I think in this space people come to expect certain things from me… and lately it’s been the doomsday attitude that I have been showing. Well the reason I have it is I read too much and this article is another example of why it’s a scary world out there. Basically this is an expert saying gas could cost 12 to 15 dollars per gallon. That thought alone is nightmarish and if we get to that point, the piddly stuff I rant about will mean nothing. Gas is already out of control… from Saturday to Monday, the prices went up 12 cents per gallon by my house… man no one should EVER complain about glass prices ever again!

Elsewhere…

-- Coming next week is the CSI show and once again virtually most of our industry is ignoring it. Do you wonder if the specifiers ever walk the floor and say: “Hmm... isn’t there a Division 8?” And yes I know the world does not revolve around our industry, but I think it’s pretty amazing that the management of CSI has no care for why its members aren’t getting the full magillah.

-- And speaking of shows… I mentioned this last week… I think spending will be less going forward… though there will always be the ego driven folks that will “show to show” but that’s their prerogative.

-- I wrote a while back in USGlass about these scams where people call you and tell you they’ll do an article about your company… and all you have to do is give them your suppliers/customers names. Then they’ll call those folks and ask them to buy ads to celebrate your inclusion in the magazine. Gang… THIS IS A SCAM. Please if you have never heard of the magazine, and they want to shake down your supply and customers, its not real! A real magazine has ads or subscriptions to pay for it. Once a week I get a call from one of these shysters trying to spin why I should place an ad to “celebrate so and so’s 900^th anniversary” Its unreal.

-- And yes so far I have used the words Shyster, Prerogative and Magillah in the blog… that’s a first.

-- Lots of discussion about the price increase laid out last week. The next few weeks look to be very interesting as everyone gets up to speed on what’s happening.

-- Not touching the Stanley Cup… guess I shoulda stayed a closet Pens fan eh?

-- This was in an article linked by USGNN on Tuesday- its about Green and companies that are in business to make you more “Green” like Seagate and their CEO Bill Watkins.
"I get on a private jet and fly to New York, so it's kind of hard for me to talk about separating my cans from plastic," he said. "They actually wanted me to convert to a full electric car," he said. "I drive a Bentley. This is the car of my life ... I'll be honest, I couldn't do it."
Yep, so his company promotes itself as green, but no way will he even try to come close to living that way… and instead will arrogantly mock it. Amazing… personally I think the NFRC should go after this guy…..

To the LINKS we go….

-- Top 100 cities to live in? Charlotte is number 1… other notables Greenville, SC (Awesome city- would live there in a second) and Tulsa at #5.

-- Apple is looking at a Solar powered IPhone… wow my luck my batteries would run out because we only get sun 3 months a year in Michigan

-- Great Blog post from Deb Levy… and by the way its one thing I beg the gang at USGlass to do… a look back in the past… man that would be a cool regular feature!

Video of the Week:

How not to handle a hockey trophy… something tells me the Wings won’t let anything happen to their Cup.

Everything Costs More....

Probably the big news for the week was not the AIA show (and the reax on that below) but the announcement of a major price increase in the glass industry. A double digit increase... the biggest that I can remember and another sign of how everything in our lives is costing more. The reaction to the price increase covered all angles. Immediately some folks went into the “How can you raise prices in a dead economy mode” while others praised the increase as much needed thanks to the spiraling costs all around. The bottom line is this price increase and others that could follow will be debated all over and it will be interesting to watch how it’s accepted. To this date, companies everyday absorb charges themselves instead of passing on to their customers because their place in the market is so weak, they feel they can’t afford to. I guess we’ll see if said companies can still play that role or if they have to give in. In this era, where everything costs more, absorbing increases makes no sense and is truly a recipe for disaster.

Elsewhere….

-- The AIA show… I heard varied opinions… a few folks thought the show was great, a few thought it sucked and there were some right in the middle. I am probably in the minority here but I think the days of spending huge money on these shows is over. The halls and show management bleed you for cash and nothing comes cheap and easy… and the bottom line is you can whine and dine all you want in Boston (or wherever said show is) but if you don’t follow through like a beast afterwards you just threw a ton of cash away.

-- I was actually in Vegas at the HD Show and was shocked that the possible economic woes have not touched that industry yet. Still more gadgets and expensive stuff than ever on display… It basically seems that the hospitality industry is still full steam ahead. By the way- hot item there was these back lit gigantic planters. Amazing. I believe my pal Bob Larson bought 2 of them for his home….

-- How about the heat that BIM is getting? I know I mentioned the covers of the magazines but it seems like in the last week or so, its exploded all over the place. The question that keeps coming up is will BIM actually take over and that will be the way to go. I think in due time it will… I think it will take time- hell we just finally got people used to using a fax machine in this industry… the tech savvy designers will snap this up and if they are able to show major efficiency gains, this way will spread like wildfire.

-- Did YKK hire a new marketing guy? I think they’ve had a release in every edition of USGNN for the last week. Damn this guy is making us other marketing folks look bad… Get ready folks as I think the rest of us are going to start digging deep for special announcements!

-- Jim Benney, NFRC Honcho spoke at AIA. Wish I was there. Wonder if he mentioned the word “cost” or any other word associated with money while there. I am sure he just told the architects how great this program will be without letting them know how it will affect the project financially. Best line was when he said this about why manufacturers need to be rated:

"They need to be able to compete on a fair basis."

HILLARIOUS!!!! Let’s see… NFRC has a virtual and seriously unfair monopoly… but yet WE the idiot manufacturers we need to be able to compete on a fair basis? Wow. I think NFRC should compete with AAMA or someone else to make it fair right? You know that just slays me. I am just tickled that the NFRC is looking out for fairness. What he meant was that some suppliers may cheat and this way it keeps those evil cheaters at bay. Why do I know that? Because in 2003 he said this in an article in US Glass:

“It is this reliance on manufacturer specifications that must be challenged”

You know because we are bad… bad people. All of those published numbers are wrong and despite having a true legal remedy to handle fraudulent claims, don’t you worry, the NFRC is on the case! Again for billionth time… it’s not the program (whole system calcs are good) but it’s the way it’s being implemented, the unnecessary costs, the desire to push down the throats of an industry, and the lack of choice that is the reason so many people (more and more everyday actually) are so negative towards the NFRC effort.

From the LINKS….

-- Gas prices are going so high that the pumps can’t count that high…. And by the way, how sickening is it to fill the tank these days?

-- Surprise Surprise… the Presidential Candidates are talking tough (Finally) on communist China… now will they follow through?

Uh Oh… when I say prices for everything is going up… I mean it… yes even BEER is being hit by an increase… more than a buck per 6 pack!

Video of the Week…

Well it is time for the Stanley Cup and amazingly my two favorite teams have made the finals… I can’t lose really… except I do have to pick a team to root for… I grew up in Pittsburgh as a huge Pens fan… but have lived in Michigan for 11 years and like the Wings too and was fortunate to go to many of their Cup games in the past… plus my wife and daughter like the Wings… (My son right now only likes wrestling… professional wrestling… yeesh) so all said and done.. I still am a Pens fan at heart… the Pens in 7 in an epic and incredible Stanley Cup… and the video of the week, the best moment I have ever had at a sporting event… Mario Lemieux scores late and the Pens win Game 1 of the 1992 Cup and the Civic Arena goes crazy… (Pens were down 4-1 and that goal made it 5-4)

The other side of green

Normally I start with an observation of the week and then break into shorter thoughts and then the “Links”- however nothing has caught my fancy as much as a commentary from the Detroit News. The columnist, Nolan Finley takes on the world of “green” and how our efforts to turn that way are in his opinion affecting so many other items that you just may not realize. The commentary can be found HERE and it’s a quick and worthwhile read. I know that several people from the “Eco-Lobby” side of the world read this blog and it will be very interesting to see what they say. Ironically this whole thing also makes me think about NFRC (my gosh, I think everything anymore makes me think about that stuff… I am pathetic) because its along the same path… in our efforts to try and be more energy efficient we can’t be comfortable with programs that work and that are inexpensive… no we need Titanic like layer and fee driven adventures… and costs will rise because of it….

