Schools and National Overwatch

The school shooting issue is still top of mind for me and when the possibility of interviewing a person who is out there trying to help schools do the right thing came up, I jumped at it.  So I did a special one off podcast with Victor “Sal” Salazar of National Overwatch.  Sal’s group is a non-profit dedicated to improving the security at schools and doing it with an experienced intel mindset.  It’s a really needed approach that I hope more schools take advantage of.  It was great to get to know Sal and hear his approach and his passion for this area just comes through in waves.  So a special edition of the From the Fabricator podcast, focused on schools with National Overwatch is now live for you to check out and hopefully gain something from.

Check it out on VIDEO and AUDIO (and search for it on Apple, Spotify, Google etc. with From the Fabricator as the search term).

 

And before I leave this subject, I just wanted to share a note from an old co-worker of mine Jeff Kirby.  Great passionate take here on the school situation and I appreciate Jeff allowing me to share.  

 

I, as many, get disheartened and angry every time there is a school shooting for the exact reason you stated. We have products to keep kids safe and refuse to use them. It started with convenience stores and some office buildings. I leave Government buildings out of this because they will always find a way to keep themselves safe. Over the years I have looked at and quoted more than I care to count and at the end of the day a human life is worth about $5,000.00 regardless of what is said.

I have also installed some schools that have “secured entries” as a deterrent but when ¼” over ¼” laminated insulated glass is what is used there is a false since of security and the only thing they really deter is break ins.

To a point we as an industry have failed with educating architects and spec writers because they quit listening when they hear laminated glass and when a set of plans come out, all the time spent with face to face, and continuing education luncheons is lost. Manufacturers should take those plans back and say this is wrong and force an addendum to be issued with what is really going to keep our kids safe.

Cost is also an issue, remember $5,000.00 per life. I believe new and existing schools can be drawn and renovated with focus on entries and the project truly being secure and windows that are in a “shooters path” be bullet resistant and those that are not can be regular annealed and tempered glass. We still get maximum light and keep our kids safe with a reduced cost. Parents and voters also need to be educated. They are asked to vote on a school bond to secure the buildings their kids are in and then something like Nashville happens and they don’t really know that the school wasn’t secure to begin with. They are less likely to vote for the next bond because they were not educated.

Sorry for the rant but I believe this is not a cost issue and CM’s, GC’s, school boards, superintendents, architects, engineers, and spec writers need to do a better job of educating voters and parents as well as themselves on how to keep the next shooting from taking lives!!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Sad news as well in our space with the passing of Joe Gudenburr, CEO of Syracuse Glass.  Joe had really taken to our industry in a short two years at the helm and in the times I communicated with him, he was a person that “got it” when it came to our world, approach and cultures.  He really was breath of fresh air.  My condolences to his family, friends, and the team at Syracuse Glass. 

 

--  Ok on to some lighter news.  Two takes on Vitro Architectural Glass.  First off, its CEO Ricardo Maiz (past great podcast guest) blew me away recently when he went on a huge listening tour visiting facilities in 8 locations over 5 days.  Ricardo is tireless.  Love that he has continued to get out there and see people and he never stops for a second.  Then the news that Vitro launched the “Vitro X” program which identifies and then supports next generational materials and services.  That is huge- and a vital next step and no surprise to me to see Martin Bracamonte leading the charge there.  Martin is always on the leading edge, and this is surely one.  Nice work Vitro to push things forward both culturally and in the product space.

 

--  Congrats to the National Glass Association on it being named to the “2023 Best Nonprofits to Work For” list by The Nonprofit Times (NPT), a leading national business publication for nonprofit managers.  I have been honored to be associated with the NGA for many years and I can vouch for the fact it is a great organization with tremendous people.  Kudos to Nicole Harris and the team there for building a wonderful place to work and for always being at the front of every industry need.

 

--  Last this week- Baseball is back and I need to get my predictions in… and by the way I love the new rule changes with the pitch clock speeding the game up dramatically.  It has made a difference in watching that is for sure.  So, my call for the World Series this year is San Diego and Cleveland with the Padres (sorry Ron Crowl) taking the title. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Oh my!  A real life snake on a plane!

