We all get the e mails that appear in our inboxes in the middle of the night offering us great products direct from China (or other foreign nations) at lower prices than ever thought before. Most of us ignore these come-ons but recently one group of e mails crossed the line. The tag line says “Supply Pilkington Low E Glass” and the body of the e mail gives the impression that you can get Pilkington Low E (making you jump to the assumption it is the legendary Energy Advantage Low E they are hawking) direct from China and this company instead of from the actual manufacturer in the U.S. Basically this is the classic misrepresentation that has been festering for years but continues to get bolder as people get more desperate to move products. Bottom line here is buyer beware. Good companies don’t just allow fly by nighters take their products and promote them, especially against their own operations. And quite frankly if it sounds too good to be true (and is rife with typos and mis-spellings) it absolutely is. There are legitimate companies in China in our industry and believe me those companies don’t have to resort to spam-like emails with misrepresentations to get business.
Elsewhere
-- As noted briefly last week, Guardian has filled the position that is being vacated by the retirement of Russ Ebeid. Scott Thomsen will be the guy and I think he’ll bring an energy and passion to that job that will really be fun to watch. It continues to be a very different world and I have no doubt a year from now our industry will really look a ton different that is for sure.
-- The ABI held serve again this month and encouraging news is really the solidification of the performance of the West. Could the end of the frustrations out there be near?
-- On the flip side, those who have followed me know I am an alarmist when it comes to gasoline prices- and once again I am playing the role of Chicken Little… but this time, I really believe the sky is falling. Gas is already flown past $4 per gallon and it’s not even Memorial Day or the summer driving season. One analyst is predicting $6 a gallon gas. That would be very ugly.
-- GlassMagazine.com (a site you should bookmark and check at least daily) had a great link to a story from Toronto last week talking about how glass as a building product is shifting. It’s a frustrating story with some inaccurate statements but it does send a message that we have to continue to educate the masses about our products. Because if we don’t, we will be replaced by other materials.
-- So the “tree in the forest” that I mentioned last week finally “formally” fell and a press release was issued that the UGC was sold to an affiliate of Sun Capital. Someone posted a comment on my blog saying it was getting the legal stuff taken care of, but that holds no water when so many maneuvers were underway already. Now let’s hope the new owners quickly make good on the payments owed to contracted employees that were not paid while the company was struggling. Outside of that, I think I’ll hold my tongue- for now- shocking I know- but still waaaay too much emotion there for me.
-- FUN FACT: The guy who won the Boston Marathon last week did it in 2 Hours and 3 minutes. He was MOVING! So much so, to run that fast, that long is comparable to turning your treadmill to 12.1 and running on that for 2 hours. 12.1! Try it- it shows you the pure speed involved. Simply crazy fast.
-- I buried myself yet again with the wonderful editor (Jenni Chase) of this fine publication. When I abused Denver and Washington in posts last week, I received an e mail letting me know that those were HER favorite teams. I had no idea going in obviously. Oh well… so if you see my next story is on the “life of useless cullet” you know she is exacting her revenge.
LINKS of the WEEK:
-- This one is just a great quick read because you will laugh at the comical nature of it. A flight crew notices a “suspicious” material in a bathroom of their plane… uh oh, wonder what it is?
-- School district looking to find sponsors for everything- including textbooks… yep just a matter of time before my kids bring home an English book brought to you by Acme Plumbing.
-- Just so much wrong and going on with the story. School secretary that has a X rated past and the 14 year old! That blew the whistle. And then it takes a life of its own. Unreal.
VIDEO of the WEEK:
From my sister Marcie the queen of all retail… very cool prank video that I am guessing many retail clothing stores would LOVE to play to get back at customers…. But of course this takes big planning and execution. Good stuff…
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
And yet another shift
Usually the spring in our industry is quiet news wise, but 2011 has not followed that path and last week we had yet another special alert pop up. The announced retirement of Guardian Industries President Russ Ebeid hit the wires and signaled yet another shift within our industry. Once upon a time people would complain to me that our industry was stuck in neutral, the same places in all the same places. Well this sure isn’t the case anymore! As for Russ, there’s a ton to say, but according to the report he isn’t due to retire until the fall, so I’ll hold off on my tributary comments until the time is right. Needless to say he will be missed.
Elsewhere…
-- Best e mail of the week came from a industry buddy of mine who commented on the high profile retirement announcements of Ebeid and Russ Huffer. He sarcastically said “Wow, 2 great job openings now for me to choose from.. gonna be a tough call on which one I will take…” I love it. (and now just one of the two jobs are open anyway!)
-- From the “If a tree falls in a forest but no one is there to hear it” files… if a company (or group of companies in this case) gets sold (or infused with money and new leadership) but no one wants to admit it to the press (but they’ve told all of the employees and are telling customers) did it really happen? What I don’t get is why you don’t announce it? Unless something else is at play… I’ll give it another week, still makes no sense.
-- Those of you who have been reading this blog since 2005 know that one of my pet peeves is the whole price-fixing lawsuit situation, and this past week, Jeld-Wen filed suit against several glass manufacturers. The whole thing is sad, in my opinion, because at the end of the day the cost of defending yourself through our legal system is far more than just settling. So even if you are innocent (and I believe the folks in the U.S. are innocent), you end up paying. The most recent suit against the manufacturers was recently settled, but Jeld-Wen decided to "opt out" and go it alone. And why not? They are a big company with deep pockets. They can now see if the manufacturers will again decide if it's worth fighting. When is enough... enough? I don't know, maybe I'm just mad because I suffer through predatory practices daily and deal with it.
-- OK time to finish on a lighter note…. The playoffs have begun in the NBA and NHL. In the NHL, my picks for the Cup are the Red Wings and Capitals or as my son says “the worst match up ever” because he is not a fan of either team. I was going to pick the Canucks, or Montreal but knowing I have good friends that are big fans of those teams, no way could I put the hex on them. I think the Caps win it all. In the NBA, it should be a wild playoff season with a ton of teams that could win it. I’m actually going with a long shot in the West… Denver. (Yep I picked em last year too) to face Chicago in the Finals, with Bulls winning it all. Though I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Heat win. I avoided picking the Spurs out of respect for the incredible Luna family, owners of Champion Glass in San Antonio. If I jinxed the Spurs, I’d never get to see a game with those guys again! In any case should be a fun 2 months of playoffs in both leagues and a great nightly diversion to the daily adventures of our world!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- For my fellow fliers, a very cool link on the “Meanest” Airlines….
-- The “Sham Wow” guy getting sued in a “Love Slave” scandal
-- Kinda wild, wife has her deceased husband made into necklaces. Yeah. Um note to Beth, don’t do that to me please… I think you’ll remember me just fine…
VIDEO of the WEEK
Evidently this video is a few years old, but I have never seen it… and I love the way the guy is shopping and shuffling. Very cool!
Elsewhere…
-- Best e mail of the week came from a industry buddy of mine who commented on the high profile retirement announcements of Ebeid and Russ Huffer. He sarcastically said “Wow, 2 great job openings now for me to choose from.. gonna be a tough call on which one I will take…” I love it. (and now just one of the two jobs are open anyway!)
-- From the “If a tree falls in a forest but no one is there to hear it” files… if a company (or group of companies in this case) gets sold (or infused with money and new leadership) but no one wants to admit it to the press (but they’ve told all of the employees and are telling customers) did it really happen? What I don’t get is why you don’t announce it? Unless something else is at play… I’ll give it another week, still makes no sense.
-- Those of you who have been reading this blog since 2005 know that one of my pet peeves is the whole price-fixing lawsuit situation, and this past week, Jeld-Wen filed suit against several glass manufacturers. The whole thing is sad, in my opinion, because at the end of the day the cost of defending yourself through our legal system is far more than just settling. So even if you are innocent (and I believe the folks in the U.S. are innocent), you end up paying. The most recent suit against the manufacturers was recently settled, but Jeld-Wen decided to "opt out" and go it alone. And why not? They are a big company with deep pockets. They can now see if the manufacturers will again decide if it's worth fighting. When is enough... enough? I don't know, maybe I'm just mad because I suffer through predatory practices daily and deal with it.
-- OK time to finish on a lighter note…. The playoffs have begun in the NBA and NHL. In the NHL, my picks for the Cup are the Red Wings and Capitals or as my son says “the worst match up ever” because he is not a fan of either team. I was going to pick the Canucks, or Montreal but knowing I have good friends that are big fans of those teams, no way could I put the hex on them. I think the Caps win it all. In the NBA, it should be a wild playoff season with a ton of teams that could win it. I’m actually going with a long shot in the West… Denver. (Yep I picked em last year too) to face Chicago in the Finals, with Bulls winning it all. Though I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Heat win. I avoided picking the Spurs out of respect for the incredible Luna family, owners of Champion Glass in San Antonio. If I jinxed the Spurs, I’d never get to see a game with those guys again! In any case should be a fun 2 months of playoffs in both leagues and a great nightly diversion to the daily adventures of our world!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- For my fellow fliers, a very cool link on the “Meanest” Airlines….
-- The “Sham Wow” guy getting sued in a “Love Slave” scandal
-- Kinda wild, wife has her deceased husband made into necklaces. Yeah. Um note to Beth, don’t do that to me please… I think you’ll remember me just fine…
VIDEO of the WEEK
Evidently this video is a few years old, but I have never seen it… and I love the way the guy is shopping and shuffling. Very cool!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Never in my wildest....
You know the term “Never in my wildest dreams?” Well I can tell you I have always wanted to use it in the right context. You know like “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get locked in the M&M factory” or “Never in my wildest dreams did I think Denzel Washington would want ME in his next movie!” but amazingly that appropriate phrase now has usage in my life with “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be doing ‘all this’ again one year later.”
“All this” in case you have been living under a rock or working for the DOE (same thing) is the news that my current company is being sold after being forced into bankruptcy. No way could I have imagined this happening again and surely not so soon either. In any case it has been a mind bending experience, the same as the past event but yet different in many ways. While the process and some of the names and figures are the same, the overall action and path were markedly opposite. Still that said, it is, what it is, and I am living in the glass industries cruel version of Groundhog Day.
So here we are again, with so many of the same emotions percolating about, but still the most important angle is “hope.” I am truly hopeful and actually confident that this will work out for the company, our suppliers, customers, and most importantly all of the folks employed here. Have to stay positive and put our faith in the leadership in the U.S. that was incredibly deft enough to create viable contingency plans in case the legal matters we got sucked into went south.
So never in my wildest dreams would I ever see myself writing a post like this again, and so help me, I don’t plan on doing it a 3rd time that’s for sure. I’m rolling forward and I hope that we can get a chance to finish what we started and continue to work hard for this industry.
Elsewhere…
-- It’s kind of hard to hit other subjects when you have such a heavy angle hanging out there, but it is “business as usual” and I’ll keep going at it.
-- Saddened by the passing of John McGrory this past week. He and his family built a great company and my condolences to the family on this very sad loss for them and our industry.
-- An awesome post HERE by incredible Glass Pundit herself, Kris Vockler. Worth a read for sure as some incredible food for thought on display.
-- Am the only one who reads the story about Quanex and their changes at the Engineered Products Group and wonder what happens to some of the other key people from Edgetech?
-- I mentioned the DOE earlier and last week they announced 113 million in funding for Solar growth in the US. I really have concerns on that as I have not trusted their track record on who they have given money too and how they have given it in the past. 113 million could help many good growth companies- in a few different energy related industry segments; let’s hope this doesn’t get squandered. Plus the other thought is with the debt so high, this money better be well spent otherwise the hole goes deeper.
-- There was a comment on my blog from the esteemed Henry Taylor of Kawneer. He is also currently the head of the GANA BEC and one thing I failed to mention in all of my pieces is that Henry didn’t exactly pick the perfect time to take the reins of that group. The economy fell apart and spending on things like BEC was shrunk. Henry has done a tremendous job in driving the bus and he is supremely talented and important to the future of our world. And there’s no doubt he realizes what the holes are and what needs to be filled. I should’ve been clearer and absolutely no disrespect intended.
-- Last this week… I picked the Red Sox to win the American League and I think they’ve won once since… my gosh I have the touch don’t I? I guess that’s why one of my co-workers now calls me “The Flying Dutchman”
LINKS of the WEEK
-- If you haven’t been following this story on the fired news anchor in Philly, you should. It’s better than the average soap opera.
-- A fun one (we all could use a fun one right?) about the physics of clown cars… how do they stuff all those guys in that small car?
-- Any blog post that gets more than 4000 comments must be interesting and this one is… looks at the accuracy of statements by BP and Donald Trump among others. Interesting overall and so are the comments below the post.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Funny TV Bloopers sent in by my pal Bob. Some good stuff in here… and again, always nice to laugh that’s for sure!
“All this” in case you have been living under a rock or working for the DOE (same thing) is the news that my current company is being sold after being forced into bankruptcy. No way could I have imagined this happening again and surely not so soon either. In any case it has been a mind bending experience, the same as the past event but yet different in many ways. While the process and some of the names and figures are the same, the overall action and path were markedly opposite. Still that said, it is, what it is, and I am living in the glass industries cruel version of Groundhog Day.
So here we are again, with so many of the same emotions percolating about, but still the most important angle is “hope.” I am truly hopeful and actually confident that this will work out for the company, our suppliers, customers, and most importantly all of the folks employed here. Have to stay positive and put our faith in the leadership in the U.S. that was incredibly deft enough to create viable contingency plans in case the legal matters we got sucked into went south.
So never in my wildest dreams would I ever see myself writing a post like this again, and so help me, I don’t plan on doing it a 3rd time that’s for sure. I’m rolling forward and I hope that we can get a chance to finish what we started and continue to work hard for this industry.
Elsewhere…
-- It’s kind of hard to hit other subjects when you have such a heavy angle hanging out there, but it is “business as usual” and I’ll keep going at it.
-- Saddened by the passing of John McGrory this past week. He and his family built a great company and my condolences to the family on this very sad loss for them and our industry.
-- An awesome post HERE by incredible Glass Pundit herself, Kris Vockler. Worth a read for sure as some incredible food for thought on display.
-- Am the only one who reads the story about Quanex and their changes at the Engineered Products Group and wonder what happens to some of the other key people from Edgetech?
-- I mentioned the DOE earlier and last week they announced 113 million in funding for Solar growth in the US. I really have concerns on that as I have not trusted their track record on who they have given money too and how they have given it in the past. 113 million could help many good growth companies- in a few different energy related industry segments; let’s hope this doesn’t get squandered. Plus the other thought is with the debt so high, this money better be well spent otherwise the hole goes deeper.
-- There was a comment on my blog from the esteemed Henry Taylor of Kawneer. He is also currently the head of the GANA BEC and one thing I failed to mention in all of my pieces is that Henry didn’t exactly pick the perfect time to take the reins of that group. The economy fell apart and spending on things like BEC was shrunk. Henry has done a tremendous job in driving the bus and he is supremely talented and important to the future of our world. And there’s no doubt he realizes what the holes are and what needs to be filled. I should’ve been clearer and absolutely no disrespect intended.
