I’m completely beat… GlassBuild finally arrived, and the three days passed in a flash. So, it’s now time for my annual gigantic recap, including what I saw and heard at the show, and, of course, a lot of name drops. I was VERY lucky to run into many amazing people. So, settle in, this is traditionally my longest blog of the year…
Overall, I’d say the show was a success. Exhibits looked great, crowd was solid, vibes were positive despite a lot of the noise out there. Glass Magazine via the NGA social accounts had coverage, and of course, Glass Magazine Weekly will have a ton of recaps. News-wise, the most significant breaking piece came from Vitro, VIG Technologies, and LandVac with the announcement of a new VIG plant to be built in North America. That is monumentally big news and now really pushes VIG farther than it’s ever gone before. Kudos to Michael Spellman, who conceived this plan a while back, and despite encountering roadblock after roadblock, persevered until he reached this point. Most people would’ve thrown in the towel, but Michael, to his credit, never did, and the industry will benefit because of that, as well as because Ricardo Maiz and Vitro saw the potential here. Brilliant by all.
Connor Lokar of ITR once again had audiences mesmerized as he ran through what the forecast is looking like. I think many were surprised by some of the more positive tones that were delivered- so that’s good. Tara Lukasik of Glass Magazine did a great job of covering it, and her piece can be found HERE. I was excited to watch Joshua Johnson speak on workforce development, and he certainly did not disappoint. Smart companies will be eager to work with him to help build their labor force. And... I was honored to be a part of the prestigious Glass Magazine Awards, the supply chain panel, and Best in Show; I am genuinely grateful to have had those opportunities!
Ok, on to the people and other aspects of the show! I’d say the Skills Challenge area was a big hit. The AGMT part, which included a curtain wall purposely built incorrectly in several places to test people’s knowledge, was brilliant, and the layout was perfect and professional. The Shower Door side was also buzzing with some similar approaches that had people really digging in. Big-time Congrats to the Shower Door Co-Op, which really shone on site. Shannon McKinney, Brad Leamon, and the award-winning Christina Elia + many others I am missing. They are really onto something here, and it's making a difference. Also, I heard their Top Golf event was incredible, and someday I’ll have to attend one!
Networking is my life, and this show provides me with numerous great opportunities to expand and grow. People I have seen or connected with on LinkedIn whom I had never met in person, all of a sudden, are standing in front of me. Fantastic people like Ryan Shoemaker (Champagne Glass) and Brandon Maestas (Baron Glass) were two individuals I was thrilled to meet in person right off the top. My guy, Ted Baumgardner of Guthrie AI, was turning heads thanks to the great ferns in his booth… well, that and an unbelievable setup that showed people how Guthrie AI can help. Along with Ted getting to meet Tuneer De and Joaquin Barrandeguy was incredible, and they fed me breakfast and lunch each day. (Mini Twix bars were what I was living on- taken from their booth!) And I was fortunate to run into the whip-smart Gin Benner of AGNORA- I have always been a fan, and to finally say hi in person was outstanding.
It was great to see “Winners” there, such as Kevin Roth of Privacy Glass Solutions, who won a Glass Magazine award and was coming off a family wedding as well. Meanwhile, the trio from Andluca, Nick Davy, Adrian Winoto, and Mark Pereira had the Glass Magazine award too, and the vibe about their product (SafeFlight UV) was strong. Also, in the congrats category- Ahlam Alqudah Qaimari, fresh off a great and deserved promotion, the gang at IGE Glass Technologies, who blazed more trails with a slew of new groundbreaking products, and Kevin Hardman, who got another great new business launched, and as I joked with him – he now somehow stuffs 28 hours of work into the 24-hour day!
Got to see some legends too. Obviously, Andrew Haring (FHC) fits that role to a tee, though he’d deny it. The “Beards” -Brandon Bellegarde & Tyler Faulk (Drafting Marketplace) get that nod, as do Kyle Sword and Dr. Kayla Natividad (NSG Pilkington). Add in the “Mayor of Glasstown” Jon Johnson (AROW Global), the awesome Stanley Yee (Infinite Recycling Technologies), the classy Jennifer Lang (Minneapolis Glass), and the sales GOAT Art Huard (NVOY), and there are folks there who constantly do great things for our world.
Communication is key —and I love the people who do that —so getting a few minutes with some of the best in our world is an honor… or, in one person’s case, honour. Heather West, the “PR Gold Standard,” is always a positive presence. I'm so bummed that I had such a short visit. The same goes for the marketing guru Rich Porayko- he owes me a snazzy Fenestration Canada pin. And I’ll stay in Canada, and the marketing and comms wizardry that comes from Walker Glass is always top-notch. Danik Dancause is always a joy, and I’m a massive fan of Marion Pynn. She is absolutely fabulous. By the way, they threw a party that I actually attended (rare for me), and it was so packed- I couldn’t even get their attention. That’s a nice win for folks who know how to do it!
Youth! I saw/met/visited with some serious up-and-comers. I love Brock Naylor and Alex Reed of Reed Rubber- their energy is infectious. Sebastian Rittig also brings that momentum, as well as Graham Green (NSG Pilkington). Plus, the legend Rick Alexander (Tom Brown) should’ve been listed above, but I’m putting him here because he brought his new protégé, Christina Ricci. She was extremely focused and impressive. All of these folks make me excited for our future.