 

Prank video gone wrong- I am surprised this doesn’t happen more often

 

This is some serious deep-sea fish watching!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Synergy Glass and Gareth Reardon get the spotlight this week for this awesome reglaze of a courthouse building in Louisiana.  Saw this one on LinkedIn and it was a must-share for me.  No word on the post on what was used material wise, but looks wise it is sharp and impressive.  Congrats Gareth and Synergy on a job well done!!

Schools and What We Offer

By now I assume everyone reading this has heard that the school shooting in Nashville began when the shooter shot through the glass and walked right in.  The doors looked like they had typical tempered in it, making it a very easy pass.  Obviously this is gutting on so many levels, but from an industry standpoint it’s made worse because we have the solutions, and they are everywhere.  I know schools all over have been beefing up and don’t know why this one did not, but it’s obviously time (sadly) that every school should be using the materials we have to secure their setting more thoroughly.  I saw some back and forth on LinkedIn where some took offense to manufacturers noting that materials exist to help repel some of these scenarios. (A school superintendent no less)  The posts I saw did not have promotional or offending language- they pointed out the weak points and what is available to address.  But really at this point, maybe some toes have to be stepped on so people start to do what needs to be done?  The plea is this- if you are working on a school job, or you do maintenance for a district- it’s time to note that through many excellent manufacturers we have options for them.  

 

I also appreciate this strong take from the great Tim Widner of Lippert Components. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  This school security subject among many others came up during the National Glass Association’s amazing Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days run through Washington DC this past week.  The NGA and some incredible volunteers from member companies met with serious big hitters on the hill and educated them a great deal on what we do, how we do it, and the good we can bring.  THIS is another area where NGA blows me away- they have stepped up into another space to represent us and push harder for our industry.  Kudos to everyone involved.  Efforts like this will pay off for our world for years to come.

 

--  In case you missed it, my latest podcast dropped last week, and I think all 3 of my guests had messages that really resonated with the listeners/watchers so far.  Susan Stone of Ubiquitous Energy has a transformational product and her and her team have really gone deep into our space.  Trent Thiry of Global Security Glazing/Isoclima has products that obviously this week proved are needed more than ever, and Brandon Nicastro of GCS Glass delivered in the light of “anything is possible” when you grind and work.  That includes running 37 miles through the desert… for fun.  Anyway, if you haven’t checked it out yet- please give it a whirl. Thank you!

VIDEO

AUDIO (And available on Apple, Spotify, Google etc.)

 

-- The latest AIA Awards recognized 16 projects for their excellence.  Personally, I think my project of the week spotlight is a bigger honor, but this isn’t bad either.  Here they are- some had great use of glazing while there were others that were ghastly to me.  Check it out and if you were among the folks who worked or supplied on any of these congrats!!

 

--  Guardian Glass added a few new folks to the ranks recently and I like the mix.  Katherine Kidd, Sam Ilewski, and Geoff Shellard are the additions, and I am already a fan of Geoff seeing how active he is on LinkedIn. (including some funny comments on a recent Visa project) Love when people are active in a positive way online and pushing what we do and how we do it!

 

--  Last this week… I’m watching the show “The Night Agent” on Netflix. This is a perfect “treadmill” show because its pretty much nonstop action.  Been a good watch and plot so far too… but our products did play a big role in episode 2.  While being chased our hero had to bust out of tempered IG window.  That was good to see.  But that led him walking on to a canopy that was just heavy tempered and somehow blew up under him.  (Great time for nickel sulfide issue I guess right)  Anyway I’ll wait til the great Dr. Kayla Natividad of Pilkington catches this and does her post mortem on LinkedIn to breakdown everything that happened.  Regardless always fun when the glass plays a role (even when wrong) in a show.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Another update on Ralphie the dog that keeps getting adopted and returned. Hopefully this one sticks!

 

Good on the Dodgers for this- would love to see more expansion of this sort of help too!

 

Glad I wasn’t on this flight!  Amazing how quickly this evidently went down

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

The great and almighty GlassNerd Andrew Haring delivered this one to me this week from a post recently on LinkedIn.  This is an epic project in San Diego.   Sempra Energy corporate HQ is the project and the glass was manufactured by Viracon.  Obviously this one stands out because it’s just loaded with beautiful glass and glazing.  So big time kudos to all who had a hand in this one!  

