BEC Begins

It’s here!  BEC week is upon us, and I am onsite in Las Vegas with hundreds of industry leaders.  Next week I’ll have my usual “who’s who” recap of this event but the overall vibe once again is one of positivity and hope.  I think we all have the concern over the economy and metrics.  We’ve all either seen or experienced (or experiencing) some softness.  But the one consistent aspect is that it is not holding people back.  Innovation is happening, expansions are taking place, and a thirst to get diverse (both in products and workforce) is sincere.  Loving it all.  BEC will always have a special place in my heart as the event that I got my first opportunity at so many years ago and I look forward to always being here and amongst the best of the best!  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  In case you missed it, my latest podcast is up, and it does have a very heavy BEC flavor to it. Everyone on it this month (Garret Henson Viracon, Nicole Mann, Glass Vegas, Michael Spellman, Art Huard, and Dr. Charlie Boyer, Vacu-Gask) are all expected to be in Vegas for BEC (haven’t seen everyone yet) so that will be fun. Initial feedback has been awesome.  Garret’s history and path into the industry has had people scrambling down memory lane unaware of his connection to a past giant in our space.  Nicole’s energy was infectious, and the invention by Michael/Art/Charlie delivered a lot of “wow VIG is FOR REAL” comments.  Cool stuff.  Thank you for checking it out and supporting!

VIDEO

AUDIO – and anywhere you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, Google etc.

 

--  Congrats to Tom Donovan and the team at the newly branded Thompson Innovative Glass.  Tremendous initial launch of the new brand and message and with more to come including a new website, great things are surely ahead.  These guys are always making inroads and I like the push into more sophisticated options.  Nice work Tom and team!

 

--  Very important piece here on high performance glazing, benefits from the government and your chance to have a voice in Washington DC.  Glass & Glazing Advocacy Days are coming, it is worth it to you to get involved and get involved in a big and important way!

 

--  As some of you in the specific school safety space are aware, there is a new standard (thankfully) available.  However, it doesn’t come without its issues.  Evidently the cost to test to this new standard is considered to be quite exorbitant leading some to possibly not go down that path.  That aspect is not a good one.  We need good standards (this by all indications is and it’s MUCH better than the standard before) but if they become an issue in testing to meet it, then that is a problem.  Will bear watching and also will affect the costs out there too- which means we as an industry will lose product to other materials. 

 

--  Last this week… Rolling Stone did a rundown of Top TV Themes of all time and once again I think they are way off.  But it is great for fun arguments…. I’ll say “The Jeffersons” at #1 works because “Moving on up” is a classic.  But Friends at 8 is too low, as is the Sopranos at 19.  Miami Vice at 32 is a crime and my wife and daughter will kill me if I don’t note that having the Gilmore Girls at #45 is simply insane. (Very catchy tune that I have only heard a million times because that show plays constantly in my home)  Interesting list though and brings back a ton of memories.  Check it out!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Brave little toddler here and interesting story.

 

Not sure this a real story but the headline did make me laugh

 

If it’s a dog adoption story – I am there. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This one may be a bit older but it’s a beauty and was glazed by some of the best people in our space- DM Products.  This is the Tower Two Sixty at the Gardens in Pittsburgh and it’s got everything going for it.  Beautiful glass and system and LEED certified too.  Congrats to Dick and Mike Macurak at DM on this awesome effort and kudos to United Architctural on the metal system and Viracon on the glass.  Nice work!

 

 

Pod, People, and More!

The latest From the Fabricator podcast is now online and live and the mix of guests this month is very exciting.  I kick it off with the one and only Garret Henson of Viracon and we covered a ton of ground both in historical and also products and important issues going forward.  Next up I had the wonderful Nicole Mann of Glass Vegas.  Great story from her and her passion going forward is something to behold.  Can’t wait to meet her in person next week at BEC.  Then I wrap it up with 3 great guys who have invented a product that will be crucial for so many in the future.  Michael Spellman, Art Huard, and Dr. Charlie Boyer join me to talk about the Vacu-Gask product that will be a must for the oncoming rush of VIG installations.  Really neat insights shared by all, so please check it out and if you are on your way to BEC, perfect time to listen since all of these folks will be in attendance! 

VIDEO

AUDIO – and anywhere you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, Google etc.

 

--  So as noted above BEC is coming and we are now just one week out.  Sunday March 5^th the best of the best of the glazing sector will gather in Vegas and take part in this incredibly meaningful event.  The last few weeks I have been noting some of the sessions and another one I cannot wait to take in is the kick off keynote on Monday.  It will be Susan Stone of Ubiquitous Energy, Trent Thiry of Isoclima/Global Security Glazing and Sophie Pennetier of Enclos.  They’ll be talking about what’s on the horizon in our industry and how we can all get up to speed and grow.  I am so excited as these are three wonderful and engaging people- so that alone makes it a must-see but add in the subject matter and I expect a lot of buzz after it.  Can’t wait.  Looking forward to seeing everyone soon… 

 