Elsewhere…

-- If you are not checking out Megan Headley’s blog (Here) or Ellen Rogers (Here) please do… some good stuff there on both. On Ellen’s last post she talked about the dreaded surcharge and the effect on everyday life… E I think you should pass it on… your Mom got off easy… but seriously good stuff and usually a lot lighter than my foot stomping whine-fests you are used too…

-- And speaking of Blogs- Paul Bieber’s update this week was solid too- if you have a glass shop- you're getting some very good free advice.

-- USGNN also ran a piece last week on a tempered table tops blowing up…and now a lawsuit has been filed… and I think you all know what is next… the glass most likely came from China… what a shock… Yet its comical, you see this story all over the place.. it just ran in DC last year and you know its happening like crazy… yet the sheep still bring in the material from China with no fear or conscience. Simply amazing.

-- Great Tech follow ups in the most recent GANA Glass Reflections… once again Greg Carney handles the whole NFRC debacle with such care and class. And he brings up a big point that flies under the radar since there’s so many other warts on this toad… and that’s price… the total pricing has not really been established and I wonder where the NFRC is on the whole “outside” funding thing. Personally I think that the city of Seattle and the State of California should pony up all the cash for this bad boy… they want it.. they’ve helped propagate it… let them PAY for it.

-- Just asking… why do Hurricane’s get more coverage than Tornado’s? Is it because we have weeks to wait for the hurricane to hit or not hit? It is because we name them? Is it because with a hurricane you can show people evacuating? Maybe it’s me, but this has been a terrible run on Tornado’s lately and yet I think it only gets a portion of the coverage of a hurricane. My heart goes out to all who have been affected and I know a few people personally who have lost either portions of their homes or the entire home due to these storms… just horribly depressing anyway you slice it.

To the LINKS we go…

-- NASA is paying for people to stay in bed… yes this may be my next gig! If I can get an internet hi speed connection I am there…

-- You many have seen this today… Man suing Jet Blue for being forced to sit in the bathroom…. I don’t know with how cramped the flight is… is this a bad thing? Especially if it does not smell, you at least would have more room…

-- For you “Family Guy” folks…(an awesome show if you have not watched- go rent the DVD’s) this blog is trying to say that new Miami QB Chad Henne looks like a character on the show… Uh I say no…

Video of the week…

Speaking of Family Guy.. this is a clip from the special DVD “Blue Harvest” which is a rip roaring take off of Star Wars… Great stuff…

Ready to feel the mood

Next week the annual national AIA show takes place in Boston and it should be interesting to hear how everyone feels up there. Will it be like the Builders Show with the feeling of dread or will it be more upbeat? The ABI has been trending down, but projects are still rolling, including some major monumental work, so who knows. No doubt this event and the feeling on the floor should tell us a lot about where we are all going.

Elsewhere….

-- BIM has become so hot that we had a Time & Newsweek moment in our industry. BIM is on the cover of USGlass and Glass Magazine… so I would say this is pretty darn hot eh?

-- Some NFRC notes… feel free to skip down if you could care less… they announced that they will select a “NFRC Member of the Year” Seriously…. That’s pure unintentional comedy right there… but you know that for sure the winner will be a manufacturer, probably one that does some commercial, so they can show how “they work with everyone” even though that’s a bunch of hooey. My bet is on TRACO which for some reason has unbelievably supported/pushed for these programs… for the life of me I’ll never understand why. Especially since they have some very good people- I just don’t get their logic. I wonder how they’ll spin it if the program takes off (which is still doubtful really) and their customers have to pay through their ears and go through numerous nightmare steps to get things done. I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be known as one of the people who actually “wanted” this.

-- Also in the latest NFRC propaganda newsletter, a long editorial from current chair Joe Hayden on why “No” is sometimes the answer. He basically says that even though the entire organization can vote against something… keep voting against it at every stop… see votes that are like 48 to 6… that “no” sometimes is the answer. So that’s all good except that the NFRC also wants to try and play that it works with the consensus. You can’t have it both ways. And believe me NFRC is the furthest thing from a consensus organization out there. But somewhere out there NFRC is trying to convince people it does actually listen....

-- Last, in this latest little newsletter I think they mentioned that they were a 501c3 about 100 times… we get it guys… seriously we do... amazing how that designation means you can basically try and run roughshod over an industry… I think with how many times they note it, maybe the NFRC is trying to win the IRS Member of the Year award...

Sorry too much NFRC for me too… but it is.. what it is….

From the LINKS this week…

-- Oh and one more thing… check out this article on conflict of interest at NASA… does it sound like anyone we know? Hmmmmmm Thanks to Mike for the link. Gee wish the Inspector General would come visit me someday.

-- Fun article on celebrities who talk green but do not follow through with it in life…

-- Another story… on the weakening of Vegas and their economy… what’s comical is no one has told Vegas… Even with all the evidence presented in this article, there’s no way these people would be building like crazy if the outlook was dire…

Plain, Simple and Direct

Wow. When I read Margaret Webb’s incredible commentary on the NFRC, (Tuesday’s USGNN) I was really left in awe. She was able in 4 paragraphs to breakdown the on-going adventures better than I have in years of ranting and raving. The question is… will it matter? Sadly, it won’t. The NFRC and the people, who blindly support it, will ignore or avoid the incredibly persuasive and intelligent arguments and points that Marg brings forth. The thing that will make the difference is the basic possibility/probability that the program as it heads down the path right now will fail in spectacular fashion. The angst comes from the fact that the NFRC will steam ahead and the rest of us will have to deal with an epic mess… one that many people did all they could to avoid… but were ignored….

And one more note… until someone can explain to me how the NFRC adding an IG Certification program and having a major player and board member of NFRC to benefit greatly from such an un-necessary program is not the least bit squirrelly, then I won’t shut up… I mean.. c’mon…. As a co-worker always says about NFRC… “follow the money….”

Elsewhere….

-- A shorter than normal post this week… I actually have to attend to the day job… and yes I still have one…

-- The most recent GANA Event in Las Vegas- combined Glass Fab and Glazing Contractor Education Conference went off well… once again you get reminded of the talent in the room… for me this trip it was the folks on the spacer side… Warm Edge spacer is the revolution and people from that side of the business were out in full force. Folks like Tracy Rogers from Edgetech, Mike Gainey from Azon and fresh back in North America, Milind Jhaveri of Technoform were front and center. There is no doubt in this age of energy efficiency and need, that the spacer specs will be going more and more warm edge… gee its amazing, we as industry are improving products all the time without prompting… but don’t worry “public” the NFRC will make sure your protected…

-- Speaking of that conference… a thumbs up to Beth Hockett from Trainor Glass in Denver for a tremendous presentation on Green and LEED. Many of us commented afterwards that it was the first presentation on that subject that gave real glazing examples and details… and not info on waterless urinals and bike racks… Between Beth and Henry Taylor of Kawneer, we had some serious “green” brains in that room.

-- Did you read the latest USGlass on BIM? Great stuff. Let’s see… value to architect and public… BIM… a ton…. NFRC…. Yeah won’t go there… BIM is still very new overall and has its detractors but it’s still a real valuable tool…

-- Man I gotta cut back on the caffeine and M&M’s… I get too NFRC crazy.

To the LINKS we go…

-- Oil Prices to double by 2012? Article is here for your depression… meanwhile did you see the profits the Oil companies are reporting? Gas going up everyday… $4 nationally this summer and some reports about $10 gas… Uh isn’t that craziness? Seriously is every ambulance chaser in the US working on the Glass industry and none are available to take these folks on? Nice to see every politician is in the pocket of big oil. Good work guys.

-- If you have an extra 5 minutes… check out this incredible news video story from Utah on professional panhandlers… the girl they followed was making $50 per HOUR! Its unreal… now this is an area where NFRC could protect the public.. start certifying these people!

