One More Month

One month.  That is it.  One month away until we meet in Nashville for BEC and GPAD.  These two tremendous conferences will get 2022 kicked into full gear and I am seriously stoked.  Have you looked at the agendas and people involved in both events?  It is loaded with interesting and important content for a massive majority of our industry.  Then add in the primo networking and you have a trip to Nashville that absolutely must happen for you.  Take a look at BEC HERE and GPAD HERE and if you have any questions or curiosities on the events hit me up!

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  On GPAD did you catch the webinar this past week?  If not, click HERE.  Good rundown in a short period on how tech can make a difference in your plant, the crucial need for visibility, and what smart companies, ones that are on the move are doing these days in the glass fab space.  Plus key insights on where the business “really” gets done.  Really good stuff from Ron Crowl and Syndi Sim.  Check it out then get to Nashville for more. 

 

--  Sad news to report- the passing of Pete Munoz.  He was a staple of the southern California glass scene for more than 60 years.  My pal Dan Pompeo, owner of the super rep firm Architectural Glazing Solutions gave me the heads up on this one and Dan, like the class act he is, wanted to make sure the industry was aware of Pete’s passing and his positive effect on the industry and family.  Condolences to Pete’s family and friends, he surely will be missed.

 

--  On the good news side, congrats to Michael Saroka of Goldray Glass on his promotion to CEO there.  The previous CEO Cathie Saroka is moving to the spot of Executive Chair.  This is great news for all involved.  Goldray has been an absolute juggernaut out there and Michael has been a massive part of that- so him moving up makes tons of sense.  Cathie will still be in tune to what’s happening so the transition surely will be smart and fluid.  Also great news for the industry as Michael brings a great level of passion and focus to our world, which is always appreciated.  Congrats to Michael and Cathie!

 

--  The latest Architectural Billings Index came out this week and was a match to the previous month rating of 51.  With that,  this forward looking index continues to hang in there and be positive despite some rumblings to the contrary out there.  One of the biggest rumblings are the combo of price escalation and supply chain disruption and both are a big duo of destruction that we all have to continue to manage.  Those alone do give off some worry, but so far the positive beat goes on. 

 

--  Have you watched Ozark by chance?  Way back in season 1, there was a great comment during a scene where the main characters were looking at new office space and the talk turned to solar heat gain and comfort.  I mentioned it here on how I was impressed by the accurate lingo.  Well, this season they went a step further.  Once again the characters were looking at office space and again they talked specifics in windows- going as far as noting the windows were “thermochromic” – that almost threw me off the treadmill.  I assume now that Tom Donovan of Thompson IG may be a writer on the show…. I’ll have to ask him at BEC.

 

--  Last this week… the best small cities to live in… according to the story HERE, WalletHub analyzed 1,200 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 and ranked the best ones to live in based on 43 key indicators of livability.  Here are your top 10 with my comments of course. 

10- Redmond, WA – I guess I gotta ask the gang from Herzog Glass if they agree on this

9- Cedar Park, TX- I thought I knew the great state of Texas but do not know this one.  Given its near Austin I am guessing I can’t afford to live there.

8- South Lake, TX- Aware of this one and darn nice from what I can remember

7- Brentwood, TN- Another new one for me- I need to get out more.

6- Milton, MA- I am a huge Barstool Sports guy and I believe Milton is where their first office was.  So that is a win in my book.  

5- Sugar Land, TX- I knew Texas was awesome but this list is surely locking that distinction down.

4- Needham, MA- Surprised on this one- will need a New Englander to enlighten me

3- Carmel, IN- Hey I love Indiana and love Indiana basketball (sorry Matt Verderamo and Purdue folks)

2- Lexington, MA- If you told me Massachusetts would have 3 in the top 10 here I would’ve said no way.  Wow.

And the #1 small city… SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON.  Now I think a few industry folk live here – just not sure.  But I know I have been through there and it was nice… so there’s that.

Overall, I am stunned at that top 10.  Would’ve expected a South Carolina city in there and for sure a Florida city.   You know me I love these lists…..

 

LINKS of the WEEK

This is a brutal one- a one foot mistake caused an entire house to be torn down.  Man details do matter but I think in some cases, especially if not safety issues are involved, there has to be leeway.

 

Those rare times the internet is used for good!

 

Well this is a fitting story for an Olympics no-one watched or cared about.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Usually when it comes to promoting projects on LinkedIn from Guardian Glass Alan Kinder is the undisputed king.  But he’s got a new one coming for the crown.  Steven Versland came to play with this project – the Stack Office Building.  It is a beauty in the hot and happening Deep Ellum district.  Great work on the glass by Guardian Glass and the install from Denison Glass & Mirror.  No mention of the fabricator, so maybe someone will jump into the LinkedIn comments to claim credit there.  Kudos to 5G Studio Collaborative on the design!  Coongrats to all involved and now Mr. Kinder, next move (or post) is all yours. 

