New Pod- Catch Up and Grow

The newest episode of the From the Fabricator Podcast is now out and we go to coast to coast with great guests yet again. I am so fortunate to be able to talk to this sort of talent!   Kicking it off by catching up with Chris Hanstad and Barry Sutherland of FHC- Frameless Hardware Company.  They were on my 2^nd ever episode way back in February of 2021 and needless to say a lot has changed.  Great to get the updates (including a massive expansion) and those guys and the entire FHC team is rocking right now.  Then on to Amber Deimler of MyGlassTruck for a conversation that was very enlightening on a lot of angles including culture, R&D, new products, EV and much more.  Plus the MyGlassTruck booth at GlassBuild will have a different look and a lot of cool things to see/experience.  Truly enjoyed both interviews! Please give it a listen or watch!

 

Thanks for checking my podcasts- I appreciate the support as always!!

VIDEO 

AUDIO (also on Apple, Spotify, Google and more) 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  OK folks.  Let’s get real here for a moment.  We are month out from GlassBuild.  Time to make sure you are registered and have your hotel room.  I have been checking with some of my friends in the industry and more than a few came back with “oh yes, gotta take care of that” sort of answer.  Do it now. Get it set before you forget or before the hotel you want is booked.  GlassBuild.com for it all.  And as for the show- 475+ exhibits now… and so much cool educational content I can’t wait! Next week I’m going to talk about a couple of those sessions that can’t be missed….

 

--  In my last post I noted the new Architectural Billings Index would be released and I predicted it would be down and that actually happened.  The index limped in with a 48.1 score (50 is the break-even mark) so we’re underwater officially and it feels like we may be there for a bit.  Experts are calling it a “modest softening” and that is what it is for now, but the focus is what will the continuing trend be.  Design inquiries stayed above water nicely even ticking up a bit from last month, but the interest rate issue is real, and we continue to have to be focused on a tougher market ahead.  

 

--  More food for thought?  The Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) mid-year update had a lot of data points to absorb as well. It too is showing some slower conditions among other items.  Lots to take in overall.  Check out some of the more pertinent details HERE.

 

--  Before you know it the next edition of GPAD (Glass Processing and Automation Days) will be here (March, Nashville) and one of the stars of the last event just got some good news.  Kyle Lindersmith of Burkle North America was named Vice President of the 3P Division there.  Very cool for Kyle and nice move by Burkle.  Now the pressure will be on Kyle to repeat his incredible performance at the next GPAD!  Congrats!

 

--  Last this week… Sad news.  Two big losses of major pillars of the past in our industry with the passing of Donn Harter and Rich Walker. Donn Harter was a hugely important figure out west, started the original California Glass Association and was instrumental in so many codes and actions in our space.  Truly impactful in many ways.  Rich Walker was the past President of AAMA (forerunner to what is now FGIA) and was a major part in raising the educational options in our industry and representing the Fenestration world at the highest levels.  AAMA grew by leaps and bounds under Rich as well which was a challenge given some of the economics during his tenure.  Both men were great leaders and will be missed.  My thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of both gentlemen. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Look out – a Gator or worse can use your Doggie Door!

 

Who knew we had Flamingos in my neck of the woods?

 

This emotional support animal that is just so wrong and ridiculous.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I can’t wait to see this one when it is finished!  This is 1000 SOCIAL (Raleigh, NC)  and I saw it on the great feed from Building Envelope Erections Services, INC- aka BEES.  Great looking building and the glazing is looking sharp.  Some high-powered partners were mentioned on the post including Kawneer, Viracon, and W&W Glass.  Great work everyone!! 

Review, Awards, Indexes and More

Kicking it off this week a review of the latest Glass Magazine. Really strong edition led by the ultra-prestigious Glass Magazine Awards.  Congrats to all the winners there and note at GlassBuild they’ll honored in person. VERY COOL!  Elsewhere in this issue there were good articles on innovation by Jim Nixon of Quanex and a cool deep dive into printing on glass by Adam Mitchell of AGNORA. Plus the technical resource on mirrors is a must if you are in that business.  Good stuff all around and kudos to all involved!

 

As always, I do my “ad of the month” and because this issue featured the Awards and is heavily read, it attracted a lot of advertisers and that makes my job of picking a winner that much harder.  But I do what I have to do!  So this month the winner is Lattuada North America. I am partial to the use of the color green so that helped… but seriously I loved the mix of creative and standard with the pictures of the machinery and the overall color scheme popped.  Good text to image ratio too… so congrats to the team there for a job well done!

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  I am really getting excited for GlassBuild and I think I’m not alone.  I am seeing more action online about it (and not just from the NGA team but exhibitors are really stepping up) and hearing about more meetings and gatherings on-site.  Plus my legendary brother is planning on attending, so that alone makes me think we’re getting a heck of a crowd.  Can’t wait.  If you haven’t registered yet, do so now.  Also do the hotel immediately as well as I am told they are filling fast.  All can be done at GlassBuild.com 

 

--  Not a great recent Dodge Momentum Index.  That softer market that I have mentioned here a few times is starting to spread and now showing up in reports like this one.  The bright side is the areas that pulled the index lower- schools and healthcare- are not expected to be downer segments going forward so this could be more on the fluke side than we think.  Still we know that we were in for some challenges and they are here.  Next up, the Architectural Billings Index this Wednesday.  Last month dead flat… I’ll be absolutely stunned if it’s a plus score.  We’ll see and report back on my next post. 