Pod, Forecast, Advocacy and More

The latest edition of the From the Fabricator podcast is up and it’s got three dynamic and strong players on it.  This month I kick it off with Susan Stone from Ubiquitous Energy.  Susan was supposed to be on the opening session at BEC but had to cancel because of the insane weather her region was receiving at the time.  So it was a good chance to visit with her since so many were looking forward to hearing from her at the show.  Then on to Trent Thiry of Global Security Glazing/Isoclima- he’s somewhat new to our space but making inroads and I love his outlook and approach and his favorite food choice too… last this month Brandon Nicastro of GCS Glass.  Talent and success from the ground up and he does not stop grinding or running for  that matter.  With all three, great energy and insights so it was a super time overall.  Thank you for checking it out!!

VIDEO

AUDIO (And available on Apple, Spotify, Google etc.)

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  The latest Architectural Billings Index was released, and we went back down- so the possibility of it making a quick return to the positive was dashed and now with the current banking unrest I can’t see next month getting into plus territory either.  New inquiries did stay positive though and so that continues to provide hope that this will be a short-lived cycle.  Meanwhile there was good news from Dodge in that non-residential building starts were up last month.  However, areas we expect to be strong- institutional and healthcare struggled.  We knew this was going to be bumpy and it is playing out as such.

 

-- This week features Glass & Glazing Advocacy Days in Washington DC.  Kudos to my friends at the NGA and all of the member companies that sent representatives to this event to push and promote the important issues that we as an industry can positively disrupt. These days mean more than normal precisely because of the slowing markets- we need to be getting our materials in every possible scenario and if there’s an angle where legislation can assist- we need to be there.

 

--  From my pal Frank D’Aprile of KENPAT the news that Jim Jackson, Founder of Architectural Glass Services is retiring after an incredible 50-year career in contract glazing.  Jim built an amazing legacy and has put our industry in a great light thanks to his care and focus.  His efforts will surely be missed but obviously getting to go out on top and retire is huge- enjoy that next phase Jim and thank you Frank for the heads up!

 

--  Last week my lead story on Viracon’s new IGU identification program had a ton of reaction – all positive.  But as I noted this effort had been worked on previously and evidently both Interpane and View both offer it as well.  So no matter what this is a good thing for the installer base- one less thing to chase down!

 

--  Have you read this story on the failed company Katerra and chasing back the bonus that they gave their ex CFO?  The whole thing boggles my mind.  The pay, the bonus, and then the termination timing.  Very “Succession” like.  (Which in a side note- the latest season of Succession is back!)  

 

--  This is a good one to see- Women have gained more jobs than men for four straight months, including in January's hiring surge, pushing them to hold more than 49.8% of all nonfarm jobs. No idea how this relates to the glass world- but I am hopeful that trend does hit us too.  

--  Was THRILLED to see Brian Leizerowicz promoted to Vice President of Sales at Western Window Systems.  Brian is one of the good guys in our world.  Love seeing this move and Brian’s energy and drive will be good for Western and our industry as whole.  CONGRATS!

 

--  Last this week… kudos to friend Keith Daubmann of MyShowerDoor and D3 Glass for living out a dream that I think a  few of sports fans may have.  Throwing out the first pitch at his favorite major league baseball teams game.  Keith threw a beauty before the Boston Red Sox took on the Minnesota Twins and the whole thing was awesome to see.  Happy for and jealous of Keith!  BUT- no way could I throw one nicely like Keith… I’d throw it into the 10^throw.  Several year's ago at BEC, we had Jim Abbott- the great ex Yankee pitcher as our keynote.  He called me on stage to “have a catch” – I was a wreck and my throwing motion was an ugly mess and I barely got the ball there.  And that was only 5 feet away.  At 60 feet?  Yikes.  Anyway pumped for Keith and good to see him in the spotlight- he’s usually so shy, this could get him to break out of his shell.  Ha ha ha. See it here via FaceBook. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Owl vs Parrot

 

Wild story of art and family

This tech is promising (fight through the top half of the article to get to the point) but can it make it?  Can it go from lab to real???