 

Topping Off

I teased it on the post last week that this time out I would talk about something I got to do for the very first time while on a tour of Florida with NGA’s iconic #glassnerd Andrew Haring.  We were invited to a “topping off” or “topping out” celebration by the great Ashley Klein of AK Glazing.  I had never been to one of these and really had not known what it was about.  It turned out to be a tremendous experience on a few levels.  So basically a “topping off” is when the last beam of a structure is hoisted into place a top of the building.  The beam is signed and decorated by all of the trades and a small tree is placed on the beam as well to signify everlasting life (though in looking up the meanings there are some disputes here). Anyway, the beam lift is a part of it, but it is also a celebration of the hard work done to date by the trades on the building and opportunity to recognize those folks properly.  Lunch is served and fun raffles are held.  It truly was a positive experience. My ceremony was at high rise in West Palm Beach and I sat amongst hundreds of incredible tradespeople and the amazing AK Glazing team.  The vibe was unreal.  People enjoying themselves and also hoping their raffle came in (when a 70” TV was up for it, the cheers were super bowl like) I watched Ashley as she worked the room, talking to all of the trades and developing current and future collaboration angles.  It was surely impressive.  Ashley has built AK into a high-performance operation that really stands out and makes our industry look great.  Seriously the potential there is off the charts.  Anyway, being in the group was so energizing.  Everyone happy and also gearing up for the next set of work to go on the project.  The last beam was in but the job is not done yet, so this was a time to refresh and recharge.  It was an honor to be there and thank you to Ashley and her team for the hospitality! 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  The most current edition of the From the Fabricator podcast is up and if you missed it please check it out!  Great guests with some education, insight, product, forecast knowledge being shared throughout.  Also one note- on the interview with Shelly Farmer, the amount of Trex railing at SoFi Stadium was 73,000 feet.  Incredible project!

VIDEO

AUDIO

 

--  By the way- I have commented on GPAD but the NGA has a good way to learn more… check out the webinar “What Exactly IS GPAD & Why is it Important for Your Business?” That happens later this week on 2/24 1PM ET – If you are fabricator you NEED to be there. Hosted by a powerhouse trio of Nicole Harris, Ron Crowl, and Syndi Sim makes it even more of a must.  Sign up for webinar HERE

 

--  Congrats time... first to my pal Rich Porayko…. He just celebrated his 15^th year in business!  Way back when he was 13 years old he founded Construction Creative and now look at him!  LOL.  Seriously though Rich is awesome and great part of the culture of industry!  Congrats on 15 and here’s to many more.  And by the way if you need glass related gear- Rich is the guy- see it all HERE.

 

--  Next Congrats to Michael Spellman and the team at IGE Glass Technologies on their newest line addition in SYSTRON.  Those who know me know I love automation and big-time processing solutions and once again Michael nailed it with this addition. Michael invented/changed the game once in this space and he’ll probably do it again here.  Will be a fun one to see in action in the glass fabrication space.

 

--  How about the fact that I picked the Super Bowl winner again (online yes, in magazine no.  So we’ll just forget about the magazine one eh, that was old too). The LA Rams came through… Amazing to be right for the 2^nd year in a row!  Also this year commercials were actually pretty good, though if you’re not getting an electric car and buying it with Crypto then you’re obviously way behind the times.  I have zero clue on Crypto by the way… I know those who are in it, love it, but it’s all a blur to me.

 

--  Last this week… as you may know 2022 is the International Year of Glass and things are already rolling with more to come.  The NGA has a nice home page for all things IYOG – so check that out HERE.  Exciting to see so many from around the world showing the adoration and respect for the product the runs our lives…. (at least most of us in this industry!)

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Some car dealers are having worse supply chain issues than others.  Ouch 

 

Road warriors- check out the potential business class on narrow body planes.  Nice.  Now I am scared to see what the coach class looks like though!

 

This tree is growing inside the building and is not going to be stopped!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Aragon Construction is one of those rock star organizations in our world and this week the Project of the Week spotlight is on them.  This is the “Produce LA” project and according to a post from Aragon it features “a binary sequence of single and double wide alternating panels of curtain wall and corrugated metal panels. The planing view reveals a shingled sawtooth that rises & falls at varying floor lines, making the facade coordination, attachment and waterproofing a modern feat.”  Yeah I’d say so! CONGRATS to the Aragon team on a job well done!

Podcast, Travel, and Super Jobs

The 2^nd.edition of Season 2 of the From the Fabricator podcast is now out for your listening/watching pleasure!  This was an interesting one with a mix of people from all over our country to also different roles and responsibilities.  Kicking it off was the very talented David Corle of HMI Glass.  Great background and approach on all and just love the thirst for learning all the time that David promotes. Then Shelly Farmer of Trex Commercial Products joined and she has always been one of my all-time favorites. Shelly is easily one of the best all-around sales leads in our world and her drive is epic.  Next a quick look at a piece of innovation that is changing the way the glaziers in the field work. It’s a small invention but pretty powerful in its ability to help efficiency and health- hear from a couple of great glaziers (Matt Luck and Rudd Willis) who developed the Laser Lens Gambit Tape.  Last but certainly not least, the sharp Nick St. Denis of KMR joined the podcast to talk forecasts both past and present (some great nuggets for going forward) and really creating very needed data in a space that desperately needs it. Overall really fun and different cast with tons of takeaways.  Thanks again for checking it all out!