--  Interesting release of the Architectural Billings Index this week.  The index was below the break even number but it was better than we expected and actually not bad at 49.3.  Plus as I mentioned last week, the one item to watch was new project inquiries and that number went up nicely to over 55 giving us the best report there since August.  So far everything is tracking as predicted.  While things continue to soften, the feeling is that this stretch will be on the shorter side.  Regardless of any index, we all just keep plugging away and that is all that matters.  I’ll be curious to see how folks at BEC feel on all of this and will obviously report back here…

 

--  Some good industry news to run down.  Jan Hulin of Q-Railing has now been promoted to President of the company.  Nice to see.  Jan is a good man who’s really helped mold Q into a massive player in that rail space.  Meanwhile awesome news out of IGE Glass Technologies with an excellent addition in Heinz Wiedmayer.  Lots of experience and knowledge being added to a group loaded with it already.  And kudos to the folks at Aldora on the announcement of their latest operation in Virginia.  This is relevant because of what I noted last week on the Weathertech commercial and manufacturing in North America.  See folks- new plants are opening- not everything is made off shore.  

 

--  Last… Big couple of weeks for friend of the blog and industry groundbreaker Bill Daubmann of MyShowerDoor and D3 Glass.  The team from the Fox morning show did their remote reporting newscast all morning there and was a great way to show our world works.  They also did a report (HERE) with Bill that took a great look at all Bill and family have accomplished.  Very cool!  Then Bill picked up some awards (I can’t keep track but I do believe they were only glass company awarded) and became tight with not one but TWO major league baseball teams.  Not sure when Bill or any of the team there has time to breathe but they are absolutely rocking.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A “glass” balloon for space travel?  So many questions

 

Pretty cool idea here getting people reunited with their momentos

 

This is something- possibly the oldest bar ever?

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

So for this week with BEC so close I found a project that had all of the players attending the event in Vegas.  This was posted by Russell Williams the awesome Manufacturers Rep from So Cal.   This was an older building that was re-done and updated and it is now spectacular.  101 S. Marengo in Paadena.  According to Russell, YKK AP with the unitized curtain wall, Vitrum wth the fabricated glass (manufactured by Guardian Glass) and factory glazed and installed by the legends at Aragon Construction.  This is a power packed collab for sure- almost like the Avengers (Note- we know Joey Aragon is a super Hero- rumor is he’s jumping the fountains at Caesars this week…) Love everything on this and thank you Russell for posting and sharing the love amongst all of these great organizations.  

 

Russell also mentioned RIOS Architecture and Atlas Capital Group as well, so want to make sure I include them in the props.  CONGRATS TO ALL – Tremendous project!

Industry News and Notes

So this week it’s a true “grab bag” of stuff to cover with news happening from Toronto to Texas and pretty much everywhere in between… So let’s get it all out!

 

--  First up- great to see the new Board of Directors installed at the Texas Glass Association.  Tremendous organization and top-notch people leading the way.  Congrats to Kyle Sharp of Sharp Glass - President, Jody Hilton of Floyds Glass Company - Vice President, Brian Risinger of Country Glass & Mirror Inc - Treasurer, and Scott Theut of Theaut Glass Company -  Secretary.  I have had the extreme honor of getting to know Kyle and Brian over the years and they do it the right way as I am sure Jody and Scott do as well.  The TGA is in great hands, and I look forward to seeing them at all TEXpo in May!

 

--  This week’s note on BEC focuses on a couple more sessions… the Facades of the Future session with Dan Sutton of Vitro, Matt Price representing Deceuninck and moderated Adrian Lowenstein of Skyline will be very strong.  Good guys talking about products that are here today but will absolutely disrupt the space going forward. This is huge for truly understanding where our space is and can go.  Great speakers too!  Also a big one is “We Will Overcome” where we are lucky enough to have Matt Kamper of Woodbridge, Dave Ferret of Bagatelos, and Coleman Jones of Pioneer Cladding talking about instances where they had to work through obstacles (that we all usually encounter) to be successful on projects.  Sessions like this is how we learn and I am grateful for these guys for sharing.  So will you be joining the hundreds and hundreds of glazing pros in Vegas?  Still time- CLICK HERE and get registered!

 

--  Another favorite event of mine is coming up quick.  Top Glass in Toronto is on tap for April 19^th.  I had the awesome thrill of speaking there last year and I am excited to attend this year to hear the fresh mix of presenters on tap.  More information can be found HERE

 

--  The next Architectural Billings Index is due this Wednesday.  The last 3 months have been under the break-even mark of 50 posting scores of 47.7, 46.6, and 47.5.  Most analysts are expecting this lull we are currently in to last 8 months, so if we are down again (and I expect that) then we are pretty much at the halfway point. Will be interesting to see what comes out but also what happens under the new business inquiries. Will that number remain on its current flat line, (that is above average) or move?  More on this on my post next week.

 

--  Did you see the list of “Top 10 Metro Areas for Commercial Building Starts” that was recently released? Good quick read here with some helpful insight.  No surprise for me except for the fact that Southern California was not in the Top 10 and neither was Nashville.  

 

--  Got to learn about a new service called “Service Station” and I think this one is worth diving into if you are glass and glazing shop. Basically, Service Station is a glass-specific call answering and estimating service that takes your calls and turns them into orders- and the key is this isn’t just some off the shelf answering service, they are using glass professionals who will be trained to understand your specific business and get on the same page as you.  In our labor tight world, this could be a nice breakthrough. I was impressed by what I saw and learned- Check it out HERE.