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Took me a while to get to this one but in the spotlight this week is Rhyno Glass in Florida.  They took an old CrossFit gym and transformed it into a very functional fabrication facility and office.

They used the SLIMPACT XL glazing system and SLIMPACT doors, among other materials and this unique project showcases all of Rhyno’s structural glazing fabrication and installation abilities. Great stuff.  Congrats to the Rhyno team on a job well done!!

 

 

A Needed Innovation

The big news for this blog dropped late in the week and I think it was hinted upon during my podcast with Garret Henson of Viracon.  The announcement that Viracon would be adding a code to each IGU that will identify the exact make-up of the unit is big big news in my opinion.  This is something that has been bandied about for years and some have tried on much smaller scales but to have something formal like this truly is a huge accomplishment.  Matching or replacing existing is already an adventure but even worse when you don’t exactly know what the product is- this move by Viracon – at least for their units- takes that guessing game out.  Excellent work to get that moving and now we’ll see how fast others will move to match.  Again it’s been a process that some have tried/done in small bursts, but now it’s a national play… congrats to the team at Viracon for pushing this out there and I’ll count this is as a mini scoop because on my podcast Garret noted something big was coming and I gotta assume this was it!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  BEC may be over but that buzz continues and I love it.  One item that I want to share for those that did not attend was the “Top 10” list that I opened the show with.  I found this list that was presented 20 years ago at BEC and brought it back to show how much has changed and improved since 2003.  So here goes the Top 10 Industry Challenges for the Glazing Contractor in 2003. 

10 Lack of commitment and dealing with poor project coordination by general contractors;

9 Architects—lack of product knowledge;

8 Ramifications from the design/build process;

7 Inadequate architectural drawings and/or details;

6 Construction scheduling;

5 Project management;

4 Risk transfer or evaluation;

3 Bad documents and killer contracts;

2 Getting paid; 

and

1 Building a quality workforce.

And as I noted from the stage- isn’t great that we figured all of this out and fixed it?  

Truly is something to see it all in print that 20 years later this list is pretty much what it would be if we created it today.  Some things are being worked on more diligently than others but the challenge remains.  The big question is at the 2043 BEC when probably one of the Habers (from the latest generation who just attended their first BEC) is hosting it- will they bring this up again and will it be the same?

 

--  One more note on BEC- if you were not convinced Bird Friendly glazing was a real thing- you should be now.  The commitment is there.  The products options are there.  And the codes and standards will just keep coming.

 

--  The Architectural Billings Index gets released this week and will be a curious one to watch because last month almost was in the positive territory.  The analysts have felt that the softening in 2024 would be on the shorter side- so if that is true, we’ll either be close to positive or over.  Now obviously the same analysts did not expect a bizarre banking crisis either- though I am sure that is not factored in to this month’s index but could roil the next few.  And no doubt this banking issue may wreak serious havoc on our space and bears watching.

 

--  Before the banks went haywire, there was some optimism on the backlog side. The ABC Backlog indicator reversed past losses and had a good last report.  Historic high backlog is the headline and I know some reading this do NOT agree at all- but interesting to see and a good read here on the latest.

 

--  Last this week… the documentary series on Netflix “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet” is not only a fun and light watch but also the main guy in it worked in the glass industry in Seattle back in the day.  Briefly talking about cutting and installing glass but then more into being a window washer.  So at least it was a fun quick mention.  Aside from that, the story itself was interesting and also somewhat bizarre in that a pretty solid cash settlement was offered but the guy wanted a military jet.  You’ll have to watch it to get that whole thing- not a bad time passer for sure.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

On one end college education being less popular is a bad thing- but on another- especially and possibly in our world it could be a good thing. Some interesting takes in this one.

 

Worth clicking for the headline alone.  Yeesh.