 

--  So the next version of the Apple iPhone was announced and the biggest thing to me is the change from a “Lightning” connector to a USB-C.  I’m pretty bummed on the change as I have tons of the current connectors and have backups everywhere etc.  Plus I am old fashioned (and old) so I like wired headphones for hands free talking and now that becomes a change too.  But I know everything evolves and now the whole world will be on the same charging platform so in the long run this probably will be good.  Just sucks for now... at least in my opinion/life.

 

--  Nice to see another past podcast guest get some positive pub!  This being the very talented and cool Asta Fivgas of Reflection Window and Wall.  She’s now Director of Preconstruction there and I am sure that rocket ship will continue to fly.  Congrats Asta and Reflection on the move and if you missed my talk with Asta- you can catch it either HERE on video or via Apple, Spotify etc by searching “From the Fabricator” and look for the May 2023 edition. 

 

--  One of the overall “best” people in our industry is Kyle Sword of NSG Pilkington.  Just a class act all the way around, all the time.  And with that in mind it should not surprise you that he just completed a very unique experience for charity.  Kyle was a part of a team that rappelled down the 16 story Libbey Building in Toledo.  It was done as an event that raised money for the Victory Center, non profit Cancer Wellness Center.  Kyle and company raised more than 4k from individual donors and a stunner 200K overall.  Absolutely awesome.  Now rumors are that Kyle did it all without safety clips, going one handed on just a single rope popping quickly down the building like Spiderman. Incredible!  Way to go Kyle and everyone else that was involved in this super event!

 

--  Last this week… no post for me next week, need to recharge the blog brain as we get to the crucial GlassBuild stretch!  But when I return to this space week of October 1^st, it’ll be with a brand-new podcast with some serious industry heavyweights.  If any breaking news happens (you never know, there’s several big companies for sale right now, a deal could close) I’ll pop on to cover that on LinkedIn. Until then, stay well everyone!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Hadn’t seen this story of rescue in Turkey- guy is super lucky!

 

Here we go again with “Extreme Home Makeover” -here’s hoping they don’t overbuild like they did previously (and leave the “lucky” family in a rough spot)

 

McDonalds getting rid of self-serve drink machines… interesting play that I think targets the people that sit at McDonalds for hours on end… 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This is an older one, but I love it and it deserves project of the week status… also it features material from the always splendid Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural Products (aka the most popular guy in the industry), as well as Glass and Metalcraft and Guardian Glass.  Tremendous looking project in downtown Detroit glazed by Modern Mirror.  Really well done by everyone involved!! Congrats!

Be on Guard & Stay Informed

One of the most talked about parts of my post from last week was the video I posted from CNBC talking about banks being winners/losers during the growing volatility out there.  So this week when I saw this blurb on the excellent newsletter “The Scroll” I knew I had to share:

 

If real estate investors can’t pay the banks back—partially due to higher interest rates—the banks stop making real estate loans, which drives the price of real estate down, which makes it harder for investors to pay them back. This “doom spiral” will likely be put to the test over the next year, especially as $900 billion in loans will need to be paid off or refinanced by the end of 2024.

Scott Rechler, chief executive of real-estate investor RXR, told the WSJ that the situation is “creat[ing] a backup that will eventually overflow on the commercial real-estate markets and on the banking system.” And Blockworks macro researcher Jack Farley tweeted on Saturday, “I have it on good authority that 84% of office CMBS [commercial mortgage-backed securities] were not paid off in August.” 

 

Obviously, there’s an ominous tone there and for many in our industry not a surprise.  In some segments and regions, it’s starting to squeeze.  These comments surely add some insight to it all.  MORE than ever- insight is power- so you need to be at GlassBuild to hear what Connor Lokar has to say about this all and how it will affect our world.  The adventures continue…

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  In case you missed it… and not many of you did with some of the highest audio download numbers to date, (THANK YOU!) the latest From the Fabricator podcast dropped last week and featured 3 great guys bringing a variety of perspectives.  Hear from Joe Erb of Quanex, Nico Sanchez of Solite Systems and Charles Lubecke of Q-railing…

VIDEO

AUDIO – and also on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts

Meanwhile I’ve got the next edition lined up and I am bursting at the seams on it- unreal lineup- can’t wait!

 

--  Kudos to the awesome duo of Katy Devlin and Sara Neiswanger on the latest 2 episodes of Glass Cast.  They broke down the incredible presentations by Matt Kamper of Woodbridge Glass and David Ferret of Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems and delivered a perfect length podcast on both.  Nothing better than lessons learned and these podcasts delivered the goods! 

#4 Video  Matt Kamper

#5 Video  David Ferret

Audio on Spotify and Apple- just search GlassCast (all one word)

 

-- A big congrats to the monster rep firm Seawall Architectural Products led by the dynamic duo of Kristen and Tony Kasprzak. They announced an expansion with the addition of Danielle Smith as Customer Experience Manager.  A great hire and shrewd move by the Seawall team.  Tony and Kristen just always keep that progress rolling!