 

--  Another Super Bowl in the books and yes for the 3^rd straight year I did predict the winner at the start of the playoffs.  This blind squirrel keeps finding those acorns!  LOL.  Anyway, now to what everyone truly cared about- the commercials! As I noted last week, I had heard that Breaking Bad would be involved and their commercial did not disappoint.  My favorites were the two with dogs in them (both had me emotional) and I really liked the Ben Affleck Dunkin Donuts commercial.  Simple and funny- especially when he tells JLo in the drive through “Stop it you’re embarrassing me in front of my friends” Perfect.  In the middle for me, the Workday “Rock Star” commercial was cool but sorry Paul Stanley of Kiss, I will still use that term for people I am a fan of. In the bad section- first can someone tell me what M&M’s was doing?  What a mess.  Obviously when I made my lifestyle change in 2019 and didn’t eat them by the gallon anymore, it's caused some bad decision-making right?  And last, I chuckled over Weathertech making a big deal over having a manufacturing plant in America.  They made it sound like it’s very rare.  Obviously, those folks haven’t been to our industry where we are manufacturing glass and curtain wall and windows all over the place and every day of the week- and new places and expansions continue to happen.  So nice try folks but that’s a nope from me.  Overall, I thought the commercials were better than last year so there’s hope going forward! Also big to notice after a ton a crypto commercials last year- none this year!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Happy Birthday to the greatest Basketball player of all time… who continues to do GOAT like things!

 

A pig getting a ride home in the cold.  Yeah.  Click it because the picture is comical. 

 

A-I is here and it’s now getting a bit salty in some places

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Love this one as it’s in my backyard of Auburn Hills, Michigan (former home of the Palace, the nicest sporting arena ever built, and now gone long before its time).  The glazier on this was Crystal Glass and they posted this pic via the GC on this- Cunningham-Limp.   The project was noted as GPJ Project Worldwide.  Beautiful overall- no clue on who did the glass or metal but this all looks excellent and shows off our core products nicely!  Congrats to all involved!!  (and if that glass or metal was yours speak up in the comments on LinkedIn!)

BE THERE!

We are a few weeks away from BEC and the excitement is really ramping up.  The registration for the event has been amazing and the agenda has come together nicely.  Last week I hit on a few sessions and this week I want to do the same.  Once again, the Tuesday schedule is looking strong and one of the big ones is a piece on the impact of quality systems.  Folks we don’t have time to do things twice, so getting organized and doing it right the first time is so crucial.  One of the speakers lined up is the great Keith Boswell of SOM.  If you have not heard him speak, it is a true pleasure and experience.  The guy is amazing, and his passion and approach always deliver.  Another session that has me going is going to be led by my old pal Henry Taylor of Kawneer.  Henry and a panel are going show pictures of jobsite issues and dive into them in a forensic manner.  When adventures happen, we can learn from them right?  This will be a super session to absorb.  There is still time to join us and especially if you are glazier or glass shop doing commercial installs, missing this could be a huge mistake for you and your business- so don’t let that happen!  REGISTER NOW!

 

Elsewhere…

--  Sad news from our space as Ken Altman, a huge presence in the Pittsburgh glass and glazing scene passed away.  Ken’s company worked on some of the most iconic projects in the greater Pittsburgh area and he was a force to be reckoned with.  The growth of my family’s business was made possible by Ken and his support of us, though it didn’t come easy- he made you rightfully earn every single order.  He was a very good man, and my thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends.  Lost another good one.

 

--  Coming up in March at the Houston Area Glass Association a big-time lunch meeting with a powerful Women in Construction Glass session.   The panel features 5 of the very talented women led by a major favorite of mine in Jacque Freeman of Binswanger Glass.  She’ll moderate panel featuring Denise Baker of Spring Glass, Malea Basile of JLM Wholesale, Teri Gilmore of A3 Glass and Lindsay Price of Texas Glazing Solutions. So if you are in the Houston area, check out the link HERE and get there on March 2^nd! 

 

--  An area of worry on the overall economy came across my desk and it wasn’t that typical index or report.  It was about production of cardboard boxes and the decline here surely is a red flag.  Here’s the key details:

 “Lingering concerns over a recession and rising interest rates are slowing consumer demand—so much so that dwindling purchases have led to the sharpest quarterly decline in the production of cardboard boxes since the 2009 Great Recession. A key barometer for how the economy at large is faring, cardboard box output offers insights into everything from grocery sales to online clothing orders and electronics, all of which appear to be experiencing a significant downswing. “Nearly 20% of the U.S. capacity to produce boxes was stagnant last quarter,” observes the logistics industry news outlet FreightWaves, a drop that comes on the heels of unprecedented growth for the box industry thanks in no small part to government stimulus checks. “A hangover after a years-long cardboard carnival would be in order—and this one looks nasty.”

Obviously, we run in a different world but when you see a report like this, that basically flies far under the radar, you get a bit queasy.  At least I do.

