, a price increase from Vitro hit the streets, and that takes priority.  The increase ranges from 12% to 25% and goes into effect on June 16.  So here we go, and all over the country, fabricators and glaziers will be scrutinizing those “quote expiration” lines, as well as dealing with pricing that has been in place for various special reasons, not to mention those bids that have just gone out. Many have already been very stingy with quotes due to the volatility in the supply market, so they’ll be better off than others.  Some people love the increase (because it assumes bottom-barrel pricing should rise), and some hate it (because of quotes in play, etc.).  The challenge now is that the market is soft, and we’ve got jobs that are already being either placed on hold or being VE’d to the bone, so timing is tough.  Regardless, we have a market in turmoil, and now business leaders must be very proactive on almost everything so that they can navigate even bumpier waters.  As mentioned last week, this is where you really get to know your supply chain.

-- Now on to the latest podcast, and once again, I am super lucky to have extraordinary guests.  This time out, we start with Brian Risinger, the brilliant owner at Country Glass & Mirror and also the current President of the Texas Glass Association.  Brian is super sharp and authentic to the core.  An interesting path to today, and then some really frank insights on our space and how to improve it.  Fun conversation on all, especially the comparison of “The Shawshank Redemption” and our industry.  Then I go overseas to talk with Tom Caldicott of Unity Search.  Fresh perspectives and thoughts on our world from a guy coming at it from a different angle.  Given that Tom is highly connected with some of the biggest and best façade folks in our industry, I loved hearing what’s happening out there.  I was on Tom’s pod earlier this year, and I enjoyed getting to return the favor here. Good stuff.

VIDEO

AUDIO

As always, THANK YOU to all of you.  I appreciate the support.  Twice this week, someone quoted a line from a past podcast back to me, saying how it stuck with them.  I was really touched.  Again, I'm lucky that each time out, I’m talking to incredible people. And I have been lining up future episodes, and the momentum will continue.

Thank you as well to FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the sponsorship of this episode!

Elsewhere….

-- I feel like we've had a massive retirement once a month.  We had another one this week with Tim Stricker retiring.  Tim is best known for his time at IUPAT and LMCI. During his remarkable career in our industry, he implemented numerous positive initiatives that shaped the industry and moved it forward.  Part of that was really pushing the attraction of new talent to our space, and that is something that Tim’s team will obviously never stop working on.  Last year I found out that Tim started his career at the old H Perilstein Glass- which was a part of my family’s world that dated back to 1898.  I had no idea.  It was awesome to know that Tim went from those days there to genuinely making a difference overall.  Congrats, Tim, on your retirement, and enjoy that next phase of life!

-- It’s June, which means it’s now Hurricane Season.  Our industry has made a massive impact (no pun intended) in the world thanks to Hurricane impact glass and metal systems.  That makes me very proud, and kudos to the many, including folks like Leon Silverstein and Arch Aluminum, who were among the first on board back in 1992 and took this process to the next level.  For 2025, the experts are predicting 13 to 18 named storms (we had 18 last year) 7-10 Hurricanes (we had 11 last year) 3-5 Major Hurricanes (we had 5 last year) and 3-6 direct impacts on the US (we had 6 last year)- here’s hoping that it’s a light one. Even though our systems are the best, hurricanes are nightmarish, and we’ve got enough nightmares with the marketplace itself right now… so let’s buckle in and hope for the best.

-- Speaking of the market, Builder Magazine spoke with 18 CEOs in the home building sector about their opinions on current trends and their thoughts on the future.  Some helpful and thoughtful takes. Check it out:

https://www.builderonline.com/money/what-18-ceos-are-saying-about-market-conditions_o?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=Article&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BP_052225_NewsAlert

Last this week… The annual AIA Expo takes place in Boston.  Those who know me know I am not a fan of this event because management consistently does very little to push traffic to the floor. It is what it is, though, and sometimes some lucky breaks can be made.  That said, my curiosity will be on the vibe there.  We know the architectural community is slowing down. So, will the frustrations of what are essentially self-inflicted wounds come to light?  Or will we have some optimism, guarded or otherwise?  I’ll report back next week and if you are there feel free to share some insights- and don’t worry I won’t use your name if you don’t want me to… can’t get on the bad side of the AIA, right?

LINKS of the WEEK

THIS was a close call. Wow. https://apnews.com/article/norway-ship-aground-a811675a760196213450a2f507b4f67c

Dogs are the best.  Great entry here! https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/pets/2025/05/24/dog-sneaks-into-home-through-kitchen-window/83790176007/

 Scientists identifying remains from the 1900’s just amazes me. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-remains-boat-captain-jersey-shore-b2760927.html

 PROJECT of the WEEK

The Baumgardner Group posted this one on LinkedIn, and it is the new HQ for Spencer’s.  (Which immediately made me ask- “the Spencer’s from the mall?” and I think so!)  Very sleek job - the glass and metal look great. Guthrie Glass & Metal did that work, and they should be pretty proud.  No word on who supplied the material, but kudos to whoever did, as everything looks top-notch!  Congrats to all!