Getting Out of the Box

One thing I often talk about is moving away from the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality in our industry.  Yes, I’ll admit, I actually fall into that trap from time to time too- especially as the years go by, so I know it’s not easy.  But in challenging times like the ones we’re facing now, thinking outside the box is more crucial than ever.  So, when I saw this article on Ford Motor Company and their effort to create a new vehicle in a totally new way- it resonated with me.  It’s a great look at a legacy company having to change things and fight through old habits, and sometimes the people standing in its way.  Check it out HERE.  Not everything in every industry applies to us, but it is nice to see sometimes that others have the same adventures! (Note- if for some reason you can’t access it- just message me and I’ll get you a copy)

Elsewhere…

--  Cool event coming to Texas in June.  CDC – Curtainwall Design & Consulting is hosting an event headlined by a deep dive case study.  This is part of an educational “happy hour” that will explore quality assurance and educate on certification.  Yes, I am pounding the certification drum again.  Anyway, if you are in Texas, I highly recommend checking this one out.  Folks from CDC are always fascinating, and you can always learn something helpful from them, so given that they’re opening their doors up, I’d think it’s worth walking in.  More info can be found HERE!

-- Two big moves by two legendary figures in our space.  First off, my good friend Shelly Farmer was just promoted to Vice President of Sales, USA, at Glasshape.  Shelly makes things happen- and with a stunning and quality product line, the sky is the limit.   Also, this week, the news that Gus Trupiano is leaving his current post with GGI and starting a business with his son. All Things Glass is the name, and I am thrilled for the Trupianos!  Gus will still represent GGI in the Southeast, so that’s good, and now he gets to do something with the next gen.  I love it and know it will go great!  Congrats to all!

-- Jennifer Lang of Minneapolis Glass is one of the most talented people in our space, so it was extremely cool to see her recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a 2026 Women in Business honoree. People in our industry don’t get a ton of mainstream love, so I am excited to see it when it happens. In this case, knowing and admiring Jennifer, her team, and their work makes it all the more special.  Congrats!!

-- In case you missed it- last week a simply fabulous blog was posted by Dave Vermeulen of Technical Glass Products (TGP) at Glass Magazine on the progress of certain styles of glass and their connections to Stadiums. Dave rightfully points out how our products are so key to that segment, and I loved the rundown he provided and the look back he mentioned, too.  Dave’s blogs always deliver!

-- Last this week… May 20th will be the day a new Jack Ryan movie drops on Amazon Prime.  Now, the Amazon version of Jack Ryan has always been a TV series, but this time out, they went with a feature-length film.  I’ve loved what they’ve done in the past, so I can’t wait to watch this one.  HOWEVER- I am also very excited because in the trailers that have been posted, I’ve seen some cool BR glass and a scene where people fall through a glass floor.  Woo-boy- that’s going to be fun to examine.  I know I am not alone in thinking that when glass-related products appear in a show or movie, it becomes a complete study.  So if any of you watch it and see these scenes, feel free to leave a review!  I hope to have mine up within a couple of weeks, if not sooner, depending on when I can watch and take the time to pause and rewind 1000 times.

LINKS of the WEEK

Have you ever seen a Speed Limit of 17.3?  Amazingly, it exists! (And any time I think speed limit- I think Sammy Hagar- I can’t drive 55) https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/lifestyle/bizarre-speed-limit-baffles-drivers-but-officials-claim-it-will-make-you-slow-down/

Too comical. A suit involving the absolutely awful movie “The Rip” – saying it was “too real”- well, I can tell you the acting surely wasn’t.  Anyway, a comical one nonetheless. https://apnews.com/article/rip-lawsuit-ben-affleck-matt-damon-98647a282521fe01ce73d8a7afeb4400

UNREAL- A man has 3 heart attacks in 4 days.  That is not a misprint!  And the guy is still alive now and kicking.  What a wild one. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/advent-health-deland-heart-attack-blood-clot-cardiac-health/

PROJECT of the WEEK

Lonnie Hernandez is a solid one to follow on LinkedIn- always posting some in-progress project that he’s on as a Glazier Superintendent.  This one was a cool rotunda that was being built in California at a Kaiser facility.  Looking good, Lonnie!  Keep on posting and doing great things out there!