Before I continue with who I saw/visited/learned from, I have to mention who I missed and how bummed I was to do so. The nicest guy in the industry, Tom O’Malley (Clover Architectural), was there, and I never connected. The ultra cool Sean Farrow of Advanced Glass Industries I saw from a far but couldn’t get over to say hi. Billy Britt of Britt-Tilson Glass made an appearance, and his comeback post-nightmare flood is inspiring- just hated not seeing him. And I surely hated missing a chance to see the soon-to-be-retired Jim Ventre of Gardner Glass. I suppose I have an excuse to visit Jim in South Carolina now. My great pal Dan Danese (AIG/Trulite) didn’t make the show- and that was a massive hole for us. Gotta get him to Vegas! Of course, I didn’t see Ty Clem as is sadly usual, and somehow I never saw Keith Daubmann. Last, I did not see the classic Jeff Dowd of Gatsby Glass. He and I spoke ahead of the show, and I was thrilled that not only did Jeff say he was attending the show, but Gatsby was bringing 10 new people to the show, and that the company is rolling with 15 locations opened in the last year. Super stuff.
Getting to talk with the more intelligent and more talented is a plus for me, hoping it rubs off on me somehow. Like Shelly Farmer- one of the best to ever sell, along with her new boss at Glasshape, Andrew Forrest. Impressive guy. The terrific trio of Travis Nevins, Matt Fox, and Jason Lamberth of IUPAT does a ton for our space, and I’m always picking up new things when I’m around them. Travis, by the way, was outstanding in his D8 vs D10 talk. Super to run into Troy Johnson and Jon Close of Apogee Architectural Metals. Unless something crazy happens, Troy will be my special solo year-end guest on the podcast- and will be my 200th all-time guest too. Michael Saroka of Goldray and Devin Bowman of TGP/Allegion are both absolute stars out there- so I’m tickled when I get any time there. And Dan Shields- I owe an apology too as we were talking, and I got distracted and pulled away- not a good move by me in front a great guy like that.
The opportunity to reconnect with past coworkers is a must. This year, I had a few surprises. It's the first time I have seen the uber-talented Ken Passmore (Trulite) in years—such a good guy. Additionally, during my visit, I had the opportunity to meet DJ Weil and Eric Reynolds. Nice folks. “Big Red” Mike Dishmon (Vitro) is my guy- he doesn’t have a statue outside of Phillips Arena for nothing. Jeff Ziesche of JAZ Sales and FHC took care of me as always, with a Buc-ees run - that is a good friend! Plus, Vincent Guerrero of Mac Glass. He’s always been a favorite of mine, and he was rocking great swag from his company - way to represent, my friend. Last but certainly not least- I had a quality 45 seconds with Scott Goodman of CRL, and I was grateful for all of it, as Scott is an all-timer in my book.
Almost done here… while working the Best in Show process, I got to see Luc Boileau of Herzog Glass. So bummed I couldn’t stop and chat. Thrilled that he made the trek from Seattle to be at the show. I also saw Danielle Whatley and Oscar Lopez of Texstar Glass during that same time, and luckily, I got to run into them later and talk. Danielle is amazing (anyone who can break the internet qualifies), and Oscar is a sharp and cool cat- it was nice to visit for a few minutes. Staying in Texas, the top-shelf trio of Brian Risinger, Joe Lambertson, and Michael DeFrank of Country Glass were there, and I got a few minutes with them both at the Glazing Executives Forum and down on the floor. Those guys devoured every bit of the show- makes sense why Country Glass is so good. The same goes for Emily Yukish of Specified Systems - pure talent and class - and she also made sure she didn’t miss a thing.
I did see the Industry Front Man, Carl Christ of DFI. I wish I had a tiny bit of his energy and drive. And if I could get the same from Syndi Sim of Q-Railing, I’d be set for life. It's been years since I last saw and talked with David Corle of HMI, and he hasn’t aged a day; he's still off the charts talented. Great operators on hand that I got to say hi to included one of my all-time favorite duos, Mike and Joyce Cully of United Plate Glass. Thrilled to see them. Brian Shaw and Troy Johnson of Streamline were hustling on the floor as their company is getting close to launching, so I am glad they took a moment (that they probably didn’t have) to talk with me.
A terrific event is coming up in the spring with the 2nd Glass Symposium in Atlantic City, and visiting with the brains behind it- Pat O’Connor and Lisa Godlewski (Glass & Metal Alliance) was an absolute pleasure. This symposium will be a can’t-miss, and part of that is from the skillset Pat and Lisa have- just serious chops there, folks. The curtainwall crackerjack Jose Rodriguez was working the room- he’s going to do something next that will be epic. I just know it. Kudos also to the remarkable Taylor Anderson of Anderson Aluminum for doing a spectacular job of moderating the Glazing Executives Forum. Not an easy gig!
Before I go- a salute to the women and men from the NGA who worked tirelessly to get this show off the ground and make it fly. Lots of meetings, lots of “Teams” chats, and tons of energy expended, and I think they all delivered once again. I am in awe of the talent and effort there.
So there ya go… I am sure I missed many- and I am sorry. For three days, I run like a madman, and I love getting to visit with each and every one I see. THANK YOU for supporting the industry by attending GlassBuild! It truly is appreciated.
PROJECT of the WEEK
A favorite company of mine is Steel Encounters, and I had the opportunity to visit with Bruce Murray and Curtis Beplay from there while at the show. I have a long-standing relationship with Bruce and have been impressed with Curtis's educational efforts. So, time spent with them was well worth it. And also, well worth it? This project! It’s in progress, and it is looking absolutely tremendous. This is the University of Utah's Spencer F. & Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Education Building. A real showstopper. Way to go, Steel Encounters team- keep doing it all up!