-- Last this week… I picked the Red Sox to win the American League and I think they’ve won once since… my gosh I have the touch don’t I? I guess that’s why one of my co-workers now calls me “The Flying Dutchman”
LINKS of the WEEK
-- If you haven’t been following this story on the fired news anchor in Philly, you should. It’s better than the average soap opera.
-- A fun one (we all could use a fun one right?) about the physics of clown cars… how do they stuff all those guys in that small car?
-- Any blog post that gets more than 4000 comments must be interesting and this one is… looks at the accuracy of statements by BP and Donald Trump among others. Interesting overall and so are the comments below the post.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Funny TV Bloopers sent in by my pal Bob. Some good stuff in here… and again, always nice to laugh that’s for sure!
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
The News
Well that sure was a doozy of an April Fool’s Day eh? Now before I begin, I have to remind everyone that this is my blog- so it’s my opinion (not my company and not Glass Magazine’s) so it’s all on me. Obviously the news that hit on April 1 was surprising, frustrating and upsetting. In my estimation it surely didn’t paint an accurate picture of the company I work for (or the people I work with) and caused serious and unnecessary consternation for the fine folks here. Now all that said I have to step back and say that I trust in the people I work for here in the US and I will await the various outcomes before I comment further. Needless to say these are very interesting times in our world and not just for me and my co workers either…
Elsewhere
-- Looking back at BEC I think of Andy Gum, the most prolific chair in the history of the BEC. Andy was leery of passing the baton to me because he was afraid that the group would lose its focus on the glazier. Now while the attendance of the glazier was weaker than the past and hoped for, the focus of the sessions really was still squarely on the needs of the glazing contractor. Hopefully like noted last week in this space, the mix in the crowd was more aberration than trend.
-- Some good news to report in our world… two new industry babies were born recently. Cameron Scripture of Viracon (seriously one of the nicest guys in the world) welcomed a new baby as well as Angus MacMillan of Dorma. Boys, don’t let your babies grow up to be glass sales people… CONGRATS and best to you and the better half of you who did all the work!
-- This week USA Today had a blurb from the CEO of Wal Mart predicting seriously higher inflation rates. And he sees it happening rapidly. That is surely worrisome.
-- The Department of Commerce just put another huge tariff on Chinese aluminum coming into the US. Which makes me wonder- how does Chinese glass avoid the same treatment? Seriously what am I missing there?
-- And starting to get concerned that as we fight in Libya the issues happening in the Ivory Coast are concerning as well. Man do you ever think that the whole 2012 end of the world thing may actually be right?
-- Ok to finish, we’ll keep it lighter and baseball has started and here’s my predictions on who will win it all… In the National League, I think the Phillies are just too good on the mound to beat in a short series. If the Reds can get the pitching they are the only team that can compete for the pennant there (in my mushy mind) and in the AL.. I like the Sox.. both Red and White to make the runs, but in the end the Yankees have too much to be stopped. In the WS- Phils over Yanks.
LINKS of the WEEK
I have tons and tons. So limiting to a handful is a challenge. So no video and just extra linkage.
-- As the father of a daughter, I actually can appreciate this guys sentiment- but offering cash for the body of her boyfriend “Dead or Alive” is just not good style.
-- A look back with an update on the greatest sports April Fool’s Day joke ever.
-- Comical- Michigan bans a Beer based on its name. Hey its crude and stupid, but I thought we lived in a country that allows free speech?
-- Wait we do have free speech- but sometimes its not great to have…
-- Love these stories… “The Worlds Dumbest Pilots”
-- Mom taking up for the boyfriend instead of the kid. Despicable.
Elsewhere
-- Looking back at BEC I think of Andy Gum, the most prolific chair in the history of the BEC. Andy was leery of passing the baton to me because he was afraid that the group would lose its focus on the glazier. Now while the attendance of the glazier was weaker than the past and hoped for, the focus of the sessions really was still squarely on the needs of the glazing contractor. Hopefully like noted last week in this space, the mix in the crowd was more aberration than trend.
-- Some good news to report in our world… two new industry babies were born recently. Cameron Scripture of Viracon (seriously one of the nicest guys in the world) welcomed a new baby as well as Angus MacMillan of Dorma. Boys, don’t let your babies grow up to be glass sales people… CONGRATS and best to you and the better half of you who did all the work!
-- This week USA Today had a blurb from the CEO of Wal Mart predicting seriously higher inflation rates. And he sees it happening rapidly. That is surely worrisome.
-- The Department of Commerce just put another huge tariff on Chinese aluminum coming into the US. Which makes me wonder- how does Chinese glass avoid the same treatment? Seriously what am I missing there?
-- And starting to get concerned that as we fight in Libya the issues happening in the Ivory Coast are concerning as well. Man do you ever think that the whole 2012 end of the world thing may actually be right?
-- Ok to finish, we’ll keep it lighter and baseball has started and here’s my predictions on who will win it all… In the National League, I think the Phillies are just too good on the mound to beat in a short series. If the Reds can get the pitching they are the only team that can compete for the pennant there (in my mushy mind) and in the AL.. I like the Sox.. both Red and White to make the runs, but in the end the Yankees have too much to be stopped. In the WS- Phils over Yanks.
LINKS of the WEEK
I have tons and tons. So limiting to a handful is a challenge. So no video and just extra linkage.
-- As the father of a daughter, I actually can appreciate this guys sentiment- but offering cash for the body of her boyfriend “Dead or Alive” is just not good style.
-- A look back with an update on the greatest sports April Fool’s Day joke ever.
-- Comical- Michigan bans a Beer based on its name. Hey its crude and stupid, but I thought we lived in a country that allows free speech?
-- Wait we do have free speech- but sometimes its not great to have…
-- Love these stories… “The Worlds Dumbest Pilots”
-- Mom taking up for the boyfriend instead of the kid. Despicable.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
BEC 2011 Recap
Well another year and another BEC in the books. As always the networking was the huge opportunity here and many great chances to hook up with the some of the finest minds and people in our industry. The overall attitude was hopefulness. Hope that the economy advances and hope that we all can be back here in a year with better things on our plates. And as I have always done it- in a “Page 6” style, here’s who was seen and heard over the few days of action…
-- I unfortunately didn’t get to attend as much as I usually do, but I did really enjoy the presentation by Dr. Don McCann of Viracon- good food for thought in there and featuring the movie star good looks of Cam Scripture was slick. I did also enjoy Kawneer’s Diana Perrriah’s spot as well. And it goes without saying that I am in the tank for Dr. Tom Culp. All the speakers did well in a tough room layout. It was very dark and wide open- so intimidating to say the least. And as was noted by my pal Chuck Knickerbocker of TGP, the BEC was really missing the “C” part this year. And that pained me and I hope that this was an aberration and not a trend.
Elsewhere from the floor and about BEC…
-- Got to get a quick meal with Jeff Meyer of White Bear Glass and he continues to be a guy people in this industry should model their businesses like. Ran into Guardian’s Jay Phillips looking crisp as usual… I swear that guy could work on a road crew and still look calm, cool and collected… Always an honor to see the “Glass Pundit” ICD’s Kris Vockler along with her legendary Dad Larry. I came “this” close to meeting Jim Porter of Apogee… alas I missed him… dang as I am fan. Obviously you know I am a fan of the Viracon crew- got to visit briefly with Garret Henson and Christine Shaffer- and my gosh I enjoyed just getting the overflow from their crowd.
-- I got to meet Jeff Razwick of TGP for the first time which was nice. Speaking of first time intro’s I met Joe Cesarotti from Hurricane Protection Industries for the initial time after communicating with him via e mail and NGA classes. Of course ran into George Petzen- he is an absolute staple of this event and got the bonus of meeting his co worker Kelley Lasek who even admitted to reading this blog! Brave guy he is. Roger Watson of Saint Gobain was there and for his stalker in Canada, he’s still pretty cool.
-- I met in person for the first time Serge Martin of AGC- he gave a tremendous speech too. Very nice guy and I am thrilled he is here and active- that’s two years in a row for the AGC influence at this event- very cool. Dr. Helen Sanders as always is an absolute treat as is the always awesome duo of Julie Schimmelpenningh and Aimee Davis of Solutia. (And I owe both Ice cream since I had to leave town early) Raj Goyal always looking good was on hand but I didn’t get much time with him or with Mark Silverberg of Technoform who happens to be one of my all time favorite people. I also missed Jan Rogan and Glenn Miner of PPG- never could get near em. And amazingly and frustratingly I never got to see Greg Carney. Unreal.
-- Missing this year…. Bill Sullivan is always there and he obviously had better plans as well as GGI’s own Mr. Brenner, just not the same without him. The gang from Bratton led by my pal Todd Riggs were also noticeable by their absence as was anyone from Pilkington… if they were there I missed them. I honestly don’t remember Pilks missing this event before.
-- Anyway it’s another year in the can and unfortunately one that I just didn’t get to enjoy the full flavor of. Next year will be better for that I am sure.
Elsewhere...
-- GANA did run an event called LOGIC that featured two very good speakers. The legendary economist Art Laffer and Blogger and Social Media guru Chris Brogan. Both gave tremendous presentations. The big takeaway from Laffer was his optimism that a possible change in the White House in 2012 could lead to a massive economic boom in 2013. Brogan’s speaking style and info were just super- very insightful and I wish I had another hour with him.
-- The rumor mill of course was working overtime but that was one area I was thankful that I did have to leave early.
-- No links or video this week (and I have a TON of links ready) because I ran out of time, they will be back and in full force next week. May even run that crazy Corning video again as so many people keep telling me about it!!
-- I unfortunately didn’t get to attend as much as I usually do, but I did really enjoy the presentation by Dr. Don McCann of Viracon- good food for thought in there and featuring the movie star good looks of Cam Scripture was slick. I did also enjoy Kawneer’s Diana Perrriah’s spot as well. And it goes without saying that I am in the tank for Dr. Tom Culp. All the speakers did well in a tough room layout. It was very dark and wide open- so intimidating to say the least. And as was noted by my pal Chuck Knickerbocker of TGP, the BEC was really missing the “C” part this year. And that pained me and I hope that this was an aberration and not a trend.
Elsewhere from the floor and about BEC…
-- Got to get a quick meal with Jeff Meyer of White Bear Glass and he continues to be a guy people in this industry should model their businesses like. Ran into Guardian’s Jay Phillips looking crisp as usual… I swear that guy could work on a road crew and still look calm, cool and collected… Always an honor to see the “Glass Pundit” ICD’s Kris Vockler along with her legendary Dad Larry. I came “this” close to meeting Jim Porter of Apogee… alas I missed him… dang as I am fan. Obviously you know I am a fan of the Viracon crew- got to visit briefly with Garret Henson and Christine Shaffer- and my gosh I enjoyed just getting the overflow from their crowd.
-- I got to meet Jeff Razwick of TGP for the first time which was nice. Speaking of first time intro’s I met Joe Cesarotti from Hurricane Protection Industries for the initial time after communicating with him via e mail and NGA classes. Of course ran into George Petzen- he is an absolute staple of this event and got the bonus of meeting his co worker Kelley Lasek who even admitted to reading this blog! Brave guy he is. Roger Watson of Saint Gobain was there and for his stalker in Canada, he’s still pretty cool.
-- I met in person for the first time Serge Martin of AGC- he gave a tremendous speech too. Very nice guy and I am thrilled he is here and active- that’s two years in a row for the AGC influence at this event- very cool. Dr. Helen Sanders as always is an absolute treat as is the always awesome duo of Julie Schimmelpenningh and Aimee Davis of Solutia. (And I owe both Ice cream since I had to leave town early) Raj Goyal always looking good was on hand but I didn’t get much time with him or with Mark Silverberg of Technoform who happens to be one of my all time favorite people. I also missed Jan Rogan and Glenn Miner of PPG- never could get near em. And amazingly and frustratingly I never got to see Greg Carney. Unreal.
-- Missing this year…. Bill Sullivan is always there and he obviously had better plans as well as GGI’s own Mr. Brenner, just not the same without him. The gang from Bratton led by my pal Todd Riggs were also noticeable by their absence as was anyone from Pilkington… if they were there I missed them. I honestly don’t remember Pilks missing this event before.
-- Anyway it’s another year in the can and unfortunately one that I just didn’t get to enjoy the full flavor of. Next year will be better for that I am sure.
Elsewhere...
-- GANA did run an event called LOGIC that featured two very good speakers. The legendary economist Art Laffer and Blogger and Social Media guru Chris Brogan. Both gave tremendous presentations. The big takeaway from Laffer was his optimism that a possible change in the White House in 2012 could lead to a massive economic boom in 2013. Brogan’s speaking style and info were just super- very insightful and I wish I had another hour with him.
-- The rumor mill of course was working overtime but that was one area I was thankful that I did have to leave early.
-- No links or video this week (and I have a TON of links ready) because I ran out of time, they will be back and in full force next week. May even run that crazy Corning video again as so many people keep telling me about it!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Japan
When I posted my blog last week and mentioned the devastation in Japan, it was still very early in the aftermath. Now with more than a week past, the one word that comes to mind is “incomprehensible.” It is seriously mind blowing what that country and their people are going through now and will go through for many years to come. And this is surely not something that will be for us as a continent to just watch and figure we are far enough away from to affect us. Japan, with their technology, goods, and services are a bigger part of the fabric of North America than you may think. As the New York Times called it- this is a crisis the markets just can't grasp. It's like nothing we've ever seen before. Specifically from an industry standpoint this could have effect (even though some reports are saying all is fine- we’ll hope that’s right) on a glass supply that was due to be tight to begin with (it’s already insanely tight on the auto glass end) and will surely affect gas and cost of living indexes. There’s no doubt that this horrible and tragic event will be yet another hurdle for our world to get over and here’s again hoping and wishing for our friends in Japan to see some light and good sooner than later.
Elsewhere…
-- There was a regional glass event last week and the rumor mill was working overtime. All I can say is about 99% of things that were spread are pretty far fetched. But that’s what happens when you get a bunch of people in a room, too much time and not enough business on their hands.
-- The New York Times reported HERE on a takedown of the good ole Department of Energy by the Inspector General. Evidently poor record keeping that leads people to wonder where their tax money is really going was the subject. Count me as absolutely unsurprised. In watching the DOE and the members I came in contact with, their desire to be led by the nose by special interest while ignoring any other viewpoint was a major turnoff and red flag. This is not the first time the DOE has been ripped by a governmental report and I just wish for all of our sakes it would lead to some actual change there. But instead excuses are made and the same tired bureaucrats keep pumping out the same dreck.
-- If and when we get the whole true blue Glass Hall of Fame going I will nominate the designers of the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport Rental Car Complex for an achievement award in the usage of glass. The complex used glass absolutely everywhere possible and it was exciting for a glass geek like me. They didn’t go crazy on colors and decorative but the fact it was all over was cool enough for me.
-- The folks at Glasslam once again are working the angles to try and bring new concepts forward. The past week they announced a new spacer manufacturing system. Basically this system would allow their users to make their own warm edge spacer and control the game. With everyone looking for an edge this could be a player.