Big News on the School Security Front

So the industry picked up a huge win last week- one that you’ll hear more about this week and for sure weeks going forward.  Behind a herculean effort by NGA’s Urmilla Sowell and her incredible team of technical & advocacy stars, a new bill was introduced in Congress that could be massive to the glass and glazing industry.  I’m speaking of House Resolution 8506.  Sponsored by Rep. Charles "Chuck” Fleischmann [R-TN-3], it will establish a grant program to improve school security, with an emphasis on glass & glazing, by providing funding avenues that enable districts to adopt more effective, layered protection strategies for both students and educators. Yes. You are reading the right- and the wording in the resolution was glorious:

 (C) securing glass in the building’s exterior through the installation of forced entry or bullet resistant glass;

(D) glass in the building’s exterior through the installation of forced entry or bullet resistant glass;

We need more and more of this out there, and this is an example of the stellar work Urmilla does, along with incredible and caring talents like Karen Wegert, Georgia Oehler, Thom Zaremba, Tom Culp, Nick Resetar, among others. They are doing the work in representing us and advancing causes that are good for us! Kudos to them! As noted above, more on this is coming, especially with NGA holding its Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days this week in DC. Let’s keep this momentum rolling, folks. 

Elsewhere…

-- ICYMI! The most recent episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast is making waves- very positive waves at that.  Jason Epps, CEO of Specialty Fenestration Group (USBP, Quikserv) blew people away with his story and approach.  JJ Derman of NovaTech got people thinking about diversifying their offerings and how service and support can be very valuable to the glazing community.  Really enjoyable pod.  Thanks to those guys and thanks to everyone who’s checked it out already!

VIDEO 

AUDIO

Thank you to FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for the sponsorship of this episode!

-- Dodge Construction had a quarterly update this past week, and the word “uncertainty” is once again in the spotlight.  I swear, if I had a nickel for every time that word has been uttered in the last 10 months, I could finally retire and take the greeter job at a Publix in some small Florida town.  But that word and that fact are real.  With the constant changes in government decision-making and now the war, the construction space has basically been paralyzed. So, needless to say, we’re still in that resilience and patience mode.  As I’ve noted before, the hunger is there, the work is being planned, but the volatility out there is delaying progress. 

-- One of the hardest working people I have ever known and also a tremendous human got a promotion recently.  Scott Goodman was named Technical Field Sales Specialist- Southeast Region for CRL.  I love it when the people who grind get that recognition, and Scott absolutely deserves the props.  Congrats, my friend, on this new spot, and props to CRL for recognizing it!

-- Also, congratulations to my friends at TSI Corporations for their field teams being honored by the Washington Building Congress with the Craftsmanship Award for both the Reston JW Marriott Hotel & Condo and the OB5 project in Reston, VA.  So cool to see and not a surprise knowing Thomas Cornellier and the team there.  Great company and culture! 

-- Last this week… the new Michael Jackson movie- “Michael” is out and I went to see it, curious about how they’d handle his life story.  Well, that whole life story is going to come in future parts.  This movie covers Michael from the mid-80s, and I enjoyed it. Well done and the acting, especially by the actor who played Michael as a kid, was incredible.  I’m a sucker for music biopics, and so this one was a winner for me. If you grew up in the 80’s and had any liking of Michael Jackson, this one is for you.

LINKS of the WEEK

Bonkers… being delayed 50 years to build a dream home on their property https://www.ksby.com/los-osos/los-osos-couple-gets-closer-to-building-their-dream-home-after-50-year-wait

This story completely misses the point- it’s trying to be cute about a pink colored cat- but it completely blows off a major item. And that note they missed bums me out. https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/pets-animals/shelter-staff-scratch-their-heads-when-a-pink-cat-shows-up-at-their-door/ar-AA22De3Y

Could the “Milk Door” make a comeback?  Doubtful. Still cool to see some old ones out there though! https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/milk-doors-history-2-37550297

PROJECT of the WEEK

We go to Virginia for the Project of the Week and a great job by the gang at SPS Corporation. This is the Kinsale North office building in Richmond, VA.  This one had a little of everything and in the end turned out beautifully!  Congrats to SPS and all involved in this excellent effort!

The Pod & Lots of Great People

Good stuff this time out after an excellent industry week.  First, the latest “From the Fabricator” podcast is out and has two really enjoyable conversations.  First up was Jason Epps, CEO of Specialty Fenestration Group (Quikserv & USBP), and it was fabulous to get to know him.  Jason has built a top-notch culture & company, and when you listen to him, you can understand how he did it. Good stuff on that, and also the latest with his company, with new owners and positive items going forward.  Then I connected with JJ Derman of NovaTech Wall Systems.  Loved hearing about JJ’s path and also learning more about his company- that’s new ground for me and very interesting. Plus, he dropped a nickname for one of the industry's most beloved people.  Had me speechless there. All in all, a ton of great insight.  Thank you to both men and thanks in advance to all who listen/watch and support!  Much appreciated!