 

--  I mentioned quality above and it hit me that we don’t give enough credit to the folks at IGCC and SGCC for what they do to ensure our industry is doing things the right way with our safety glass and IG’s.  Those 3^rdparty certs are what GC’s and Architects demand, and they demand it knowing if you’ve passed it, you are at least set-up to do things the right way.  I’ve always been a fan of John Kent and the teams there and appreciate what they provide to our space. 

 

--  Last this week… excited for the Super Bowl commercials and next post I’ll tell you which one or ones hit it the best.  The only bad part are marketers are starting to leak the commercials early and that takes some of the fun away, but regardless of that I am still excited to see what creativity is out there.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Longer story but a good read on a wild chance meeting on a flight has led to 40 years of marriage!

 

I can never get enough of happy dog stories

 

A door left open leads to an amazing scene.  Not mentioned was how long that door was open because this is intense.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Project of the week is “Somewhat” residential but obviously the glass and glazing to me is commercial.  This is from A-Christian Glass & Mirror in Delray Beach, Florida and the home is awesome but look at that glass!  According to their LinkedIn post, the windows are Impact Resistant, and A-Christian did those along with the doors and that awesome glass handrail on the stairs.  Beautiful.  In my years of working in Florida I never ran into these folks, so I don’t know them, but after this post count me as fan!  Nice work!

Good Resources

It’s been a while since I was able to give a review of the latest Glass Magazine, but I have finally caught up and time to take a look at an absolutely powerful January/February edition.  This is “Future” issue, and I loved the cover project from Vitro that just popped right off the page.  Inside the two major pieces to not miss were the World of Glass report and the 2023 forecast deep dive.  Both are important resources for anyone in our space.  In addition, the great Joe Erb of Quanex takes on what I think is a pretty touchy subject of Vinyl in the commercial space and the awesome Spencer Raymond of GGI knocks a great “Trendhunter” column out of the ballpark.  Those 4 pieces are just parts of it, a lot more to see as well.  So if you have not taken this issue in yet, please do so and if you don’t have the printed copy, go to GlassMagazine.com and check it out online with no strings attached.

 

Ad of the Month again is pushing me to the limit on making such a tough call.  The creativity and approaches continue to get better and for overall quality of ads this may be the best issue I have seen yet. My call though goes to TBP Converting.  They went with very bold fonts and language as well as close-up pictures that really stood out. They had 2 ads and both were something that caught my eye and made me stop and read.  So kudos to TBP- I don’t think I know anyone there so whomever pulled these off- nice work!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  In case you missed it the February From the Fabricator podcast dropped last week and I’ve loved the feedback from everyone on it.  Tons of talk about Katy Devlin’s insights, the new California Glass Association, and Nick St. Denis’ economic breakdown.  So please check it out!  And speaking of the CGA- the San Diego event that they mentioned in the podcast is set. It is on 2/23 and a sign-up sheet with time and address are HERE.  So if you are a glass and glazing industry member in Southern California and especially in San Diego- you should attend!

VIDEO

AUDIO (also available on Apple, Spotify and more!) 

 

--  One more note on the podcast- as I mentioned in my year end post it was a tremendous year for the pod.  I hit numbers that I seriously never expected, and the reach just keeps going- thank you.  One thing I wanted to share was what were the top 5 metro areas that listened to my podcast in 2022.  

#5 Orlando, Florida- Obviously Disney folks scouting me or confusing me with my son. LOL

#4 Charlotte, NC- Thank you Melanie Dettmer who probably physically forces people throughout the city to download in listen

#3 Los Angeles, CA- I have had a lot of people from the So Cal area on and they obviously have followings!

#2 Minneapolis, MN- Love the loyal folks there and they always come through

#1 Houston, Texas- The great state of Texas comes through again!  But of all the cities in Texas to lead the way I would’ve probably had Houston after Dallas and San Antonio.  Regardless I’ll take it and I’m honored.

Again thank you for listening/watching- much appreciated!

 

--  Have you signed up for BEC yet?  I am so excited for this event, as we are seeing a nice uptick in registrations and the agenda is looking very good.  A couple of sessions to give you a sneak peek at include on Tuesday the 7^th a dream session on generational and mentorship gaps with three fabulous leaders in Joey Aragon, Jeff Haber, and Taylor Anderson.  Also on Monday the 6^th we’ll have our keynote, which is seemingly unlike any other we’ve had with professional poker player Maria Konnikova. More insight to come but make those plans and DO NOT MISS the Tuesday sessions! (so check those travel plans please!)

 

--  Last this week… so how about the fact I called the Super Bowl matchup and have a chance for the 3^rd year in a row to get the champ right… (I said KC for this year to win) so we’ll see… anyway looking forward to the game and commercials as always.  And special shout out to Chuck Knickerbocker as he is a huge and loyal Philadelphia fan who happens to live smack dab in the middle of KC Chief country.  So a KC win could make his life a bit nightmarish. Good luck Chuck! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  My friend that sent this titled it “can’t fix stupid” and that says it all.  Cars keep going into a sinkhole.  

 

--  Great dog reaction.  We really got to start filming ours more here!