-- An NYT article on the recession diet… unless of course you’re a panhandler…

I am skipping the video of the week, but if you haven’t seen the videos on USGNN, check em out. It’s a great addition to the site and it really does add another great dimension.

Shoes-a-droppin

No doubt the big news of the past week was the announcement that AGC.. formerly known as AFG, was re-structuring… plants will be closed and sold, and the industry will go through a major change. Sarcastically my reaction was… I guess the “snazzy” logo and name change did not cure all ills eh? But seriously this announcement brought a lot of thoughts to the forefront. First up… I guess this is even MORE proof that the frivolous copy cat lawsuits that are out there are baseless. Something tells me if AGC was “raking in the cash” domestically this would not be happening. Also I wonder what former AFG chief John Litzinger is thinking these days. He had a lot of ideas and moves he reportedly wanted to implement and never got the chance… maybe… just maybe… if he had the right backing, this does not happen. In addition… maybe if AFG/AGC would’ve attended the industries best conference (BEC) the last 2 years, they would’ve understood the industry better. Yes I know that last comment was a low blow… but it’s the truth… every major player in our industry was there…. And they weren’t… maybe that shows they were out of touch… and I know it has nothing to do with the current situation…. Just could not resist. All in all I feel bad about the employees who will lose their jobs and those around the country who now wait to see what or if any new owner jumps for their various branch. Not a good time right now for sure.

Bottom line… this is probably the first of many shoes to drop in our industry… like I said before… hold on.. its gonna be a bumpy ride….

Elsewhere….

-- Very sad news for the industry this weekend as well as George Sutorka passed away. George was a laminated guy through and through and a true pleasure to work with. He had a gruff persona but had a huge heart. The guy was a champ. Plus you could always get on his good side talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers… In any case, George will be missed.

-- Hey Tuesday was “Earth Day!” Go Earth! Beat Jupiter. Or Saturn… or that nasty squad from Mars. Amazing how Earth Day has become so commercial… I have a feeling the gang who created this in 1970 did not see it turning into a marketing opportunity that’s for sure. By the way… From The Fabricator is the Official Glass Industry Blog of Earth Day.

-- Speaking of Earth… Time Magazine had a special “Green” issue this past week… and they talked about how they too will try and adhere to more “green” practices… I guess one of those practices WON’T be the stuffing of every magazine with several postcards begging you to subscribe.. since my issue had a boatload of them… Yep LOVE the hypocrisy there… ((Do people actually fill those out still? Seriously?))

-- Got a few questions on Zeledyne and whether or not they’ll change the products names too… my gosh lets hope not! Bad enough that when the company was Visteon they jettisoned the BEST PRODUCT name in the history of the industry… JADE ICE…. For guys in this industry they could use the name JADE ICE and their wives would not know if it was a stripper in Dallas or a glass product…. They could call from the bar and say with a straight face “I’m in the middle of dealing some Jade Ice issues” and not be lying.

To the LINKS we go….

-- Get ready for All Green TV… oh joy… I live the stuff daily… why do I have to have a channel for it? The only thing I’d watch is a green version of “24” where Jack tracks down people who lie on their LEED submittals….

-- Last week I noted the Northwest-Delta merger…. Today this article where Delta said they’ll have to raise rates 15-20% just to break even this summer…. Yep and people complain about our industry….

-- Click here as CNN’s Jack Cafferty is in the middle of a firestorm with communist China… I actually am not a fan of Cafferty normally but on this subject… he is very, very right.

Video of the week… in honor of George Sutorka… a look at the Steel Curtain.. and the best Pittsburgh Steelers ever…

The Great FTF Quiz Question

OK we like to have fun here at the FTF Blog and today I start with a quiz… get the right answer and win a great prize of knowledge…. Just one question… What is (a) Zeledyne?

Is it:

A: The hottest new cholesterol drug on the market today

B: The name of the new bad guy in the next James Bond Movie

C: A great Soccer player from France who just retired

D: A part deep within a tempering oven that can only be found in Jeff Wareham’s basement.

E: None of the Above

Ok… what do you think…. I mean I think A makes sense… it just sounds pharmaceutical… B could work, even if you don’t care for a blonde James Bond… C… didn’t he head-butt that Stafileno guy from Team Italy in the last World Cup? D… I am afraid what may be stocked in that basement… so we’ll go with…E…

Yes.. as you know since you probably read USGNN the last few days, Zeledyne is the new name for the newly formed company that has taken over the previous Ford Glass/Visteon/ACH group. While the name baffles me, I am thrilled for all of the great people at the new Zeledyne who have left the limbo world and jumped into what looks like a solid operation. The old company was known for its colors and excellent customer service and attitude and I would expect that to stay the same as it did through every name and owner they had. Here’s wishing them great success….

Elsewhere…

-- The great “CrystalGrey” debate is finally over and can you believe the effect it had on Apogee stock? The stock went up like $4 per share based solely on this blog!! Man Jim Cramer and the street love me! And don’t even try and bring that whole “earnings” argument to me… people in the mix know that a mention on here is MUCH more important than some earnings announcement….

-- Got a heads up this week that the city of Dallas is going “green”… that’s not a huge surprise… Texas is a huge “green” area overall (and don’t you find that odd that a very conservative state like Texas is so on the bandwagon of an environmental issue… I mean I’m just saying.. isn’t green associated with the flower children and so on? ) and this just goes with that flow. It again though raises the question of going green for “green sake” or are we truly putting in the right products to meet the energy needs of this country?

-- Northwest and Delta are merging which is miserable news for me being a Northwest flier… but the reason I write is that it is a major consolidation and its something that could never happen in our industry. It would be like Kawneer buying YKK… that humongous. That said, even with the down economy, I am still hearing about a lot of negotiations out there.. though many are running into hang ups thanks to skittish bankers and investors. Still that said, I expect a few deals to finally hit by summer time… will we have a blockbuster like the 2 we had last summer… my bet is yes… but it won’t be as big as the Northwest/Delta deal that’s for sure.

-- 21 the movie was solid… but sadly did not stay close enough to the book for my liking. I guess they had to make it “Hollywood friendly”…. Still the movie was worth seeing. I just don’t get creative license… when someone does a book about my life, I get this feeling they’ll do something really crazy like make me a supporter of NFRC just because it “would make a good plot”

Off to the LINKS for the week…

-- Will the scientists be right this time? They are calling for another BUSY hurricane season…. Click here for the story… keep your fingers crossed if you need the business…

-- Will the Democratic convention get ugly? Here’s quick interesting story about when it once did….

-- Scary story about the popular drug Heparin and the fact its made in China and being recalled… yep that will be my luck.. that’s how I would go… with tainted communist Chinese drugs….

Last… its not so much Video of the week but great audio… the best hockey play by play guy… EVER… is Mike Lange of the Pittsburgh Penguins… below is one of his calls from their playoff series vs Ottawa… The guy is tremendous…. Anyway it reminds me I did not pick my hockey champs… so even though I am a bit late… here it is… I like Washington in the East because Ovechkin is insanely good…. And out West, I liked the Ducks but after watching them get rolled by the Stars… no way I can go there… I think the Sharks recover vs Calgary and win the West with the Sharks taking it all…. And now you can guarantee the Sharks and Caps will both lose in the first round….

The Great CrystalGrey Debate

As seen on USGNN Monday… The Star Tribune of Minneapolis ran a piece that was picked up on USGNN and Google Alerted all over the world about Viracon’s new product… CrystalGrey. Except they left out a huge part of the story… Viracon does not manufacture CrystalGrey, Guardian Industries does. The story was a baffling and misleading one to people who know our industry, as according to the article, somehow Viracon used 24 engineers to design a product that Guardian actually designed and created…. Hmm… 24 engineers? It also took those 24 engineers, according to the article, 5 years to produce this product for Viracon that was actually created and manufactured by Guardian… Man if I have stock in Apogee I am not happy that 24 engineers worked on a product that wasn’t even produced by their own company. Is that really efficient? OK, yes I am being sarcastic and catty, but my goodness this article was horrid. Whether it was a clueless writer or someone leading her astray, it was still very un-kosher. Viracon has a ton to be proud of… unlike some companies who bang their chest and place a press release every time they complete a job with less than a 6 figure back charge, Viracon actually can place a release everyday on something new, different and amazing. (Not to mention their cool new Google Map feature) I’ve even complimented them here many times and will continue to do so when applicable, but there was no way I could let this one pass- a story this misleading… no way. Funny thing is… pre-USGNN… no one outside the Twin Cities sees this… now the world does… meaning you have to keep that in mind… always.