-- Glassweek and BEC are kicking off later this week. Next week’s post will cover the highlights, so it won’t be up on my normal site until late Monday night and will still appear on E Glass Weekly (as long as the fine people at Glass Magazine still want me) on Tuesday.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Classic reminder to always turn off your phone- or at least put to silent… especially on live TV giving an important rundown on the final four! It’s at the one minute mark
-- One of the most disturbing stories you’ll read in a while…. This guy needs to put away or put down. Just frightening
-- Great piece for my fellow travelers… top 10 hotel things you should know… and I have to chime in on #7… the freakin “resort fee” is an outrage when you are traveling for business- especially when you are only in for a night. Highway robbery.
VIDEO of the WEEK
It is basketball time and the best play by play announcer in March Madness is Gus Johnson and one of his fans put together a great compilation of his best calls… the guy is awesome. Some of the video is poor, but it’s the audio to care about.
Elsewhere…
-- There was a regional glass event last week and the rumor mill was working overtime. All I can say is about 99% of things that were spread are pretty far fetched. But that’s what happens when you get a bunch of people in a room, too much time and not enough business on their hands.
-- The New York Times reported HERE on a takedown of the good ole Department of Energy by the Inspector General. Evidently poor record keeping that leads people to wonder where their tax money is really going was the subject. Count me as absolutely unsurprised. In watching the DOE and the members I came in contact with, their desire to be led by the nose by special interest while ignoring any other viewpoint was a major turnoff and red flag. This is not the first time the DOE has been ripped by a governmental report and I just wish for all of our sakes it would lead to some actual change there. But instead excuses are made and the same tired bureaucrats keep pumping out the same dreck.
-- If and when we get the whole true blue Glass Hall of Fame going I will nominate the designers of the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport Rental Car Complex for an achievement award in the usage of glass. The complex used glass absolutely everywhere possible and it was exciting for a glass geek like me. They didn’t go crazy on colors and decorative but the fact it was all over was cool enough for me.
-- The folks at Glasslam once again are working the angles to try and bring new concepts forward. The past week they announced a new spacer manufacturing system. Basically this system would allow their users to make their own warm edge spacer and control the game. With everyone looking for an edge this could be a player.
-- Glassweek and BEC are kicking off later this week. Next week’s post will cover the highlights, so it won’t be up on my normal site until late Monday night and will still appear on E Glass Weekly (as long as the fine people at Glass Magazine still want me) on Tuesday.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Classic reminder to always turn off your phone- or at least put to silent… especially on live TV giving an important rundown on the final four! It’s at the one minute mark
-- One of the most disturbing stories you’ll read in a while…. This guy needs to put away or put down. Just frightening
-- Great piece for my fellow travelers… top 10 hotel things you should know… and I have to chime in on #7… the freakin “resort fee” is an outrage when you are traveling for business- especially when you are only in for a night. Highway robbery.
VIDEO of the WEEK
It is basketball time and the best play by play announcer in March Madness is Gus Johnson and one of his fans put together a great compilation of his best calls… the guy is awesome. Some of the video is poor, but it’s the audio to care about.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Not so fast on the Triples...
One of the most popular articles on the excellent Glass Magazine website has been the story on the growth of triple glazing. And while it seems to be that growth is on the horizon on that segment I actually look at the incredible products both here and in the very near future that will knock down that need to go to triples. The growth of these alternate products will come from education and promotion and I think you are going to see a ton of both in the coming months. Quite frankly it’s an exciting opportunity for our world.
Elsewhere…
-- Sorry I have to bang my chest- well actually give major props to my brother. Way back, on February 19th, my brother Steven sent me the now cult famous “Corning Day Made of Glass” video. And I posted it on my blog. The problem was that most people now just read my blog through the E Glass Weekly portal and only 1/3rd of the traffic clicks through the links or video. Well way back before this video got all of the attention it was on here first- Steven had it pegged- and we had it here. I guess next time I gotta make a bigger deal eh?
-- Very tough news this week when I heard that Dan Wright was out at Guardian after 16 years… That news threw me and pretty much everyone I told as if you know Dan, you know he bled the Guardian blue- he was a lifer. Anyway, he’s now a free agent and I gotta say is a prized free agent for sure. The guy will be an awesome addition to an established or growing company and someone will be extremely fortunate to make that pick up.
-- Great resource… Chicago Window Expert… can be found here. Big fan of the site and knowledge and I think Mark Meshulam does a fantastic job.
-- DyeTec solar getting a cool million dollars is yet another example of the fact that solar is far from dead. Still a ways to go- but money like that- in this economy is amazing and means there’s still great potential.
-- Last week I was sent a report that showed commercial construction staying down the rest of the year, with the “recovery” coming next year. To me this whole forecasting thing is starting to look dubious. Does anyone really know? The fact that the banks are easing a little (supposedly) is a positive and so far the ABI is hanging in there- but end of the day, I think we’re all still in the dark and hoping for the best.
-- Thoughts and prayers to everyone in Japan affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami… The video of the destruction was jaw dropping and incredibly sad. It really is a disaster on epic levels and hopefully they can recover as quickly as possible.
-- And finally… it is March Madness time… last year I did actually pick the winner here on the blog (I know shocking right?) when I tabbed Duke to win it. We’ll this year I am going with the repeat… Duke to win again… and yes I do hate Duke and hope my “powers” work where they failed last year.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This is one dedicated and crazy coach… back on the sidelines to coach in a big game just HOURS after giving birth!
-- The world’s “youngest” grandmother at just 23! But as a good friend mentioned to me- she looks older than both of us… and I agree, she is not looking good for her “age”
-- This man has 82 tattoos of Julia Roberts all over him… and the headline calls him “weird”… umm.. I think I’d use more harsh language!
VIDEO of the WEEK
So for the 1/3rd of you who make it this far… THANK YOU…. Anyway I was sent this classic of Charlie Sheen compilations earlier this week… and very good. The guy is pretty crazed (or actually very seriously crazed… ) but is comical too…
Elsewhere…
-- Sorry I have to bang my chest- well actually give major props to my brother. Way back, on February 19th, my brother Steven sent me the now cult famous “Corning Day Made of Glass” video. And I posted it on my blog. The problem was that most people now just read my blog through the E Glass Weekly portal and only 1/3rd of the traffic clicks through the links or video. Well way back before this video got all of the attention it was on here first- Steven had it pegged- and we had it here. I guess next time I gotta make a bigger deal eh?
-- Very tough news this week when I heard that Dan Wright was out at Guardian after 16 years… That news threw me and pretty much everyone I told as if you know Dan, you know he bled the Guardian blue- he was a lifer. Anyway, he’s now a free agent and I gotta say is a prized free agent for sure. The guy will be an awesome addition to an established or growing company and someone will be extremely fortunate to make that pick up.
-- Great resource… Chicago Window Expert… can be found here. Big fan of the site and knowledge and I think Mark Meshulam does a fantastic job.
-- DyeTec solar getting a cool million dollars is yet another example of the fact that solar is far from dead. Still a ways to go- but money like that- in this economy is amazing and means there’s still great potential.
-- Last week I was sent a report that showed commercial construction staying down the rest of the year, with the “recovery” coming next year. To me this whole forecasting thing is starting to look dubious. Does anyone really know? The fact that the banks are easing a little (supposedly) is a positive and so far the ABI is hanging in there- but end of the day, I think we’re all still in the dark and hoping for the best.
-- Thoughts and prayers to everyone in Japan affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami… The video of the destruction was jaw dropping and incredibly sad. It really is a disaster on epic levels and hopefully they can recover as quickly as possible.
-- And finally… it is March Madness time… last year I did actually pick the winner here on the blog (I know shocking right?) when I tabbed Duke to win it. We’ll this year I am going with the repeat… Duke to win again… and yes I do hate Duke and hope my “powers” work where they failed last year.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This is one dedicated and crazy coach… back on the sidelines to coach in a big game just HOURS after giving birth!
-- The world’s “youngest” grandmother at just 23! But as a good friend mentioned to me- she looks older than both of us… and I agree, she is not looking good for her “age”
-- This man has 82 tattoos of Julia Roberts all over him… and the headline calls him “weird”… umm.. I think I’d use more harsh language!
VIDEO of the WEEK
So for the 1/3rd of you who make it this far… THANK YOU…. Anyway I was sent this classic of Charlie Sheen compilations earlier this week… and very good. The guy is pretty crazed (or actually very seriously crazed… ) but is comical too…
Sunday, March 06, 2011
The start of something good?
Well here we are in March, a majority of the horrible awful weather should be behind us and quite frankly if the train is going to pick up steam it will start this month. This past week some news popped out about credit being easier to obtain and that news alone is very encouraging. The tightness of the lenders has been the major stopping point that many analysts and advisors have pointed to over the past 9-12 months and if that is starting to loosen that really is a good sign. But we will see as this has been a time that no one has ever experienced before- no other slow period compares.
Elsewhere…
-- Major props to Chuck Knickerbocker of TGP and Mike Burriss of Cytec on their new positions within GANA. Both are tremendous men that bring significant value to the group and our industry as a whole. They follow in the footsteps of good people too in Doug Penn of Vitro America and Cliff Monroe of AAG and I do believe they will do awesome jobs… pressures now on you boys… gotta deliver!
-- Greg Silvestri leaving Viracon was big news last week. I met him and interacted with him on a few occasions and he always treated me well. Heck that was probably his downfall. Seriously though it is another shift for our industry and there are lots of rumblings out there that more are to come at companies throughout the industry.
-- What am I missing? The auction at Barber Glass (as advertised over at Glassmagazine.com) is slated for March 16th yet I keep hearing about who already owns certain pieces that will be auctioned off. So is the fix in? Is it just rumor mongering? I don’t get it. And to think my wife said she wanted an autoclave for her Birthday and dang it that was the one I was going after!
-- And on that note a Happy Birthday to my bride… March 7th… and she told me she is 33… and I am not going to fight her on it. Plus I like it- most people say 29…
-- And while on the family track, I get asked a lot about how my sister Marcie is doing. Marcie was in the industry for basically a lifetime and she got out last year… she has now found an amazing home in the retail world and she just was honored by top management for her efforts… I just think if she woulda got into that business when she was younger, the store “Nordstrom’s” would be called “Marcie’s”…
-- The Washington Examiner ran another piece on the whole “Green Bandit” issue. The story is HERE… but for me I chuckle because the main character is Cathy Zoi and she is married to a guy named Robin Roy… and as the late great Myron Cope would say… “YOI! And DOUBLE YOI!” (Gotta be from Pittsburgh to get that one) But goofy Pittsburghism’s aside- it’s an intriguing story that has been debated by both sides for a while- so the truth probably lays somewhere in the middle.
-- Last this week… the post from last week had two comments from two of the coolest west coast people around. I am big fan of both Kris Vockler and Alan Gottesman and was thrilled they both took time to write. And the points they added were great- Kris on the weaknesses in LEED and Alan adding yet another deterrent to the clean energy movement. Thanks guys!
LINKS of the WEEK!
-- Gotta love this story… Government getting new and wild Anti terror and war spying equipment but the supplier is boasting about it. Isn’t this stuff supposed to be secretive?
-- Tough story in many ways- 2 young kids and Aunt living in shed behind abandoned house. Which offers the question of why not live in the house? And makes you sad that this stuff is happening anyway.
Tough way to go, while dancing on your 70th wedding anniversary…
VIDEO of the WEEK!
The two guys that have dominated our news lately- Charlie Sheen and Moammar Ghadafi are now immortalized in this pretty comical game of “Who said it?”… and folks it’s really time for the Sheen episodes to end so we can move on to next great controversies!
Elsewhere…
-- Major props to Chuck Knickerbocker of TGP and Mike Burriss of Cytec on their new positions within GANA. Both are tremendous men that bring significant value to the group and our industry as a whole. They follow in the footsteps of good people too in Doug Penn of Vitro America and Cliff Monroe of AAG and I do believe they will do awesome jobs… pressures now on you boys… gotta deliver!
-- Greg Silvestri leaving Viracon was big news last week. I met him and interacted with him on a few occasions and he always treated me well. Heck that was probably his downfall. Seriously though it is another shift for our industry and there are lots of rumblings out there that more are to come at companies throughout the industry.
-- What am I missing? The auction at Barber Glass (as advertised over at Glassmagazine.com) is slated for March 16th yet I keep hearing about who already owns certain pieces that will be auctioned off. So is the fix in? Is it just rumor mongering? I don’t get it. And to think my wife said she wanted an autoclave for her Birthday and dang it that was the one I was going after!
-- And on that note a Happy Birthday to my bride… March 7th… and she told me she is 33… and I am not going to fight her on it. Plus I like it- most people say 29…
-- And while on the family track, I get asked a lot about how my sister Marcie is doing. Marcie was in the industry for basically a lifetime and she got out last year… she has now found an amazing home in the retail world and she just was honored by top management for her efforts… I just think if she woulda got into that business when she was younger, the store “Nordstrom’s” would be called “Marcie’s”…
-- The Washington Examiner ran another piece on the whole “Green Bandit” issue. The story is HERE… but for me I chuckle because the main character is Cathy Zoi and she is married to a guy named Robin Roy… and as the late great Myron Cope would say… “YOI! And DOUBLE YOI!” (Gotta be from Pittsburgh to get that one) But goofy Pittsburghism’s aside- it’s an intriguing story that has been debated by both sides for a while- so the truth probably lays somewhere in the middle.
-- Last this week… the post from last week had two comments from two of the coolest west coast people around. I am big fan of both Kris Vockler and Alan Gottesman and was thrilled they both took time to write. And the points they added were great- Kris on the weaknesses in LEED and Alan adding yet another deterrent to the clean energy movement. Thanks guys!
LINKS of the WEEK!
-- Gotta love this story… Government getting new and wild Anti terror and war spying equipment but the supplier is boasting about it. Isn’t this stuff supposed to be secretive?
-- Tough story in many ways- 2 young kids and Aunt living in shed behind abandoned house. Which offers the question of why not live in the house? And makes you sad that this stuff is happening anyway.
Tough way to go, while dancing on your 70th wedding anniversary…
VIDEO of the WEEK!
The two guys that have dominated our news lately- Charlie Sheen and Moammar Ghadafi are now immortalized in this pretty comical game of “Who said it?”… and folks it’s really time for the Sheen episodes to end so we can move on to next great controversies!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Beware the Mohave Ground Squirrel!
As many people know I really have a strong interest in Solar. I believe in its potential to help the world. However I am amazed daily over the obstacles this technology faces and this week yet another amazing story came out. A solar install in California that could power more than TWO MILLION homes was called off because of concerns about the impact on the Mohave ground squirrel. Now I don’t know about you, but I never ever heard of this specific style of squirrel and quite frankly I am pretty bummed that said squirrel is standing in the way of tremendous progress. The whole solar movement is caught in a major contradiction. The people who want to live green and wean our reliance of oil and coal, love solar… but if it hurts a squirrel or a turtle, well then no way. So getting it straight, let’s settle for things that may be harmful for humans but protect the wildlife.