 

--  This happened nearby to me, and I think it’s set-up. Too much of this doesn’t make sense to me.  But it went viral, and no one seems to want to question…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I love when teams of people that I am fans of and respect combine on a project of the week… and for this one, it fits that bill.  First spotted on the LinkedIn feed of the superstar rep Tim Finley of TFin Building Solutions, this is the Hyatt Regency SLC Hotel.  Tim points out that the sunshades came from Architectural Grilles & Sunshades (kudos to previous podcast guest Nathan Seaman) and the glass and curtainwall were installed by Steel Encounters (props to previous podcast guest and BEC speaking legend Tom Jackson & team).  This is beautiful project that not only takes a great picture but shows what our industry can do and the power of good folks working together!

Pod, BEC, Bubba and More

The latest From the Fabricator podcast is now up!  This month we kick it off with the awesome Katy Devlin of Glass Magazine and NGA.  Katy is so smart and so cool, and her insights are spot on.  Was fun to chop it up.  Then on to 3 people really working hard to help their region.  Kristie Rehberger of A Glasco, Nathan Seaman of Architectural Grilles and Sunshades and Adam Posik of Pacific Coast Glazing join me to talk about the formation of the California Glass Association.  What the process and plans are and why it’s important to the industry in California.  Volunteering like that is a huge thing, all working for the good of the market/industry which I appreciate.  We end this month with a check in from Nick St. Denis of KMR-Key Media & Research and we jump into what his expert eye sees in the upcoming forecast and much more.  Great mix of people and insights and grateful to have them on the podcast! Thank you in advance for checking it out!

VIDEO

AUDIO (also available on Apple, Spotify and more!) 

Elsewhere…

 

--  BEC is coming up on a month away!  My gosh time is flying.  So first things first, get registered now since early bird pricing is ending soon.  Next, I am so excited that we are celebrating the 25^th edition of this event and bringing back the past chairs to help with the program and those chairs will be awarding some very cool prizes to lucky audience members.  Last, the final agenda is coming soon, but I can tell you now the committee and the team at NGA has been blessed with some awesome people committing to present.  You’ll see those names and subjects soon.  So don’t delay- register today!

 

--  MASSIVE congrats an old friend and co-worker, Tim Moore of WA Wilson for being awarded the annual C. Gregory Carney Award for Volunteer of the Year in the industry.  This is highest award that the National Glass Association gives, and Tim is seriously deserving.  My visionary brother Steve, had the brains to hire Tim many years ago and he knew that in the right setting Tim would be crucially important to the success of our company and the industry.  Tim has absolutely done that again and again and we should all be grateful. I am that is for sure.  So, I am thrilled Tim (also known as “Bubba” to many) got this honor and it was an honor as well to be able to work and learn from Tim over the years!

 

--  Virginia Glass Products and Virginia Mirror made quite a bit of news this past week.  First the great James Wright continued to build a strong staff with the hiring of Jessica Brooks.  That looks to be a great match on both sides.  Then at the end of the week news broke that Virginia had connected with Gemini Investors in a strategic acquisition.  So some new blood now in the space and it’ll be interesting since Virginia, at 110 years old has a very storied and special culture and they also have a sterling reputation.  Hopefully the new influence will just maximize what made Virginia strong and also not walk away from the industry support.  I say that every time a new player comes in- supporting the industry and being active is a must!  Congrats to all involved.

 

--  The latest forecasts are out, and they went as expected.  The Architectural Billings Index (ABI) was down again and the Dodge Momentum Index still up.  So the trend of a solid 2023 and slower 2024 still tracks.  The nice thing about the ABI was that new project inquiries continue to be positive- so that is a plus.  For more forecast insight though make sure you listen to the podcast linked above as Nick does take some good dives into the data and delivers solid intel!

 

--  Last this week… Builders Online had a story on the 10 most interesting housing markets for 2023.  You know I love these things and this was great read.  Check it out HERE.  But you know I have to comment on the markets they called out so here goes…

- Atlanta, GA- Surprising. 

- Austin, TX- Not at all surprising- bonkers there right now

- Baltimore, MD- Shocking- must be everyone wanting live near Matt Verderamo

- Cincinnati, OH- I can see this one for sure.

- Houston, TX- A bit of a baffler for me given so many other Texas locations, but I do love the great state of Texas.

- Louisville, KY- A hidden gem for sure

- Miami, FL- Interesting yes.  Would I live there or could afford to live there?  Nope.

- Richmond, VA – Been a few times- interesting to see them on the “interesting” list

- San Diego, CA- Same answer as Miami except my end answer would be YES YES YES

- Tampa, FL- Better than Miami, Florida is a great state, and I like Tampa, but I am loyal to the Space Coast, so I’d rather be over there.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

- Yikes, United Airlines CEO says things could get worse for fliers?  

 

- Classic office lunch being stolen story with a great suspect!

 

- If we didn’t have 5 dogs already, I’d probably adopt this one. Even with his ankle biting!  I really struggle every time I see a dog up for adoption.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

We go to Lex Vegas, properly known as Lexington, Kentucky for this week’s spotlight and an awesome job done by Anderson Aluminum.  Anderson is a tremendous company with great leadership, so no surprise they’d be doing a beauty like this.  According to the LinkedIn post, this is a renovation to the legendary Rupp Arena (was there once, and one of the loudest crowds I’ve ever heard)

This project features Anderson Aluminum’s unitized curtainwall, which slopes sideways and cantilevers outward over the pedestrian walkway below. The curtainwall infill was a mix of high-performance glass with a digital print and glazed-in aluminum composite panels with units ranging upwards of 12’ wide by 16’ tall. Congrats to the Anderson team and anyone else involved in this stunner of a project! (please share the glass mfg/fab etc!)