Watch the VIDEO

Listen to the AUDIO  (also on Apple and Spotify etc.) 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Had the great fortune of traveling through Florida this week with the ultimate #GlassNerd and legend Andrew Haring of the National Glass Association.  A few quick hits here and then a special rundown about a 1^stexperience ever for me on next week’s blog.   Saw several amazing people and companies and really had me fired up about the present and future of our industry.  Here’s just a sampling.   Kristin Thomas and her team at Tab Glass are top notch and class acts through and through.  Really impressed by their approach and mission.  Just chatting with them on their experiences in the field was something that fired me up- they “get it” and represent our space beautifully.  Loved seeing the Daubmann family and team at their D3 Glass operation.  It easily ranks as one of the nicest full line fabricators I have ever seen.  I was in awe of the “all-star” grouping of machinery (h/t to Andrew for coining that term) and the flow and layout of the plant was incredibly impressive.  The Daubmann’s are master marketers but they’re also premium operators with a tremendous team. Plus they really are wonderful caring people on our industry and more.  Last, Privacy Glass Solutions is a company I have followed and they blossomed into an absolute force in the areas that they play in.  Their expanded operation left me speechless- what Kevin Roth has done there in the Blinds Between Glass, Switchable Smart Glass, and Deco side is off the charts and growing- add in an incredibly sharp COO in Jamie Clingan (who has turbo charged things there) and the recipe for more serious success is in play. More on my trip next week!

 

--  On my podcast Nick St. Denis talked about the 2022 outlook and the AIA also weighed in with their consensus report.  They put out their info twice a year, once at the start and once in the middle and the initial take can be found here.  A few rough spots but really some seriously positive numbers especially headed into 2023.

 

--  If you are a glass fabricator are you ready to handle more work?  Or are you able to even handle what you have now?  I can’t stress enough the need then to get to GPAD next month in Nashville.  For what BEC is to the glazing community, GPAD is for the fabricators.  The info that will be shared there, along with supply chain options and serious networking WILL make a difference in your operation.  Learn more and be there.

 

--  Last this week… love when I see our industry in the news and same goes here from a piece in Crains Detroit on the rebuild at the old Michigan Central Station.  Super Sky is doing a ton of work there and I was able to see that in person but this article goes deep into all the work that is being done there.  Joe Lucchese is one of the best manufacturers reps in our world and he has been on fire with this project and deserves kudos for keeping our industry in the right places there.  When this one is done- we’ll revisit- but congrats to Super Sky, Joe and all involved!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I get picked on because all I most eat these days is chicken.  But my gosh this is wildness!

 

I guess this eco cabin is a good ad for glass?

 

The home buying market continues to be bananas.. part 348

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

While in Florida this week I got to visit Faour Glass.  They did they did a job that is the centerpiece of Disney Springs a favorite destination of mine.  It is the Coca Cola store and I always have been in awe of the glass work there but to get the background from Faour AND see a part of the original mock up at their shop was unbelievable.  This job is incredible and one of many that Faour has absolutely delivered beyond belief on...  congrats to them on great work here and elsewhere- truly makes our industry look strong and brilliant!

 

Quick Takes

Everyone staying warm?  What a run over the last few weeks that even folks in Florida saw some crazy temps.  Anyway things will be heating up soon with a lot going on in our industry on tap.  This week’s post is a quick hitter style with some catch up items leading the way.

 

--  Next week will be the 2nd edition of season 2 of the From the Fabricator podcast and it’s a fun and different one with regards to the guest lineup.  Some fascinating and innovative people joined me, and we covered a wide range of subjects.  Looking forward to wrapping it up and getting it out next week!

 

--  Glass Magazine review time… this is the 2022 Forecast issue and once again Katy Devlin, Norah Dick and team knocked it out of the park!  So much good in there but if you haven’t checked out the daylight and views section, do that right away.  Articles from amazing thought leaders like Dr. Helen Sanders, Lisa Heschong, and Adam Mitchell are fantastic reads.

 

--  The ad of the month race is always a tough one to choose but this month is tougher because it’s a packed issue ad wise, and everyone brought their “A” game.   However only one winner and that is GGI and the “Max” glass board piece.  Obviously, I love the name but really the ad pops in so many ways and it does what was intended- makes you stop, look, and read.  Congrats to the GGI team on an excellent piece of marketing there! 

 

--  The latest from Gilbane on the supply chain is out and our industry stayed the same from last month with ratings of stabilizing (price) contracting (inventories) and delayed (deliveries).  I do expect some ratings changes next month in at least 2 of the 3 categories, so we will see.  Note, once again every single trade is listed as “delayed” on deliveries, so we are truly not alone.