And trust me- I have come to love animals. My wife brings another one home each week I am gone. But you can’t tell me in our incredible world of minds we can’t figure out a way to use land in the Mohave Desert and find homes for these various species. No way. We sent men to the moon and we now talk on iPhones that can start your car from thousands of miles away- we can do this- why we don’t- is befuddling and will hurt all of us in the long run.
Elsewhere….
-- Gas will go to $5 per gallon. I know I say this every year, but it’s happening here and now. Believe me if we can’t figure out how to save a turtle, we surely can’t help but watch Gas prices go through the roof.
-- We are now a month from Glassweek and BEC. Are you going? If you are on the fence, let me give you yet another reason to get there. Courtney Little of Ace Glass in Arkansas is doing a presentation called “Good Business Practices: Knowing the Cost of Doing Business” and it should be a dandy. Ace has done some amazing projects in the past and this presentation based on some of those experiences should be some must see stuff.
-- The ABI slipped some in January but was still in positive territory. The folks at AIA are still “cautiously optimistic” going forward but the cold hard truth will start to bear its head next month. If it stays above water, the index could be right on track for what many of us expect- an improvement in the economy at the end of the year. If it slips, the signals for a more protracted downturn will be very clear.
-- If you somehow missed the blog by Nicole Harris last week, you really need to take a minute to read it. It was an awesome take on an important subject and done without bias. Really well done.
-- It was reported last week that PPG showed requests for LEED documentation was up 300% from 2007. No doubt LEED is a monster. But I am betting PPG picked up at least 100%+ based on my interview with their green guru James Bogdan!Ha Ha Seriously though, it is amazing how LEED has become a part of our lives and all the more reason to see how the current legal activities against the USGBC (the group behind LEED) play out.
-- Was thrilled I wasn’t the only one last week who was bummed Eminem didn’t win the Grammy he should’ve. But on a related Grammy note- I just hope when Glass Magazine’s own incredibly talented Katy Devlin wins hers, she remembers us little folks in the glass industry.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Read this story and tell me how this guy shouldn’t go to jail for the rest of his life. Just sick and sad.
-- One of the coolest and wildest pieces of architecture I have ever seen… awesome.
-- When I used to drink soda, my favorite was Diet Dr. Pepper… well those folks are now creating a Dr. Pepper for men only… yep this has the fingerprints of a very bored marketing guy all over it!
Bonus Link:
-- Getting arrested after attacking your roommate over her Girl Scout Cookies! Now attacking a roommate over Pizza or M&M’s are fine…. But sorry Girl Scout Cookies are not in that class.
VIDEO of the WEEK
And in case you missed it from the Grammy’s here is Eminem’s performance…. Featuring Dr. Dre, Rihanna and the incredible Skylar Grey.
And trust me- I have come to love animals. My wife brings another one home each week I am gone. But you can’t tell me in our incredible world of minds we can’t figure out a way to use land in the Mohave Desert and find homes for these various species. No way. We sent men to the moon and we now talk on iPhones that can start your car from thousands of miles away- we can do this- why we don’t- is befuddling and will hurt all of us in the long run.
Elsewhere….
-- Gas will go to $5 per gallon. I know I say this every year, but it’s happening here and now. Believe me if we can’t figure out how to save a turtle, we surely can’t help but watch Gas prices go through the roof.
-- We are now a month from Glassweek and BEC. Are you going? If you are on the fence, let me give you yet another reason to get there. Courtney Little of Ace Glass in Arkansas is doing a presentation called “Good Business Practices: Knowing the Cost of Doing Business” and it should be a dandy. Ace has done some amazing projects in the past and this presentation based on some of those experiences should be some must see stuff.
-- The ABI slipped some in January but was still in positive territory. The folks at AIA are still “cautiously optimistic” going forward but the cold hard truth will start to bear its head next month. If it stays above water, the index could be right on track for what many of us expect- an improvement in the economy at the end of the year. If it slips, the signals for a more protracted downturn will be very clear.
-- If you somehow missed the blog by Nicole Harris last week, you really need to take a minute to read it. It was an awesome take on an important subject and done without bias. Really well done.
-- It was reported last week that PPG showed requests for LEED documentation was up 300% from 2007. No doubt LEED is a monster. But I am betting PPG picked up at least 100%+ based on my interview with their green guru James Bogdan!Ha Ha Seriously though, it is amazing how LEED has become a part of our lives and all the more reason to see how the current legal activities against the USGBC (the group behind LEED) play out.
-- Was thrilled I wasn’t the only one last week who was bummed Eminem didn’t win the Grammy he should’ve. But on a related Grammy note- I just hope when Glass Magazine’s own incredibly talented Katy Devlin wins hers, she remembers us little folks in the glass industry.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Read this story and tell me how this guy shouldn’t go to jail for the rest of his life. Just sick and sad.
-- One of the coolest and wildest pieces of architecture I have ever seen… awesome.
-- When I used to drink soda, my favorite was Diet Dr. Pepper… well those folks are now creating a Dr. Pepper for men only… yep this has the fingerprints of a very bored marketing guy all over it!
Bonus Link:
-- Getting arrested after attacking your roommate over her Girl Scout Cookies! Now attacking a roommate over Pizza or M&M’s are fine…. But sorry Girl Scout Cookies are not in that class.
VIDEO of the WEEK
And in case you missed it from the Grammy’s here is Eminem’s performance…. Featuring Dr. Dre, Rihanna and the incredible Skylar Grey.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Remembering Frank Archinaco
No doubt a very sad week when the news broke that Frank Archinaco had passed away. Frank was the first “big time” executive I had ever met in the industry and my few instances with him have stuck with me my entire life. So please indulge me as I have to share the best and craziest memory I have of Frank. It was when he had my brother Steven and I out to golf at the legendary Laurel Highlands Golf Club. This was a club that Arnold Palmer built and there was just a major tourney there the week before. I had only been in the industry a short time- I really shouldn’t have been there but my brother was nice enough to take me instead of more deserving folks. Frank met us along with another PPG executive (the also unfortunately no longer with us Richard Leggett- also a sad passing for me) and before we started broke out shirts for us to wear. Custom shirts with a monogram making light of a supplier/competitor we both had major issues with at the time. As we put on our shirts, Frank realized his was mis-sized- but being a good sport he squeezed into it. I was amazed. This is a guy who was a major bigwig in the PPG hierarchy and he’s playing along like any other regular joe.
So we hit the course and set teams. It would be Richard and Steve against me and Frank. Now anyone who knows me knows I get a little shook when I am with people I respect or am in awe of. Frank was both. So I was a nervous wreck. Add to it I was not a good golfer and there weren’t enough M&M’s in the world to calm me down. So we went at it and basically Frank carried me for 16 holes. He played amazing. We got to 17 with a chance to actually win. And I have to tell you Frank WANTED to win. It was a par 3 and after Frank’s shot went awry, it was on me. I was DYING inside and I think for sure he figured we were sunk. But somehow I hit the best shot of my life- a 180 yard par 3 that nuzzled within 3 feet of the hole. Frank had me sink the putt (which I did while about to pass out) and we won. For me it was unreal- but I got a kick out of Frank- he looked like he won the Masters. It was just such a cool scene. The PPG star and the industry newbie- you just couldn’t get an odder couple.
Anyway as the years went on I would see Frank at Glassweek- where he would abuse me about my golf game but always was genuine to me and my family. The guy was a prince to us without a doubt. My deepest condolences go to his family and all who had the honor of working with him and knowing him. Rest in Peace Frank and I know you and your presence will truly be missed.
Elsewhere…
-- A few years ago Bruce Mikels of BDM left the UGC to go to Arch and when I wrote about it, well it touched off a kerfuffle of sorts. Now Bruce is reversing course- going back to UGC and it is a coup of epic proportions for the guys at UGC. Bruce is one of the best (if not the best) manufacturers rep in our industry. UGC just got a ton better that’s for sure.
-- Congrats also out to David Ozment of Binswanger Glass for winning the Houston Area Glass Association’s Glass Professional of the Year award for 2010. That is an awesome honor.
-- The dynamic glass world continues to make waves. Soladigm just picked up another 10 million in financing. I’m telling you now the dynamic products will take off and there’s some seriously wonderful players all pushing that process in the right direction.
-- I was bummed to see Eminem not win the Grammy for best Record. No matter what you think of his lyrics (and yes they are vulgar in some cases) the guy is insanely talented music wise. And the song he did with Dr. Dre and the smoking hot Skylar Grey on the show was simply fantastic.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Jewelry store owner takes some justice in his own hands… GOOD FOR HIM!
-- An insanely sad story about a Mom duct-taping her child down…. I am always so bothered by these stories… simply horrible.
-- And while we are at it... another parent who shouldn’t have or be around kids. So amazing to me.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Very cool and futuristic video from Corning that shows all the possibilities of where glass could go. Also check on some of the comments- some are really hilarious.
So we hit the course and set teams. It would be Richard and Steve against me and Frank. Now anyone who knows me knows I get a little shook when I am with people I respect or am in awe of. Frank was both. So I was a nervous wreck. Add to it I was not a good golfer and there weren’t enough M&M’s in the world to calm me down. So we went at it and basically Frank carried me for 16 holes. He played amazing. We got to 17 with a chance to actually win. And I have to tell you Frank WANTED to win. It was a par 3 and after Frank’s shot went awry, it was on me. I was DYING inside and I think for sure he figured we were sunk. But somehow I hit the best shot of my life- a 180 yard par 3 that nuzzled within 3 feet of the hole. Frank had me sink the putt (which I did while about to pass out) and we won. For me it was unreal- but I got a kick out of Frank- he looked like he won the Masters. It was just such a cool scene. The PPG star and the industry newbie- you just couldn’t get an odder couple.
Anyway as the years went on I would see Frank at Glassweek- where he would abuse me about my golf game but always was genuine to me and my family. The guy was a prince to us without a doubt. My deepest condolences go to his family and all who had the honor of working with him and knowing him. Rest in Peace Frank and I know you and your presence will truly be missed.
Elsewhere…
-- A few years ago Bruce Mikels of BDM left the UGC to go to Arch and when I wrote about it, well it touched off a kerfuffle of sorts. Now Bruce is reversing course- going back to UGC and it is a coup of epic proportions for the guys at UGC. Bruce is one of the best (if not the best) manufacturers rep in our industry. UGC just got a ton better that’s for sure.
-- Congrats also out to David Ozment of Binswanger Glass for winning the Houston Area Glass Association’s Glass Professional of the Year award for 2010. That is an awesome honor.
-- The dynamic glass world continues to make waves. Soladigm just picked up another 10 million in financing. I’m telling you now the dynamic products will take off and there’s some seriously wonderful players all pushing that process in the right direction.
-- I was bummed to see Eminem not win the Grammy for best Record. No matter what you think of his lyrics (and yes they are vulgar in some cases) the guy is insanely talented music wise. And the song he did with Dr. Dre and the smoking hot Skylar Grey on the show was simply fantastic.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- Jewelry store owner takes some justice in his own hands… GOOD FOR HIM!
-- An insanely sad story about a Mom duct-taping her child down…. I am always so bothered by these stories… simply horrible.
-- And while we are at it... another parent who shouldn’t have or be around kids. So amazing to me.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Very cool and futuristic video from Corning that shows all the possibilities of where glass could go. Also check on some of the comments- some are really hilarious.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wicked Winter!
Last week I had a quick note on the weather but that was before yet another huge storm paralyzed major parts of the country. There’s no doubt the improvement in our economic sector is taking a beating thanks to the nasty whims of Mother Nature. The big issue is all of this time is truly lost- just a killer as businesses try and keep moving forward. Now this week a warming trend is coming which means flooding and messy, wet, and uninhabitable jobsites. After that it will be hurricane season before you know it. I wonder if all of the analysts take into account the negative effect the weather has on our world and if this uneven start to 2011 will delay the great prosperity that so many (including me) see for the year end.
Elsewhere…
-- Another offshoot of the weather…. I now actually watch and enjoy The Weather Channel in the morning. I am becoming a weather geek… but seriously its good mindless stuff to start the day instead of the traditional morning fare.
-- Recently Guardian launched a new version of the corporate website and I must say they hit a home run with the makeover. Great use of “mega” drop down boxes and just a great choice in images on the landing page. Kudos to the gang there for a job well done! Also I am hearing they will add a blog to that site as well that will make it even more a must visit type of site.
-- Found it hilarious that the NFRC blog is now accepting comments on their site. Just a few years ago when I was hammering away at them weekly, I was vilified for my medium. Now NFRC not only does meetings on line, but keeps a blog and now finally is offering a forum. So while I was unable to stop them from pushing a terrible program down our throats, I believe I did force them into the new century media wise.
-- Saw that Jed Bush will be the keynote speaker during the Spring meeting for the Aluminum Association and the Aluminum Extruders Council. Hey maybe they can enlist Jed to keep the vinyl people at bay and get aluminum more accepted amongst the green world… well then again wrong political party for all that. Still a great get for those guys. And I wonder if Jed Bush will be as in awe of Dr. Tom Culp as I am.
-- Congrats to PPG for getting a 3 million dollar grant for their Solar program. Proves solar is not dead and actually far from it. And it’s been a big week for PPG, a grant and a mention from President Obama. But obviously getting pub on this blog is the biggest thrill…ha ha ha
-- So which Super Bowl commercial did you like? I loved the Dorito dog commercial and enjoyed the Pepsi Max jogger one too. I also thought the Eminem one for Detroit/Chrysler was strong. But probably the best for me was the Car Max one that showed an old fashioned gas station with all of the attendants working the car and the terrified driver crying “I’m being carjacked!” Classic. (And it is the video of the week too so see or click below) All in all though I probably didn’t enjoy the commercials as much since I was so into the game…
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This is wild technology… a text message that self destructs after a certain amount of time… and named after the one guy who really could’ve used it… Tiger Woods…
-- You know all of those “cash for guns” or “gifts for guns” promotions out there so less guns will be on the streets and in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them? Well this promotion surely takes the cake… speechless.
-- Tiny office cubicles… not fun… plus I sure hope this isn’t the “remodeling” growth we are looking for.
VIDEO of the WEEK
The commercial I thought was best at the Super Bowl from Car Max….
Elsewhere…
-- Another offshoot of the weather…. I now actually watch and enjoy The Weather Channel in the morning. I am becoming a weather geek… but seriously its good mindless stuff to start the day instead of the traditional morning fare.
-- Recently Guardian launched a new version of the corporate website and I must say they hit a home run with the makeover. Great use of “mega” drop down boxes and just a great choice in images on the landing page. Kudos to the gang there for a job well done! Also I am hearing they will add a blog to that site as well that will make it even more a must visit type of site.
-- Found it hilarious that the NFRC blog is now accepting comments on their site. Just a few years ago when I was hammering away at them weekly, I was vilified for my medium. Now NFRC not only does meetings on line, but keeps a blog and now finally is offering a forum. So while I was unable to stop them from pushing a terrible program down our throats, I believe I did force them into the new century media wise.