 

I don’t think Google Glasses are meant to be

  

PROJECT of the WEEK

The spotlight is on East Coast Metal Systems for the Howard County Circuit Courthouse.  Nice project that has a little of everything on it and it obviously turned out nicely!  According to their post on LinkedIn East Coast Metal Systems partnered with heavyweights Clark Construction, HOK, and Alliance Exterior Construction in completing this project- no mention on the glass (which looks great too) but obviously a winner for all.  CONGRATS! 

The BIG BEC Recap

Another BEC is in the books and what an event it was!  Once again so great to see so many wonderful leaders in our space and continue to learn and advance.  As is tradition, this will be a very long post recapping BEC but mostly noting the who’s who of the show for me.  Before I get into the people aspect, let’s talk about the event.  The education was epic.  A few things stood out.  The courage and class from Coleman Jones of Pioneer, Dave Ferret of Bagatelos and Matt Kamper of Woodbridge to share insights into the challenges on jobs.  Attendees were buzzing about this and particularly Matt’s project that I heard more than a few say “yeah that’s one monster I never want to see!”   The Jeff Dalaba (NACC/AGMT) led panel was a hit thanks to having an extremely conversational tone digging deep into the quality aspect, and the close of the show with Jeff Haber of W&W, Taylor Anderson of Anderson Aluminum and Joey Aragon of Aragon Construction was tremendous with so many shared details that many immediately were discussing on how to implement.  That’s only a few, there were great nuggets of inspiration throughout the event, and I think probably one of the best educational offerings from top to bottom in our 25 years of doing BEC.  Thank you to all!!

--  The vibe overall was positive but guarded.  The concern of interest rates surging was a big one, as was jobs on the books going poof.  2023 looks good still- 2024 is more murky and quite frustrating.  The folks worried about 2024 were using the time at this show to explore diversifying their offerings and strengthening relationships- very smart by them.  I’ll be hitting on this more in coming weeks.

--  Ok now on to the people.  For those of you new to this blog, after events like this I rundown a bunch of folks I run into at the event and what they may be up to.  I look at it like a “Seen and Heard” at the show sort of thing and have been doing this since I started this blog way back in 2005. 

--  BEC is for catching up with old friends, and past podcast guests!  Was great to see the most popular guy in our space Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural Products- he was only able to come for a short time, but I am thrilled he did though I would’ve liked more than 10 seconds to visit with him.  Loved seeing the Quaker Window guys Chris Dickneite and Dusty Fick and of the one and only Joseph Holmes.  Great guys to visit with always.  Dan and Jodi Martinez were there and full credit to Dan for braving some serious bad weather to reach Vegas.  I only saw Will Pounds of TSI Corporations for a moment as he was running to a meeting, so I didn’t get to ask if his favorite food is still gas station sushi (podcast reference when he was a guest!)

 

--  Old friends always are fun for me.  The great Jeff Ziesche of JAZ Sales surprised me with an epic old glazing manual from the 1940’s- that alone was so cool to look at.  Rick Alexander of Tom Brown was dominating the weight room when I saw him first and just thrilled he attends every year.  My guy Ian Patlin of Phoenix Architectural Glass was there taking in as much knowledge as he can, but I seriously think he knows it all already. Seeing legends like Jim Stathopoulos of Ajay Glass, Omar Maalouf of Momentum, and Derek Losee of Steel Encounters was a blast for me.  So cool and talented.  Thanks also to them because I think my time with them and Derek bringing back food from the reception buffet was the only time I ate. And it’s not BEC for me without visiting with PJ Hilboldt of NGG.  Just an awesome guy.

 

--  New faces at BEC make me happy.  The contingent from Ubiquitous Energy were awesome and it’s a thrill that they could attend and participate.  I got to meet Evan Afenir of Double Play Glass in person, and he was as impressive as the work he does out in California. Steve Sletten of Larson Engineering stopped me to say hi and that was a day maker.  Fun seeing and watching Trent Thiry and Art Droste of Global Security Glazing/Isoclima being at their first ever BEC and trying to meet and greet as many people as they could. Tom Irvin of OldcastleBuilding Envelope may have attended in the past but was nice to see him at this one and the OBE case study was a really nice addition to the schedule. 