 

--  Congrats to Rustin Cassway, President of MyGlassTruck on celebrating his 33^rd year in business.  Rustin is truly an industry original and he changed the truck rack landscape in his tenure there.  Also he made many GlassBuild’s more memorable while raising a ton of money for charity.  Good man and here’s to many more years in our universe!

 

--  Kudos to the team at Global Security Glass on the nice write up they received for a prison job in Utah.  It can be found here, and I point it out mostly because this article shows off the glass product in such a powerful and positive way.  Detention glazing surely is not a big newsy item but I thought this effort deserved extra pub.

 

--  Also a good read from Intelligent Glass Solutions Magazine on the “Healing Power of Glass”- once again our materials are a heck of a lot better than some folks out there think.  We continue to make the world a better place! H/T to the United Architectural Metals LinkedIn feed where I first saw it.

 

--  I saw a stat this week on year over year job openings.   Obviously in our industry we have quite a few- especially on plant floors and out at jobsites.  This survey had our world in the manufacturing sector which has 66% more jobs open than a year ago.  Hospitality has 72% more jobs open than last year and transportation 90% more open!  But the one that stunned me?  The insurance world has 88% more job openings into 2022 than they did in 2021.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that industry was that rough for finding people.

 

--  Last this week… Super Bowl kicks off Sunday… Rams and Bengals.  So to go back some… in the pages of Glass Magazine (the one linked above) I picked the Ravens to win it all.  That was written when they Ravens were 8-3.  They then lost every single game after…. Anyway, fast forward to my blog of 1/9/22 where I picked the Rams over the Titans to win.  So amazingly I am still alive… will the Rams winning come through and for the 2^nd year in a row (I picked the Bucs last year) and this blog will have picked the winner?  We’ll see… I do love Joe Burrow though, he’s from the great city of Athens, Ohio and so my heart is with him too.  Either way hopefully we get a good game!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Not sure I'd want my police force to do this all the time, but very cool still.

 

When marketing goes very wrong….

 

100% they did this on purpose or staged it for social media content.  That is our world now.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Jan Hulin of Q Railing usually posts a ton of neat projects so it’s tough to choose, but this one I think stands out a bit.  This was on Jan’s feed last month and its Waterline Square in New York and it shows off where glass can be an excellent complement in the most grand of scenarios.  Plus this space is underground so light is needed wherever you can get it- meaning glass is a must.  The design from Jaroff Design is amazing and Q really delivered with their systems.  Bent glass from Glasshape looks super too.  Congrats Jan and Q team on a job well done!

Plan It Now

Have you registered for BEC and GPAD yet?  Those of you who have attended these conferences know the value and I assume you’ll be signing on soon.  But let’s say you have not attended and have no idea what the fuss is about… let me take you through it.  BEC is an incredible networking and educational experience.  The chance to learn and understand what the challenges are that the glazing community faces and be able to network with that space is what makes this so special.  I believe this year is my 20^thBEC (my brain is mush so not positive) and it has never failed to deliver something new to me with info or people wise.  If you are a glazier you need to be there to be ahead of the game.  If you supply a glazier you need to be there to see and understand what’s happening on that side of the ball.  Click HERE to learn more.  Meanwhile GPAD- also known as Glass Processing and Automation Days is a must attend event if you are a fabricator of glass.  With the challenges of labor and efficiency more severe than ever, getting to an event like this, where you can learn about the next level of machinery and software is crucial to your future.  Glass fabricators that are serious about improving themselves attend this conference and grow positively because of it.  Click HERE for more information and on GPAD and note that agenda will continue to be updated…. Seriously folks, these are events that can’t be missed! Plan it now and I'll see you there!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Big news from our world with the word that Chris Dolan of Guardian Glass is retiring.  Chris has had a massive influence on how we do things and the products we use each and every day.  Those of you newer to the business may not realize that Chris was a significant player in getting the Guardian SunGuard glass line launched, pushed, and now utilized all over the place.  When he took that responsibility on it that was a massive job and he aced it.  Now I know Chris well enough that he’ll deflect all credit and props but his efforts were big time substantial.  In fact, I would go as far as saying that on the Mount Rushmore of Guardian Glass it would be Mr. Davidson, Russ Ebeid, Joe Bruce (someone who many do not realize was a force in so many ways there) and Chris Dolan.  Without Chris’ efforts I honestly don’t think Guardian is where it is now with regards to respect, reputation, and standing in the market.  I am so happy for him, and thrilled to see him get ready to go off and enjoy the next chapter in his life! 

 

--  I sat in on a construction outlook call this week and really no major new ground was covered.  Labor issues and inflation continue to be the focus… Price escalation and volatility is getting people in some serious trouble, so folks please do what you can do to protect yourself and make sure your communication and paperwork are the best it can be.  As for the inflation and labor worries, the analysts feel that the inflation angle will eventually calm but there is not a great hope on the labor issue. We all have experienced labor being bad, but its surely getting worse.  And thus another reason why getting to BEC and GPAD is so immense because these areas will get addressed/discussed.