By the way, I thought Guardian did a nice job and took the high road by issuing a basic and informative press release the next day on CrystalGrey. They could’ve noted what I did above about the misleading nature of the article but they did not. And granted they worked/consulted with Viracon to create this product and I am sure Viracon is a good customer for them, but no one woulda blamed them if they would’ve slapped back.

By the way I am going to call that writer from the Star Tribune and tell her I am aglow over my new invention…. The Blog. Yep, it’s like an on line diary that will change everything you do. I am really excited about it. I’ve had 30 software guys working round the clock to create this whole Blog thingee. It’s awesome.

Elsewhere…

-- So how many of you thought I’d be among the protesters who were trying (and sometimes succeeding) to put out the Olympic torch? Yes because of the policies of the oppressive Communist Chinese government, many more people are now more engaged in the ever growing problem with that country. And yes I know the Olympics are about the games and sportsmanship, but it’s pretty pathetic that people are trying to paint a cheery picture in the name of sport. Here’s hoping that the protests continue and maybe some meaningful action will take place.

-- Great news from the NFRC front… a note on their website states that John Hogan is no longer the Chair of the Certification Policy Committee.. meaning he is gone from the Board Ex Officio’s as well. Replacing him is Roland Temple of AZS Consulting. Hogan is a guy that always treated the commercial industry with disdain, believes that vinyl can be used in skyscrapers and somehow parlayed a gig for the City of Seattle into taking trips all over the world to promote stuff like NFRC… that last part still baffles me… In any case his departure is a good thing, add it with the voting out of Alecia Ward in the last election and two very anti-commercial glass industry people are gone. In Roland I think we will have someone who will at least listen and be fair. After all he works with Arlene Stewart and she is one of the few who disagree with people like me, but have at least taken the time to learn about what we do and keep lines of communication open to reach workable, logical conclusions. So maybe, this is another good step. Then again, it’s still the NFRC… and the CMA still looks everyday like the Titanic… so his addition may be too late to stop the ship before it hits the iceberg.

-- Going to see “21” this week… according to my mom, who sees every movie that comes out… it’s outstanding… BUT… she did not read the book and the big key is how true to the book it stays because “Bringing Down the House” is easily one of my Top 5 books of all time.

-- Sorry E on UNC…. Great title game though… Congrats to Kansas… I know Carol Land of GANA was pretty pleased, her e-mail now has a very happy Jayhawk logo adorned to it!

From the LINKS this week

-- Had this discussion at lunch… if the Democrats go to convention still in “toss up” mode, will their be a surprise in having Al Gore get the nom… well this link looks at the possibility… one I think could really happen

-- Speaking of Mr. Gore… is Global Warming on hold? See this article… and again this is similar to a link I had awhile back about Global Cooling…

Last- in case you did not stay up to watch “One Shining Moment” after the game Monday… here it is… well worth the watch if you are a hoop fan… and anytime you can get Bill Raftery saying “Onions!” in a video… its damn well worth it!

My 3 "favorite" things

I hate being a one trick pony… so I went from just blogging on NFRC to railing on China. Now to make it a hat trick on subjects I obsess about, I add the whole lawsuit stuff that’s going on with the primary manufacturers. Its funny I have heard from folks who have been approached to file a suit or join in or so on. The whole thing is shady. Its so blatant its disgusting really. But the kicker is this… say that the primaries fight this to the end and win, and they will if it goes that far, then who do they go back on? Who can they go after to re-coup their legal costs? No one. Oh wait… no… yeah, see after they fight this absolutely insane and unnecessary fight (again with no evidence in North America mind you) then it’s a lock that our prices will go up to help defray the damage. So basically, lawyers will make lots of money and we’ll be left holding a higher price as a thank you.

And by the way, the lawyers on this will make the money- not the “stand in” people they got to place the suits- if you think that the folks that these lawyers found to be the trigger are gonna make money, then I have some great oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you. Believe me, no matter how this process goes, the lawyers are the ones walking away with big checks… and so even if you despise everything about our industry and you think these suits are justified, at the end of the day you’ll gain nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that several lawyers can now buy that 2^nd home in Vail.

Elsewhere…

-- Hmmm let’s see if a communist Chinese lawyer who loves the NFRC ever sees me in person I am guessing I am in big trouble. Oh well…

-- Again I wonder… if there are lawyers that can sue about the above, why aren’t there lawyers suing over the insane gas prices? Seriously… I mean Exxon and BP and so on make tons and tons of money… and yet they get away with this stuff. At least congress is trying to get on them… but like in the past, they’ll rebuff it. Hell as a business man gas prices makes me madder then most things these days…

-- When I read on USGNN about the falling glass in NY, I thought for sure it would another heat soak/communist China issue.. but it looked to be a rough install… regardless the stories of cheap glass from China causing problems continue to be out there… the only thing that keeps them for really hitting mainstream is the fact people are so embarrassed they move heaven and earth to not admit anything… and that includes the architects who knowingly sign off on communist products but then run as fast as they can when the trouble hits…

Now to lighten the mood.. let’s go to the LINKS

-- Click here to read about a very dumb guy. If you don’t want to click… its about a guy who buys a $12,000 engagement ring and then comes up with probably the dumbest way to try and incorporate it into his proposal. Amazing.

-- Interesting one here.. the top 10 jobs that are “going away”…. And no, “marketing guy who annoys with a mediocre blog” is not on the list… but radio/TV announcer is actually…

-- This one is about a guy who gets robbed, but is able to get his stuff back by doing some serious cyber sleuthing… and he also gets help from people all over the world thanks to the power of the web.

Last… I hold to my North Carolina pick to win it all… sorry E… and now that baseball has started, time for my fearless predictions… in the NL… I like the Mets, Cubs, Dodgers and D backs… with the Dodgers winning… while in the AL… the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians (oww even typing that hurt my fingers) and Angels with the Yanks going… setting up a Joe Torre vs his old team in the World Series and the Yankees taking it… closing old Yankee Stadium with a flourish…

Video of the week.. this tennis player… about 30 seconds in takes his frustrations out.. on himself!!!

Snow Filled and Bumpy

Winter is “officially” over according the calendar but I am pretty sure we still have a few more storms left… after all 2007-08 brought us the 6^th worst winter… EVER…. Now combine that with a slowing economy and you have many people wringing their hands hoping for dry springs, and a boost of the economy… unfortunately… its not looking like that will happen. Gas prices keep going up (yep but let’s sue the primary manufacturers… where’s the ambulance chasers on the gas issue?) and most of the economic indicators are still not comforting. Worst is yet to come? The AIA Billings Index came in with its worst total since October of 2001…. And we all remember how depressing it was then. Guess we need to strap in, cause its going to be a bumpy ride.

Elsewhere….

-- The CRL-Somaca deal is done… now you wonder if the CRL people will go take a class in marketing 101. The way they handled the whole thing- including this bizarre statement (right here for your comic relief) still stuns me. I know they were probably mad that the deal was blown up, the day before it was announced, but c’mon guys.. get a grip.