 

--  Obviously, I always love any chance to visit with Michael and Carolyn Spellman.  They treat me great, and I am fan.  Between VIG and the massive need for automation out there, those two along with Manny Borda of IGE were quite busy. Still thrilled that Cameron Scripture of Viracon always makes time for me.  Such a good person.  I enjoyed catching up with Art Huard and Dr Charlie Boyer and not only hearing about the Vacu-Gasket growth but all else on their minds. Leigh Anne Mays is back on our side of the industry at Naverra and she was absolutely everywhere at this meeting spreading the gospel on her new company. And I got a nice amount of time to talk with Troy Johnson of Harmon and he is a hopeful target for me to have on the podcast- classy and sharp- that’s a guy who gets it.  

 

--  Shout out to the great state of Texas!  Loved seeing Rick Newnom of Hou-Tex Glass as well as Kyle Lamb of Universal Glass.  The Country Glass duo of Brian Risinger and Joe Lambertson were everywhere (in that awesome gear of course) and they always are open to network- which is appreciated.  Kyle Sharp of Sharp Glass was great to catch up with as well- and I look forward to seeing all these folks and more at TEXpo in May.

 

--  It was nice to see Eric Mayka of Millet- that’s a busy guy.  Also very busy was the duo of Juan Gallego and Daniella Fernandez of Trust Seal.  I met Juan for the first time at the 2020 BEC and he still wanted to see me this time!  LOL.  Good folks and both excited with Trust Seal now having a place in South Florida.  Always nice to see Andy Russo of Glass & Metalcraft, and I am pumped he’ll be going to DC to represent the interests of Michiganders at Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days.  He’ll be great at that.  Dan Sutton of Vitro Architectural has no idea how to take me, but I love the guy- smart and so well spoken on the hottest products out there. And speaking of Vitro, seeing old pal Jemssy Alvarez was simply splendid.  It’s not really a BEC if I don’t see Jerry Moser of RA Kennedy or Joe Clabbers of National Glass and Metal.  I did- and that was clutch- great guys always supporting the cause. 

 

--  I mentioned Joey Aragon above and it was very epic to see more of that crew including dad Joe, brother Matt and of course the one and only Drew Forester.  Having the legacy folks back was something else.  Pat Rome continues to be an icon even though he’s moved on from our space.  Andy Gum being back was incredible and I hope he’ll be a regular again.  Kevin Roth of Privacy Glass is not only a regular but is like one of the most popular guys at the event.  I could say I knew him when he was leery of attending!  Now I don’t think he’ll miss another. Dapper Dan Reinhart of Salem was there and he now wears the crown of best dressed in our space.   The gang from Glass 3 in Canada never miss, and this show had Josh Aknin and Seth Maretz.  Great and energetic guys who not only know their stuff but will be important pieces in our world for years to come.  Did I say energy and Canada in the same sentence?  Then it’s time to mention Goldray Glass.  Loved catching up with Laura Little, Mike Saroka, and Kevin McMahon. Hanging with them makes me feel like the “cool kid” in class. 

 

--  I was impressed with Guardian Glass showing- their sample viewing station was cool and Jake Kasbrick is a really impressive player.  Also has great hair.  I’m jealous.  I’m also jealous that Alan Kinder from Guardian can speak flawlessly for 5 minutes straight about bird friendly glass.  It’s a subject that many are into and can be a challenge to explain and he nailed it.  Though Mark Jacobsen from Kuraray bringing out a “live demo” of how bird friendly works will be a memory for a while!  Nice work.  And I’d be really missing it if I did not mention two incredible stars in our space that I love seeing each BEC- the best PR player in the biz Heather West and one of the best to ever do the sales game- Shelly Farmer of Sightline Commercial Solutions.

 

Obviously, I can go on and on… but before I end just kudos to the team at NGA who worked tirelessly to pull this off.  Trust me, it was not easy.  Lots of moving parts and pieces but the team led by Sara Neiswanger (who had a VERY memorable BEC) and Katy Devlin absolutely rocked it.  I’ll have more over the next few weeks but for now that’s your rundown.  BEC next year is back in Nashville and combined with GPAD.  THAT will be an absolute must attend.  Can’t wait!

 

No LINKS or PROJECT of the week due to how long this was- both will be back next week!

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!