Predictions for 2023

Last week was easy.  Reviewing predictions is a walk in the park compared to making them.  But here we are, and this is what you expect from me, so the crystal ball is shined up and ready to go.  My money back guaranteed predictions for our space in the year ahead.

 

Imports are back-  Covid was the obvious disruptor and then the supply chain nightmares followed so the folks that were importing were held back.  Now as we head into 2023 that approach is cleared and starting to pop.  Obviously importing is a touchy subject but my prediction here is that more and more folks will be active in bringing in things they can’t get on-shore… so whichever side you are on in this deal, prepare accordingly!

 

Residential players to push into commercial- This is big, both employees (workforce, project managers etc.) and companies that were focused on residential are going to switch sides and come to the commercial realm.  Residential operators will start to poke around and look to find a hole that they can jump in on the commercial side to keep things rolling.  So for some reading this blog you now have foreign competition AND residential competition now added to your mix.  Sorry. 

 

VIG- Yeah I am biased.  I admit it.  But this product is going to hit the ground running hard in 2023.  Energy demands need it, and the product is out there with some great people involved like Michael Spellman, many at Vitro Architectural Glass, and Dave Cooper to name a few.  With some codes already changed and others expected to be, VIG is going to dip the toe in and before too long the entire foot then legs will be in the water.  Exciting for our industry too! 

 

More consolidation- I actually thought a year or two ago we would see break-ups, but it’s never happened, and we are still getting interested parties in our space looking to gobble.  So look for more companies to be bought up and combined/consolidated into bigger players.  Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not, but this is a trend that will pick up even more steam in 23.

 

Unitized /Modular- More on both.  Our labor issues are severe and while neither makes a huge help in labor, they can make a dent and also have some controllability play.  We’ve seen unitized continue to grow and that will not slow up, but now seeing more modular come into play could integrate even more of what we manufacture and install.  So be aware!

 

Bonus- The SHOWS KEEP GROWING- 2022 was a great bounce back for our industry events and 2023 will just expand that.  BEC looks to be amazing (NOTE NOTE NOTE- Tuesday,  Day 2 of BEC, a session on ways to add labor, address mentorship gaps, recruitment and more is scheduled- do not make plans to leave until AFTER THAT SESSION!) and events like Top Glass Canada and TEXpo should be great again. And wow, GlassBuild has a tough act to follow but the energy there in 2022 WILL transfer on to 2023.  So mark your schedules and be there!

 

So there ya go… we’ll see what happens and what does not- no matter what we’ve got the year in front of us so let’s get at it!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  One of my all-time favorites is Rick Alexander the brilliant National Sales Manager of Tom Brown Inc.  Rick dropped a blog this week on his company celebrating 40 years in the tape conversion business and the background he covered was a great read.  Check it out HERE and congrats to everyone at Tom Brown on this anniversary and the continuation of being in business overall since 1936!

 

--  A big Guardian Glass deal made the news recently with the acquisition of Vortex Glass in Florida. Smart move by Guardian Glass to build into the laminated side because folks Laminated glass is very popular and growing.  This was an under the radar deal that makes me think more may be coming.  Nice combo of companies and congrats to all involved. 

 

--  Also congrats to the tremendous Josh Burg and his team at Glass Enterprises on the launch of their new website.  Really well done, easy to get around and smart in the way they broke down each area of the business they served.  Only thing missing were the beauty shots of Josh and his team from the last site- maybe those will be coming soon!  Seriously though rebuilding a site is a battle and kudos to GEI for crushing it!

 

--  Last this week… airport rankings.  I have gone back and forth with the Hawaiian legend Lyle Shimazu on this for years, with him saying Portland is so much better than I think it is.  Anyway, the latest formal rankings came out at the end of the year and some surprises…

For large airports your top 5 were San Fran, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit and Phoenix.  I love seeing Detroit on there because it IS a great airport.  I have no issues with the list, though Minneapolis can be like running a marathon depending on where you land.  Worst bigs were O’Hare, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, JFK and Newark.   Also I am good with those- all absolute nightmares in so many ways. Now on to medium sized the top 5 were Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose, San Antonio, and PORTLAND. Lyle obviously got to the voters and man I love the people in San Antonio but I don’t think your airport is top 5.  San Diego is awesome.    Worst medium were Dallas Love (no!) Austin (yes, an absolute nightmare) Cleveland and Washington Reagan. Maybe I missed something, but I like Love Field in Dallas.  Anyway there ya go.. these were from the Wall Street Journal and their experts and I just love sharing.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

I did the Disney Cruise and loved it but I know many who do other Cruises and the attraction is the food- well on some lines that’s changing… look out! 

Amazon dumping its “Smile” program that benefitted charities.  It didn’t donate a lot but every bit helps and this sucks.

