Time to kick the new year off with a new episode of the From the Fabricator podcast! And since it’s a new year, I started with a couple of people new to me and maybe to all of you. I kick it off with Sarah Andreasen, Director of Commercial Excellence at Kawneer. I had never spoken to Sarah before this; we had only exchanged a couple of messages to set it up, so I was going in cold. Sarah was wonderful. Brilliant and down-to-earth, she offered insights ranging from architects to glaziers to available technology. We covered a bunch, and I think you’ll be impressed. Just need to get her to BEC now! Then I talked with Chris Scheiblein, Director, LMCI at IUPAT. Chris brought a ton to the table, especially on things like generational differences on the jobsites, mental health, education, training, and the difference between “Gym Shape” and “Work Shape.” It was very cool to chat and get to know him—really sharp person for sure.
So let’s start the year off right and check this episode out! Thank you!
Or search “From the Fabricator” from wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thank you to the fine folks at FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the support on this episode. Much appreciated!
Last note- goal for the 2026 season is to bring more fresh views, but still have major known influencers on too. I’ve got some fascinating people lined up and am excited to get into it all!
Elsewhere…
-- The end of the year brought some people movement within our space. First up, John Myers is jumping over from Gardner Glass to its sister company, Walker Glass, to take over the Southeast as Architectural Manager there. John is a Pros Pro- so a good move for Walker, and he’ll do a nice job in that territory. Next, my pal Jose Rodriguez has landed at Guthrie AI in a Business Development role. The “Curtain Wall Crackerjack” will be excellent in this spot, mixing his deep product knowledge with the next generation of doing business in our space. Last, Terry Gibney took the role of Director of Sales at Synergx Technologies. When Terry first joined our industry, he had the misfortune of being seated next to me on a long plane flight. Even with that, he’s stayed in our space- and what I really admired is that he dove right in and was very active in the NGA processes and wanted to learn more. Super talented too, so he’ll be fantastic at Synergx. Congrats to all!!
-- Tough note though from the time off- Rod Pistokcha passed away. Rod was a great guy. Extremely passionate about his work and this industry. Never afraid to tell you how it was, and I always appreciated that. If I ever needed insight on an issue that Rod was schooled in, I know he’d give it to me straight and to the point. Great man, will be sorely missed—my condolences to his family, friends, and co-workers. And speaking of co-workers, extremely classy of Omar Maalouf and Momentum Glass to post a memorial to Rod on their LinkedIn page. Very nice to see.
-- I talk a lot on here about adaptive reuse and repurposing buildings. So when I saw this piece from the great design firm Perkins&Will, I had to share. Very cool to see old-school shopping malls transformed into incredibly useful structures. THIS is the sort of stuff that needs to happen in our universe, and I loved the amount of glass that the remodels ended up using, too. That’s great for us. Check it out HERE. It is something to see- and if you worked on any of these jobs, please let me know! Thanks!
-- Last this week- my upcoming topic schedule. At the start of every year, I review my predictions from the previous year to see how I did. Quite frankly, I am afraid to look! But I will do so and will rate them on my post next week. Then, on the week after, my fearless predictions for 2026 will be posted. I’m working on the crystal ball right now and will be ready to share soon.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Interesting automatic sliding door that is “bear” proof. Funny to me as I was at an event in Austin, TX, a while back- I got up early to work out, and when I walked past the front sliding doors on my way to the gym, a raccoon was trying to get in. So I guess we already have the raccoon deal done…https://soranews24.com/2025/12/07/japanese-company-selling-bear-proof-automatic-doors/
Tempered glass is doing the job here. Part of me wishes it was forced entry… (you’ll understand when you read) https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/accused-stalker-rams-head-through-door-window-during-chaotic-miami-dade-bond-hearing/
Fraud has been in the news a lot this past week… and here’s one you probably didn’t hear about- despicable all the same. https://www.wral.com/news/local/raleigh-service-dog-fraud-600k-december-2025/
PROJECT of the WEEK
2026’s spotlights start in the west with this one from Fullerton Glass Company. This is a project that I like because it's smart and sharp. Everything is looking great. Fullerton obviously knocked the install out of the park! No vendors were listed, but kudos to whoever manufactured and fabricated- it’s all looking good. The year is off to a good start… let’s keep that rolling with awesome projects all over!