 

--  One of my favorite annual contests is back and open for nominations.  It’s the Eastman Vanceva World of Color contest.  I love this one because it shows off so many unique and interesting projects and usage of laminated glass.  So check it out and get your projects submitted!

 

--  Last this week, some big news on the manufacturer rep side…. One of the best rep firms in our world is Rowe Fenestration and they announced that they’ll be taking on Peerless Architectural Windows and Doors.  This is big news since Rowe Fen has really set the market table in their region and bringing this line on surely is a disruption.  Leave it to the legend Scott Rowe to always keep people on their toes!! Congrats to Rowe and Peerless (whom I know very little, but something tells me with the Rowe machine and the great Lindsey Parker pushing, I’ll know a ton soon) on this new deal.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Pretty fascinating story on a 7-foot guy showing off his perspective from that height.

 

--  I feel like I learned something when I read about a metal plan melting on a glass cook top

 

--  Long story but interesting and heavy at points on a home bought that was once a plantation with slaves. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

A few months back I stumbled onto the feed of Ty Clem of Global Fabrication and then connected with him. He posts (and does) some awesome work and this job in particular really delivered.  This is the Tulsa City-County Central Library and it is something to adore. According to Ty’s post it features cassette wall cubes from England (I think I know the brand but Ty didn’t mention on post and I don’t want erroneously guess) along with Kawneer curtainwall, tons of all glass entrances and TGP fire rated glass- which happens to be in the largest fire rated wall in the state.  NICE! Congrats Ty and Global Fabrication on a job well done!!

 

 

2022 Prediction Time

After a one-week delay, my fearless predictions for 2022 are here.  Let’s go…

Yes- Interior Growth this year- I called for Glass to be more dominant than ever in 2021 based in part to major design shifts to the interior using more glass.  Unfortunately, the delay of returning to any sort of work also delayed this growth.  Well, I am going for it in 2022, interiors with tons of glass will take off.

More 8mm- The trend really started to push with more 8mm glass in IGU’s then the traditional 6mm, and I think in 2022, it’s going to become more standard than ever.  Bigger sizes are demanding this and the quality options improve too.  (Though some tempering ovens will need upgraded and a bigger need for quality tracking because of this for sure.) The days of 6 over 6 as the ONLY go to are coming to an end.

Rough waters for some- We are going to lose some businesses this year.  I hope not, but my fear is the amount of crazy pricing, supply chain issues, and plain old bad luck will doom some folks.  This is one prediction I hope is wrong, but I have a bad feeling about this mostly because some businesses were not as organized as they needed to be or funded as well as they needed to be for them to ride out a monumental mess that certain things became.  We will see…

Code Crunch- The various code and guideline bodies have been pretty mellow lately which means I think we are about to see them raise up.  What will it be though?  Less glass or call for higher performing glass options?  I am confident that the brilliant NGA Superhero Code team will do all they can to keep glass flowing but I think they’re going to be awfully busy this year battling other construction segments. 

More than 1 big deal is coming- We know there are a few massive companies for sale in our industry and I think in 2022 more than 1 will actually get sold.  One of these deals will turn the industry on its head too either in who it is sold to or how it is broken up/restructured.   This is just a guess, I don’t have any intel yet, just a feel is all.  I just hope whoever makes these deals wants to do right by the industry as a whole.  Be involved with the NGA, GlassBuild etc.  We need to keep that rolling to keep our overall industry healthy and headed in the right direction.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  If you missed my podcast from last week- please check it out.  Three incredible guests in Nicole Harris, Tara Brummet, and Andy Russo and all with tons of insight and angles.  

For VIDEO  

For AUDIO

 

--  I am happy to say I was wrong on my prediction that the latest Architectural Billings Index would be underwater this month.  The latest came in at a winning 52.0 actually up one point from last month.  So, despite the bad “feel” out there the metrics came together on the positive side.  The analysis of the report showed some concern with staffing and holes in the market but otherwise hard to quibble with this streak we are on…

 

--  Congrats to the team at International Revolving Door (Led by Whitney and Josh Kratochvil) on the launch of their tremendous new website.  Check it out here- and love the headline “YOU KNOW WHERE TO TURN” when it’s on a revolving door site- cool. Well done team!

 

--  I really enjoyed seeing two of my favorite people combine on a cool blog post… John Wheaton and Matt Verderamo go back and forth on fasteners and engineering- so for me who is clueless on so many things technically- it was an intriguing dive into the minds of two really brilliant engineers.  Good work guys!

 

--  Last this week… the Daubmann family (MY Shower Door and D3) was back in the news as they met with United States Senator Rick Scott on the state of the supply chain.  I love that these folks consistently get in the conversation at high levels and elevate our industry along the way.  The report on the meeting can be found here and I am sure this is just the start of more dialogue that our world will be a part of thanks to the efforts of folks like Bill and Keith.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

This should be filed in the “don’t we have better things to do” category.