 

Us glass people get blamed for a lot- but we’ve never pulled something as bad as this.  Lights stuck on at school for over a year!  Issues with turning them off!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Dynamic duo this week in this section… the always awesome Beth Hockett and incredible company Bendheim get the spotlight.  This was on Beth’s LinkedIn feed, and it is sharp!  Beth said it best in her post so best to just print verbatim:

18' tall continuous Bendheim Channel Glass. Double glazed with translucent insulation at designated areas to meet Pitkin County's thermal performance requirements. Pinnacle Glass did a great job on the install bringing Charles Cunniffe Architects vision to life.

 

Kudos to everyone on this stunner! (Though those handrails could've/should've been glass too? But that's my bias!)

Reviewing '22

Predictions can be tough but each year I do them and each year I follow up to see how I fared.  So, before we dig into 2023, time to take a look back at my thoughts on 2022.

Here are last year's calls and whether I won, lost, or tied.

Yes- Interior Growth this year- I believe this was a win though it depends on your area of the country.  Interiors grew- no doubt, but that return to office was not nationwide and remodels still were a bit slower.  I’ll say this is a tie.

More 8mm- This one did not grow as much as I thought and so I’ll sadly take an “L” here but I think the trend remains and 8mm in the commercial setting is here to stay. 

Rough waters for some- While we had some choppy waters there wasn’t enough to take people under- which is great news overall and I’ll be happy to accept a bad call on this one.  Still we are not out of the woods on worry, but for 2022, it did not happen, thankfully.

Code Crunch- Did not see the code crunch but is that because of people like the NGA Superhero team led by Urmilla Sowell?  And the codes we did see were smart positive ones too.  I think there was a push but we have gotten so much better at understanding and adapting it did not make us crazy like efforts in the past. 

More than 1 big deal is coming- And I got this one right… a few big deals this past year and I think the aftershocks from those deals affect our space this year.  And not every aftershock is a bad one either- more investments, more focus, diversification etc. could all be in the offing thanks to new owners and fresh perspectives.  

Next week, the fearless prognostications for 2023!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  A reminder if you missed the opening podcast to 2023, I’ll link it again below.  This one turned out to be very popular on the audio download side, guessing folks like exercising to the soothing inspirational words of Tom O’Malley eh?  Anyway, aside from Tom joining me and diving deep into the industry, I was also honored to have Arty Feles, President of CR Laurence on.  He was amazing in laying down all the good CRL has happening now.  And last but certainly not least, Sam Olson oof J&A Glass held court and his industry path has had people talking.  Good stuff!  Thanks to those who have listened/watched and if you want to catch it- the VIDEO version is here and AUDIO here- along with audio being on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts from!

 

--  Big news from recent glass industry MVP runner up Chris Phillips.  It came out at the start of the year that Chris has joined forces with Brandon Nicastro and Chance Forman at GCS Glass & Mirror.  GCS is an awesome organization and what Brandon and Chance have done there is incredibly impressive.  Now looping in Chris and his location in California (the 5^th for GCS) is another tremendous move.  Chris is a great person, and I am happy for him and thrilled about this combo- congrats guys!

 

--  Also some big personnel moves and kudos needed.  Two of the most talented women to run through our space have taken new major roles.  Leigh Anne Mays was a superstar at Guardian Glass and after being at Masonite, she’s returned to our side of the industry with the exciting new Naverra glass fab facility in Connecticut.  A great fit bringing Leigh Anne’s experience to match the product and performance of Naverra.  Nice.  And former podcast guest Kelly Whittingham has signed on with Ubiquitous Energy.  Huge get there by Ubiquitous as Kelly is spectacular and big time respected in the marketplace.  A fresh disruptive product being pushed by someone with Kelly’s skills is a win.  Congrats to all!

 

--  And I assume you may see these folks and many many more at BEC this March!  And now is the time to register as the doors are open and the link is online and ready for you.  BEC is celebrating its 25^th Anniversary and there’s a lot of interesting stuff planned that go beyond this being an incredible learning and networking event.  So, get your trip locked in now and register HERE!  If you are unfamiliar with BEC, feel free to ping me and I’ll give you the details. 

 

--  At the start of the NFL season, I picked the Ravens to beat the Packers in the Super Bowl.  Well the Packers are out and the Ravens without Lamar Jackson are not winning it.  So I get a do-over right?  LOL.  I’m going Kansas City over Philadelphia.  But I do think every Hollywood writer wants a Buffalo Bills win just because of the story that would be.  We’ll see!

 

--  Last this week… the terrific Bill Sullivan of Brin Glass (a past glass industry MVP by the way) had a great tweet with some harrowing video of folks delivering some big glass.  Yikes.  Check it out HERE to see it… 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I am really into learning about AI and in some cases what it can replace and what it cannot.

 

From the “love to see it / karma” files

 

Another bizarre legal case for the ages!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Quick note- on my project of the week from the end of the year, I missed a credit for AZA US on the glass and building envelope.  Tremendous work- to see it CLICK HERE

 

On to this week- Virginia Glass Products had this one posted and it was a project in progress in Glen Allen, VA with American Door & Glass Inc.  13/16” laminated for a canopy and looking fabulous all the way around. Kudos to my good pal James Wright and the team there for the great work they are doing and props to American Door & Glass on a successful install!  Looking good everyone. 

