Finishing Strong

Well here we are, another month down as we steam towards the end (thankfully) of 2020.  And also with the end of the month comes the end of the awesome GlassBuild Connect event.  It has been a heck of a run… and this week it finishes strong with some amazing panels including the following:

“What’s Trending in Manufacturing” – This may be one of the greatest panels of all time with the best of the best from the Glass Fabrication machinery & software world.

“Women in Construction” – Some serious talent on board here talking about where we were with women in our field and where we are going.

“Glass Can’t Do That- Can’t it?”  and “There’s a Glass for That” - You know me- I love glass so these sessions are my world.  Both sessions take deep dives into the next generation of products from differing perspectives.  

I know the days are flying by but these are incredible top level sessions, so go to GlassBuild.com and if you are one of the few in our industry who haven’t registered yet, go ahead and do so- and then join in!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Also on GlassBuild- There are also contests going on including an iPad one from Vitro Architectural Glass and an Apple Watch from Amesbury Truth.  So it’s all out there for you at GlassBuild.com – education, exhibits, information, products and more!

 

--  Last week I made the call here on what I expected on the Architectural Billings Index release.  It was a 50/50 result for me- yes amazingly I got something right… and I got the “better” news right too.  I said last week that I expected the main number to basically stay the same and it did.  The score of 40 was exactly the same as last month.  Where I was wrong (happily) that I predicted the new contract score would go down and dip into the 30’s.  It went UP to 46. So that was surely a positive.  This was really fascinating to me because this surely bucked some of the current metrics.  No doubt though I’ll take it- but I am expecting this to go down next month.  And once again I’ll be thrilled to be wrong.  

 

--  Congrats to the great people at Giroux Glass on their honor of being named ENR’s California Specialty Contractor of the Year.  This is a huge deal and great for the Giroux team and our industry.  Whenever our trade gets recognized it’s awesome- and in this case it is also well deserved!

 

--  Interesting read here… the “Tiny Home” trend is dying off.  I never figured it out in the first place but there was a call for it and I know a lot of glass folks (especially specialty players) had involvement in it. 

 

--  Good news.  Gilbane Building Company monthly sends out a notice of Material availability for all building products. The fascinating note this month was the only product that was marked as “Stable” in each of the three categories of price, inventory, and delivery was GLASS! Every other product had volatility except us… Love it.  

 

--  I have hit a few times on how important communication is as we work through the various potential economic issues in our world.  A big one to keep in mind is your website.  Make sure that it is up to speed, updated and fresh.  How you communicate online is absolutely crucial during normal times, but even more important now and going forward.  So just a friendly nudge that you want to pay attention to this aspect of your business.

 

--  Last this week sad news from our industry.  Dale McAtamney long time player in the Southeast Michigan glass and glazing trade passed away.  Dale was a fantastic man, classy and smart.  I got to know him first when he owned Armor Glass and I was a young guy trying to figure out how work in this glass world.  Dale always treated me better than I probably deserved and was a huge help for me as I navigated the world of contract glazing in Detroit.  After I moved on into different positions and out of the day to day in Michigan, we still kept in touch, and Dale would on occasion reach out to check in.  I always appreciated that and cherished catching up with him.  Huge loss for our industry, world and of course his family and friends- all of whom are in my thoughts and prayers. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  You may have seen this on the news- horrendous publicity stunt that may have hurt a horse beyond saving.  Idiotic.

 

--  Keeping an animal theme- crazy story of a Bear and Alpaca

 

--  This is too funny- old technology (an old TV that I think all of us had this model back in the day) ruining the internet every time it was turned on!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

So I saw this one thanks to my friend and big time sales consultant Sam Benowitz liking it.  This is a project in Winnipeg by the great people at Glass 8 Inc.  I had met a few of their folks in my past and was always impressed but this is the first time seeing some of their work online.  This is the Richardson Innovation Centre and a beauty!  Nice world Glass8 team!  Keep it up!