 

Here we go again… Google Glasses are back!

 

Brutal story of robbery gone bad and more.  Wow.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

One of my favorites in this world is Rick Alexander of Tom Brown.  Smart as heck and nice guy too.  He turned me on to a project that his company worked on with a technology I never heard of and it opened my eyes to something pretty darn amazing.  Check this project out from INOVUES.  This is their non-invasive, overglaze window retrofit system, named Glazing Shield™, that provides the same benefits of window replacement at a fraction of the cost and time, and without disruption.  READ this release for the details and more images- very impressive and intense.  Also impressive was their leadership (Anas Al Kassas and Alex King) team which I got to speak to thanks to Rick and a podcast appearance is coming soon.  Fascinating story and product line!

 

Pod, Rumors, Projects, Dogs and More

Because of so many other things going this week I am pushing my 2022 predictions to next week… I know for those of you planning your year you are devastated but it’s worth the wait!

 

I am thrilled to drop the latest episode of the From the Fabricator podcast and it’s a powerful one.  Leading off with Nicole Harris, President and CEO of the National Glass Association I thought was a great way to start the year.  Nicole is absolutely brilliant and thoughtful, and she delivered a lot of food for thought and she stunned me on who her current role model is….

Then Tara Brummet from Vitrum joined me and Tara is one of the most talented and popular people in our industry.  Loved her backstory and her approach/influence in our industry.  Last Andy Russo of Glass & Metal Craft joined and I absolutely loved hearing about his past, the drive, lessons learned and then the big key- the things we should all be doing to grow our industry.  Some of you reading this do what Andy is a big proponent of, we need to get more on that….  Thank you for checking this episode out- to watch it, visit HERE and to listen it is on Apple, Spotify and more but also HERE.  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  One of the big items people are talking about … the buzz surrounding a potential deal for Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope.  And that buzz is growing big time.   Due diligence is moving at a dizzying pace.  I just don’t know who’s behind all of the work because it is seriously shrouded in secrecy.  But things are moving…. So obviously stay tuned…

 

--  Speaking of items people are talking about… the absolutely monumental news that Andersen Corporation (Andersen Windows) is a part of an investment into Ubiquitous Energy.  This is massive given that Andersen is the largest window player in the world and now they are throwing in to this incredibly exciting and important technology.  And the release noted this is just as big for residential as it is for commercial, which is a massive move.   End of the day it is positive news for our industry and it’s no secret I am a fan of the team at Ubiquitous- so a giant CONGRATS to them!

 

--  Interesting week ahead with the next release of the Architectural Billings Index on Wednesday.  The feeling I have is we may have our first under water rating in a year.  I hope not, but I just have this feeling of dread coming.  I do think if it happens it will be an aberration though.  Possibly my negativity is coming from the overall malaise in our world and the Dodge Momentum Index being down 3% in December.  I will note the Dodge people said in their December release they are still confident on 2022 and it would be more “balanced” too and that is comforting.  Regardless let’s see what we get this week and go from there….

 

--  Some sad news to report.  John Baldry long time leading force in the Canadian glass market with Pilkington and then most notably AFG/AGC passed away at the age of 95.  Great person and leader and was admired by so many both in Canada and the U.S.- I didn’t work with him much personally (he retired a few years after I got into the business) but he worked a lot through the years in different ways with my family.  Class act and huge loss for our universe again.  My condolences to John’s family and friends. 

 

--  ENR Magazine had its best projects of the year layout and those are always fun and that is actually what spurred me to do my project of the week here.  Here are their choices for 2021 but I have to say I am pretty sure many of the projects I spotlighted here should’ve been on this list and were absolute winners.  Obviously, ENR is using different parameters, they are more international, and they don’t look at the glass and glazing like we do… still interesting reads and some wild efforts here. 

 

--  Last this week… you know I love dogs… we now have 5 of them in our house (including our first “grand dog”) so I’ll end with a cool link shared with me by the great Jen Marsik Friess of Guardian Glass.  Dogs saving their owners… HERE!  Love it!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  I know that going viral on YouTube can make you money- but is it worth blowing up your Tesla to do it? 

 

Tough story on a Moose falling through a window!

 

How does this happen?  Builder lies about owning a lot.  Ouch for person who hired him and more.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

 

We go to Denver this week… from the feed of Brad Holt of Element13 Facades (which Brad if you read this- where did the name Element13 come from?)  Tremendous looking project- this is the 240 St. Paul project and the glass and glazing are right on point.  Love it.  I saw in one of the comments the unitized came from Accura but no word on glass supply. Regardless this one is a beauty and one we can be proud of- Congrats Brad and the team at Element13!