-- Saw that Jed Bush will be the keynote speaker during the Spring meeting for the Aluminum Association and the Aluminum Extruders Council. Hey maybe they can enlist Jed to keep the vinyl people at bay and get aluminum more accepted amongst the green world… well then again wrong political party for all that. Still a great get for those guys. And I wonder if Jed Bush will be as in awe of Dr. Tom Culp as I am.
-- Congrats to PPG for getting a 3 million dollar grant for their Solar program. Proves solar is not dead and actually far from it. And it’s been a big week for PPG, a grant and a mention from President Obama. But obviously getting pub on this blog is the biggest thrill…ha ha ha
-- So which Super Bowl commercial did you like? I loved the Dorito dog commercial and enjoyed the Pepsi Max jogger one too. I also thought the Eminem one for Detroit/Chrysler was strong. But probably the best for me was the Car Max one that showed an old fashioned gas station with all of the attendants working the car and the terrified driver crying “I’m being carjacked!” Classic. (And it is the video of the week too so see or click below) All in all though I probably didn’t enjoy the commercials as much since I was so into the game…
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This is wild technology… a text message that self destructs after a certain amount of time… and named after the one guy who really could’ve used it… Tiger Woods…
-- You know all of those “cash for guns” or “gifts for guns” promotions out there so less guns will be on the streets and in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them? Well this promotion surely takes the cake… speechless.
-- Tiny office cubicles… not fun… plus I sure hope this isn’t the “remodeling” growth we are looking for.
VIDEO of the WEEK
The commercial I thought was best at the Super Bowl from Car Max….
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Major news week...
What a wild week. We had major deal break Tuesday and a Presidential mandate at the end of the week. So let’s break it down. On the deal… Quanex Building Corp acquired Edgetech IG. I believe that deal caught everyone napping. In any case the deal still needs to be approved by the FTC, but once it passes that hurdle, the interesting thing will be how the market accepts it. Edgetech was a very visible entity in our world, very large presence at places like GlassBuild and Glass Magazine and also extremely active at the trade group level as well, so how will the change affect those things and more importantly their ability to continue to service and work with their customers. Also does this deal open the door for smaller and hungrier manufacturers to jump into areas that may be vacated by Edgetech? It really will be a fascinating angle to watch for sure. And yes I know that in the initial releases everyone said all will be well, but that’s what every release like this always says.
Later in the week President Obama announced his “Better Building Initiative” and the news did surely send a jolt of energy through the industry. I have talked for years about the European Energy Passport program and how it would be awesome to have here and this surely is a start in that direction. This program if it doesn’t get mushed up by special interests along the way has the potential for amazing things for our industry including the ability for us to show off our newest technologies and prove to the world we are not the weak link some people say we are. In any case I remain optimistic but again I have to stress let’s hope that this process can be implemented fast and without detriments that serve the wrong people.
And on that note, if you missed The National Glass Associations take on the initiative- it’s here and it is worth the read.
Elsewhere…
-- Guess what’s back? Yep I have to mention the good ole NFRC… Jim Benney had a blog here last week and Greg Carney offered a wonderful comment on it. Greg’s comment:
As you consider the issue of a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) daylighting rating and respond to the National Glass Association (NGA) weekly survey, please keep in mind that every NFRC rating and/or certification adds cost to the fenestration contract. I can't help but wonder if the money would be better spent on today's product technology in the form of advanced low-emissivity coatings, dynamic glazing, and warm-edge spacers in lieu of the bureaucracy of NFRC?
Bravo Greg. Folks seriously, the CMA adventure was one thing but if you let this organization to get deeper into our world, you will regret it.
-- And one last code sort of item. Don’t forget Glassweek and BEC are coming… I looked at the BEC agenda and saw some really interesting pieces. To me anytime you can hear Dr. Tom Culp speak, you need to be there. The guy knows his stuff and truly has his finger on the pulse of the code world. And like I have noted many times, Dr. Culp is respected by all sides in these issues because he’s tremendously fair. So for that alone, you want to be there. I’ll have more tidbits on BEC as it gets closer and I plan on doing the same to get you ready for the Glazing Executive Forum and GlassBuild coming in September. These are all events that you should be looking too and they are spread out enough that you can swing it.
-- Health update… A few months back I wrote about a friend and co worker Dan Luna as he battled some serious health issues. Well I am absolutely thrilled to say that Mr. Luna is feeling better and on the positive road to recovery. I’m very happy for Dan, his family, friends and co workers. Keep staying healthy my friend!
-- The weather… I swear I write about the weather every year but this year does have to be the worst yet doesn’t it?
-- OK, and finally this week… the Super Bowl (and I will cover the best and worst commercials next week)… well it figures that my ability to “mush” the picks ends with the biggest game of the year. A major congrats to the Packer fans out there… many of whom I am good friends with. I am happy for you, but also sad for the Steeler fans in my life (and bummed personally too actually) and since I am now out of my mother’s good graces, anyone who wants to adopt me, I am available. Seriously though enjoy it Wisconsin! (On the plus side, I have spending money waiting for me for BEC- still doesn’t feel good)
Oh and a terrible night too for Christina Aguilera as she flubbed the national anthem… I’m sure that will be everywhere this week.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A quick but wild story on how a text message killed a suicide bomber…
-- Just a very neat story and concept here about how tools and materials from our past don’t just disappear. And the comments below are really strong too.
-- Just an awesome link… 10 foods you can make in a coffee maker! I love it.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Now that Football season is over… one last video… this one from legend and retired (brilliant move) friend Pat Pickrell. His hometown of Ada, Ohio is the home of where all NFL football’s are made and here’s a cool video showing the process. Goodbye football season… see you in the fall (at least for college… who knows about the pros at this point)
Later in the week President Obama announced his “Better Building Initiative” and the news did surely send a jolt of energy through the industry. I have talked for years about the European Energy Passport program and how it would be awesome to have here and this surely is a start in that direction. This program if it doesn’t get mushed up by special interests along the way has the potential for amazing things for our industry including the ability for us to show off our newest technologies and prove to the world we are not the weak link some people say we are. In any case I remain optimistic but again I have to stress let’s hope that this process can be implemented fast and without detriments that serve the wrong people.
And on that note, if you missed The National Glass Associations take on the initiative- it’s here and it is worth the read.
Elsewhere…
-- Guess what’s back? Yep I have to mention the good ole NFRC… Jim Benney had a blog here last week and Greg Carney offered a wonderful comment on it. Greg’s comment:
As you consider the issue of a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) daylighting rating and respond to the National Glass Association (NGA) weekly survey, please keep in mind that every NFRC rating and/or certification adds cost to the fenestration contract. I can't help but wonder if the money would be better spent on today's product technology in the form of advanced low-emissivity coatings, dynamic glazing, and warm-edge spacers in lieu of the bureaucracy of NFRC?
Bravo Greg. Folks seriously, the CMA adventure was one thing but if you let this organization to get deeper into our world, you will regret it.
-- And one last code sort of item. Don’t forget Glassweek and BEC are coming… I looked at the BEC agenda and saw some really interesting pieces. To me anytime you can hear Dr. Tom Culp speak, you need to be there. The guy knows his stuff and truly has his finger on the pulse of the code world. And like I have noted many times, Dr. Culp is respected by all sides in these issues because he’s tremendously fair. So for that alone, you want to be there. I’ll have more tidbits on BEC as it gets closer and I plan on doing the same to get you ready for the Glazing Executive Forum and GlassBuild coming in September. These are all events that you should be looking too and they are spread out enough that you can swing it.
-- Health update… A few months back I wrote about a friend and co worker Dan Luna as he battled some serious health issues. Well I am absolutely thrilled to say that Mr. Luna is feeling better and on the positive road to recovery. I’m very happy for Dan, his family, friends and co workers. Keep staying healthy my friend!
-- The weather… I swear I write about the weather every year but this year does have to be the worst yet doesn’t it?
-- OK, and finally this week… the Super Bowl (and I will cover the best and worst commercials next week)… well it figures that my ability to “mush” the picks ends with the biggest game of the year. A major congrats to the Packer fans out there… many of whom I am good friends with. I am happy for you, but also sad for the Steeler fans in my life (and bummed personally too actually) and since I am now out of my mother’s good graces, anyone who wants to adopt me, I am available. Seriously though enjoy it Wisconsin! (On the plus side, I have spending money waiting for me for BEC- still doesn’t feel good)
Oh and a terrible night too for Christina Aguilera as she flubbed the national anthem… I’m sure that will be everywhere this week.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A quick but wild story on how a text message killed a suicide bomber…
-- Just a very neat story and concept here about how tools and materials from our past don’t just disappear. And the comments below are really strong too.
-- Just an awesome link… 10 foods you can make in a coffee maker! I love it.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Now that Football season is over… one last video… this one from legend and retired (brilliant move) friend Pat Pickrell. His hometown of Ada, Ohio is the home of where all NFL football’s are made and here’s a cool video showing the process. Goodbye football season… see you in the fall (at least for college… who knows about the pros at this point)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Is it really growth?
Last week on e-glass Weekly, there was a link to a story about possible growth in 2011 via a report from the Associated General Contractors of America. The report and story was very interesting but one paragraph jumped out at me, and basically got the juices flowing.
“Bid levels will remain very competitive this year. According to the survey results, 29 percent of firms report they plan to lower bid levels in 2011. That follows a year when 74 percent of firms reported lowering bid levels, including seven percent who reported lowering bid levels to the point they lost money performing the work”
So you wonder- last year ¾ of the GC’s lowered their pricing but this year only a little more than a ¼ “plan” to. So is this optimism? Or will when this poll comes out in 2012 does it show that everyone dropped again. I also think the poll is goofy. I mean do you ever PLAN on dropping your number? Isn’t that kind of hokey? I also believe that the 7% listed that lost money on lowered bid levels is woefully low just because when you have more GC’s than ever bidding a job, you know there’s more than 7% that are dropping below the Mendoza line. Anyway the moral of the story is while things are seemingly on pace to improve, there’s still lingering issues hanging out there.
Elsewhere…
-- Really, really sad news this week as I just heard about the mid January passing of Mark Bond of WA Wilson. Mark was a tremendous man and his passing leaves a big hole in hearts of many folks both at Wilson and everyone that dealt with Mark on a daily basis. When I was growing up in the industry, I dealt with Mark (my company sold to Wilson and if/when we messed up, it was Mark we/I dealt with) and he schooled me- I learned a ton from him and respected him beyond belief. He had beaten some serious health scares over the years, so when I heard he passed; I was shocked because I really thought he could overcome anything. A good man and huge loss. Condolences go out to everyone at Wilson and Mark’s family. He’ll truly be missed.
-- Last week’s blog by fellow e-glass Weekly blogger Bill Evans was super. No doubt Bill is a guy that can inspire. That entry is the type that should be sent around the office because it really its home….
-- Speaking of fellow bloggers I wonder if Chris Mammen will be hanging out at the Super Bowl this weekend….
-- Interesting article here on how one power company looks to cash in on Solar… but unfortunately on the backs of the adopters! This was due to happen that is for sure.
-- Last… and certainly not least… the Super Bowl is this weekend. If you have followed this blog (and thank you for following), you know I am on an epic picking streak… I am always wrong. So I think you can assume what my pick will be this week. So here goes…
I am picking the Packers to win… and not just because my picking a team makes the other team win and I am a Steeler fan. No here’s the reasons why:
1. I like the Packers- love Rodgers and think the GB D is good and the Steelers without their starting center will have issues.
2. Can Pittsburgh really win its 3rd title in 6 years? That’s Scott Surma like success there.
3. The MGM took in a MILLION dollar bet on the Packers. WOW. Story is here if you want to read.
4. Most important my Mom demands I pick the Packers and by doing so I move up on her list and could crack the top 20 of people she likes. (Loooong way to go to get to the rarified air my brother and sister hang out in with my Mom)
So to make this even more wild- when I was in Las Vegas this week I put money down on the Packers to win outright. So if the Pack wins, I win some cash and folks in Wisconsin won’t hate me. If the Steelers win, I’m happy, family is happy and I will have amazingly gotten every playoff pick wrong- which you have to admit is impressive. Anyway hope it’s a good game and also let’s have some good commercials this year too!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A crazy college ski trip and wimpy sponsor
-- Cool invention to show parents what their teenagers are doing behind the wheel… have I ever told you how I dread my kids growing up?
-- And last a guy after my own heart.. he is trying to GAIN weight so he can get gastric bypass surgery! I love it!
VIDEO of the WEEK
Sent to me by an old co worker and friend, this is simply amazing… a crazy stunt that needed perfect planning. And I swear it looks fake but I just don’t know how you fake it… thanks to JK for the link!
“Bid levels will remain very competitive this year. According to the survey results, 29 percent of firms report they plan to lower bid levels in 2011. That follows a year when 74 percent of firms reported lowering bid levels, including seven percent who reported lowering bid levels to the point they lost money performing the work”
So you wonder- last year ¾ of the GC’s lowered their pricing but this year only a little more than a ¼ “plan” to. So is this optimism? Or will when this poll comes out in 2012 does it show that everyone dropped again. I also think the poll is goofy. I mean do you ever PLAN on dropping your number? Isn’t that kind of hokey? I also believe that the 7% listed that lost money on lowered bid levels is woefully low just because when you have more GC’s than ever bidding a job, you know there’s more than 7% that are dropping below the Mendoza line. Anyway the moral of the story is while things are seemingly on pace to improve, there’s still lingering issues hanging out there.
Elsewhere…
-- Really, really sad news this week as I just heard about the mid January passing of Mark Bond of WA Wilson. Mark was a tremendous man and his passing leaves a big hole in hearts of many folks both at Wilson and everyone that dealt with Mark on a daily basis. When I was growing up in the industry, I dealt with Mark (my company sold to Wilson and if/when we messed up, it was Mark we/I dealt with) and he schooled me- I learned a ton from him and respected him beyond belief. He had beaten some serious health scares over the years, so when I heard he passed; I was shocked because I really thought he could overcome anything. A good man and huge loss. Condolences go out to everyone at Wilson and Mark’s family. He’ll truly be missed.
-- Last week’s blog by fellow e-glass Weekly blogger Bill Evans was super. No doubt Bill is a guy that can inspire. That entry is the type that should be sent around the office because it really its home….
-- Speaking of fellow bloggers I wonder if Chris Mammen will be hanging out at the Super Bowl this weekend….
-- Interesting article here on how one power company looks to cash in on Solar… but unfortunately on the backs of the adopters! This was due to happen that is for sure.
-- Last… and certainly not least… the Super Bowl is this weekend. If you have followed this blog (and thank you for following), you know I am on an epic picking streak… I am always wrong. So I think you can assume what my pick will be this week. So here goes…
I am picking the Packers to win… and not just because my picking a team makes the other team win and I am a Steeler fan. No here’s the reasons why:
1. I like the Packers- love Rodgers and think the GB D is good and the Steelers without their starting center will have issues.