Huge Retirement

The big news from the industry this week was the announced planned retirement of Apogee CEO Joe Puishys.  I have been a huge fan of Joe’s from the first time I heard him speak at BEC and believe he is an excellent leader and representative of our industry.  So the fact he is retiring (scheduled for February 2021) will surely leave a mark.  I liked that Joe “got it” with regards to the way the industry worked and what it needed to be, and we need more people of his mindset- not less.  Obviously, I am always happy for those lucky enough to retire, but I am surely bummed that he’s stepping away.  As for his replacement, that has not been announced yet, but those are some serious shoes to fill.  I am excited and curious to see who comes away in that role though and hope they stand up for our world and support events like BEC like Joe did.  In any case we’ll be surely watching this one closely, and happy trails Joe!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  What a week at GlassBuild Connect. So many good things went on… a few highlights from me:

 

--  The NACC session with Jeff Dalaba and Ben Beeler on quality management was incredible.  One solid hour of reasons WHY you want your glazing operation to be a part of a system like NACC and the difference it could make.  Especially with tougher times possibly ahead, any mistake could be a killer.  Get ahead of it now.

 

--  The Veka Town Hall and Plant Tour was as great as I hoped and expected.  The tour was fun and interesting, and the Town Hall featured such a wide range of questions, it really did not matter that I wasn’t a core customer for them.  They handled things like work from home, the economy etc. Enjoyable, interesting session.

 

--  By the way these are available ON DEMAND at the GlassBuild.com site- so sometime before the month ends, get there check them out and also all of the products and exhibitors.

 

--  Thanks to the Scavenger Hunt Contest sponsors from this week- C.R. Laurence, Armor Guard, Lite Sentry, and Amesbury Truth- Appreciate you all stepping up and supporting this event.  So many have been “all in” with GlassBuild and that is beyond wonderful and appreciated.

 

--  This week again a lot of “must see” but big key is Thursday my guy Chris Phillips will go Live with his Shower Door installation tips and tricks.  So that is one to absolutely block out on your schedule.

 

Go to GlassBuild.com to see the schedule and check it all out!

 

--  While we all wait for the other economic shoe to fall, the recent numbers coming out continue  to be positive.  The latest Dodge Momentum Index was up and non-residential starts were up 16%.  That is all stuff in the positive column.  Later this week the next Architectural Billings Index is due out and I am expecting it to either stay at 40 (where it’s been for 2 straight months) or drop a bit.  I also think design contracts will drop into the 30’s from 44 in the last report.  As always, I hope I am wrong and will gladly eat the crow if so!

 

--  Last this week… so I watched a little football this past weekend and I am amazed at how dominant the commercials are from the insurance side of the world.  Geico, Progressive, Liberty, and State Farm are in almost every commercial block.  And to their credit their creative is pretty good too.  So what’s your favorite?  I’m going with Flo from Progressive and all the spots they do… but this is a close battle overall… on social media I’ll set up a poll on this…

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  Our products are protective in so many ways- like being used to fend off knife wielding crooks

 

--  And our products are in video games and when things go wrong I guess we have virtual glaziers/window jobbers now?

 

--  Wrong sign in a city in Florida.  My gosh.  And I know this spot too…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

This is Bobby Summers Arena in Fate, Texas… It is a good, sharp, solid job glazed by Ennis Glass.  I had the honor of working with the co-owner of Ennis, Michael Vasquez in a past life and he is a tremendous guy loaded with talent.  So when I saw this project come across my feed- I had to jump in and give props.  Plus Michael is that very rare Steeler fan down in the heart of Texas- so I admire him for that because that can’t be easy either!  Anyway, nice work Michael and Ennis team- keep it up!  (and feel free to post on the LinkedIn post of this who the glass and metal came from!)

Time to Act

As those of you who read me consistently know, I try and keep everyone up to date on the latest in many areas, trends, codes, products etc.  I also always point to the economic forecasts and they have really taken on a larger role since we are now working through a truly unique time.  This past week at GlassBuild Connect, Connor Lokar from ITR Economics delivered an incredible performance- more than 75 minutes of detailed intel and dives in the economic landscape.  There are quite a few takeaways but the one big one for me is that we will have an economic valley to traverse coming soon.  Some of us have hit that valley already (but not many), others mostly have not.   For all of us though I think the thing to focus on is “how are we going to deal with it?”  How are we going to pivot and/or diversify our offering, our staffing, our approaches etc.  The key now is we have visibility and that being “reactive” makes no sense- time be proactive and prepare fully.  So are you doing that?  If not, you should be.  One piece of good news?  11 of 12 leading indicators are rising and rising nicely.  So there is some light coming…  If you missed this presentation, set your calendar for Sept 22^nd at 4PM and see the encore presentation and hear/see it all for yourself.  It is a must If you are in any leadership position.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Another incredible week at GlassBuild Connect.  Again thanks to all who are supporting the industry and event.  Still two more weeks and hundreds of products & exhibitors to see along with excellent educational sessions.