2021 Prediction Review- How did I do?

So my tradition is always on the 2^ndpost of the year to review my predictions from the previous year and grade how they turned out.  I am never always right or always wrong and looks like 2021 stayed in track with that.  Next week my official predictions for 2022 will be out.  But until then lets grade out 2021.
--  Glass is going to be the big winner post COVID-19. – I’d say this is a “no” but I think I was just too early in the prediction as all indications still point to glass being dominant once any sort of normalcy returns.  I continue to underestimate the legs of this pandemic.  

--  2021 wiil be a “Donut” year- a hole in the middle and then solid- Get ready for a roller coaster ride.  This was a “Yes” and an adventurous ride it was. 2022 is shaping up to be a nice recovery especially for those that spent way too much time in the center of the donut.

--  Protective Glass is absolutely in style now- I’m going “yes” here.  New players into the market with the biggest news of the world leading Isoclima brand now in the North American market with the acquisition of Global Security and Dlubak. Plus strong debuts from companies like Thompson IG and Ballistic Glass and Armor Solutions (BGAS) really made an impact.  More innovations here and a ton of additional specifications.  This only scratched the surface in 2021 too. 

--  Automation- real automation, and continued software growth- I am going with a “no” here as there wasn’t a big enough push into automation but that also may be delayed given some fully automated systems are out 2 years lead time wise.  This is still an area to watch and I love the software space too.  Big year last year for folks like BidClips (led by the amazing Jim Evans) Fenetech (with a big deal to continue their roll) and the good folks at SPIL who are growing in North America nicely.  More to come I am sure.

--  Emergence of high performance code busters-  This is an absolute “Yes” with VIG hitting the jackpot led by Michael Spellman and VIG Technologies connecting with Vitro.  Plus another major VIG startup is making waves too meaning that world is here to stay.  We also saw the great people from Ubiquitous Energy arrive on the scene and really step to the plate with game changing transparent solar technology. That is huge. And not to be downplayed at all but SAGE and Halio (with a big connection with Viracon) boosted the dynamic space nicely.

 

So I count at 3 wins, 2 losses but those losers were close…. Bottom line is I do like some of the directions we are going in and the positive effect it is going to have on our world. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  This past week I was at the Glass Expo Southeast and it was fantastic.  Kudos to the organizers there as this event was first class and it came off extremely busy and well.  Great way to start the year to see some excellent companies and people and everyone fired up for a great 2022! Some key takeaways… was tremendous to see super rep duo Tony and Kristen Kasprzak.  They were hustling the show on their anniversary no less- so romantic right? Speaking of reps, my pal Jeff Ziesche was holding down a very busy FHC stand- always love visiting with him. Speaking of busy the Virginia Glass duo of James Wright and Jeremy Hoy were so busy, I barely got a chance to say hi. Also swamped?  Jay Campbell of Billco but he always makes time for me and if I end up in Germany later this year he’ll probably bail me out there again like he did a few years ago. (At least I hope he does!) 

I was super impressed with Michele Welch and her company Illustrated Interiors.  She specializes in shop drawings for all glass entrances and just a super setup and service offering. Loved meeting her and seeing the work.  Good stuff!  

Always cool to run into people in new places like Andy Amitrano who I knew from his days of being one of the forces in the Colorado glazing community and now is doing his awesome work in Orlando at Architectural Aluminum Techniques.  Cass Buczek was a guy I worked with way back in my past in Michigan and now he has really settled in nicely at this gig with a great company in Banner Solutions.  

I am a fan of what the NACC is doing and they are on a huge roll right now, so it was cool to be able to congratulate Jeff Dalaba and Ben Beeler in person on continued jobs well done!  

Old friends like Gus Trupiano of GGI and Scott Goodman of CRL never fail to bring a smile to my face. Class Acts!

I don’t think I ever met Barry Wood of the legendary Wood’s Pwr Grip brand so that was very nice and same with getting to chat with Shaun Gustafson of ClearShield Technologies.  I’ve always seen their names and know their brands so getting a chance to meet was super. Meeting Jason Rodgers of G+ and him noting he was a reader of the blog and listener to the podcast was pretty cool for me. 

Last the MyGlassClass.com booth was jammed mostly because icons like Andrew Haring and Melanie Dettmer were holding court. (Those two just have me in awe) Amazing how they just rock and roll at events like this and add real spirit to our world.  Plus the absolute thirst for education from the audience really made the day(s).  People WANT and NEED to learn more and it was obvious at this event that applications like MyGlassClass are perfect to fill that request.

 

--  BEC and GPAD are now open for registration!  So excited about these events.  I think most of you know about BEC- the ultimate networking hub for the glazing community.  But GPAD is a great one too and its education is geared towards the glass fabricator.  If you are looking for equipment or software to improve your operation (and I assume you should be) then you NEED TO BE in Nashville for GPAD.  The best in the world will be on hand pitching the latest and great efficiencies for the plant floor.   If you need more info or insight on this, please just hit me up.  