2. Can Pittsburgh really win its 3rd title in 6 years? That’s Scott Surma like success there.
3. The MGM took in a MILLION dollar bet on the Packers. WOW. Story is here if you want to read.
4. Most important my Mom demands I pick the Packers and by doing so I move up on her list and could crack the top 20 of people she likes. (Loooong way to go to get to the rarified air my brother and sister hang out in with my Mom)
So to make this even more wild- when I was in Las Vegas this week I put money down on the Packers to win outright. So if the Pack wins, I win some cash and folks in Wisconsin won’t hate me. If the Steelers win, I’m happy, family is happy and I will have amazingly gotten every playoff pick wrong- which you have to admit is impressive. Anyway hope it’s a good game and also let’s have some good commercials this year too!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A crazy college ski trip and wimpy sponsor
-- Cool invention to show parents what their teenagers are doing behind the wheel… have I ever told you how I dread my kids growing up?
-- And last a guy after my own heart.. he is trying to GAIN weight so he can get gastric bypass surgery! I love it!
VIDEO of the WEEK
Sent to me by an old co worker and friend, this is simply amazing… a crazy stunt that needed perfect planning. And I swear it looks fake but I just don’t know how you fake it… thanks to JK for the link!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Seismic Change for our Industry
No doubt the big news of the week was the announcement that the Chairman & CEO of Apogee Russ Huffer intends to retire once his successor is named. In what could be the first of a few very high profile retirements to come in 2011, Huffer’s announcement did catch many off guard- including me quite frankly. In any case this is a tremendous unsettling of the industry and we’ll have to see who Apogee puts in to fill some very large shoes. Huffer was a very active industry participant, speaking at many events and really pushing the proper gospel that put our world in a positive light. Russ also never went with the masses. When everyone was pimping solar, Russ steadfastly held to his data that the material was not ready for prime time. I believe his stance on that forced people to go back to the drawing board and when solar matures, I think Russ will be one of the folks to thank. All in all this is a seismic change and I hope that Russ stays involved in our world in some capacity because we really do need it.
Elsewhere…
-- Speaking of an Apogee company- Viracon… last week I noted their amazing influence to get politicians into their plants. Afterwards I got an e mail that asked me why I always prop Viracon while dinging “everyone else.” So on that note- I believe I give Viracon the props they deserve- they have some of the best people in our world and they truly try to be a good and active industry player. And really with the exception of a few cases that I am emotionally involved in, I have become a kinder, gentler, blogger.
-- Another good month for the Architectural Billings Index… Even the west is starting to show signs of life there. No doubt it is promising but even the analysts are urging caution since December can be pretty funky. So we will see, but if this hold then the predictions of an improved 2nd half of 2011 will be dead on.
-- Meanwhile in current times, January looks bleak thanks to the brutal weather. Quite simply when glaziers in the east and southeast are losing entire WEEKS to bad weather, well that is just not good. Oh and then I ran across this story where scientists think a “Super Storm” may hit California? Wow. Wonder when the new codes to guard against a “Super Storm” are coming.
-- PPG capped a great year with record sales in the 4th quarter. It’s nice to see this on a few levels… hopefully that health will run downstream to more of the industry (and remember PPG is much more than just glass these days) and there’s some fantastic talents within PPG that work very hard to reach the heights those numbers showed. I’m happy for them.
-- Solutia introduced a new logo recently and I love it. (see kindler, gentler… when Kawneer broke out the big red K I panned it or when Visteon brought us Versalux). Seriously though kudos to all at Solutia who worked on it- great colors, great look and style.
-- Last and not least… my ability to NOT pick teams reached a new high… and honestly I am thrilled. The Steelers are back in the Super Bowl…. And I did seriously think the Jets (and the Bears for that matter) would win. I am glad I am not a sports better for a living… but I’d love to be anyone who goes against my picks… they have to be making a ton of money. So two weeks… two great franchises.. the Pack and the Steelers and I think you know right now I am all over the Packers to win….LOL (And note, game wasn't over 5 minutes before my Mom e mailed and said "PLEASE, Please pick the Packers to win)
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A really sad and sickening story about a Mom and a son who drowns in the bath tub. Simply unreal. Seriously what kind of world do we live in now?
-- Pretty comical way to beat the winter blahs…an inflatable window! But I wonder if it has to get a NFRC label? hmmmmmm
-- Yep only in China… You can have someone wait in a traffic jam for you… You know that would not be a bad gig for DC, Dallas or Chicago.
VIDEO of the WEEK
In Georgia they do not get a ton of snow- so when it does happens there are lots of issues. But this one was pretty classic. Snow plow driver clearing a parking lot and finding a hole and tipping over. Ooops. This is something you don’t see every day and I can tell you everyone in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are laughing still about it.
Elsewhere…
-- Speaking of an Apogee company- Viracon… last week I noted their amazing influence to get politicians into their plants. Afterwards I got an e mail that asked me why I always prop Viracon while dinging “everyone else.” So on that note- I believe I give Viracon the props they deserve- they have some of the best people in our world and they truly try to be a good and active industry player. And really with the exception of a few cases that I am emotionally involved in, I have become a kinder, gentler, blogger.
-- Another good month for the Architectural Billings Index… Even the west is starting to show signs of life there. No doubt it is promising but even the analysts are urging caution since December can be pretty funky. So we will see, but if this hold then the predictions of an improved 2nd half of 2011 will be dead on.
-- Meanwhile in current times, January looks bleak thanks to the brutal weather. Quite simply when glaziers in the east and southeast are losing entire WEEKS to bad weather, well that is just not good. Oh and then I ran across this story where scientists think a “Super Storm” may hit California? Wow. Wonder when the new codes to guard against a “Super Storm” are coming.
-- PPG capped a great year with record sales in the 4th quarter. It’s nice to see this on a few levels… hopefully that health will run downstream to more of the industry (and remember PPG is much more than just glass these days) and there’s some fantastic talents within PPG that work very hard to reach the heights those numbers showed. I’m happy for them.
-- Solutia introduced a new logo recently and I love it. (see kindler, gentler… when Kawneer broke out the big red K I panned it or when Visteon brought us Versalux). Seriously though kudos to all at Solutia who worked on it- great colors, great look and style.
-- Last and not least… my ability to NOT pick teams reached a new high… and honestly I am thrilled. The Steelers are back in the Super Bowl…. And I did seriously think the Jets (and the Bears for that matter) would win. I am glad I am not a sports better for a living… but I’d love to be anyone who goes against my picks… they have to be making a ton of money. So two weeks… two great franchises.. the Pack and the Steelers and I think you know right now I am all over the Packers to win….LOL (And note, game wasn't over 5 minutes before my Mom e mailed and said "PLEASE, Please pick the Packers to win)
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A really sad and sickening story about a Mom and a son who drowns in the bath tub. Simply unreal. Seriously what kind of world do we live in now?
-- Pretty comical way to beat the winter blahs…an inflatable window! But I wonder if it has to get a NFRC label? hmmmmmm
-- Yep only in China… You can have someone wait in a traffic jam for you… You know that would not be a bad gig for DC, Dallas or Chicago.
VIDEO of the WEEK
In Georgia they do not get a ton of snow- so when it does happens there are lots of issues. But this one was pretty classic. Snow plow driver clearing a parking lot and finding a hole and tipping over. Ooops. This is something you don’t see every day and I can tell you everyone in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are laughing still about it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Weather taking its toll
Mother Nature showed her strength last week with the brutal storms in the Southeast and the combo storms in the Northeast. Add to that the rain out west and we have had some awful weather recipes lately. It’s pretty wild that so many things have an effect on our world, including the weather. Every day it seems like there’s something new and different that hit all of us more than other trades etc. Anyway I wonder if any of the analysts who develop future economic forecasting take weather into account. After all a rough run of terrible conditions, can surely be a negative driver. Hopefully Mother Nature has it out of her system!
Elsewhere
-- The FTC this week stepped up and ended the “Tested Green” certifications that found the products not tested or even “green”. The release from the FTC is HERE and it’s pretty interesting actually and good that it’s happened. The whole greenwash gig is good for no upstanding group, so having actions like this are a step in the right direction.
-- Didn’t get a ton of time at the Builder Show this past week… still some thoughts… show was smaller than traditionally… one vendor used the word “Slim” which kinda sounded right. Not sure how the bad weather up north affected it, but it probably did somewhat. Actually though I think this show has been “right sized”…. It was way too big and way too crazy and now it’s the way it should be. The happy days of midget Elvis performers in booths are long gone that’s for sure. Overall attitude was also leabing toward the negative, which surprised me since so many studies are showing positives for 2011. I guess we’ll see.
-- Speaking of reports there were a few more good ones about 2014 and so on with loose ties to our world. Not sure what the metrics are, but these reports sure are keeping people pumped up.
-- I saw that Senator Al Franken visited the gang at Viracon… I swear Viracon is becoming like the Iowa of the glass world. You know how when someone wants to run for President they have to go hang out in Iowa? Well I think if a political figure wants to hang around glass they go to Viracon. Congrats to those guys there attracting these folks in and also getting in their ears about the issues that are really affecting our industry.
-- Congrats to my friends from Walker Glass on their remodeled headquarters. All I can say is if that place looks as good as all of those guys dress… it is probably a showstopper!
-- Glass Magazine had a piece on Glass developed that’s stronger than Steel… It sounds pretty great, but supposedly it’s real expensive. I laughed at that line- hey just launch in our industry right now and watch with amazement as the price goes down… who cares what the cost is right?
-- Last… yep I can’t pick games- people who have been reading this blog since 2005 know that… and Oregon added to that pain. Anyway my mom says to me tonight- “So who do you like in next week’s game the Steelers or the Jets?” and before I could answer she jumped in and said “PLEASE DON’T PICK THE STEELERS! You’re always wrong!” Yep my picks have hit home now when my own Mom is aware her son is pure “Mush” when it comes to the picks. Now that said I do actually think the Jets will beat the Steelers. If the Steelers played the Pats it would be different but I think Rex Ryan and the Jets are a team of destiny and in the Super Bowl they’ll play the other team of destiny- the Bears. (The Bears have been getting breaks since week 1- it’s their year)
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This could be pretty cool… you put a price on your seat if your plane is overbooked. Curious to actually see this work.
-- Great piece on how the Sony Walkman changed the world.
-- This one I am not sure how I feel. The back story is a school district made phone calls to the families of their students letting them know school was delayed 2 hours. Snow day. Problem was the call was at 4:30AM. Anyway part of me would appreciate that call I guess. Still the story linked is about a father who DIDN’T like it and returned the favor.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Greg Carney (I should say the Long Lost Greg Carney, haven’t heard from him in a while- that’s what happens when you become a worldwide “must have” resource!) sent me this classic video of a retirement home talent show and three retirees doing Michael Jackson. Crazy. Actually a video of me doing the Michael Jackson Wii Video game would probably blow this away… well probably not, because these folks have talent! Thanks Greg for the video!
Elsewhere
-- The FTC this week stepped up and ended the “Tested Green” certifications that found the products not tested or even “green”. The release from the FTC is HERE and it’s pretty interesting actually and good that it’s happened. The whole greenwash gig is good for no upstanding group, so having actions like this are a step in the right direction.
-- Didn’t get a ton of time at the Builder Show this past week… still some thoughts… show was smaller than traditionally… one vendor used the word “Slim” which kinda sounded right. Not sure how the bad weather up north affected it, but it probably did somewhat. Actually though I think this show has been “right sized”…. It was way too big and way too crazy and now it’s the way it should be. The happy days of midget Elvis performers in booths are long gone that’s for sure. Overall attitude was also leabing toward the negative, which surprised me since so many studies are showing positives for 2011. I guess we’ll see.
-- Speaking of reports there were a few more good ones about 2014 and so on with loose ties to our world. Not sure what the metrics are, but these reports sure are keeping people pumped up.
-- I saw that Senator Al Franken visited the gang at Viracon… I swear Viracon is becoming like the Iowa of the glass world. You know how when someone wants to run for President they have to go hang out in Iowa? Well I think if a political figure wants to hang around glass they go to Viracon. Congrats to those guys there attracting these folks in and also getting in their ears about the issues that are really affecting our industry.
-- Congrats to my friends from Walker Glass on their remodeled headquarters. All I can say is if that place looks as good as all of those guys dress… it is probably a showstopper!
-- Glass Magazine had a piece on Glass developed that’s stronger than Steel… It sounds pretty great, but supposedly it’s real expensive. I laughed at that line- hey just launch in our industry right now and watch with amazement as the price goes down… who cares what the cost is right?
-- Last… yep I can’t pick games- people who have been reading this blog since 2005 know that… and Oregon added to that pain. Anyway my mom says to me tonight- “So who do you like in next week’s game the Steelers or the Jets?” and before I could answer she jumped in and said “PLEASE DON’T PICK THE STEELERS! You’re always wrong!” Yep my picks have hit home now when my own Mom is aware her son is pure “Mush” when it comes to the picks. Now that said I do actually think the Jets will beat the Steelers. If the Steelers played the Pats it would be different but I think Rex Ryan and the Jets are a team of destiny and in the Super Bowl they’ll play the other team of destiny- the Bears. (The Bears have been getting breaks since week 1- it’s their year)
LINKS of the WEEK
-- This could be pretty cool… you put a price on your seat if your plane is overbooked. Curious to actually see this work.
-- Great piece on how the Sony Walkman changed the world.
-- This one I am not sure how I feel. The back story is a school district made phone calls to the families of their students letting them know school was delayed 2 hours. Snow day. Problem was the call was at 4:30AM. Anyway part of me would appreciate that call I guess. Still the story linked is about a father who DIDN’T like it and returned the favor.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Greg Carney (I should say the Long Lost Greg Carney, haven’t heard from him in a while- that’s what happens when you become a worldwide “must have” resource!) sent me this classic video of a retirement home talent show and three retirees doing Michael Jackson. Crazy. Actually a video of me doing the Michael Jackson Wii Video game would probably blow this away… well probably not, because these folks have talent! Thanks Greg for the video!
Saturday, January 08, 2011
New Year, New Adventures
Happy New Year to one and all… now will it really be a “happy” new year for our industry? Personally and professionally I do think by year end we will look back and note that things have turned the corner. However here are a few landmines that have popped up recently and may not be getting enough press right now that could affect the positivity. Silver…. It just hit a 30 year high and predictions are that it will keep going higher. In fact I have seen stories talking about silver going up to anywhere from 60 to even 86… (It’s sitting now at 28/29). Silver is a pretty important player in a lot of what our industry provides so a massive price growth there will have effects. (like high costs in an industry that somehow never gets a higher selling price)
In addition costs of lumber have been growing as well. I think everyone would love to get materials on returnable and reusable steel racks, but sometimes that’s not possible. Major increases in wood also will take a toll. And last on my doomsday opener here… Gas…. Yep I have been whining about gas prices for years… and now the predictions are 4 and 5 dollar per gallon gas in the future. Yikes. All in all though I am still positive… it’s a great new year ahead and we’ll work through all the landmines thrown at us.
Elsewhere…
-- If you missed my year in review, you can find it by clicking HERE.
-- Also if you missed it the ABI did have a nice finish to the end of the year. Congrats to those of you in the Northeast, man it looks pretty promising your way.
