The Circus of 2016

While I am always looking ahead with a positive approach I can tell you one thing I am dreading… the 2016 Presidential election.  This is going to be a wild and probably bizarre ride thanks to more media (with more social and electronic than ever) and more candidates.  And with all of this extra attention will come extra noise and hyperbole.  Simply said it’s going to be a circus.  But obviously, this election, like all major ones, has the potential to change the trajectory of the construction and glass world.  So getting to know the candidates, not only the presidential ones, but your congress and senator choices are crucial.  On a side note it has been good that some candidates have already been active in noting their positions with regards to the building industry, so at least that’s not getting lost in the other adventures that come up during events like these.

Elsewhere…

Some more lists for you… you know how much I love them…

--  The great folks from SaveOnEnergy.com did a fascinating one on “Which States Care Most About the Environment”  They used Google trends to develop it and the study was broken up into several categories which you can see HERE.  It’s a different way to see who’s interested and there were certainly some surprises. 

--  The other list I have for you is something that I think everyone who reads this blog can have an opinion on.  “The Worst Freeways in America” Here’s the top 12 and if you want to read the rest of the story, the link is HERE.

12-   I-95 and I-195 in Providence- No experience here.

11-   1-76/Schuylkill in Philly- I assume my pal Ted Bleecker may have an opinion on this

10-   I-376-Parkway East/West in Pittsburgh- Yep.  Horrendous, grew up there

9-     I-880 in San Jose

8-     I-80 in San Francisco – I guess the roads in NoCal are NoFun

7-     I-35 in Austin- I never thought it was that bad, then again I’m not there a lot

6-     I-635/LBJ Dallas- This is too low.  Dallas roads and traffic are brutal

5-     I-70 in Denver- In the Winter its like a demolition derby

4-    The 405 in LA- Very little experience here but I am sure my friends in SoCal can vouch for it or is the reputation worse than the reality?

3-    610 Loop in Houston- I think this should flip positions with Dallas

2-    I-10 in New Orleans- I have never been to New Orleans, which is nuts considering there’s always shows and events there.

And the worst freeway in the US... is

I-66 in Washington DC- A very worthy champion!  Not a fun road in any way, shape or form!

One big omission in the US?  How are none of the freeways that run through Boston on here?  And by the way for my Canadian friends… the traffic in Toronto and Vancouver is mind blowingly bad.  So both would be at the top of this list if it included the great country of Canada.

--  The new Apple HQ continues to get further along in construction and Forbes this week had an update.   So far so good, and that is one place I will make every effort to get to when done, just to see it all.  Thanks to the great twitter feed of @JohnLWheaton1 for the heads up.

--  Next week I’ll be unveiling some of the names and companies that were nominated for the 2015 Industry MVP.  The winner however will not be in that list… I’ll lay that out in December.  By the way some excellent nominees as there’s certainly a lot of good people and companies in our world right now.

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Really bizarre piece here… woman gets drunk, busts into a zoo, and goes to pet a tiger.  Not the best of decisions. 

--  This could be a companion to my road story above… but with a great halloween spin!

--  Also similar to the above- on elections and politicians.  This freshman Senator gets it.

VIDEO of the WEEK

Congrats to the Kansas City Royals and their fans on the World Series title.  Very happy that it was a Blue October for them.  Video of the week was a hype video created for the Royals BEFORE the playoffs began this year- but uses awesome music from Jorge Quintero so it’s the video of the week!

This Trend is Your Friend

The annual Dodge Construction Outlook was held last week and for the most part the data is trending positive in the construction world.  Overall construction starts are predicted to rise once again, but at a slower rate than the past.  This time, 6% is the number after gains of 9% in 2014 and the estimated 14% rate for 2015.  Commercial construction is also being pushed upward with a healthier jump in 2016. The one area to watch is the “office” category.  Dodge is predicting an 11% jump but there’s other analysis that I follow that is not as bullish.  Obviously a majority of the audience who read this blog are heavily involved in the office category in one form or another.  The other big take away was that the cycle is looking healthy meaning there’s still expected growth to happen.  We’ve been hearing 2018 and 2019 so this seemingly is another affirmation of those previous predictions.  As I think we all know, these forecasts are not guaranteed and have been known to be wildly off… especially during the recession.  So everything needs to be taken with a massive sized grain of salt.  Though in the end I will take these positive notes for sure….

Elsewhere…

--  One of the other big themes of the Dodge event was the discussion about people and talent.  Basically the ability to hold on to your best people is a major concern and it’s something on the radar at companies all over the globe.  It also points to the need to train your folks and grow your bench because it’s surely tough out there to bring folks in.

--  So speaking of talent leaving….we as an industry lost a major player to retirement….  The incredible and iconic Ricky Shaw (Solar Seal, Shaw Glass, CGH) is calling it a glass career after more than 40 years of industry leading moves, especially in regards to equipment and products.  Obviously I am thrilled for him, even though his loss leaves a hole in the fabric of the Northeast and New England glass and fabrication scene.   So enjoy the next phase of your life Rick- you have earned all of the skiing, golf, and whatever other recreational approach you want to do!!