--  The daily Scavenger Hunt is a hoot.  Great prizes this past week from Soft Tech, Standard Bent, PRPRD (cool new company- check them out!) and Walker Glass.  Thank you all for stepping up!

--  A favorite for me during the week was a part of John Wheaton’s podcast that was also utilized during GlassBuild.  His guest Michael Kohler delivered this awesome line when asked on what we do and how it is special:

 

“We leave a defining face on the landscape of America.”

 

Yes we sure do Michael.  Glass and glazing IS that key more so than any other product.  That is just an awesome quote.

 

--  This week the session to catch is Tuesday at 1PM the Veka Plant Tour and Town Hall.  I love seeing new plants and learning about how companies do things.  I may not be heavily on the side of the business Veka is in, but it’s worth the time to get a flavor for the way they do things.

 

--  Last week I had an amazing picture from Eric Fortin of buildings in the sky.  Well it so happens that Dan Plotnick of Vitro happened to actually see those buildings in person and he shared these two shots with me including one from INSIDE one of the towers looking down from the 88^th floor.  Incredible stuff.  And I still wouldn’t want to glaze them!  Thank you Dan!

 

--  Kudos again to the Daubmann family with their continued run of good news, this time being named for the fifth time in six years on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing and most successful independent businesses in the United States. My Shower Door keeps growing, hopefully Bill, Keith and the team remember us little people when they are on the Fortune 500 list!

--  This home.  My gosh.  Ok I gotta think someone reading this e-mail did the glass here… congrats to you… What a beautiful project!

--  Last this week… with the 9/11 anniversary passing it reminded me of the book “The Only Plane in the Sky” I had mentioned here a while back.  This book was an incredible piece of reading. (or listening as my friend Jeremy Hoy of Virginia Glass Products told me- he got it as an audiobook) Seriously if you want to read a story about that day from so many different angles there’s no better read out there.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

Interesting way to game a system, but now it can’t work with publicity on it.

 

How much do you think an unpaid water bill for 27 years would be?

 

I don’t think “hind leg impact” protective glass is out yet… may be after this!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

You know me, I am very high on the bird friendly scene and approach and really like what GlasPro has going on… so when I saw this project on LinkedIn I knew I had to put it as my project of the week!  This is the Richmond Ferry Terminal for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and obviously the bird friendly glass is playing very crucial role.  Great design from Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects and once again it is glass that shines.  Nice work GlasPro team!

Big Week Ahead

HUGE week ahead for our industry. There are two major, can’t miss presentations coming this Tuesday and Wednesday.  On Tuesday the most comprehensive and independent economic forecast focused on our industry happens.  Connor Lokar is a tremendous speaker with impressive credentials on the economic side of things.  He’ll provide the insight we all need to be able to plan for 2021 and beyond.  Connor presents his annual forecast at 1PM ET Tuesday.  Then Wednesday something very special.  Jorma Vitkala makes his final major industry event (GlassBuild truly fits that bill) presentation-  Global Glass Industry Trends at 1PM ET.  Jorma is an absolute legend in our world and his insights are always spot on and interesting.  If you want to know what’s now and what’s next- this is a session to get that intel at.  Plain and simple there is only one place to be online this coming week and that’s at GlassBuild Connect.

Just go to GlassBuild.com for it.  If you are already registered for the event, you are all set.  If not, go get registered now and use GBCEXC as the code for free admission to the Connor event.  Seriously folks this is a must….

 

Elsewhere…

 

GlassBuild Connect is off and running…. Some initial thoughts

--  On the site I am amazed at the amount of products to review- some great breakthroughs in every segment area.

--  Are you taking advantage of the contests?  Some very cool prizes are out there. Every weekday there’s a new contest posted on Twitter and Linkedin.  Join in and win! (This last week great stuff from PRL, DFI, and Glassopolis-thanks folks)

--  The presentation content has been great.  The one that stood out last week for me was ICD’s piece on the latest moves in the spandrel space.  Kate Stewart is a rock star in the making and massive kudos to the ultra sharp Casey Anderson for her build of a really strong presentation.  Impressive!