-- Saw that Keystone Certifications is expanding their business… they announced a new Insulated Glass certification program. Yep, what a shock that is eh? Let’s see they worked with/for IGMA then broke off on their own. And they did it at virtually the same time NFRC began talk of having a need for IG cert…hmmmmm… and then you know all of the connections between the two… and yet no one ever sees anything wrong with this stuff? So it’s just a matter of time before the folks at NFRC try and minimize the incredible efforts of a legitimate group like IGMA so they can further the agenda of one of their own. And by the way, always remember that an NFRC board member must put the NFRC’s needs ahead of their own… so that works REALLY well when those needs intersect nicely. And by the way, why does this matter? Because the more NFRC controls without true independence (and choice- since NFRC loves the monopoly!) the more we all will pay… and yet no ambulance chasers are willing to take this one on…. I guess they have to wait for another suit to copycat after.

-- I wonder- anything new with the good ole Des Moines Library? Other than bringing the term “heat soak” back into vogue of course?

From the Links this week…

-- Yes even our passports are getting “outsourced” and this is a very disturbing article about it…

-- A 16 year old dies in Florida after breast augmentation surgery. The story is here.. the question is WHY? How in the world can it even get to the point where teenagers are having un-needed surgeries like that?

-- Would you pay money for the dirt from the Yankee Stadium infield? Evidently people actually will.... again.. I am in the wrong business.... I just hope they get that dirt certified by a group like the NFRC... (immediately the folks at Keystone are looking at this) seriously its an interesting article because I never understood the whole souvenir angle...

Last, I am thrilled that Duke is now done- yes I know I picked them, but again method to madness was simple- they go out I am happy… they win it all… I am happy. So now with the Sweet 16 left…. Did UCLA dodge the bullet and now they’ll run the table? Kansas looks good too… plus you have to like Texas playing in their home state the rest of the way…. But all that said- I am going with North Carolina… and that yell you just heard was from USGlass’ own Ellen Giard Rogers because the Tar Heels are her team and I just pretty much jinxed em… sorry E…

The Top 5 Industry Groups

So what industry groups really hold the power? Which trade groups are the ones that are truly there for their members? Which groups are in place to only further their agendas? Well below, we take a crack at the 2^nd Annual Top 5 Industry Groups a.k.a. The Power Poll. The difference this year, is I am only doing groups that were created for our industry and not oversight (so no NFRC or IECC on this one- saving that for a different post) So without further adieu….

#5 AAMA- Stunned huh? Yes I know I have taken my share of pot shots over the years at this group, but at the end of the day, they do work for their membership. In their defense, they have a goofy path to navigate in regards to their relationship with NFRC, so its hard to blame them for everything there. Bottom line is AAMA does work very hard for the commercial industry and really a heads up, if you are a commercial player and you are a member of WDMA and not AAMA, you really need to do some soul searching. It’s a shame that the AAMA/WDMA deal did not happen because it would of rid us of a group (WDMA) that has absolutely no conscience when it comes to commercial buildings. Regardless, AAMA deserves to be on the list no matter what the circumstance. (And considering I am not really well like there, I am sure that they are just thrilled with my endorsement!)

#4 National Glass Association (NGA)- If the AAMA one didn’t floor ya… then this one probably will. I struggled with this quite a bit because I have always been on the “window sticker and trade show” bandwagon. I guess I put them here based on overall potential. They have power by name, they have an audience and outlet and if they ever decide to really go for it, they could be strong. We saw some sparkles of that with the intense letter from NGA to NFRC a few meetings ago, but it really needs to be more consistent. Some of the issues that the membership wants covered take time and energy and just don’t go away with one flip of the pen. (NFRC, China as two) Still I have a feeling that folks like Rod Van Buskirk will not sit idly by going forward, as a focus seemingly is on the horizon. So for now, based on pure potential to represent their members and industry, #4 it is.

#3 Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC)- I write about Dr Tom Culp all the time and as the face and personality leading the charge for AEC, they really have a great guy. His task is huge since there are really people out there… seriously… who believe you can do a skyscraper in New York City using Vinyl. Yep. And sadly, there’s a bunch of people who actually ignore all of the things wrong with that concept and promote it. So Tom has his work cut out. But between him and the staff at AEC, they truly do take their members interest to heart. I have seen them work compromises on issues that looked impossible to bridge, and that is not an easy gig in the world of the trade org.

#2 IGMA- I gained a ton of respect for this group and their leader Margaret Webb over the past year. A few years ago I thought IGMA missed the boat in trying to slow the NFRC Titanic, but in reality, that boat was steaming on by no matter what anyone did. In the meantime I got to see first hand the pure fire and focus that IGMA has for its membership. They want to do right by the industry and not create scenarios to make money for themselves or for some testing agency. Their agenda is strong throughout and they have movers and shakers from all of top companies in our industry involved. Plus their Canadian roots are important since on many issues the Canadian way has proven to be better than what we do in the USA.

#1- Glass Association of North America (GANA)- Yes I know it’s a homer pick, but even taking myself out of it, this organization, when you study the facts is clearly deserving of this spot. They are the only group that is able to bring the true technical focus over so many different segments of our industry. They get tremendous and talented volunteers to work on programs that are meant for education of our industry. They are as easy to access as you can get. They have a great website that is a treasure trove of info and tons of manuals that are simply a must for anyone in this business. Plus they boast the best tech guy in the industry in Greg Carney. Membership fees are not in the stratosphere, they are affordable and clearly drawn. If they have a downfall its probably in the fact they try to be everything for everyone- a noble cause but impossible. But still I believe they try and do everything they can to meet their members needs- and at the end of the day isn’t that the goal?

Conclusion: There are a lot of companies that actually belong to all 5 of the above because all bring unique values. The key really going forward in our weird and wacky world is who will keep the overall best interests of the industry at the forefront? Who will step up and educate? Who will position their memberships to have the resources they need to survive in both a goofy and world economy? That’s what you want when you join a group like the above. I mean the shows and meetings at nice locales are great, but your trade groups are there for the reasons above. Everything else is gravy.

Elsewhere this week….

-- Last week I said I was depressed on gas going to $4- evidently in some places it has already. Ugh. Gee how about this idea, instead of wasting time, money and resources on what will be a loser law suit in this industry, why don’t we go after the Oil industry? Not like BP and the gang aren’t making record profits….

-- Just asking…. Is this another example of more companies competing with their customers? Tuesday PGT Windows announced a joint venture with glazier ASI of Indianapolis. And yes while the linked article states that it’s for the curtainwall ability, the fact remains that ASI is an installer and most likely PGT will be looking to sell this new arrangement to installers. The question really is- How can another installer be comfortable with this? ….especially if it’s the style of job ASI is famous for?

-- On USGNN there was a note on Rex Glass celebrating their 50^th year in business. Congrats guys! Good company and always well run… and very true that they are dedicated to their customers- and that is a huge reason why they have done so well and continue to do so.

-- It’s March Madness baby… and considering my basketball picks have been terrible (see note below) I am scared to death to make picks public… but what the heck… my final 4… UNC (because my friend “E” would kill me at the next meeting I see her at) Kansas, Texas (cause you have to love the great state of Texas!) and Duke. Then I have Duke beating Kansas in the final… why you ask? Because I hate Duke and that will be precisely the reason they win it all. And if they lose in the first round and all my brackets get destroyed, I’ll actually be happy.

-- I was in Vegas last week and it was slower than normal. Even with the World of Concrete Show happening. Recent articles out, including one in the Financial Times have said that it’s been a tough 1^st quarter there. Well at least I can say with my horrid basketball picks that I did my part in trying to stimulate the Vegas economy. Yeesh. (A special assist to the gangs at Louisville and UConn for helping this process along by laying eggs)

-- The highlite for me was seeing legendary professional Video Poker player Johnny Bigbucks. Yes it was a thrill to watch this guy dominate a machine during a huge Video Poker Tournament- where Johnny was going after the $20,000 first prize. Man oh man, I wish I woulda played more Nintendo as a kid. Anyway, I left before the tourney completed so not sure if he won, but after seeing Mike Eruzione in Fenruary and now Johnny B in March, nothing in April can top that.