--  Now maybe Rick will become a consultant like the technical wizard Chris Barry did when he retired from Pilkington a while back.  I got to visit some with Chris this week and even though he’s not associated with a company, his care and passion for this industry has not waned one bit.  He still attends trade meetings and his activity and insight on our products is absolutely crucial for all of us to respect and understand. 

--  Good piece from Julie Ruth in the latest Glass Magazine.  Her first hand take of a tornado in her community and then the reaction to it (from a business and code approach) makes for a good read.

--  Last this week… quick book review.  Have you ever read a book and 98% of it is awesome and you’re so excited to see how it ends and then it closes with a thunderous dud?  Well that’s the book “Almost- 12  Electric Months Chasing a Silicon Valley Dream” This book about a start up in Silicon Valley was really mesmerizing as the author wrote about what can go right and wrong (mostly wrong) with a start up. So after spending a ton of time with this story and really being invested, the ending just came up very short in my opinion.   Anyway, if you want a book with 98% of an interesting story with dysfunction everywhere, give this one a shot.  By the way after a run of business background books and history books, next one up is comedian David Spade’s biography.  That surely will be different than what I have been reading!

LINKS of the WEEK

--  I travel a ton and have never seen anything as cool and different as this…

--  Going to be an interesting case to watch… not a lot of thought went into what will happen with crazed fans from a movie.

--  This story is pathetic on every level and a terrible example of ineptitude in our schools.  good teachers deserve better!!  

VIDEO of the WEEK

As someone who loves sports and media- this video is perfection.  Weird Al Yankovic with the classic and clichéd sports press conference to its fullest.  Great stuff!

One Decade of Blogging

From the Fabricator has turned 10.  One decade of posts and ramblings on the first ever glass and aluminum related blog… so please join me please on a run through memory lane. 

It all started on October 25^th, 2005.  This blog was launched with a simple 17-word post.  The goal was to provide insight to the industry with this new avenue of communication.  On October 27^th I came back with a post with a few of my favorite subjects- the NFRC, China, and Green Building.  And from there it took off.  I used this space to inform and educate.  I tried to rally the industry, sometimes succeeding, some times not.  But I tried.  And as time went on, this blog became a stop to sometimes see what I’d say next.  And that was good and bad. 

On the negative… Back then I was pretty rough around the edges.  I thought I was bulletproof and pretty much set for life.  I had people around me that loved when I threw haymakers, so I did it to please them but I also got into it myself, and was too stupid to realize what I was doing. There were surely posts I regret, and ones that hold me back professionally to this day.  So believe me lessons learned.

On the plus side I was breaking stories.  I was getting leads on acquisitions from all over thanks to this forum.  I broke the Oldcastle purchase of Vistawall and was on top of Pella buying EFCO- which back then were gigantic deals. Companies changed the way they did due diligence and closed communications tighter.  As a former communication and journalism person, I enjoyed the fact I was disruptive.  And I also got a kick out of making life miserable for the NFRC.  Though in the end they “kinda” won when the industry slept through the process.  (I say kinda because even years later their system is not what it was ever cracked up to be)

In 2006 and 2007 as this blog was really growing we were all busy in this industry.  Things were rolling.  I joke about it a lot, but no one truly realized things were THAT good then.  We were all in a good place P&L wise but there were always issues and fire drills.  Codes and standards etc.  And if you didn’t work through the 70’s and the recession then, you didn’t know what bad times really were.  Then 2009 and 2010 arrived… and we all found out.

Things changed… and changed quickly.   I hit a crossroads and as fate would have it, I had to face some of the same people I was rough to on here.  My rabblerousing days had me in a bad spot.  Somehow I was very fortunate and beyond blessed that Arturo Carrillo looked beyond my past and gave me shot at Vitro America when my previous world went up in sun-ignited flames.  Many people inside Vitro America questioned Arturo on why he’d hire the blogger who was a massive thorn in his company’s side.   Thankfully he held to his convictions that there was more to me than my writings and that I had grown from it and realized what I had done and whom I had affected.  But enough of my personal adventures… (that will be a book someday…ha ha) this post is meant to be about the blog.

With a new lease on my professional life I refocused my energy and passion, changed my style and basically “grew up” thanks to the support and guidance of people like Arturo, Nicole Harris, Denise Sheehan, Greg Carney (RIP), Kris Vockler, and many others.   I began a different approach and liked it.  I enjoyed being positive but without losing my eye for things that concerned me.  I dropped the attack mode and tried to focus on the good people of this industry who do great things but get little to no recognition.  I still call out issues and warn of consequences but I do it without rancor.  (Usually!) And while there’s a vocal minority that implores me to be like I used to be, I’m never going back to that style…

Since I started this adventure, our industry changed so much.  Major players at every level are gone.  If you would’ve told me when I started this blog that 10 years from now I’d be on my own and that several major players had failed, I would’ve never of believed it.  Especially the being on my own fact.  That still blows me away…

It’s been 10 years and 538 posts.  And I could not of done it without all of you out there.  The encouragement, dialogue, support and so on mean the world to me.  When brilliant and class people like John Wheaton, Ted Bleecker, Jeff Kirby, Terry Newcomb, Garret Henson, Mark Silverberg, Rich Porayko , Jon Kimberlain, Tom O’Malley, Marc Deschamps, Chuck Knickerbocker, and many many others take the time to drop me notes or tweet my blog out, it blows me away.  (I know I am forgetting people to name- Sorry!)