--  One to keep an eye on?  At the end of the month – session “There’s a Glass for That” featuring Kai-Uwe Bergmann of BIG, Robert Garlipp of Gensler, Sophie Pennetier of Enclos and Urmilla Sowell from the NGA.  That will be off the charts awesome.  Can’t wait.

--  Thank you again to everyone involved in this- GlassBuild is an industry tradition that had to pivot, so I truly appreciate everyone who’s stepped up and supported!

 

--  Thoughts out to everyone in the Lake Charles area that were in the path of Hurricane Laura.  John Wheaton had posted some video on Twitter of a blown out building that really hit home how much damage took place there.  Hope everyone there is hanging in there.

 

--  Got this great picture from Eric Fortin of Northwestern GlassFab (via Image of the Day App and Getty Images) of three buildings in the clouds.  

And Eric’s comment was along the lines of can you imagine being a glazier on one of these.  My answer is no way- absolutely amazing to look at but no way… Anyway this is a really stunning image that I appreciate Eric sharing with me!

--  Everyone loves these lists and the annual Top 300 Architectural Firms rundown is out.  For me no huge surprises as it seems like all of the main, tried and true players are where they are expected to be.  In any case check it out here

 

--  Congrats to Eastman for being named as “Best in State” employer in Tennessee. This poll was done by Forbes Magazine and done in an anonymous style and so it’s awesome to see a major player in our industry get such positive recognition!

 

--  Last this week… Football gets going this week… and even though I despise Roger Goodell, I still follow the NFL and have to make my fearless predictions.  Every year I think I pick the Carolina Panthers.  So why stop now- I like Teddy Bridgewater- I am going with Carolina over Baltimore in the Super Bowl. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

An aggressive buffalo on the loose.  I guess if I was being fed for slaughter I’d be aggressive and running too!

 

This is a flat out “wow” moment- door camera catching a tire coming right for the house AND ringing the doorbell!  Must watch.

 

This is really rough and in normal times probably would be a huge story in the US, but these days its relegated to 3^rd spot in my blog. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

Plugging around LinkedIn as always and stopped on this beauty from the windy city.  This is the Rosalind Franklin University project glazed by Frontrunner Systems.  According to the post EFCO, Bonnell, Guardian Glass and Trulite were all involved.  Nice combo of big-time industry players.  Excellent work by all and another project our industry can be proud of!

It's Time!

It is finally here.  GlassBuild Connect kicks off this week and for the next month we’ll be focused on the best that our industry has to offer.  Obviously this year is like no other and GlassBuild being an online experience is like nothing else out there.  I am honored to work on the team there to bring you a truly genuine and caring event.

I had like 500 more words on this but then I read Andrew Haring’s blog and he said it so much better than me (which is ALWAYS THE CASE) so please CLICK and read- he’s got it down perfect here.

Thank you for supporting this effort!  Learn more and sign up at GlassBuild.com

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  On a somewhat non glass level… I am very excited about Rowe Fenestration’s Lindsey Rowe Parker on the pre-release of her new book “Wiggles, Stomps and Squeezes: Calm My Jitters Down.”  This will be a must for anyone who has or knows a child with sensory differences and having worked a little with Lindsey I know this will be a difference maker in many lives.  It is available for pre-order now, so please check it out and support this amazing work by a truly fabulous person.

 

--  Speaking of books, I “was” excited when I stumbled upon this book when it was mentioned on line.  The book is “Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm: The People, Stories, and Strategies Behind HOK” – so I immediately went to buy it… and then I saw the prices.  Even the electronic version is pricey- $61.  I mean I love to read and would love an inside story of a major architectural firm but $61?  That’s wild.  I don’t think I have paid that much for a book since college.  So it’s a pass for me right now.

 

--  I have written about specialty glass guru Kevin Roth on here a few times in the past- love the work he and his folks have done.  Well now his company is now going through a very cool re-brand, going from being known as Vistamatic to now as Privacy Glass Solutions.  This is all thanks to focusing on more than just the original Vistamatic brand since they have Blinds Between Glass, Switchable, and Deco products.   So it’s a good and smart move that covers the entire base vs. just one. Exciting things coming for these guys for sure!

 

--  So the next hot thing is the “15-minute city”  Interesting approach here and how this could be a part of future planning.

