Once again, a massive loss has occurred for our industry. Larry Vockler of ICD Coatings & Chemistries – known for OPACI-COAT 300- has passed away. Calling Larry brilliant would be an understatement. He saw things at a different level and created products that could change an industry, one of which was how he completely disrupted the Spandrel space, and his invention and his drive allowed many a fabricator to grow their businesses. Before Larry perfected OPACI-COAT, the spandrel space had issues, and the spandrel itself was hard to get. Thus, architects usually specified brick or another building product instead. But thanks to Larry, his spandrel changed it all. Those fabricators I mentioned (including our company, where my brother Steve was a first adopter) could now produce it, and with that, architects started to spec it- more and more. Just like that, Larry was responsible for a critical segment of our world. How about that?!? Think about the amount of glass used in spandrel? It’s significant, and I point to Larry for that reason. Also note that Larry took the chance and built ICD from the bottom up, and he never forgot anyone who worked with him or supported his efforts.
You hear the line “they don’t make them as they used to anymore,” and that would pertain to Larry. Nothing like him then and now. I have a bunch of memories, but seeing an unexpectedly bawdy Elton John concert in Las Vegas during one of the shows out there will always stand out for me. I was there with him, his wife and partner, Trish, his daughter Kris, and others, and believe me, it was memorable. And speaking of Kris, Larry instilled the brilliance there, too. Kris, like Larry, thinks above the norm. That is a part of the legacy, too. My sincerest condolences to Trish, Kris, grandson Alex, and the entire ICD staff and family. He will be missed. Larry Vockler made an unforgettable mark in our space- we supply a lot more glass because of him- so the next time you quote, fabricate, or install spandrel, give a nod to Larry, without him, that area is probably some other building product.
Elsewhere…
-- ICYMI- the latest From the Fabricator podcast is up, and the reactions it’s getting have been pretty fun for me. The guests were Brad Thurman of GGI-General Glass International and Paul Robinson of Pioneer. I heard from folks who thought they knew everything about Brad and were thrown off by the fact that they didn’t know it all. And I heard from folks who loved Paul’s approach and passion for the space. All good stuff! Please check it out if you have not already. And by the way, both men do talk BEC, and they provide fresh, non-biased insight. So, if you’re on the fence about going, give it a listen, and you’ll surely want to attend!
AUDIO – Or search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Also, on both Apple and Spotify, you can subscribe to the pod, and you’ll actually get it before it officially drops.
Thank you to FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for their support and sponsorship of this episode!
-- I have hit you with a ton on BEC. All I can say is more and more people keep signing up- meaning you do not want to miss it! Register now.
-- This past week, I had the extreme honor of being a part of an excellent ½ day educational session put on by Precision Glass Industries in Houston. The speakers there really blew me away. I had never heard Brian White of HB Fuller or Geoff Shellard of Guardian Glass speak, and they were extremely impressive. Scott Kennett of NACC/AGMT delivered a strong case for glazing certification, and my pal Ted Baumgardner went deep into his world of AI. The keynote was Stefan Burnett of Perkins & Will- and he was absolutely tremendous. Really exciting to hear from a young, sharp architect who really loves glass. He made a comment, “We want to improve the perception of glass,” and man, that made my heart flutter. Thanks to the always cool Steve Versland of Guardian Glass for making that speech happen. And kudos to Abdeali Karimjee at Precision for making these efforts to educate the market- even when some of the projects shown weren’t his. Classy approach always.
-- Last this week, Super Bowl ads- and I’ll just point out one. The Budweiser Horse/”bird” ad was absolutely incredible. If you missed it- see it here. They mixed great music, incredible visuals, cool animals, and the pace and conclusion that were perfection. Kudos to them! (PS- The sun was in my eyes too- you’ll get that reference if you watched)
LINKS of the WEEK
Hard to explain this one- but living in a barn is a big part https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/christian-farmer-who-secretly-turned-a-barn-into-a-home-and-lived-with-livestock-is-to-be-evicted/ar-AA1VSAT3
Wonderful. (sarcasm) now we have black holes to worry about?https://www.unilad.com/technology/space/black-hole-more-energy-than-death-star-195781-20260208
The Data Center boom now needs some real creativity when it comes to power distribution. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/state/virginia-bill-aims-to-cut-residential-energy-costs-shifting-expenses-data-centers/291-1433ec58-7660-4021-b2dc-a5fb2f5287e2
PROJECT of the WEEK
I don’t know MGSI Glass in Iowa, but I know I like this work! Precision, custom focus here, and it looks sharp! The post I saw didn’t list the glass suppliers- and hopefully someone will jump in and take credit because that looks great too. In any case, massive kudos to the MGSI team on a job well done!!
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