 

--  Also speaking of strong companies making major positive moves- we can add Giroux Glass to that theme with the recent hiring of Jeff Heymann. This is huge news as Jeff is one of the most respected figures in our world (and a mission of mine to meet one of these days) and he’ll mesh nicely with the incredible group that Nataline Lomedico has built at Giroux.  Tremendous news here for sure. 

 

--  Last this week… a glass in TV/movie reference…. I am watching the mini-series “Special Ops-Lioness” on Paramount+.  It’s been solid though pretty formulaic (written by Taylor Sheridan of Yellowstone fame, he just cranks shows out) and they had a character bust through a tempered door lite with perfection and the tempered looked good too.  So unlike some other shows where the glass defied reality, this scene was legit.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The “Gator” trend has now hit Kentucky

 

Absolutely unreal here.  The pressure to turn planes and keep things running leads to awful scenarios like this- Air Canada should step up and do right by these folks.

 

This must be a super chill yoga class…

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Some of my favorite people of all time take the spotlight this week… Aragon Construction with the 101 South Marengo retrofit.  This was a stone cube with no windows and Aragon and an amazing team of collaborators rejuvenated it into a stunner that features our main products at their finest!  Great case study on it HERE (a riveting read really) and KUDOS to Matt and Joey Aragon and the entire awesome team at Aragon for absolutely crushing this one!  

Podcast Trio of Justice

The latest edition of the From the Fabricator podcast is now up and we’ve got three folks coming from three different directions.  Good stuff on all- I start off with the industry stalwart Joe Erb of Quanex.  Joe is truly an “industry guy” and has so many good takes on our world, including what’s happening at Quanex, and more.  Then I go on an initial voyage with Nico Sanchez of Solite Systems.  I knew nothing on Nico and very little on Solite Systems, so this was a great chance to learn.  Nico is an interesting guy with a product that is special to our space.  Plus he joins Carl Christ of DFI and Katy Devlin of NGA in the "actual" rock star category.  In any case I think Solite Systems will be one to keep an eye on going forward.  Last I welcomed Charles Lubecke of Q-railing.  Charles has had a fascinating path to our world and has made some great impressions along the way.  Good to hear about Q’s progress too as that railing space is a strong one for glass and Q railing is all in there.  Each guy also did super with the “fun” question too- lots of food for thought there!  Thank you for checking it out as always!

VIDEO

AUDIO – and also on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts

Elsewhere…

 

--  Our world got some nice mainstream coverage this week with Kyle Sword of NSG Pilkington doing his best Brad Pitt imitation gracing the cover of a story in the Toledo Blade.  Kyle was featured in a piece about a tech hub coming to Toledo that would be a massive plus for the region.  No doubt his passion can sell this thing and help our industry shine!  Here’s the story!  Nice work Kyle!

 

--  Personnel moves… Good to see the ultra-talented Steven Acker take a role at Everest USA.  They are a strong window/curtain wall player in Europe making inroads in North America.  Obviously having someone like Steven on board will be a huge help.  Congrats my friend!  

Also recently I noted that the team at Super Sky added the top-notch rep team at PGP to their roster… well Brian Thomas there is on a roll because he did it again by adding industry vets Angus MacMillan and Allen Davidson and their firms to the organization.  I know both guys though I go further back with Angus and know he’s one of the best around.  Always love it when good people connect and match up with good organizations!

 

--  Speaking of good people, one is Joe Staffileno and he was nice enough to share with me this video of a major developer talking on CNBC about that tricky office market.  Pretty interesting take here on who the winners and losers may be as we continue to evolve the way the post covid office works.   

 

--  I’ve also talked on here about the team from Acelab, and I got an update on them this week.  They have made significant inroads adding a few massive players to the platform all the while reaching more and more architects.  If you haven’t been on the site in a while check it out, really gaining in all the right areas and a great look for our industry as we try to impress upon the design community.

 

--  Last this week… what everyone is waiting for… my Super Bowl pick!  Now my pre-season picks have not gone well (Thanks Baltimore) but my picks when the playoffs start have been on fire.  So now I have to channel that same energy into this pick and get it right.  I am going with an all “Quarterback” from Netflix final- Kansas City vs Minnesota.  Mahomes vs. Cousins.  (If you haven’t watched that show but remotely like football, you’ll love this series).  And I’m going with KC repeating.  Now that’s my head decision… Super Bowl I want to see?  Jets vs Lions.  Two fanbases that have been tortured.  The hype on this one would be off the charts- as would be ticket prices.  

 

LINKS of the WEEK

You always see the video of people walking into a glass door… this is a bit of a twist on that!

 

Another week, another Gator story…

 

You gotta see it to believe it!  A bull in a car- something tells me Andrew Haring will be bringing this guy to the GlassBuild Rodeo! 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

SMU has been in the news this week for moving conferences (to the ACC) and they also have my project of the week honor!  This is Barr-McMillion Natatorium from the great team at B&B Glass in Dallas.  Just a sharp and clean project overall and love the overall team that collaborated on this.  Aside from B&B, aluminum was from Tubelite, primary glass from Vitro, fabricated glass from Tristar, and kudos to Dow for the sealant.  Good stuff by all and congrats on this one!