 

--  This is fascinating to me- air filters that are being advertised as something that kiils off COVID-19.  They are going into the Houston Convention Center.  I am thrown some because I am all over the anti-microbial space and pretty much everyone is saying the technology for the COVID-19 version of Coronavirus is not there yet- but this story says different. 

 

--  Last this week… very sad news with the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman.  I truly enjoyed his work both in portraying the real life and comic book heroes.  He was that incredibly rare public figure in that I don’t think there’s any one out there who could say they did not like him.  At 43 too young to leave our world for sure. Here’s a nice piece on Boseman’s impact and legacy.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  An “Alligator-like” Turtle?  No thanks- I like my turtles cute and slow.

 

--  Interesting- United Airline’s food supplier selling direct to the public now with less flights going.  I wondered that- so may places not coming close to using what they normally did pre-virus

 

--  Twins… but born 2 days apart- amazing!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This one is in Boston with glass from AGC.  The design is awesome, props to Elkus Manfredi for that.  Unique and really stunning.  Installation by the team at Ferguson Neudorf.  No doubt this is another one to point to for noting great usage of glass!

Trends Up, Down, and All Around

The latest Architectural Billings Index results were released this past week and they came in pretty much like I expected… Still not great and not what we had been used to, but they were better than what they were and what they could be.  So here’s the skinny.  The main index stayed exactly the same as last month- 40.  (I had predicted a slight drop to 38) So that is “good” in the big picture of things.  The inquiries into new projects were virtually flat too from last month 49.3 to 49.1.  The problem point was in the new contracts signed department where the drop from 44 to 41.7 was a rough pill to swallow.  Remember 50 is break even so we are not there yet and in one of the categories backsliding some.  I had a feeling it would be off a bit this month given the way the markets were reacting so none of this was a surprise.  Now we just keep working away and continue to be smart and focused in our efforts.  With the calendar now turning to fall which traditionally showed boosted forecasts that could be a plus coming our way, but it is the year 2020 so nothing normal or planned can be counted on!  Next ABI comes out September 23^rd.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Thoughts and prayers to all my friends on the Gulf coast with a double billing of hurricanes coming your way.  What an unreal time and approach.  Hope these things peter out before they get to you and stay well and safe!

 

--  There are some folks who have disagreed with me on my assertions that the office setting is going to come back in a solid form and I believe glass will play a massive role.  Well at least for the offices coming back; I have a great ally in… Amazon.  This news on Amazon expanding office space is excellent.  Thank you to all of my friends out there who shared this with me too!  Please to all if you see a good story that could affect our industry, shoot it to me….

 

--  I caught the first episode of the new podcast from John Wheaton- “Creating Structure.”  A few weeks ago I noted he was launching a pod and the first effort was excellent.  Great guest in Dan Adams, CEO of Advanced Industrial Marketing and the subject matter that included deep dives into strategy, training, communication, and 30 years worth of Harvard Business Reviews was great.  Congrats John and look forward to more of this content in the future!

 

--  Glass Magazine review time… Trendwatch was the cover story and a good portion of the issue was dedicated to what’s hot and next.  That alone is a must read for anyone in our world.  I also enjoyed the “Ramping Back Up” article from Larry Johnson of Quanex and my guy Tim Finley had his excellent blog post published in this issue- that made my day.  Great piece if you haven’t read it yet.  Once again front to back a fabulous issue from the best in the industry.

 

--  Ad of the month… a tough choice again especially since this issue is popular with advertisers because of the “trend” content and leading into GlassBuild season.  So marketers brought their best!  But only one winner this time and I am going with Kuraray and their “When Seconds Count…” piece.  The design almost had a 3D flavor to it and image absolutely caught my eye.  Sharp and impressive ad for sure.  Kudos to the team there on this months best!

 

--  I missed this little blurb when first posted on GlassMagazine.com and it was a job where an old car dealership was redone as luxury apartments.  Nice work!  I think we are going to see a lot more work like this in the future and we need to as well.  Way too many old structures sitting empty out there…

 

--  Last this week… did you think you’d get through an entire blog without me reminding you to register for GlassBuild Connect?  Event kicks off 9/1 and runs all of September and is the only industry event you need to attend that month.  Next week I’ll dive deeper into the schedule but I will say it now, the amount of excellent content that the NGA team has put together and the efforts from the over 300 exhibitors will really blow you away.  So register now… GlassBuild.com

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  Well I covered this from the start… may as well finish… the celebrity college admission scandal finally looks over and the jail sentences are out… and celebs win again.