New Year, New Pod and Lots of News

Happy New Year!  We are off and running into 2023!  Kicking it off in style with a great new podcast featuring three very interesting people all doing good things in our space. First up massive heavy hitter in our world in Arty Feles, President of CR Laurence.  CRL is one of the most important companies in our space and a leader through and through and spending time with Arty gave me (and you when you listen) great perspective on their approaches and bright future.  Then on to the tremendous Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural Products.  Tom’s company is making moves, so we find out about that and also his ways of doing things which has obviously been very successful.  I end this month with Sam Olson of J &A Glass in Minnesota. Younger and energetic guy and the sort of future force we’ll be hearing a lot more from in our industry.  So please get the year off right and check it out!!

Video

Audio – And audio always available on Apple, Spotify, Google and more!

 

--  At the end of 2022 our industry wrapped up the International Year of Glass in style with an amazing session at the United Nations in New York City.  Glass Magazine had an excellent rundown of it HERE but I also wanted to point out how amazingly cool it was for two of our own that had major roles during the event.  First Urmilla Sowell appearing at the UN and having an impact is something that just makes me beam with joy.  Urmilla worked hard to make this all happen but from a personal level, coming from her youth in Guyana and now speaking at the UN?  That is absolutely awesome.  She said to me that “Island girls don’t speak at the UN” Well this one did!  Way to go Urmilla!   Also in that same category, Katy Devlin, one of the most talented humans I have ever known, moderating a crucial panel there and also landing memorable quote after memorable quote is incredible.  Katy showed the world her skillset and made our space and industry proud. Congrats to both Urmilla and Katy and props to EVERYONE who took a part in the IYOG effort of 2022.  Now though we don’t stop… Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days return this spring, so let’s keep banging the drum for our product of choice!

 

--  The Architectural Glass and Metal Certification Council (AGMCC) announced six new members of its board before the end of the year and it was a nice mix of talent. One of my all-time favorites made the cut too in Kyle Sharp of Sharp Glass in San Antonio.  Kyle is brilliant person who really “gets” what our industry can be and I think he’ll do a great job here.  AGMCC oversees the extremely important North American Contractor Certification (NACC) and Architectural Glass and Metal Technician (AGMT) programs.  These programs are making a difference in the way we are viewed from the outside and improving our quality and approaches.  Jeff Dalaba, Ben Beeler and team have done a fantastic job leading this and this board and Kyle will continue that effort.

 

--  The last Architectural Billings Index for 2022 was down again... so we now know that the trend line is here and the predictions from people like Connor Lokar are looking true. 2023 will be solid, 2024 looks dicey. Now the question is how long will this negative trend go?  Some analysts are saying 8 months, others more.  For me, I tend to be more negative, so I am in the one-year camp. Now this doesn’t mean business just goes away, it just means it’s going to get slower, which means if you haven’t been diversifying your approach, communicating up and down the chains, and working to make your business the best it can be, time is running out.  So hop to it…. 

 

--  Big time kudos to Kevin Roth of Privacy Glass Solutions and the team at Vitro along with Michael Spellman of VIG Technologies.  These folks won acclaim in the year end Building Design + Construction Awards. Kevin and his folks in Florida are building an absolute monster there with some excellent specialty products. Meanwhile Vitro was sharp and on the spot by working with Michael on the VIG Vacu-Max product that is a gamechanger in that space. With a showstopping product and the flow of the future pushing towards higher performance, this award is just the start of the recognition coming to Vitro.  Congrats to all on the awards!!

 

--  Also kudos to Viracon and Halio after picking up some serious “best in show” recognition at the gigantic Consumer Electronics Show last week.  Not often does a glass related party appear on that stage, but to come away with people raving and winning awards?  That’s massive.  Great for them, their product and our industry.  Awesome news for sure!

 

--  Bummer on this one. Chuck Knickerbocker of Allegion, a great guy, past industry MVP, and really one of the main tech figures in our space ended his blogging career at the end of 2022.  Chuck was doing his Field Notes blog since 2009 and it was always a must read.  Chuck was able to deftly mix technical terms into great prose, and always gave you a takeaway or three to work with.  Chuck is just stopping his blog though, he’s still working and will be out and about, but his online messaging will be missed!

 

--  Last this week… what to look for in the next blogs from me.  Next week, my review of the 2022 predictions I made a year ago.  How did I do? We’ll find out. Then in the following week, my fearless predictions for 2023.  Plus, more news to catch up on (including a certain recent MVP runner up with news) and more! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A few bears using a doggy door to try and enter a home in British Columbia.  I wonder if it was Rich Porayko’s place?

And another Bear story- this one swiping Chick-fil-A… good taste that Bear

 

This a bonkers story about Pulte homes, twitter, and bots- why is this flying under the radar???

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

The rock star Melanie Dettmer of NGA gets the kudos to start the year as the project of the week is one that she saw while on vacation, noted, and then did the research and shared to the world.  It is also a very moving and emotional piece which is important too.  This is the New England Holocaust Memorial and it is obviously very special.  Here’s the link to Mel’s LinkedIn post which provides all the right sentiment and detail! Congrats to all that worked on this and thank you Mel for sharing!