The Thrill of the Pod

Next week they’ll be a new episode of the From the Fabricator podcast.  It looks to be a good one and it got me to thinking on how many people I’ve interviewed so far.  The three guests that will appear will be numbers 114, 115, and 116.  When I tallied that up, I was somewhat stunned.  I did not think I had interviewed that many people but sure enough I have.  So I obviously missed the traditional milestone of 100 guests, so here’s noting it all now.  More than 100 guests in and the goal was to bring as many voices and views to the industry as possible.  It’s been such a cool run in getting to know people of every make and model in our space and looking forward to more to come.  I’ve had the honor of interviewing industry legends like Mr. Don Friese, major leaders like Ricardo Maiz, Steve Weidner, Garret Henson and Nicole Harris, and overall so many tremendously cool and smart people.  Plus I had guys like Adrian Lowenstein on before he added a Hollywood talent agent and complete entourage.  So there’s that! Catch up with it all by searching “From the Fabricator” where you get your podcasts (or find them here on Apple) and check them out, plus feel free to rate and review too!  Thanks for the support and I’ll continue to push these episodes out every month.  Also, while I do have a wish list of people that I am working on, if there’s someone you want me to chase down for an interview, let me know! 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  The latest Architectural Billings index was released this week and it came in at a dead flat number of 50.0.  Remember 50 is the break-even so that’s where we are at and with last month being at 50.1 this is being considered as “stable” and I guess we’ll take it.  In some of the surveys of respondents though it was noted some more softening was taking place so that bears following.  In addition, the Design Contracts and Design Inquiries both dropped, so really this was not a good month despite things staying level.  We’ve all been expecting the volatility and while it hasn’t been as intense as we thought, it is here.  My worry continues to be the interest rate issue and the economy overall are just not encouraging for positive times and eventually the indexes will show it.  

 

--  The great Dr. Kayla Natividad of NSG/Pilkington sent me this amazing read on the need for good glass in Ukraine.  Really something and also a line in there about quality that will make you chuckle. 

 

--  I’ve talked on here many times about Chris Phillips and his incredible resource on Facebook with the Shower Door Professionals group.  Now Chris expanded and has a newsletter for that group that you can subscribe too and get the latest. Here’s the link to the current edition and from there you sign up for it and also join the group and more.  If you are in the shower door world in any capacity, it is a must. 

--  GlassBuild.  You know I am going to keep harping on it because YOU HAVE TO BE THERE.  Have you looked at the quality and quantity of exhibitors?  My gosh it is amazing.  So many great companies from all over the world.  Everything you need all in one place over 3 days in Atlanta.  Seriously if you are not building those networks ahead of any “soft times” as mentioned above, you are doing it wrong.  Attending and being active on that GlassBuild floor is a big key to business in 2024- so I’d make sure you’re there. 

 

--  Last this week… College Football is back… I do love this sport but I am afraid with all of the conference changes its going to lose some luster.  Until then though I am going to enjoy it all to the max.  Who’s gonna win it all?  I’d love to see Michigan but they’re snakebit constantly (sometime self inflicted) and so I am going with their rival Ohio State.  As many know I do not like Ohio State (I went to “little brother Ohio U. and live in Michigan so I really can’t like the Buckeyes) but that team is stacked and amazingly there are people sleeping on them right now.  So Ohio State over Georgia is the call…

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The growth of the basement! (love mine!)

 

Not used to having Gators in Michigan!

 

Is it me or is infrastructure everywhere and in every segment suffering? 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

The fabulous Dan Plotnick of Vitro Architectural Glass gets the spotlight this week with his push on a groundbreaking project at Lafayette College.  This has 3 VERY hot products on it- High performance low e (Solarban 90) Bird Friendly markings, AND Vacumax VIG.  This is the fiture and of course Dan teamed up with great folks like Glass Enterprises to make it happen.  And kudos to Michael Spellman too as his VIG vision continues to come into big time focus.  Great work gang! 

Thoughts out West

Never thought I’d be leading off a blog talking about a hurricane hitting southern California and the southwest but here we are.  Obviously sending positive thoughts to all, especially with regards to the rains and floods.  When I saw the following blurb in weather blog I trust, it opened my eyes…

“The overall rainfall will exceed 12-14 Trillion gallons across the Western U.S. states including CA, NV, AZ, UT, OR, ID, MT. This will be a major event across several states in mountainous terrain. The area of 2-4” rain with isolated amounts to 12-inches will be considerable including Los Angeles, San Diego, Death Valley and Las Vegas.”

Stay safe out there my friends. 

Note- We’re also watching the updated predictions for storms on the east coast this season.  Last year was a rough one and this year has started off quiet.  Would really be nice to skate by with minimal action out there….

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Coming up on August 30^th a big webinar via the NGA and Architectural Record. “The Power of Protective Glass” is the subject and given how critical (and popular) that category is this is truly one to check out.  Plus anytime you can see the great Julie Schimmelpenningh of Eastman and Thom Zaremba present- you can’t pass that up.  More info HERE!

 

-- Good article from CBS on more kids picking trades over college.  Would like to see this trend to keep growing.  Makes me think about efforts from people like Jodi Martinez at Allstar Glass are paying off!

 

--  One of the big draws at GlassBuild is hearing from Conor Lokar, the amazing economist from ITR. He is back again this year and will actually be giving a more extended presentation on the economy and outlook.  He’ll be in the Main Stage area on 10/31 at 2:30- so that is one you want to do everything you can to be there for…. Among other major happenings there of course.  Registration is coming along nicely and hotels are filling… so get to GlassBuild.com and stake your place if you haven’t done so yet!