 

--  Above I mentioned the double hurricanes, now there was also a fire tornado?  Seriously I am done with 2020.

 

--  Tough times call for these sorts of moves…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

From the always excellent LinkedIn feed of Andre Kenstowicz of Vitro Architectural Glass.  This is the new home of Goldfinch Brothers Glass and Glazing.  Looking great!  Proof in we practice what we preach!  Glass made by Viitro, fabricated by NWI, designed by Dykeman Architects, and of course installed by Goldfinch.  Congrats on the new building!

 

Happy Trails

Leading off with another big retirement in our industry. Les Young of Binswanger Glass retired at the end of last week. For me there are not too many men out there as good as Les. Just an awesome human being. I had the honor of working twice with Les, once as a direct employee and once as a consultant and each time my experience was so much better because of my friendship with Les. Les ran the Human Resources for Binswanger, which could be a very tough job on occasion, but he always kept a positive approach to everything. Les also was a sponge for knowledge wanting more detail and info and ways to better improve everything we did. I am thrilled that Les is now headed to the next phase of his life where he can hopefully sit back and relax and enjoy Ole Miss football (Hotty Toddy!) and his incredible family. This industry will not be the same without Les involved that is for sure. Enjoy your retirement my friend!!

 

Elsewhere… 

--  The next release of the Architectural Billings Index will be released this week and this one will be more interesting than normal. As you may remember last month was a “good” report (relative to the time we are in) and had some momentum. But since then there has been more of a lull out there and also some virus related issues that have hampered some planning. So where will the index land? I am obviously hoping for up, but my call here is it drops to 38 with new project inquiries also dipping a little too. I hope I am wrong for sure… but we will see Wednesday when it is released and I’ll of course recap it here next post. 

--  Two milestones to celebrate for Guardian Glass this week… first the Guardian Glass Carleton plant celebrated its 50th anniversary this week. Because it’s not far from my home I have been lucky enough to visit that location many times and it’s an awesome place. Also this week it is the 25th anniversary of the launch of the SunGuard product line. I remember when it came out and I think that was around the time I got to get to know the great Chris Dolan. So for me not only an important product for our world but also a tremendous industry connection was made for me. 

--  Congrats to everyone on the team there for both milestones!! Cool news for the guys at Tomakk Glass in Louisiana. They launched earlier this year and recently the Governor of Louisiana honored them for their work and impact in the state. I love when our industry gets positive recognition and I surely enjoy when someone as powerful as a Governor takes notice. Congrats to the folks at Tomakk (the leader there Clay Hargett is an excellent guy) and best to you all going forward! 

--  I loved the blog from David Vermeulen of Technical Glass Products last week. If you missed it, check it out as he jumps into one of the biggest questions we all have every day in this industry… how to get an architect to specify you. As we all know our industry would probably sell our own mothers for the basic love of an architect so it was very insightful of David to walk everyone through the process. Good stuff and great read! 

--  World Architecture News has a bunch of contests running right now and one is the best corporate office designs of 2020. Pretty neat designs and I am sure folks in our world had something to do with it. Here’s the top 6. Note this link you may have to register for but site is free. 

 

--  Last this week… wouldn’t be a post from me right now without a plug for GlassBuild Connect. So a good friend of mine called this week and said “tell me more about GlassBuild- I see all the ads, but what is it and what’s in it for me?” It was a great question and because GlassBuild Connect is so vast and comprehensive it’s could be hard to explain. So here goes. This is a one-month event on GlassBuild.com. It will have more than 300 exhibitors showing their products on specific pages easily accessed by product search. It also will feature daily content including videos, demos, podcasts, panel sessions, blogs, and other features. That will cover trends, innovations, codes, forecasts, installation, and more. There is a ton here. Content will stay online all month. This is so much more than just a dropped in virtual show trying to pull a fast one. This is the GlassBuild tradition but online for a month and loaded up for all. Most important the exhibitors of GlassBuild Connect have been incredible with getting behind this effort so we as an industry should support them and their efforts. So please go register now… at GlassBuild.com. Oh and keep eyes open there’s more contests too… there’s been a couple of trips and other goodies given away with more to come! 