-- This week is the International Builder Show. I am hoping to get there for one quick day. As always it will be interesting to see the attitude on the floor. That show sometimes can be a pretty decent indicator of the year ahead. Though sometimes I think people that sell in that world and attend that show have very loose grips on reality.
-- I cracked up this week in reading about SAPA acquiring Arch’s extrusion facility. First laugh was I coulda swore I read that Arch was “done” restructuring. Then the 2nd laugh and more heartily was the quote that said that Arch could be MORE reliable now that they sold their operation. Yep things always get better the LESS control you have. (Or if you can’t figure out how to run something I guess) Oh well, the beat goes on… Any quotes from the new Arch guy are an absolute treasure trove of unintended comedy.
-- Did you happen to see the article on China Glass Holdings expecting their energy related products to make up half of their sales by 2012? Right now that segment is only 10% of their work… so of course my thought is at least China is getting and grasping the need for value added energy related products. Also in that article a very ominous line:
"I'm a little worried about new supply in the glass market in 2011. Glass prices will be under pressure this year, although perhaps demand will help keep the falls capped," said Haitong International Securities analyst Zheng Zhihao.
Wow, when the Chinese are worried about capacity… that really makes the mind race.
-- The fine folks from the Window and Door Dealers Alliance put out a piece HERE explaining the new tax credit rules for residential windows. I know most people who read this blog are commercial folks, but this question does sometimes cross over and heck its good just to know.
-- Also for 2011, I started yet another phase of a lifestyle change… otherwise known as a diet. Since I am now bigger than most offensive lineman in the NFL and more importantly I am running out of clothes that fit, I had to get back on the wagon. So much fun just eating like crazy…. Oh well. So with that news if you have stock in Domino’s or M&M Mars, you may want to sell… because their biggest customer is now off the market for a while.
-- Registration is open for Glassweek and BEC. Some very good pieces yet again on tap for that event. If you have never gone or haven’t been in a few years, give it a go. It is worth it on several levels.
-- Funniest thing I saw during the holidays? When I was in LA, I saw a van advertising a local plumber… his motto was in all seriousness... “The Smell Good Plumber”… I never ever associated my need for a plumber with the smell he may leave behind.
-- By the time many of you read this the BCS National Championship will have passed… but so I am on record… I am going with Oregon…. I think it’s a close first half but Oregon wears em down in the 2nd. Final score Oregon 41 Auburn 24.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- The aftermath of that winter storm before new years that left people stuck in airports for days….people fired up…
-- Simply amazing story about a real life “Thumbelina”
-- I am not an Auto Glass guy but they have this wild “Bullying” controversy going on over there. Tremendous blog take on it here. Some of the stuff that happens on the auto side really dwarfs any of our controversies that’s for sure.
VIDEO of the WEEK
You may have heard about the homeless guy with the “Voice of God” but in case you missed it, here’s the video that started it all. Since this video went viral, the homeless guy has gotten a ton of gigs and now has an agent to boot. Crazy.
In addition costs of lumber have been growing as well. I think everyone would love to get materials on returnable and reusable steel racks, but sometimes that’s not possible. Major increases in wood also will take a toll. And last on my doomsday opener here… Gas…. Yep I have been whining about gas prices for years… and now the predictions are 4 and 5 dollar per gallon gas in the future. Yikes. All in all though I am still positive… it’s a great new year ahead and we’ll work through all the landmines thrown at us.
Elsewhere…
-- If you missed my year in review, you can find it by clicking HERE.
-- Also if you missed it the ABI did have a nice finish to the end of the year. Congrats to those of you in the Northeast, man it looks pretty promising your way.
-- This week is the International Builder Show. I am hoping to get there for one quick day. As always it will be interesting to see the attitude on the floor. That show sometimes can be a pretty decent indicator of the year ahead. Though sometimes I think people that sell in that world and attend that show have very loose grips on reality.
-- I cracked up this week in reading about SAPA acquiring Arch’s extrusion facility. First laugh was I coulda swore I read that Arch was “done” restructuring. Then the 2nd laugh and more heartily was the quote that said that Arch could be MORE reliable now that they sold their operation. Yep things always get better the LESS control you have. (Or if you can’t figure out how to run something I guess) Oh well, the beat goes on… Any quotes from the new Arch guy are an absolute treasure trove of unintended comedy.
-- Did you happen to see the article on China Glass Holdings expecting their energy related products to make up half of their sales by 2012? Right now that segment is only 10% of their work… so of course my thought is at least China is getting and grasping the need for value added energy related products. Also in that article a very ominous line:
"I'm a little worried about new supply in the glass market in 2011. Glass prices will be under pressure this year, although perhaps demand will help keep the falls capped," said Haitong International Securities analyst Zheng Zhihao.
Wow, when the Chinese are worried about capacity… that really makes the mind race.
-- The fine folks from the Window and Door Dealers Alliance put out a piece HERE explaining the new tax credit rules for residential windows. I know most people who read this blog are commercial folks, but this question does sometimes cross over and heck its good just to know.
-- Also for 2011, I started yet another phase of a lifestyle change… otherwise known as a diet. Since I am now bigger than most offensive lineman in the NFL and more importantly I am running out of clothes that fit, I had to get back on the wagon. So much fun just eating like crazy…. Oh well. So with that news if you have stock in Domino’s or M&M Mars, you may want to sell… because their biggest customer is now off the market for a while.
-- Registration is open for Glassweek and BEC. Some very good pieces yet again on tap for that event. If you have never gone or haven’t been in a few years, give it a go. It is worth it on several levels.
-- Funniest thing I saw during the holidays? When I was in LA, I saw a van advertising a local plumber… his motto was in all seriousness... “The Smell Good Plumber”… I never ever associated my need for a plumber with the smell he may leave behind.
-- By the time many of you read this the BCS National Championship will have passed… but so I am on record… I am going with Oregon…. I think it’s a close first half but Oregon wears em down in the 2nd. Final score Oregon 41 Auburn 24.
LINKS of the WEEK
-- The aftermath of that winter storm before new years that left people stuck in airports for days….people fired up…
-- Simply amazing story about a real life “Thumbelina”
-- I am not an Auto Glass guy but they have this wild “Bullying” controversy going on over there. Tremendous blog take on it here. Some of the stuff that happens on the auto side really dwarfs any of our controversies that’s for sure.
VIDEO of the WEEK
You may have heard about the homeless guy with the “Voice of God” but in case you missed it, here’s the video that started it all. Since this video went viral, the homeless guy has gotten a ton of gigs and now has an agent to boot. Crazy.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
2010 Year in Review
Amazing how many e mails I got asking me where the “Year in Review” is… well folks strap in, because it’s here… pretty much all below appeared in a regular blog post along the way…
January:
The news about Zeledyne exiting the commercial glass industry came out. Very sad then and very sad now… plus to make matters worse some of their best people have yet to hook on with anyone yet. The end of an era for sure… Meanwhile, PPG won Product of the Year for their Blue Glass…. California announced a new building code which goes into effect 1/1/11…. “24” returned for its last season (still bummed it’s gone)… Winter was battering Minnesota and Washington DC… and somewhere a moronic analyst was being employed to make incoherent and irrelevant comments in a classic piece of ambush journalism… (not me, I am a moronic blogger, not analyst!)
February:
A great blog started called the “Division8report.com” but it sadly it soon disappeared. Shame because it had serious potential…. We had a hero in our world when Robin DeHaven of Binswanger Glass in Austin, TX rushed into a building that was hit by a plane to save several people... and oh a certain company emerged from Bankruptcy with a ton less fanfare from when they entered it…. And that emergence made every so called “expert” look really stupid as their predictions were blatantly wrong.
March:
“Cash for Caulkers” gets announced…Greg Carney’s new career as a consultant started to take off… and seriously there are not many people in this world in the awesome class that Greg is in… The ABI went up and everyone figured here comes the positive trend… nope…. Vitro made the first of many incredible hires in Cathy Finney (yes look back to the blog post, I made that comment before I was biased!) and Guardian did the same with Jay Phillips…. Friend of the Blog, Deron Patterson of PPG made news getting his LEED AP… good guy Deron is… The Mighty Ohio Bobcats beat Georgetown!...and BEC/Glassweek was held and despite the economy people there were staying positive…
April:
General Glass announced the start of a architecture and design department… brilliant move that was copied by a few… China Southern Glass sponsored a NFRC meeting, matching two of the most annoying items in my life…. The first news of the push for ASHRAE to have a negative approach on our industry popped up… Brad Austin takes the reins as President of Harmon… the NFRC continued to astound and annoy (no surprise there) and a certain blogger found a new home…
May:
Went into the woods at 4th grade camp… and survived… my daughter picked the Triple Crown starting with the Derby… awesome… brilliant move by Solutia with their World of Color award program launch… Les George retires after many great years in the industry… and the biggest story, Leon Silverstein left Arch ushering in the start of a very tumultuous summer and fall…
June:
Alcoa “buys” TRACO…. (still odd to see the new TRACO look within the Kawneer world.) Bill Cully, founder of United Plate Glass passed… a price increase hit the streets and while some people tried very hard to keep it, I would say 6 months later it was not a success…. Hartung Glass and the very shrewd Nick Sciola acquired Holcam Sales… Hartung and Nick had a very active year actually- good publicity all around with smart decisions and promotions…. AIA was a dud in Miami (with the exception of Earnest Thompson and Guardian’s awesome “ePod” educational setup) and now is under new management for this year’s show in New Orleans… GANA had a very successful Solar Symposium… and the ABI went down badly… ugh…
July:
NFRC announced it was waiving fees to get people involved in their programs.. they offered lots of incentives like that all year long… wonder why… LOL! Guardian, PPG and Pilkington all had very big solar related news, showing that segment is alive and well… Cap and Trade died for the first time… and my life changed… on July 9th I got the boot… and soon after scores of people at Arch either left or got terminated as the winds of change blew in. For me 5 months later it’s a major blessing and I should’ve known that… as July 9th was also the date I asked my wife to marry me, so the karma was actually good. As the talent drained at Arch, other companies like Oldcastle, Vitro, UGC, RIG, and GGI swooped in and added great people.
August:
The ABI still was scuffling along… the GANA Fall Conference took place and was headlined by the continued amazing work of Dr. Tom Culp. Our industry is really, really lucky to have him. Arch got a new CEO, a marketing guy of all things… all the while firing people using lines from the movie “Up in the Air” and offering bogus 2 week severance packages… yep class acts there… Dems and the GOP were on pace to spend a BILLION dollars on the November election… sick. Guardian hit a PR home run with their announcement on their BIM program… Vitro makes a slick move in acquiring Desert Glass in Vegas.
September:
GlassBuild America was held in Vegas.. solid show overall and some positive feelings… PPG starts a fashion trend with the zip up vests… Leon resurfaces along with brother Rick and former Archie and the incredibly talented Manny Valladares in the purchase of SMI in Florida. Someday I think Rick will write a book on his journey from the last days of Arch that will be riveting…. The freakin idiot Bobcat mascot tried to attack the Buckeye.. sad… and most importantly I ended up at a tremendous company with fantastic people at Vitro. No doubt prayers answered and each day is awesome. Just blown away at what I have joined into here… still.
October:
The ASHRAE moves go down… major props to Dr. Culp along with people like Helen Sanders of SAGE and Stanley Yee of The Façade Group (among others) who led the fight so beautifully. The UGC closes Mid Ohio Tempering… that one still smarts. Infinite Edge Technologies, a company founded by Glass Hall of Famer Eric Rapp and his sons makes a major splash at glasstec… The USGBC gets sued and that action will have repercussions for years to come…Donald Trump acted like a putz with his Chinese window debacle… and “Death Ray” glass put our industry in the mainstream media…
November:
People started to question if the economy was coming back this year, the next or 2013… SAGE gets a massive boost in the way of an 80 million dollar strategic investment by St. Gobain… a huge move that gives credence to everything the gang at SAGE has worked for… Also justifies that segment of the business and shows we do have more technology here than people give us credit for. Greenbuild had a solid show in Chicago in a tight, smallish room…. The ABI sucked again… the NFRC tried to entice people again… Viracon buys Glassec in Brazil… Kid Rock’s new CD comes out making my wife oh so very happy.
December:
Suresh Kumar, let go as COO of Arch… that was an epic 4 month run.... The theme of bad customer service took hold thanks to a great piece in the NYT. US Aluminum got hammered in a newspaper piece… the roof of the Metrodome collapsed making a great video…
Conclusions:
Well it was the classic “Best of times, worst of times” year. But the key was the worst of times were early in the year and now we move forward on a great high. Plus I am so happy for so many folks who found new places to work this year… ultra talented people like Steve Martin, John Dubose, Rob Taliani, Terry Hessom and many many more found new homes that will truly respect and appreciate their abilities. Not to mention my brother who landed with the great folks at GGI- a great match for both sides indeed. In addition I have had the honor of meeting and working with people that I have a ton of respect for and that’s been unreal. Industry wise, we continue to battle… the NGA and GANA are doing their thing in protecting us… the NFRC continues to astound… and more and more people are just getting more aware of how our world is working.
2011 should be a very interesting year… some will win and gain and we’re probably going to lose some folks along the way as well. No matter what I look forward to covering it here….
And on that note.. a sincere thank you to everyone who stops by and reads this blog. When it started in 2005, it was a chance for therapy and still is, but now, for good or bad, my therapy is pretty public! Anyway I am grateful to all of you who read and take time to communicate with me on what happens here.
To everyone out there in the industry, wishing you and your families only the best this holiday season and a happy and healthy (both physically and business wise) 2011!
January:
The news about Zeledyne exiting the commercial glass industry came out. Very sad then and very sad now… plus to make matters worse some of their best people have yet to hook on with anyone yet. The end of an era for sure… Meanwhile, PPG won Product of the Year for their Blue Glass…. California announced a new building code which goes into effect 1/1/11…. “24” returned for its last season (still bummed it’s gone)… Winter was battering Minnesota and Washington DC… and somewhere a moronic analyst was being employed to make incoherent and irrelevant comments in a classic piece of ambush journalism… (not me, I am a moronic blogger, not analyst!)
February:
A great blog started called the “Division8report.com” but it sadly it soon disappeared. Shame because it had serious potential…. We had a hero in our world when Robin DeHaven of Binswanger Glass in Austin, TX rushed into a building that was hit by a plane to save several people... and oh a certain company emerged from Bankruptcy with a ton less fanfare from when they entered it…. And that emergence made every so called “expert” look really stupid as their predictions were blatantly wrong.