 

--  Speaking of forecasts, the latest from the ABC was pretty positive despite the various headwinds.  There’s still a major case that a slowing is coming (as expected in 2Q ’24) but for now ride this wave folks.  Here’s the breakdown on the latest.

 

--  I have noted here many times my admiration for Rob Struble of Vitro and he has done it again with a spectacular new catalog release.  I know from experience doing these things are fraught with nightmares at every turn, but Rob makes it look easy.  Great edition produced by him and his team and love the additions of products like VacuMax.  Also really enjoy the recognition handed out to so many of the best companies in our space.  Tremendous resource and congrats Rob on a job well done!  Check it out here!

 

--  Last this week… a while back Rolling Stone magazine ran a list of its Top 200 singers and it’s absolutely crazy and wrong in many spots.  But it does offer up a chance to debate.  A few quibbles from me.. it’s a crime to have Elton John at 100 or Stevie Nicks at 93 or Johnny Cash at 85 or Steve Perry at 82.  That’s just a quick smidgen of performers too low.  Willie Nelson and Tina Turner in the 50’s is crazy low too.  Smokey Robinson at 23 also too low for a legend like that. But I will say the top 15 isn’t that bad and at least my guy Freddy Mercury is in there along with some other serious legends.  Interesting list for sure…

LINKS of the WEEK

I’m not ready for grass houses and what comes with them.

 

This just fascinated me for some reason- determining what was wrong with this Gator.

 

Big fines and a lot to unpack on this story of a family and lots of plants and vegetation in its yard.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK
Usually I want more glass in my structures but this one worked for me.  This is the Pacific Beach Middle School in San Diego and glazed by Pacific Coast Glazing Inc.  Nice work- the glass and sunshades look awesome.  No word on the post on who supplied those but super job by the team at Pacific Coast on the install!  Congrats!  And again to all out there in line of "Hilary" (including the gang from our project of the week) stay well and safe- hang in there!

 

 

The Best... and Staying That Way

“Glass can do everything…” that was the headline for the annual Glass Magazine Awards and when you look at the winners you realize that indeed it really can do everything!  I loved going through the projects especially. Congrats to everyone who participated in this process as it makes our industry look great.  And kudos to the winners- folks like Glass 3 Enterprises who have been involved in some amazing projects over the years getting recognition here.  Also I have been a fan of Goldray and they were amongst the honorees as was Vitro, Guardian and many many more.  A veritable who’s who of winners.  See it all HERE.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Now the tough side- to do “everything” you need the right recipe overall and that right now has been a challenge.  Quality and performance have struggled from the fabrication side in many parts of the country mostly because of labor shortages.  Thus, my timely reminder that moving to automated and innovative manufacturing equipment is a must.  I know it can be pricey, but it is worth the investment knowing that the labor situation is NOT going to get better. Installers have a lot of patience but the people they install for are starting to get antsy, so we need to keep on our overall efforts to perform at the highest levels. 

 

--  I’ve talked a bit here and on my podcast on the resurgence of work in the lodging space and despite some mixed messages lately, it looks like that pipeline is holding up nicely.  This piece 

From Building Design + Construction delivered the positive news.

 

--  CONGRATS to a great guy and talent in our industry- Alan Kinder- on his new role at Guardian Glass.  Alan is now Director, Commercial Segment and will do a tremendous job in that spot.  For me Alan made his mark during the pandemic with awesome videos on working from home and from there just took off including always promoting great work online and delivering the tightest 5 minutes on bird friendly ever recorded.  In any case very happy to see some added recognition and responsibility coming his way!

 

--  Also on the new gig side of things NEXT Energy Technologies promoted Brenton Taylor to CEO.  NEXT is making positive in-roads on the transparent photovoltaic space that I am an unabashed fan of and I think this is an excellent move overall as from all I know and have heard Brenton’s experience is perfect to take this company to the next level.  We need strong leadership at these emerging companies and this looks like a perfect fit for sure. 

 

--  Thoughts and prayers to those affected by the fires in Hawaii.  Absolutely devastating to see and the recovery is going to take a very long time.  The before and after photos/video are jawdropping.  Hoping for the best there.

 

--  Last this week… GlassBuild season is underway and it got me thinking of what was my most memorable or best event ever.  Now those who have seen the comical picture of a star struck Max smiling endlessly next to Cal Ripken at the 2003 GlassBuild probably think that was it.  (if you haven’t seen, I am sure Andrew Haring will share it! LOL) Obviously that was a heck of a time and experience, but I’ll go with recency bias on this one. My most memorable is just last year in Vegas.  Seeing a crazy packed floor and people who hadn’t seen each other in 2 years or more connecting was awesome.  It really hit home for me how great this industry is and how much we missed being able to get together.  So with that said, let’s not ever take for granted these shows and opportunities to see each other.  GlassBuild registration is open and I think it’s time to make those plans and get there.  And yes I know day 1 is Halloween.  So it’s good that there’s two more days of GlassBuild to visit!  Make your plans now- as nothing truly can replace that chance to visit with people in person, see the materials and machines in person, and learn the latest and greatest.  GlassBuild.com to do it all and if you all come I promise I’ll smile as giddily as I did back in 2003! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I have not run into the newer “junk fees” for hotels (beyond the “resort charges” in Vegas) so this was not a great thing to see.