LINKS of the WEEK 

--  Tourism as whole is being crushed, but sure doesn’t help when your website goes haywire. 

 

--  Beer and gum stashed away for later… much later… like 30 years later? 

 

--  Easily the best drivers license picture ever! 

PROJECT of the WEEK 

So I am dying inside with parts of college football being cancelled… so when I saw a post from FGD Glass Solutions showing off work they had done at the College Football Hall of Fame I had to make it my project of the week! This is a part of the “Rivalry Row” there with cool custom glass panels. FGD does so much amazing work that this quick pic probably doesn’t do them justice… but I like the look and location and when we are all back in Atlanta in 2021 for GlassBuild I think I’ll go visit all of it in person! Nice work FGD team!

Blip on the Radar?

An interesting and unfavorable trend appeared this week in my normal communications around the industry.  For the first time since the virus started locking us down, I am getting reactions that business has slowed up for many.  During the last few months there were stretches where work was delayed or orders slowed but e-mails and inquiries kept up.  This week though I heard from more than a few people in different areas of our industry that the communication just dropped off.  It got slow.  And quiet.  Obviously I hope this is a flukey run but I think there is concern that possibly we’ve hit the valley that many analysts had expected to come later in the year.  There’s no doubt I think we’ve all had it in the back of our heads that a tough stretch is coming our way.  It bears watching and also is a call to make sure you are doing everything you can to stay ahead of it.  Diversify, communicate, evolve etc.  Take advantage of the lessons and info out there to keep you ahead of the potential mess.  Let’s hope though this a blip in my network and not more…

Elsewhere…

Lots of people news…

--  Happy Trails to my good friend George Petzen at Lin El.  George hangs them up next week.  Great guy and super presence at every conference and with really everyone he encountered.  The industry will miss George’s efforts and I personally will miss his takes on our industry and world.  Great guy and I am thrilled he is off to better times in retirement!  Enjoy!

--  Get well soon to my brother Steve.  He recently had back surgery and he’s going through the recovery process now.    Just a matter of time before he’s back to 100% for sure… and he’ll be back to beating me up just like he did when we were kids!

--  Congrats to my guy Dan Plotnick of Vitro on his latest position movement there.  Dan has added extra responsibilities to his role and will do great.  Dan is one of the brightest and more impressive young guys in our industry and I love getting to pick his brain on occasion.  Great move by Vitro and congrats Dan!

--  This week another Thirsty Thursday is up and it is a fabulous topic.  “Preventing Glazing Surprises in Appearance Properties” is on tap and it is something that everyone from Fabricators to Glaziers deal with constantly.  Get the lowdown on this one from Steve Thomas of Guardian Glass.  I believe I called Steve “human Google” in the past because the man is off the charts intelligent.  (I shared a stage with him once and was in awe of his brainpower)  Great subject and speaker so check out more details HERE.

--  Have you registered for GlassBuild Connect yet?  Registration opened up this past week and plans for this event are coming along nicely.  This is the only major online experience you need to attend in September.  It is the only one that brings the best exhibitors and education together for an entire month.  As more of the schedule gets released I will share the highlights but I can honestly say there is nothing like this happening in our world, so get registered now at GlassBuild.com. 

--  Last this week, you may have seen this maze on your social media feeds, but in case you missed it here it is.  This is a great way to put you mind in a different place for a few minutes or like 15 seconds like Sara Neiswanger of NGA zoomed through it.  Fun look at the wild path this year on the road to GlassBuild Connect! 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  A friend commented to me that these were the original “take-out”windows… now it looks like they are back? 

--  A wild boar steals the laptop of a nudist?  Sounds like 2020 to me.

--  Guess this is animal themed section of links… how about a Bear just walking in a house, beating up owner and then leaving?

PROJECT of the WEEK

 Another company that I had not previously known is one I ran into on my feeds this week.  This fabulous work is from Jamie Johnson of Performance Glass.  This is the First Bank Raleigh and it’s in process and the glass is looking spectacular.  Hopefully Jamie will share pictures when it’s done.  The feed mentioned fabricated glass from Tristar, (which looks perfect) framing from Kawneer off a design from Gensler.  Some powerhouses all involved there- Nice!  Congrats on the great work Jamie- glad I saw it!