Thank you to all who read this week in, week out and never comment or communicate as well.  The fact you give me 5 minutes a week is appreciated.  The traffic that I get never fails to boggle my mind and I will always be forever grateful.

So 10 years down and who knows how many more years to go… but we’re going to keep plugging along.  I hope you’ll continue to join me on the ride…

Thank you…

LINKS of the WEEK

Before I get to the links…  just a note… I get submissions from all over and I am thankful for that- love sharing and being shared with, great stories of interest!

--  Karma to its fullest here.  And count me as fan of Imprimis!

--  DeAngelo Williams is a class act- the NFL needs to follow his lead instead the annual October sham they pull on the public.

--  This is a classic comic….

VIDEO of the WEEK

I was trying to think what my favorite video posting of all time was.  Tough one.. and I decided on “The Conference Call”-  (I first posted in January of 2014- now had 10 million views!) if you have never seen it, take the 4 minutes to watch.  Especially if you have to do conference calls… so well done. 

Watching For What's Next

With so many industry gatherings in recent weeks, it lends itself to the massive incubation of rumors.  Being connected to the industry in the odd ways I am, I get to hear many of these.  Most are of the outlandish variety, but some eventually happen.  In any case the scuttlebutt of newer foreign players coming to the US and setting up fabrication plants continues to grow.  These rumors started a year ago during glasstec and have gained more ground in throughout the year and even more in recent weeks.  So it bears watching if the current busy market attracts new players into.  Plus will these people greenfield or acquire?  It’s a sellers market right now, so I would not be shocked if we see the former happen.  My fearless prediction is you will see someone new hitting a major market in the next 6-9 months.

Elsewhere…

--  Thank you to everyone in the industry who signed the Section 179 petition.  It was a bunch of you and good to see. The petition passed the 10K mark this week and the effort continues to get congress to look at this piece and roll it back to where it should be.

--  I have been following the new Apple HQ closely, and now this week renderings were released for another major Apple campus building in Silicon Valley.  This one is a clover leaf shaped complex that will cover 18 acres.  HOK is the designer and it will feature a lot of glass, a lot of it large and bent again.  Plus there’s some thought that Apple may try to push for Net Zero on this complex which would be an amazing accomplishment- so expectation of a heavy dose of solar is surely a possibility. 

--  Before we leave the state of California, a comical piece this week in the New York Times on electric cars and the battles that now come with them…mainly areas and spaces to charge up.  People are getting fired up as the cars and technology are outpacing areas to service and charge.  It’s a great read and shows that sometimes disruptive technology still has a long way to go with support and consideration.  Personally I see frustration and arguments over electrical outlets all the time… at the busy airports I frequent.

--  Poll time... so what are the most energy efficient states and which are least efficient?  According to a new survey by WalletHub here they are. (US only and study did not include Hawaii or Alaska) The piece analyzed efficiency of car and home energy consumption as a part of their process.

Most Efficient:

1.  New York – Color me stunned on this one.

2.  Vermont

3.  Minnesota- I actually figured this would be #1 thanks to brilliant people like Kerry Haglund being so alive there.

4.   Wisconsin

      5.   Utah

Least Efficient:

44- Arkansas

45- Kentucky

46- Texas

47- Louisiana

48- South Carolina

So South Carolina is the least energy efficient state according to this particular piece.  I guess aside from being a tough state to get Hurricane protection codes enforced, SC is also tough on energy.

--  I am in shock after the end of the Michigan-Michigan State game.  What a wild finish to a pretty intriguing football game.  Love College Football.  Congrats to my many State fans out there and I feel for my UofM folks.

--  Last this week… for those of you with a retail arm, do yourself a favor and check out this article on Angie’s List.  If you provide a service to the public you likely have been inundated and guilted by the heavy sales pitch from these folks and this story gives some insight on why.  I have to give credit to the people behind this service; they have found a way to make some good money without the effort of producing the product.

LINKS of the WEEK

I don’t know what to make of this story and can’t understand why a lawsuit between Aunt and Nephew even took place.

I do think of the “Great Depression” quite a bit and this site is a tremendous resource for images.

The end of an era- no more nude shots coming to Playboy.  We will see if the remaining people who do get the magazine actually do read it “just for the articles”

VIDEO of the WEEK

This past week SNL did a piece on Delta flight attendents.  It was just good enough to be featured here…. Only because I fly so much I think about these things all the time.