Video of the week... to get you pumped for the NCAA Tournament... "One Shining Moment" from the year 2000 when the Mighty Spartans of Michigan State took home the title... (Note that the Sparty is Johnny Bigbucks favorite team)

Mistaken Identity and the Ambulance Chasers

The lawsuits are frivolous. Plain and simple. And now its somewhat personal, yet confusing since last week’s note of Perilstein Glass joining the suit… which followed with my (and my brother’s) e-mail box overflowing with curious questioners. To answer everyone- that is not us.. and its not our former company either. I believe it’s our cousins, but have not had any discussions for years with them and quite frankly did not realize they are in the industry anymore- oh well, you learn something new everyday. I know that some people believe that these are good- but I am telling you they are not and in the long run, our industry will hurt more all because a few lawyers chased this ambulance. Believe me, they are in for their money- a quick buck. And here’s hoping that primaries kick their behinds. Is everything rosy in this industry? No. But did we have happen here what happened in Europe? No way. And that’s the bottom line- these are just cut and paste adventures with some folks to front it- lawyers that hope to roll it into class action and maybe hit the jackpot. And this is exactly why lawyers get bad names- and good legal folks like Kim Mann and Rick Kalson stand out from their crowd.

Elsewhere..

-- USGNN is a very powerful…. And people read it…. And if you miss one word… one very important word on a press release… many will notice it…. At least I know there are people who have the same passions I do… except in other disciplines! And by the way… Heat Soaking is NOT a 100% option to eliminate breakage… but then again many of you knew that....

-- Stepping back the Heat Soak issue is an interesting one- that’s for sure. Jim Fairley started a thread over at the message boards on it and I can tell you that even though people may not comment in public, they are surely not shy in private. The debate will be how useful is it and will it be mainstream… and both of those questions do usually get people going.

-- Speaking of USGNN, normally every Thursday they link to this blog.. however last Thursday the link went to a new blog edited by USGlass Publisher Deb Levy…. The very coolly named “Deblog” made its debut with a fantastic piece on my favorite subject. If you missed it… click here.

-- I don’t have a ton to say on the NFRC meeting- I was not there and judging from the news reports, it does not look like a lot new happened. Congrats to Greg Carney and Marg Webb for taking a stand though and refusing to waste their valuable time making comments on ballots… especially since they have been usually ignored in the past. Bottom line is still the same.. unless NFRC has an epiphany and decides to try and create a cost effective, simple program, the CMA is still going down like the Titanic… Whoomp… Whoomp… Abandon Ship!
(The odds of NFRC and its profit gathering portion of the membership actually coming to their senses is about the same as the Pirates winning the World Series this year)

-- Gas is looking like it will be $4 this summer… man that is depressing…

From the links this week…

-- Yes even the Pope is into green… check this link out where the Vatican says “Recycle or else!”

-- But on the flip side… this article about a plane that flew from Chicago to London… with 5 passengers! Man every flight I am on anymore I think I have to either sit on someone’s lap. 5 passengers? The Pope should have a fit over this and really, in all seriousness, how can they let this happen?

-- This link on the cost of groceries going up… and I am sure someone in that industry is making snide comments on that too… gee thrilled about that late July trip to the supermarket that will cost $50 in gas and then through the roof for Milk and butter…

I'm not there because of the "Day Job"

This past weekend I had a bunch of e-mails asking me what my plans were for the NFRC meeting this week. Sadly, I had no plans since I was not attending. But obviously I’ll follow along via USGNN. Regardless it was nice that people who in the past could care less, actually now are tuned in and getting more curious. Will all of that make a difference? Probably not, but you do never know and quite frankly, like I have said before the proof will be in the pudding when the new programs come out and then swim or most likely sink….

Elsewhere…

-- I do wish I was at the meeting though so I could take part in the “homework assignment” that new NFRC chair Joe Hayden asked for. He asked for suggestions to make NFRC more successful. Um… wow… see how about this one… before imposing your will on an industry… maybe learn it and respect it? And while you’re at it, maybe you should sincerely try and create a system that truly adds value to the “stakeholder” and not profit to the NFRC elite… Damn… why did my day job have to interfere with my love of NFRC tormentation….

-- Yes.. “Tormentation”….. see what dealing with the NFRC does to someone?

-- Solutia emerged from bankruptcy this week…. And here’s hoping only good things for everyone involved there. Solutia has some of our industries best and brightest people and many of them had to do extra duty down the stretch to get the ducks in a row to emerge from the current situation. Now hopefully the can concentrate on the main stuff- selling and marketing material.

-- My friend Jim Fairley posted an interesting topic on the message boards about “Daylighting” and he also noted the lack of greening at the past BEC event. (More Vegas than the event itself) I agree- the level of waste in Vegas is still way beyond where it needs to be- then again IT IS a city of excess afterall. But it was comical to see a “renewable energy” show there and yet very little care or promotion on keeping it “green.” As for GANA, paper was limited by the sponsorship of the flash drives (a trend that is here for the long run) and more and more these conferences will have less and less paper… but then the next question is… what is worse… 700 laptops all running at the same time for 8 hours or 700 people with 25 pages of handouts? Hmmmmmmm

-- Is it the end of an era with CRL buying Somaca? Looks that way based on the USGNN news report from Tuesday. Consolidation's long arms reach in all segments and sectors....(Additional Note- I am amazed that CRL would defend something like this publicly one day before they dropped it on the workers... didn't they ever hear of "no comment"?)

From the links this week:

-- Communist China speeds up military growth… (click here) yep keep supporting them folks… and yes I know when or if war hits the things we use daily will also be affected, but I am talking industry only… of course…

-- VERY interesting article about the founder of the Weather Channel and his feeling that Global Warming is a FRAUD. And after shoveling for 99^th time this winter, I’d love to see some more evidence of global warming… please…. (and yes I know one has nothing to do with another…) Anyway a good read…

-- How bout this headline: Builders Adjusting Business Plans to Survive 2008. Huh you don’t say…. Depressing but interesting article none the less.

-- Last, this column about building green (residentially) and variables involved… I liked that he noted that cities like Seattle have had their “own” programs… hell afterall that’s the city where they certify everything from glass to microwave popcorn!

And back to normal... whatever that is...

Back to normal.. BEC is over… my NFRC rant off my chest… so now what do I talk about? Well there’s actually a lot of “housekeeping” type items to get through, because so much is going on and only so much time… So here goes…

Cleaning off the desk… first the old links…

-- Did you know the leader of Iran has a Blog? Here’s the story… and no I do not think he’s taken on the NFRC issue… yet….

-- This is an older link but the whole “Green” thing has led to a job boom…. And not just with test labs trying to cash in on the commercial glazing industry… (yes another shot). Green really is a cottage industry… click here for the story.

-- And yes people actually do click through these stories by the way, its funny my link on the “Global Cooling” actually got a lot of action.

-- This is probably my favorite old link that I needed to get on here… it’s about the city of Seattle wanting a ban on Microwave popcorn. You know it’s not a surprise since Seattle is the home of Uber-NFRC supporter John Hogan. (John being the best traveled city employee in the history of the world... man I'd love to work for the city for Seattle!)
Its going to be just a matter of time before they get John involved and all microwave popcorn must go through an NFRC approved IA and then physical testing and then the bags labeled…. and you "kettle" corn people.. don't try acting like your popcorn is different! Popcorn, like glass.. is the same whether its in a 100 foot house or 80 floor skyscraper! Seriously the folks in Seattle need to have their popcorn policed by a true 3rd party set up! C'mon Jim Benney and company get on this one! And if I ran this one before I am sorry, but its too hilarious not to show again.

OK enough on NFRC…

-- Well I have started to work on the annual From the Fabricator Power List and that should be coming your way in the next few weeks. The list has most of the same groups as 07 but a few new ones, so tune in.

-- Speaking of “power” GANA really flexed their muscle last week with simply a tremendous back to back effort of Glassweek and BEC. There simply is no comparison for the high quality of people who attended those events. The annual glass show may get more quantity, but nothing compares to the quality of the past week.

-- Major thanks do need to go out to the fine folks at GANA who really work their tails off to make the experience easy and enjoyable in Vegas.