 

--  Last this week… my annual Super Bowl pick.  So in my article with Katy Devlin I picked the Ravens- and I loved them to win it until they seemingly lost every game possible down the stretch.  So now, as of this posting, they are not even in the playoffs so I need to pick a new winner.  Here it is.  I am going with the Rams over the Titans, though I would love to see a Buccaneer/Patriot final for the storyline (Brady vs his old coach and team) and to see the Daubmann family have to split their allegiances between their two favorite teams….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Apple “Air tags” may be nice but this is problematic

 

Wow- I know my friends in Canada can party but this is even more than that! Plus how to get home???

 

Paper mill asking for “donations” - Isn’t this just recycling anyway?  Such an odd story.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Since I was in Florida this week, I went with some of that flavor for the project of the week.  Down to South Florida we go, and this amazing auto showroom done by the awesome team at Miller Glass & Glazing (by the way the open on their website is super) This is a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Fort Lauderdale. Miller did great work on a full glass exterior, showing off the product nicely and making our industry look great once again.  Kudos to Sid Miller and team there and the lucky suppliers (they weren’t listed on the LinkedIn post) who worked on it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 2022- Now Let's Go!

2022.  We made it.  Time to start another year and maybe, just maybe we’ll see more “normal” vs. what we have experienced since early in 2020.  For our industry the year will get off to a fast start with the Southeast Glass Expo taking place later this week.  I’m pumped for this event as it should be a great kick off for the year and It will be exciting to get to once again see folks in a show setting.  Soon after that wraps up, we’ll have a nice run of events as we have the NGA Glass Conference scheduled for January 24-26 (Register Now) and then of course the return of the monster BEC and GPAD events in Nashville at the end of March.  2022 is also the International Year of Glass, so let’s all lean into it- get involved- join NGA, get to these events, educate yourselves and your co-workers and let’s all grow together in the best industry around….

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  When I speak of NGA and joining one perk is member only deals like presentations from Connor Lokar of ITR Economics.  His presentation before the year was out was incredible and the ability to plan accordingly with that info is huge for any business.  Two key takeaways for me were that he sees inflation starting to stabilize and then decelerate and he is not bullish on the shower door space in 2022 because of slowing consumer spend.  Interesting on both.  The whole 30-minute presentation was incredible though and loaded with info- so if you are member get to the members only portal on the NGA site and check it out.  Not a member?  Seriously time to join!

 

--  Supply chain update via Gilbane came during the holiday season too.  In the three categories they track of price, inventories, and delivery we are now listed as stabilizing, contracting, and delayed.  And on that first one, I don’t see that stabilizing for long especially since the only other tracked business area that is not in the “increase” mode is PPE. (Which I find odd given how much everyone needs it.) Obviously, we are living in this world, so we don’t need a report to tell us what we are experiencing- but it is at least some reinforcement that we are surely still in the middle of the muck out there.

 

--  While laying low during the break I found myself on the Vitro Education Center page and it was like ultimate glass rabbit hole for me just reading piece after piece and checking it all out.  It is like when you are on YouTube and looking for something about the 80’s and you end up being on there for 2 hours- that was me on the Vitro Education site.  Super well-done folks… kudos to the great Rob Struble and team for this amazing resource.

 

Two from the “In case you missed it” file… 

 

--  Here’s my one-on-one podcast with Mr. Don Friese HERE (on video) and HERE (audio) and the reaction to it has been amazing.  Especially in regard to the lessons Mr. Friese delivered over the 25 minutes or so of the cast.  Please check it out and coming soon the first episode of season 2 with 3 awesome guests!

 

--  And I was honored that the amazing Katy Devlin of Glass Magazine asked me to join her to talk “Crystal Ball” for 2022 and it was a blast- fun look at a few things including what could be a horrendously bad Super Bowl pick.  Potentially my worst ever!

 

--  Next week I’ll review my predictions for 2021.  I honestly have not looked back yet and am scared to see what that thinking was 365+ days ago… I’ll give an honest accounting though and take the wins and losses accordingly!

 

--  Last this week… so with the new year means some great TV shows will be back with new seasons soon.  Looking forward most to “Ozark” which will be back later this month and “Better Call Saul” which I hope is back in February.  Comically I have just started to watch “The Sopranos” – yes I know I’m like 20 years late to this and it is so good- no spoilers please folks…LOL.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  An old story that I had never heard before but crazy way to sneak an inmate out of jail- in a dog crate.

 

--  Another take on the “tiny home” trend

 

Nothing in this story of a man renting a crane to steal a bridge makes sense.  But I’m linking it anyway- maybe one of you can figure it out.  LOL

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

When I started this segment, I had no idea how it would fly, but it’s been a blast showing off work from great folks in our industry.  So, I’ll start 2022 with a favorite of mine, from the feed of the awesome Matt Verderamo of Alliance Exterior Construction.  This is the Howard County Circuit Courthouse and Alliance did the stunning sunshades on this one. Those were manufactured by another all-time fave of mine Tom O’Malley and Clover Architectural Products.  HOK did the exquisite design and Clark rocked it as the GC.  NICE work everyone!