 

Sad and scary but the owner had to do what he had to do… 

 

Hate government waste and this overrun is ugly

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

One of my favorite companies is Tristar Glass.  They really do it the right way and always classy too.  This project came across my feed and stopped me in my tracks- just beautiful. This is in Oklahoma and it’s the Chickasaw Community Bank Headquarters.  I may have mentioned fab issues above but there’s no issues here that’s for sure!  Glass manufactured by Vitro and installed by Tietsort LLC.  Kudos to everyone on this amazing and stunning job!

News and Nuggets

We may be square in the “dog days” of summer but various news and happenings are always popping in our industry.  This week a handful of things to rundown but leading off with a long overdue Glass Magazine review.  This is the annual Top 50 Glaziers edition and a great one to get a feel for who’s making moves in our space.  The Glass Magazine team did a great job not only breaking own the top 50 but adding a lot of color to the scene as well.  In addition, some strong articles were on hand including one on bird and animal friendly glass that has really been a growing angle in our world.  Overall, a very strong issue and if you haven’t flipped through it, you can find it digitally HERE.

 

And as always, I award the “ad of the month” and this competition is never easy as the various marketers who advertise seem to raise their game every single month.  This time out, I’m giving the nod to Kuraray with what felt and looked like a 3D image of a person breaking through the glass.  It seriously did make me stop, look, and read.  So kudos to the team there who developed this ad- it worked nicely!  

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  In case you missed it, youth was served on my latest podcast and the energy of Ashley Klein and Evan Afenir could light up a continent.  Great pair and each really delivered a lot of interesting angles.  As I noted previously it makes me feel good when you see folks like this thriving- puts our industry in good hands going forward.  Check out what they had to say!

VIDEO

AUDIO and search for "From the Fabricator" on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Next month is looking good too with a very well-known person and a person I seriously do not know at all and looking forward using this platform to learn more!

 

--  Speaking of podcast guests- a few made big news this past week.  First up the gang from Drafting Marketplace (Brandon and Tyler) announced the latest update to their awesome platform: the creation of the Engineering user type and functionality. Yes ENGINEERING TOO! From today forward, engineers will be able to sign up for a free account and bid on engineering projects in the same way drafters already have. Glazing contractors can post projects specific to either engineering or drafting, and interact with bids, users, and documents in the same way. 

Learn more HERE and kudos to the team there!

 

--  Next was the Architectural guru Vardhan Mehta.  Vardhan joined me a few months back to talk about the fantastic Acelab platform that was built for architects by architects and is making connections for the manufacturer so much more available and seamless.  Truly the innovation needed in that space.  Anyway, Vardhan and team just secured a new founding round which will allow the site to grow and be much more prominent across the entire ecosystem.  For me I love that outside investors are interested in putting their funding into things like this.  Very exciting and positive time moving forward.  And I am unabashed fan of Vardhan’s, so I’m thrilled for him for sure.  Great things ahead.  

 

--  And last from my podcast past, Josh Burg of Glass Enterprises was one of my first guests way back in March of 2021 and he is always doing something good in our space.   This past week he was at it again with a golf event to benefit The Salvation Army's local developmental disabilities program.  It is great cause that I know Josh supports in many ways, and aside from being an awesome day and major win, it also got some local TV news coverage of it as well.  That is cool.  Nice work Josh and GEI team!  

 

--  Last this week… the quarterly Gilbane supply chain report is out, and it is more in-depth than I have seen.  It had a lot of insight on product costing and volatility in the economy but as always it had the lead-time rundown that I like bringing to all of you.  The good news was that Gilbane sees our world in the “stabilizing” category and I think I can agree with that determination.  In some spots things are slowing enough to worry but in others people are jumping.  Leadtimes have held up ok but the worry once again is back to trucking and logistics as turmoil on that side of the ball has made a tough deal even tougher.  In any case the overall feel is still positive when it comes to lead-times and supply but as we all know it can change quick.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

e-bikes and batteries- absolutely an issue out there… 

 

This was a big story all week- is this a real bear or not?

 

Starting to get answers on recycling old solar panels.  This needs continued development.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Russell Williams, aka the Architectural Insider, is a favorite rep of mine and he had this beauty posted.  It is 9696 Wilshire, located in Beverly Hills California and it obviously came out nicely! 
According to the post the Structural System was by Landmark Facade Solutions Inc. and was installed by the team at Precision Glasswork.com.  Kudos on the design to Pizzulli Associates Inc
All in all these folks are helping to make glass and glazing stand out in So Cal! 

Podcast on Both Coasts

New podcast is up and a truly dynamic duo- one from the east coast and one from the west. Kicking things off is Ashley Klein of AK Glazing.  She is dominating in South Florida and her drive and focus are something to behold.  Some fun insight provided and I think she’s really doing it all the right way. Then to the west and Evan Afenir of Double Play Glass.  Sharp young man with some great takes and the right understanding of how to handle this market and continue to evolve.  Best thing for me is these two people are young and hungry and are the future of our space and that is absolutely awesome!

Thanks for watching/listening and I truly appreciate the growth of my audience.  The audio portion numbers are astounding and I am grateful to all!