 VIDEO 

AUDIO

Thank you to FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for the sponsorship of this episode!

Elsewhere…

-- So, my magical mystery tour for the month of April (shows, shows, shows) ended at the Glass Symposium in Atlantic City, NJ.  Tremendous event with excellent people involved, either organizing, speaking, attending, or exhibiting.  The venue was a classic, too, which added serious charm.  Kudos to the awesome Pat O’Connor for his intense drive in making this effort so successful.  And of course, there were quite a few people rowing alongside Pat, and for me, it was a great thrill to meet and get to know them. Their hospitality towards me was amazing.   These were incredibly cool and talented folks like Steve Metzger, Lisa Godlewski, Roberto Rios, Mike Laughlin, Matt Traska, Dave Tomczak (who had to be pumped with the Flyers win over the Pens), Tim Crowther, and Dion Frasca.  I know I missed a bunch, and I am sorry- I was meeting so many new people at once, I was taxing what’s left of my brain and memory power to the max. 

I also got to know a bunch of people in our space and also adjacent to it. Chris Puzo of Ventrina was seriously cool, along with Steve Racht and Will Paquette of EDA Contractors, all young, sharp guys who will be big parts of our future. Add Archie Goldsmith to that list, too- excellent case study he presented! Two guys not exactly in our space but attended and “got it” and were super classy were Jason Copely of Cohen Seglias, and Craig Hall of P. Agnes, who had to deal with my 30 questions to him over lunch.  Love any opportunity I can get to spread the glass gospel.

Seeing old friends like the legend Jon Kimberlain of Dow, Barry Wood of Wood’s Pwr Grip, Doug Derusha of FHC, and Joe Silva of Smart Lift was enjoyable.  I also enjoyed meeting people in person that I knew and admired online, like Ron Kudla and Megan Kudla of Advanced Glass & Metal, John Pierce of Glass Enterprises, and Pat McIntyre of Synergy Glass. Now I know them in person!

It would not be a trip to the Philly/Jersey area if I didn’t get to visit with old friend Mark Rabinowitz of Paul Rabinowitz Glass.  He’s incredibly strong out there and is constantly thinking outside the box.  Plus, seeing his son Justin again and meeting Sean Griffin from there was a bonus.  Cool to see Mike Clabbers of National Glass outside of the walls of BEC, and his company was prominent in the absolutely fantastic keynote from Shaun Patchell of LF Driscoll.

For me, a great way to end a busy month, but also see and meet so many people that make our industry go.  Folks who are super resilient and determined to do right by their company and the glass space as a whole.  I look forward to seeing all of them at another show and hopefully at Glass Symposium 3 next year.  (Which keep in mind is open to more than just the Philly/Jersey region, so may be one to add to the list)

-- Last this week… the GFAB momentum is rolling along.  Early Bird ends this week, so get signed up, and if you have folks for the Workshop sessions at Skyline Glass, get them in now before the openings go away. (It’s a 50-person max.)  And on that note, I really enjoyed seeing old friend Michael Spellman of IGE Glass Technologies on the Glass Cast podcast (see HERE) – he always lays it out there, and his passion is really second to none.  More on GFAB is HERE, and I hope to see you there!

LINKS of the WEEK

Amazing story- a baby born on a Delta flight!  Great work by all- and that kid should get Frequent Flyer status now!  https://apnews.com/article/woman-gives-birth-on-flight-portland-6294a432018007308ace0f6cfdac4469

15 years ago, Seal Team 6 got Bin Laden.  Good look back. https://nypost.com/2026/05/02/us-news/us-navy-seal-who-killed-osama-bin-ladens-reflects-on-historic-raid-15-years-later/

Wild one- people in Montreal are trying to fix potholes themselves, and the city does not like that. https://montrealgazette.com/news/montreal-tells-vigilante-pavers-to-stop-patching-city-potholes/

PROJECT of the WEEK

Keeping in the Philly/AC vibe- the project of the week comes from MEG Glass and the Thomas Holme Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia. Clipped from LinkedIn:

Completed on an accelerated schedule in 2025, the 88,000-square-foot, three-story school now serves approximately 1,300 students. MEG Glass provided and installed storefront systems, curtain wall assemblies, and entrance systems throughout the facility, including an exterior curtain wall featuring 12 distinct glass types and more than 1,400 units.”

OK, I am super curious about the 12 glass types… anyway, this is a fabulous job done by a top-notch company.  Congrats to everyone involved in this one!