-- I did get several e-mails asking why I did not re-cap more of BEC than I did. Good points on all, I did believe that the press did a good job of covering and there was not more I could add. That said, I think the presentations we had at BEC this year were super. Probably the biggest problem we run into is the fact that some presentations are extremely technical and others are the opposite, so there’s always that middle problem we have. I must commend guys like Joe Solinski and the pair from the Façade Group (Stanley Yee and Richard Green) because they had some heavy presentations but still were able to keep the group enthralled. Other speakers like Mike Burk of Edgetech went the more simplistic route… his use of a glass scraper will always be remembered. But all in all a great event, so instead of me re-capping, make plans to attend next year….

-- Was asked at BEC.. What are the hot products that aren’t the norm? (Basically not the Triple Silver low e’s etc) My answers were: The Sunscreen…. Seeing that pop up all over the place… Makes sense in the world of LEED that’s for sure… so either a sunscreen or frit design is a must really…. right behind it is Bomb Resistant material… so high quality companies like Arpal Defender and the others that produce this material are probably very busy. It’s a shame though that products to defend our lives are so popular… then again the old house alarm is still very much in vogue too, so I guess this makes sense.

-- As I wrote last week… love Baseball and training camp… cracked up when I saw Hunter Pence, the young star of the Astros will miss a week of training camp after he walked through his glass doorwall… I guess he needs those little stickers you see? Man that must’ve been one great clear patio doorwall… I bet we should keep mirrors out that guys house for the time being since he’ll probably walk into one of them too…

-- Did anyone watch the Oscars? Have you noticed that the Oscars, Emmy’s and Grammy’s all have had their lowest TV ratings ever this year? Think the real world is tired of Hollywood or is the ability to get things on the internet, quick and when you want, make watching TV not worth it anymore? For me, I did not see any of the nominated movies… though they did say look for Hannah Montana to be nominated for best song in next year’s event… so I have that going for me. But bottom line is if you haven’t seen the movies do you care?

-- In this miserable winter, there are some great books out…especially if you are a sports fan. If you like sports, and have not seen the website deadspin.com you probably should check it out. And now the editor of that site has a book called “God Save The Fan” out and it’s a tremendous read. If you don’t like sports then disregard…

Last for this post... A while back I wrote about the book “Bringing Down the House” and how much I loved it and how I thought it would make a great movie. Well at the time, I was told Kevin Spacey had taken it on as a project and sure enough, March 28^th, the movie version of the book is coming out. Thanks to Matt, here’s the trailer for looks to be an AWESOME flick called “21”….

Manifesto Quick Add

Yep I missed this in the rant below... why the NFRC actually matters? Because between states and future code changes, providing a full system calc with a "certification" will become the norm. California is already on this and surely not the first. Because of the need to reduce the energy consumption, there will be more of a push on this angle and as of this writing NFRC will be the only game in town... like it or not.

Also NFRC will be adding IG Certification to their wares... yep, why trust the current system that works so well when there's money to be made!

What's crazy is there are plenty of industries that WANT NFRC- like Dynamic glazing, Window Films, Garage Doors etc... all of the consumer style products... yet they waste time on us. ((And why do consumer style products want them? Because they have a track record of protecting people who NEED protecting. They should just stick with what they are good at))

The NFRC Manifesto

With the skyrocketing popularity of this blog, it’s become apparent through e-mails and conversations that many people have no idea why I harbor the feelings I do towards the NFRC. So in an attempt to lay those out… here goes… ((WARNING YOU NOW- THIS IS LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG.)))

I fell into this battle.. purely by accident… an accident that I bet the folks at NFRC probably wish never happened. Because as much as they play off to ignore me, by my articles and blogs, they’ve had to work harder to get their agenda through… (and yes they would say different, but starting with the long article I wrote for USGlass a few years ago, the attention paid to NFRC has been more than they expected or have ever gotten before.) Anyway, when I was sent to a meeting in Baltimore because my co-worker Cliff Monroe could not attend, I was stunned by the goings on. Here was a group that was looking to police the commercial industry with nary a clue of what is done in said industry. Seriously. They were working up rules and plans, but without knowing the difference between Solarban 60 and a Pepperoni Pizza. It made me ill. I asked around the room and many people told me to “deal with it” because the NFRC had succeeded on the residential side, they had the DOE in their back pockets and basically they could not be denied. In fact, some guys in the room, who had attended for years, were so beaten down, they said they felt the same way as me at the start but then realized how fruitless trying to fight was.

So when I left the meeting I started the research and was stunned. This was a group that had no idea what they were getting into on the commercial side because they had no commercial representation on their Board whatsoever. They decided to jump on the commercial world because as the minutes and notes show, “it was for the good of the NFRC” and it was an “untapped market” – SEE THAT still sticks in my craw. An NFRC Board Member made that comment and it ACTUALLY appeared in the minutes (the minutes have changed a bunch since those days- now they are a cleaned like Meryl Streep in Silkwood) UNTAPPED MARKET= MONEY FOR US!!!

So everytime that Marv Stover- then the Chair of NFRC would make some comment about mandates or Gary Curtis who has been seemingly a board member for life at NFRC would say “its in the codes” I could never… ever.. get past the above comments. Sorry guys, your intentions were always to take your seemingly successful program on the residential side and move it to the commercial. No one would stand in your way and bam, the IA’s, consultants, labs, and academia would have a new revenue flow from the clueless on the commercial side.

Now I have to stop and make a comment that must be clear…

As an industry, no one I know of is against the ability to rate whole systems. In fact everyone I know wants it. I WANT IT. It’s a great tool, it’s a great avenue for showing how our products can work and succeed in an environment that is begging for more energy efficiency. However what I have been against is the money… the complexity… and the way this thing has to pass with the blatant ignoring of the industry that it will affect.

Now back to the story… when the questions started to flow on why this program was needed, the NFRC started with the whole “Congress Mandated it” angle. Except they did not. Nope. Nada. Sorry. So when that was shot down, the next excuse was “its in the codes” and that too proved to be incorrect. I remember sitting in Chicago as Ken Nittler, former NFRC Board member feverishly went through his code book trying to prove that indeed the codes called for NFRC to police the commercial industry. Greg Carney from GANA shot him down all over the place. And a note, if Greg Carney was a pilot in a war, and the arguments that Greg has shot down were planes, Greg would be the most decorated soldier in the history of the world.

So the NFRC had to soldier on, and used their situation in California to try further their agenda. Ironically… or coincidentally… or conspiratorially on the same exact day that our industry had a great meeting with DOE, the NFRC announced that California had DEMANDED that the NFRC have a new commercial rating program in place asap. First off the timing was insane- same day? Plus big deal California asked for it… like Gary Curtis, the state of California has had a seemingly permanent spot on the BOD at NFRC for years. So it was a pretty shrewd move. See California had been (and still is) suffering with NFRC’s initial disastrous foray into the commercial realm with the site-built program. That program is so bad that no one uses it and that’s why California desperately wants another. Filled with loopholes and work arounds, it was and is a total joke. (Hmm, you’d think they’d want to avoid embarrassment the second time around eh?) Anyway, by California asking, this now gave NFRC a more legitimate impetus to enforce their will on the unwilling industry.

Still that’s flimsy and they know it, thus they work the code angle and have also tried to reach out to architects. In one very comical but should be infuriating attempt, the NFRC BOD approved 60K for Gary Curtis (Board member) to have his company “educate” architects on the new program… except at that time, there was really no settlement of the “new program” and no software and no plan… but hey, he’s a board member and he may know an architect or two, so lets give him the cash!!

See the money angle is part of what galls me here- if this program and membership were inexpensive and the program seamless I would be quiet. But its not- and so when the NFRC tosses around a no bid 60K gig like that like its Monopoly money, well that makes me nuts. Plus wouldn’t you think that GANA or IGMA would be better served to make that sort of presentation? Since you know they are nationally known organizations with tons of respect? Oh no, a private consultant who has sat on our board since the start of time is a MUCH BETTER choice! See and if GANA or IGMA was on board then it would be taken seriously too… nah too logical… and logic and NFRC do not make good bedfellows.