VIDEO

AUDIO and search for "From the Fabricator" on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Elsewhere…

 

--  Sometimes I see certain trends on LinkedIn that really make me sit up and pay attention.  One trend is the training and development that Fulgencio Rey IV has been pushing at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope.  I love seeing the posts and the approaches and they are all about continuous improvement and I’ve always loved that angle.  So kudos Fulgencio and team on doing the right thing for the operation AND folks in it.

 

--   Congrats to the best dressed (overall category, slightly ahead of Dapper Dan Reinhart of Salem) person in our world.  Danik Dancause of Walker Glass is celebrating his 21^st anniversary at Walker and in our industry!  Danik is ALWAYS a breath of energy and fresh air and just a fabulous person.  I have enjoyed getting to know him over these years and his impact has been huge.  So congrats on year #21 my friend and I look forward to many more from you!

 

--  List time.. what are the fastest growing cities in the US?  You may be surprised- I was!

10- Reno, Nevada- Really surprised- did not think Reno was a grower.

9- Ogden, Utah- Lots of Utah on here

8- Logan, Utah- Yup more Utah

7- Austin, Texas- It’s not Tesla attracting it, it’s the Munson family and Anchor-Ventana!

6- Destin, Florida- Guess it’s more than a vacation spot now?

5- St. George, Utah- Steel Encounters knows what it’s doing! (All over Utah)

4- Bend, Oregon- Another surprise

3- Coeur D’Alene, Idaho and #2 Boise, Idaho- back-to-back Idaho- last week they were in project spotlight- now this- that state is on fire!

And #1 growth is… Provo, Utah… Wow that is something- the state of Utah surely in growth mode!

 

By the way who’s not growing?  Bottom 5 are:

5-  Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania- Once upon a time we had a huge customer in this city- but for the life of me I can’t remember it- may some PDC alumni will remember. Sad to see this at bottom of the list.

4- Lawton, Oklahoma- I thought Oklahoma was in growth mode

3- Lima, Ohio- This was always small to me but obviously not growing either

2- Shreveport, Louisiana- Stunning.  I know my pals at Tomakk led by the very cool Clay Hargett are doing fine

And the slowest growing city- Decatur, Illinois.  Maybe the town should throw money at Tom O’Malley to have him move his empire from Chicago south to Decatur? 

See it all with more details HERE

 

--  Last this week… I have not seen Oppenheimer yet but will do so eventually but I did see had an industry connection with the box office hit.  The emerging transparent photovoltaic company UbiQD welcomed the acclaimed director of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan to their facility when it was being filmed nearby and some of their folks were extras in the movie.  Super cool stuff and something the team will always remember! See a picture of the visit from the UbiQB twitter feed!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Had no idea my windshield wipers could help me parallel park

 

I’d trade Detroit’s big tire for the big peanut in Georgia

 

Don’t mess with folks in Florida is the vibe to this story!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

W&W is always involved in some of the coolest and most intense projects around.  But when I saw this one on their feed I knew I had to post.  This is Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation designed by Studio Gang.  Just so cool looking the glazing just works perfectly.  Kudos to Jeff Haber, Chris Lalonde and everyone involved in this awesome project.  For more check out the profile HERE from Architects Newspaper.  Good stuff!

Forecast Focus

Big week in the forecasting side of things with the latest Architectural Billings Index (ABI) and the release of the mid-year AIA Consensus Forecast.  First on the ABI, things held in the positive territory, barely, but still, we’ll take it vs. it being negative.  Good news also in that design contracts ticked up and design inquiries held strong.  So we have some decent metrics in front of us there.  As for the consensus, every year AIA puts out two reports- one at the start of the year and one in middle that updates several forecasts from a range of organizations.  The midyear report showed a strong 2023 in total and a 2024 that hangs in there- basically flat from the growth gained this year.  The good news is points to the lodging side of things (something that has been hit here before) as well as public safety, health, and schools.  Bad news? The office scene.  You know it’s been a subject here leading off my blog the last few weeks and the crystal ball is still looking a bit ugly on that space. I remain hopeful though that the office side will battle forward and the key there is the renovation and retrofit aspect.  Bottom line is right now things are at least hanging in there. (Some locales in North America are seeing some lighter action at the moment, from all indications that’s temporary)  We’ve been tracking 2024 being slower than 2023, and featuring a soft spot hitting 2Q, but possibly it ends up a bit better than expected.  We’ll keep on it and advise…but you all know what to do, be prepared, be diverse, and communicate up and down the chain. 

 

Elsewhere….

 

--  This week the NGA Glass Conference in Tacoma takes place and some serious work will get done on the biggest subjects in our industry.  One big one will be Bird Friendly as pretty much all of the leaders in that area will be in the room and with constant movement on ordinances and codes it will be good to get up to date.  Follow Glass Magazine on Twitter or the National Glass Association on LinkedIn to stay up to speed! 

 

--  And yes… GlassBuild America registration is now open! Go to GlassBuild.com and get signed up now and you may as well grab your hotel room before they fill up.  The show this year is really looking strong- show floor is packed with both recognizable companies and new companies, all of which are bringing the latest and greatest to our space.  Why delay? Go  get your plans made for the fall!  October 31-November 2^nd in Atlanta!

 

--  Massive kudos to the team at Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) for their support of MyGlassClass and glass education via the NGA.  It is an awesome way to support our industry and having this top-notch training, available at your fingertips, 24/7/365 is extremely important.  