March:
“Cash for Caulkers” gets announced…Greg Carney’s new career as a consultant started to take off… and seriously there are not many people in this world in the awesome class that Greg is in… The ABI went up and everyone figured here comes the positive trend… nope…. Vitro made the first of many incredible hires in Cathy Finney (yes look back to the blog post, I made that comment before I was biased!) and Guardian did the same with Jay Phillips…. Friend of the Blog, Deron Patterson of PPG made news getting his LEED AP… good guy Deron is… The Mighty Ohio Bobcats beat Georgetown!...and BEC/Glassweek was held and despite the economy people there were staying positive…
April:
General Glass announced the start of a architecture and design department… brilliant move that was copied by a few… China Southern Glass sponsored a NFRC meeting, matching two of the most annoying items in my life…. The first news of the push for ASHRAE to have a negative approach on our industry popped up… Brad Austin takes the reins as President of Harmon… the NFRC continued to astound and annoy (no surprise there) and a certain blogger found a new home…
May:
Went into the woods at 4th grade camp… and survived… my daughter picked the Triple Crown starting with the Derby… awesome… brilliant move by Solutia with their World of Color award program launch… Les George retires after many great years in the industry… and the biggest story, Leon Silverstein left Arch ushering in the start of a very tumultuous summer and fall…
June:
Alcoa “buys” TRACO…. (still odd to see the new TRACO look within the Kawneer world.) Bill Cully, founder of United Plate Glass passed… a price increase hit the streets and while some people tried very hard to keep it, I would say 6 months later it was not a success…. Hartung Glass and the very shrewd Nick Sciola acquired Holcam Sales… Hartung and Nick had a very active year actually- good publicity all around with smart decisions and promotions…. AIA was a dud in Miami (with the exception of Earnest Thompson and Guardian’s awesome “ePod” educational setup) and now is under new management for this year’s show in New Orleans… GANA had a very successful Solar Symposium… and the ABI went down badly… ugh…
July:
NFRC announced it was waiving fees to get people involved in their programs.. they offered lots of incentives like that all year long… wonder why… LOL! Guardian, PPG and Pilkington all had very big solar related news, showing that segment is alive and well… Cap and Trade died for the first time… and my life changed… on July 9th I got the boot… and soon after scores of people at Arch either left or got terminated as the winds of change blew in. For me 5 months later it’s a major blessing and I should’ve known that… as July 9th was also the date I asked my wife to marry me, so the karma was actually good. As the talent drained at Arch, other companies like Oldcastle, Vitro, UGC, RIG, and GGI swooped in and added great people.
August:
The ABI still was scuffling along… the GANA Fall Conference took place and was headlined by the continued amazing work of Dr. Tom Culp. Our industry is really, really lucky to have him. Arch got a new CEO, a marketing guy of all things… all the while firing people using lines from the movie “Up in the Air” and offering bogus 2 week severance packages… yep class acts there… Dems and the GOP were on pace to spend a BILLION dollars on the November election… sick. Guardian hit a PR home run with their announcement on their BIM program… Vitro makes a slick move in acquiring Desert Glass in Vegas.
September:
GlassBuild America was held in Vegas.. solid show overall and some positive feelings… PPG starts a fashion trend with the zip up vests… Leon resurfaces along with brother Rick and former Archie and the incredibly talented Manny Valladares in the purchase of SMI in Florida. Someday I think Rick will write a book on his journey from the last days of Arch that will be riveting…. The freakin idiot Bobcat mascot tried to attack the Buckeye.. sad… and most importantly I ended up at a tremendous company with fantastic people at Vitro. No doubt prayers answered and each day is awesome. Just blown away at what I have joined into here… still.
October:
The ASHRAE moves go down… major props to Dr. Culp along with people like Helen Sanders of SAGE and Stanley Yee of The Façade Group (among others) who led the fight so beautifully. The UGC closes Mid Ohio Tempering… that one still smarts. Infinite Edge Technologies, a company founded by Glass Hall of Famer Eric Rapp and his sons makes a major splash at glasstec… The USGBC gets sued and that action will have repercussions for years to come…Donald Trump acted like a putz with his Chinese window debacle… and “Death Ray” glass put our industry in the mainstream media…
November:
People started to question if the economy was coming back this year, the next or 2013… SAGE gets a massive boost in the way of an 80 million dollar strategic investment by St. Gobain… a huge move that gives credence to everything the gang at SAGE has worked for… Also justifies that segment of the business and shows we do have more technology here than people give us credit for. Greenbuild had a solid show in Chicago in a tight, smallish room…. The ABI sucked again… the NFRC tried to entice people again… Viracon buys Glassec in Brazil… Kid Rock’s new CD comes out making my wife oh so very happy.
December:
Suresh Kumar, let go as COO of Arch… that was an epic 4 month run.... The theme of bad customer service took hold thanks to a great piece in the NYT. US Aluminum got hammered in a newspaper piece… the roof of the Metrodome collapsed making a great video…
Conclusions:
Well it was the classic “Best of times, worst of times” year. But the key was the worst of times were early in the year and now we move forward on a great high. Plus I am so happy for so many folks who found new places to work this year… ultra talented people like Steve Martin, John Dubose, Rob Taliani, Terry Hessom and many many more found new homes that will truly respect and appreciate their abilities. Not to mention my brother who landed with the great folks at GGI- a great match for both sides indeed. In addition I have had the honor of meeting and working with people that I have a ton of respect for and that’s been unreal. Industry wise, we continue to battle… the NGA and GANA are doing their thing in protecting us… the NFRC continues to astound… and more and more people are just getting more aware of how our world is working.
2011 should be a very interesting year… some will win and gain and we’re probably going to lose some folks along the way as well. No matter what I look forward to covering it here….
And on that note.. a sincere thank you to everyone who stops by and reads this blog. When it started in 2005, it was a chance for therapy and still is, but now, for good or bad, my therapy is pretty public! Anyway I am grateful to all of you who read and take time to communicate with me on what happens here.
To everyone out there in the industry, wishing you and your families only the best this holiday season and a happy and healthy (both physically and business wise) 2011!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Patience
For those of you who look here first on Sunday/Monday... the new post is coming sometime this week... sorry for the delay...
I am actually writing this from way up in the air thanks to the Wi Fi here on the plane and my luck of an exit row set (legroom!!)
Anyway.. 2010 in review is in the works and will be up sometime this week....
Hope everyone is well...
I am actually writing this from way up in the air thanks to the Wi Fi here on the plane and my luck of an exit row set (legroom!!)
Anyway.. 2010 in review is in the works and will be up sometime this week....
Hope everyone is well...
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Yep it happens here too...
Last week’s customer service piece brought a ton of reaction my way. But really none better than the folks who informed/reminded me of the fact this “bullying” tactic happens in our industry all the time. Now it’s nowhere near the personal vile that the NYT piece presented but there’s a few manufacturers/fabricators that have used the bully tactic- basically threatening that if you use someone else, you’ll never get to use their company again and you will be ruined. Now most people would normally ignore such a threat, especially when you are in our world right now of tons of supply, low low prices and weak demand. But incredibly, there are people who actually buy into this- including one account who I persobally know of who literally believed if they gave work to other fabricators they would be doomed. So moral to the story is I guess the negative and bully approach has its merits, even our little piece of the world.
Elsewhere…
-- Has ever the line “The weather outside is frightful” been more accurate than this weekend for the folks in the Midwest? What a miserable storm… and how about the roof of the Metrodome in Minnesota ripping apart? The video from Fox showing the tear and the water streaming in was amazing. (The footage of the collapse is our Video of the Week)
-- I am patiently waiting in the next batch of leaks from Wikileaks the inside story of the NFRC. You know that has to be in there right?
-- This week’s rant about air travel… it’s the pet peeve of not putting your smaller item under the seat in front of you. The overhead bins are tight enough as it is, but last week I watched person after person put their briefcase, laptop bag, purse etc up top. Just makes me nuts. Cmon folks common courtesy would be nice.
-- Interesting to see how the case between AGC and the City of Marshall, Michigan plays out. Mashall gave AGC tax breaks for their plant there but when AGC shuttered the location, it made the town want to get the lost tax money back- or “clawback” as the article stated. I see both sides here- a deal is a deal and AGC was within their rights to do what they did- heck they stayed their longer than most people would’ve given how bad the economy was. But the city has some angles here too with the commitments and length of the deal. Regardless this sort of thing is going to show up more in more because happy days are surely not here yet and municipalities are really hurting. They simple can’t afford the old Dire Straits theme- “Money for Nothing”
-- Meanwhile US Aluminum took some heat from this wild newspaper article HERE. What I don’t get is how does a newspaper write something so enflaming and NOT get a quote from the company its hammering?
-- Last this week a heads up… the next two weeks will be the 2010 year in review parts 1 and 2…. 2010 was probably the most bizarre year I have ever experienced, so going back through will surely be interesting. I may have to finish it from a psych ward, but it will be done. For those of you bugging out after this week… have a super holiday season and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2011!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A warning to those of you who travel… beware the “free” Wi-Fi offers… it could be a scam…
-- Simply a stunning link and pictures… the third most awesome island in the world is in the Arctic Circle. Seriously. Not a typo. Now I am not going there anytime soon but my gosh, it sure looks incredible.
-- And speaking of incredible photos… this one from a story about birds and their predators. Crazy.
VIDEO of the WEEK
As noted above-the collapse of the Minnesota Metrodome roof… just mind blowing watching it happen. Thank goodness no one was in there at the time!
Elsewhere…
-- Has ever the line “The weather outside is frightful” been more accurate than this weekend for the folks in the Midwest? What a miserable storm… and how about the roof of the Metrodome in Minnesota ripping apart? The video from Fox showing the tear and the water streaming in was amazing. (The footage of the collapse is our Video of the Week)
-- I am patiently waiting in the next batch of leaks from Wikileaks the inside story of the NFRC. You know that has to be in there right?
-- This week’s rant about air travel… it’s the pet peeve of not putting your smaller item under the seat in front of you. The overhead bins are tight enough as it is, but last week I watched person after person put their briefcase, laptop bag, purse etc up top. Just makes me nuts. Cmon folks common courtesy would be nice.
-- Interesting to see how the case between AGC and the City of Marshall, Michigan plays out. Mashall gave AGC tax breaks for their plant there but when AGC shuttered the location, it made the town want to get the lost tax money back- or “clawback” as the article stated. I see both sides here- a deal is a deal and AGC was within their rights to do what they did- heck they stayed their longer than most people would’ve given how bad the economy was. But the city has some angles here too with the commitments and length of the deal. Regardless this sort of thing is going to show up more in more because happy days are surely not here yet and municipalities are really hurting. They simple can’t afford the old Dire Straits theme- “Money for Nothing”
-- Meanwhile US Aluminum took some heat from this wild newspaper article HERE. What I don’t get is how does a newspaper write something so enflaming and NOT get a quote from the company its hammering?
-- Last this week a heads up… the next two weeks will be the 2010 year in review parts 1 and 2…. 2010 was probably the most bizarre year I have ever experienced, so going back through will surely be interesting. I may have to finish it from a psych ward, but it will be done. For those of you bugging out after this week… have a super holiday season and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2011!
LINKS of the WEEK
-- A warning to those of you who travel… beware the “free” Wi-Fi offers… it could be a scam…
-- Simply a stunning link and pictures… the third most awesome island in the world is in the Arctic Circle. Seriously. Not a typo. Now I am not going there anytime soon but my gosh, it sure looks incredible.
-- And speaking of incredible photos… this one from a story about birds and their predators. Crazy.
VIDEO of the WEEK
As noted above-the collapse of the Minnesota Metrodome roof… just mind blowing watching it happen. Thank goodness no one was in there at the time!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
When bad customer service is good
Customer service and doing it well is something that gets pushed into all of us every day. You learn from early on in your career that the better you treat the customer, the better chance you have to be successful. Plus there’s even a cottage industry of speakers, classes, and consultants to talk, teach and drive good customer service. But this past week I read the most amazing story on going “opposite” of customer service- by bullying and abusing your customer to build your online base upon negative comments. (truly an effect of working in the internet world with page views and ranks) It’s simply mind blowing and the article can be found HERE. It’s quite the read and simply amazing that this “opposite” approach could actually work if dialed down just a bit. Treating your customers badly and it working? Talk about putting the world you know on its ear!
Elsewhere…
-- Last week’s ABI column brought a lot of good feedback- one angle that was brought up by someone much more astute than me was the fact these are “billings” and as we all are experiencing contraction of available business (and stupidity) is driving prices down- so billings are probably less as well. I mean you have to figure architects are working off of smaller margins too right?
-- Thoughts going out to a former co worker of mine Dan Luna. Heard he is battling a significant health issue. Mr. Luna is a tremendous guy who I know can overcome anything in his path…. The guy has the ability to build nuclear reactors (probably the only guy in our industry who can) so I know he’ll get through this. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family during this time.
-- Lots of LEED news this past week. Glass Magazine linked to an interesting article that talked about the growth of the green building segment- though I swear any future prediction by McGraw Hill has to be taken with many grains of salt. Also in a very interesting article HERE on passive homes, LEED takes a shot to the chin too. In any case green no matter how you slice it continues to drive conversation.
-- Pretty bummed that the US lost its bid for the World Cup in 2022. What a cool event and it would’ve been a neat experience for the States. The US lost to the country of Qatar. Not sure how the whole Qatar thing will work out but considering their approach to human rights and their hatred of Israel (if you have a stamp from Israel on your passport, they won’t allow you in) I am not real positive.
LINKS of the WEEK
This week we dedicate the links to our friends across the pond… all three come from the British.
-- What brought the Dinosaurs to us? Yep it had to be Global Warming.
-- It’s funny I see this a ton nowadays… Teachers sending out reports with spelling and grammar errors.
-- And this may be the worst soccer team in the history of the world. I’m guessing none of these guys will see the World Cup…
VIDEO of the WEEK
Simply crazy finish to a High School football game… very rare that these plays work, but this one did… the 2nd angle about ½ way through the video is better to watch by the way.
Elsewhere…
-- Last week’s ABI column brought a lot of good feedback- one angle that was brought up by someone much more astute than me was the fact these are “billings” and as we all are experiencing contraction of available business (and stupidity) is driving prices down- so billings are probably less as well. I mean you have to figure architects are working off of smaller margins too right?
-- Thoughts going out to a former co worker of mine Dan Luna. Heard he is battling a significant health issue. Mr. Luna is a tremendous guy who I know can overcome anything in his path…. The guy has the ability to build nuclear reactors (probably the only guy in our industry who can) so I know he’ll get through this. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family during this time.
-- Lots of LEED news this past week. Glass Magazine linked to an interesting article that talked about the growth of the green building segment- though I swear any future prediction by McGraw Hill has to be taken with many grains of salt. Also in a very interesting article HERE on passive homes, LEED takes a shot to the chin too. In any case green no matter how you slice it continues to drive conversation.
-- Pretty bummed that the US lost its bid for the World Cup in 2022. What a cool event and it would’ve been a neat experience for the States. The US lost to the country of Qatar. Not sure how the whole Qatar thing will work out but considering their approach to human rights and their hatred of Israel (if you have a stamp from Israel on your passport, they won’t allow you in) I am not real positive.
LINKS of the WEEK
This week we dedicate the links to our friends across the pond… all three come from the British.
-- What brought the Dinosaurs to us? Yep it had to be Global Warming.
-- It’s funny I see this a ton nowadays… Teachers sending out reports with spelling and grammar errors.
-- And this may be the worst soccer team in the history of the world. I’m guessing none of these guys will see the World Cup…
VIDEO of the WEEK
Simply crazy finish to a High School football game… very rare that these plays work, but this one did… the 2nd angle about ½ way through the video is better to watch by the way.
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