I should clarify that I have no issues with the staff of NFRC, but its Board Members that are truly in this to profit from the program. They are people that are strictly in business to profit from stuff like this and not anything else. And maybe if the board was set up to the way that the NFRC tries to tell people it is, then it would not be an issue, but at one time in the last 3 years, the Board and its Ex Officio’s featured 23 people with no connection to commercial… with 1 person with a slight commercial play. That’s it. And yet, I am supposed to feel confident that they are looking out for the good of the public? Which public- their kids and spouses? ((And now the Board is still extremely slanted though there’s now a couple commercial based folks on there- better but still awful really))

Through this the DOE has tried to say the right things but the NFRC summarily ignores them. Marc LaFrance has raged at them in public sessions, but when the time comes they pass on his assessments and implement what they care to do. The best examples of this are:

At that ill fated meeting with DOE (the same day as the California announcement) the folks at Viracon were gracious enough to offer NFRC an opportunity to have people at an upcoming membership meeting in Minnesota to tour their plant. This was a great offer since at the time, some of the brain surgeons at NFRC believed every IG unit on a commercial job should have an NFRC label- except when Don McCann from Viracon showed them a picture of one of their major monumental jobs and asked how they should label thousands upon thousands of units. So it was quite obvious that a tour would help educate. The DOE was all for it. They informed NFRC that it would a very good thing to do. And the NFRC…. Ignored it. You know it was more important to have a hoe-down in the ballroom than see one of the best commercial glass plants in the entire world.

And to this day, no effort has ever been shown by the BOD of NFRC to see a glass/aluminum operation, despite offers from everyone. Yep, lets police your industry, lets make oodles of cash from your industry, but learn about your industry… nah I think I’ll pass.

The 2^nd one was when the votes for allowing a manufacturer to be an ACE (and yes no one understands that outside of us who attend) was held and it was incredibly Unanimous that the manufacturer should be able to do their own calcs… you know HELP STREAMLINE the process. Plus the manufacturers offered to have a ton of un-neccesary oversight placed on them… yet despite the vote and despite everyone with half a brain seeing the logic… the NFRC wanted to “kick the tires” some and just could trust us evil people… or maybe they couldn’t take the precious possible business away from the labs and others who would stand to profit. So the consensus of the group was unanimous… and yet it was ignored.. blatantly.

Why? Well one board member in her election profile noted that 72% of her income comes from NFRC related activities. Hell why would in her right mind would she vote for the manufacturer do ANYTHING she could do? So many of the others follow the same tasks, and then you have the large residential guys who have been under NFRC rule for years who can not stand the thought of the commercial guys having a more simple system then them. I was told that point blank… if we have to go through it- so do you. So when you have a board made up of residential folks, special interests supported by said residential folks and then the rest being people being affected bottom line by the implementation of a program, there is no way the proper call will be made.

Next up is the fact that residential and commercial are starkly different. Yet even though that is known by most, even Rich Karney of he DOE noted that recently when he talked about energy star for commercial, the folks at NFRC ignore that too…. See they’ve never taken the time to learn commercial, so ignorance.. is… bliss…. It’s the Sergeant Shultz theory… “ I KNOW NOTHING!!”

On the money side, the NFRC loves to spend it… in fact on their 2006 tax return over 300K to their PR agency- Potomac. That’s twice as much as they spent 2 years before… gee why are they spending 150K more now? What messages are they trying to get out… 300K for PR? Man they must need lost of it eh? One of the projects that 300K buys you these days was the hilarious “case study” that Potomac did last summer with 3 code officials. They found 3 people from the tiniest possible towns and let the hilarity ensue. My recap is here on the blog, but in short, it was the biggest waste of funds around. So that money should be put to defraying the costs of these programs… nah lets pay our PR agency. That money could’ve been offered to a professional to start education of system ratings… nah let’s find a code official from “One stoplight town, Texas” and ask him about commercial buildings. With Potomac making 300K per year, I am in the wrong business. And part of that 300K was to watch me at the last NFRC meeting and see what I do…. Man I woulda saved them the time and gave them my itinerary! In addition that same tax return had WinBuild getting 115K. The owner of WinBuild is Bipin Shah who also used to work at NFRC and was one of the original architects of this commercial effort. 115k? seriously? So you have all of these volunteer task groups and people WHO KNOW the industry willing to help and you pay 115K to an ex-employee?

Add in the 200K spilt between the 2 law firms and man you have some serious cases out there…. My point is, maybe before thrusting an immature, possibly impossible program on the world, maybe those funds should be spent defraying some costs? Nah… why should they? As long as they can do whatever they want… they will.

NFRC is like the IRS- no competition. When an effort to get AAMA 507 to be approved as an equal in the codes came up, NFRC fought it like crazy. Why… “Because it will be confusing for the code official” and people could “game the system” without the trust of NFRC. Well that’s not true at all- the bottom line is they have a monopoly and they have a fledgling system that probably will fail. If they had competition, its failure would be guaranteed. So all the big guns came out and fought it and despite incredible efforts from many people, the NFRC’s push was too much. A very sad day indeed.

By the way, one other note on the Board…. Its funny, the NFRC tries to play off their “holier than though” set up. You know the whole “we’re a 501c3” and “looking out for the stakeholder” and so on. Yet, at one time one company controlled a handful a votes by having one person from said company on board, and then their lawyer holding a second spot and another spot held by an organization that received significant funding by said company. Now that arrangement has been put down, but still it was there… along with other great maneuvers like trying to sneak new people on the board when folks had to resign and so on.

I count a few people on the commercial side that are pro NFRC… I have no clue why they are, but they are. Some see it as a road to legitimacy because their products have terrible reputations in the market place and they believe an NFRC cert will miraculously help them. Some see it as a revenue stream. But they are truly the minority. Most though see the value in the whole system calc and most would work hard to develop the program to make it work- but not under the “our way is the highway” conditions of NFRC.

So here we are on the cusp on the now named CMA program (also known as the TITANIC) being enacted for 2009 in California. The software is supposedly ready but there’s still holes and costs and issues that are out there. The fact of the matter is if this program does not streamline, does not get seriously less expensive, does not get less complex, it will fail like the site built.

Folks I could go on and on…. But its been 5 pages already and if you made it this far- congrats. I write this so you can see some of my frustration and feel some of my passion. The worst part is no matter how hard we all work, our efforts will be minimized because this group somehow holds the keys. No matter how incredible to efforts of Greg Carney, Marg Webb and Tom Culp (to name 3) are, it does not matter. They all represent significant portions of the industry that will be affected. All have heard from a serious majority of their membership that they need to fight. (I believe Greg may have just 1 person that is FOR NFRC in its current form in the ENTIRE GANA organization!) Yet despite that, the DOE will do nothing to force NFRC to work with the consensus, and there’s no one else who can step in. So all we do is sit back and watch. There’s no reason to attend meetings anymore and quite frankly why should Greg, Marg and Tom even talk at the mic at the meetings. Their words are ignored. And even if NGA decides to actually attend a meeting, they’ll get to see in person that their opinion, like ours, does not matter one iota. No I think we should let them speed this nightmare ahead, allowing them to think that they know better (you know since they know our industry and products so well) and then watch it blow up all over the place.

I do hate that strategy because I don’t need anymore headaches then I already have. I love this industry. Been in it for 15+ years with roots from my great grandfather spurring back to 1898. I am friends with many and just get sick of the thought of the crap that they’ll and we’ll have to deal with because this group wanted to hit an “untapped market.”

Thanks for hearing me out. As I have said many times, this blog is therapy for me, and my therapists are the thousands of you who take the time to read it each week. And by the way, if you want a less conspiratorial, crazed opinion of NFRC and its effect on you then call Greg, Marg or Tom and they, with level head will surely give you the details.. with a lot less color I am sure.