 

--  The latest episode of Glass Cast is up with a look back at Joey Aragon from Aragon Construction talking about how his company established a mentorship program.  It is a good quick hit with nice details provided.  Joey and the team at Aragon are incredible, so this is worth the listen.  Plus Katy Devlin and Sara Neiswanger do a nice job laying it all out.  Catch the video HERE and Audio HERE or by searching Glass Cast on Apple or Spotify.

 

Last this week… I was extremely honored to be awarded the Glazier Nation “Advocate of the Year” award for 2023.  I truly appreciate the recognition and my drive will always be focused on doing everything I can for this industry.  Thank you Glazier Nation for this honor!  Also as a part of it, I was interviewed by John Spelman for the Glazier Nation podcast and it was a good time to talk about a range of issues that affect our world and was cool to learn about John (his long connections to our industry etc.) – Please feel free to check it out if you get a moment.
YouTube
Spotify
Podbean

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Great work by this police officer!

 

Housing market is tough but is it THIS tough?

 

I’ve watched so much on this Tupac (a subject Zach Perilstein and I have followed this intensely and Zach is not only a Disney influencer but somehow is deep on knowledge on the Tupac and Biggie mysteries) case and things are breaking again?!?!?

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This may be the first project from Idaho to get the “project of the week” spotlight and I like it a ton.  This is from Brian Stephens of LTS, and the Viracon glass supplied on here was fantastic!

D & A Glass Company was the glazier and a job truly well done!! 

The Office= Part 2

Last week I talked about the glimmering hope on the return to office area and the positivity there and I noted I’d have more on that this week.  For that it was an article in Wall Street Journal that talked about the effect that the lack of return to office is having on so many people- including our space.  The article gave some good data on the trends and forecasting via Dodge which gave some upbeat answers to this on-going issue. Still the bottom line remains, getting people in any form or fashion back into an office mode is important for the economy and our industry.  More hybrid maybe?  And then as it comes to the office space, comfort and security are paramount and again that is where we come in.  We provide the products that allow the natural light, and we have the best options by far for security.  And each and every day we are seeing new and better security/protective options hit the marketplace-including for the office.  Bottom line this continues to be an area we have to stay on top of and push what we do ahead of other trades.  Especially if the pie is getting smaller, it’s imperative people know that the glass and metal space has the solutions for a very productive and successful office setting. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Interesting report from the Dodge Momentum Index for June.  Institutional lagged badly, while hotels and lodging kicked in and had a good month.  Remember that was an area you’ve read here and heard on my podcast that was going to do well and it has continued to be the case.  The overall index was down because of the institutional struggles but the commercial side alone was up 3%- so we’ll take it.  Lots of volatility out there folks and no end in sight for that.  On that note the next Architectural Billings Index is released this coming Wednesday with deeper reporting scheduled- so next week we’ll cover that here and try to make sense of it all.

 

--  Also this week- registration opens for GlassBuild America.  If you are interested in getting the amazing tour of Mercedes Benz Stadium, the best way to get a shot at being on that event is register for the show sooner than later.  Go to GlassBuild.com and more info coming.  Show this year is in Atlanta in late October.  SEE YOU THERE!

 

--  Some good company news.. one of the stars of the past GPAD Conference was Kyle Lindersmith with his Burkle Laminating line and he hit the news this week with a successful install at Viwinco.  Love seeing new tech matched up with great organizations and this surely fits the bill.

 

--  Also the gang at NVOY Fire Rated Systems with some big news in the fire rated space.  They’ve got the strong product lines from Polflam and Aliplast to be able to manufacture and supply fire resistive glazing.  Exciting stuff for sure and my old pal Art Huard is once again on fire (no pun intended) with this product line. 

 

--  Congrats to Dave Maikowski on his new gig with 3E Nano out of Toronto.  3E Nano focuses on commercializing high-performance and optically effective nano-thin Solar Control coatings for use in innovative, lightweight, and low-cost fenestration applications. This has serious disruptive potential and not many people out there are better than David to deliver this to the market.  Excited to see more and super happy for my friend rocking with this very important and cool gig!

 

--  Last this week… so with the writers and actors now on strike in Hollywood, looks like we could get a serious slowdown on new shows/movies.  We’ll see- it obviously depends on how long it lasts.  Note that soap operas are not affected so everyone on General Hospital can continue to get selective amnesia.   Anyway, one recommendation on something to watch.  If you are a music fan the John Waite (mostly known for the tune “Missing You”) documentary on Amazon was really good.  Tortured and complex guy and it really shows the dirty underbelly of the old music world. Good watch.  Note if Hollywood doesn’t work it all out soon, we can all watch Andrew Haring jobsite TikToks…(which are very very good by the way)

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Incredibly cool! 

 

Be careful when texting- especially contractual stuff.  It may stand up!

 

Tough one- a dream home in both the right and wrong place

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Innovation Glass is in the spotlight this week with the Amazon Campus in Virginia. According to their LinkedIn post it features a 42’ VS1 facade that encloses a meeting hall. Dual laminated IGUs supported by rectangular jumbo VS1 mullions, and toggle fittings used, creating a flush exterior. Beautiful.  Architect was ZGF Architects and Installed by Harmon.  Nice work folks!!