People that Get It

I’ve got a great new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast out and ready for your listening pleasure.  This time out, two really fascinating and talented people who have found our industry- and, for one, I think it’ll be home for a long time, and, for the other, he’s ours forever, thankfully!  I start off with the brilliant Kevin Roth of Privacy Glass Solutions.  His backstory is amazing, as is what he and his team have accomplished at Privacy Glass Solutions. Lots of good nuggets from lessons learned, to hot products, to collaboration, and more.  (Also, I’ll note my heart is broken for Kevin after England’s loss to Argentina.  We talked about the game on the pod since it was recorded before they played) Then I connect with the wonderful Amy Post of Guardian Glass.  This was my first time chatting with her, and I enjoyed it immensely.  Amy has had a massive job on her hands, rolling out several technical advancements built to help the customer and industry.  We cover all of that, the obstacles that were overcome, and the upcoming opportunity to experience them all and more at the brand new Guardian Glass booth at GlassBuild.  All so good.  So please check this one out, to me, this is more evidence of the great people we have in our industry and their efforts to make it better.  Thank you!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Search “From the Fabricator” on Apple or Spotify)

Thank you to the fine folks at FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the support of this episode and podcast overall!

Elsewhere…

-- Exciting news for my friends at Guthrie AI and Ted Baumgardner.  They announced this week a 4-million-dollar investment in them by Chicago Ventures.  This is massive, as it allows Ted, Tuneer de, and company to build out the platform and grow the company in a smart, logical way.  AI is here to stay, and it’s great to have industry-specific AI options.  Happy for Ted and team!

-- I mentioned last week the summer series here on the blog, and I decided on a “Guest Catch-up” from my podcast.  I’ve had 225 guests to date since 2021, and many have made major moves since they were on.  So for the first handful I am going back to that first year to catch up with guests from then and find out what’s new, what’s changed, and what’s next.  I have some fabulous people lined up, and I am excited to bring this series to the blog all summer.

-- I always talk about adaptive reuse and my love for it.   So, I had to weigh in on the “buckling building” in New York City.  If you’re not aware- a recap is HERE but basically, this was a former office building being renovated for residential use, and two support columns buckled after what some are saying was added weight from the work made this happen.  Investigations are underway; thankfully, no one was hurt, and issues were caught in time.  And also, lessons will be learned from this so it doesn’t happen again, and the growth of adaptive reuse can continue! I have a ton of confidence in Nathan Berman and his team at MetroLoft to get it all straight.

-- The always-impressive team from Precision Glass Industries in Houston added another cool feature to their website, “The Inside Guide,” which goes into processes and happenings both within the company and across the industry.  The first submission was a super read on the importance of scheduling. The detail provided and the approach taken by Precision are really top-notch.  Kudos to all involved there!

-- Last this week…Who knew the sport “Padel” would garner so much interest here on the blog? I surely did not expect it! Love the inputs and insights shared, and let’s keep this train rolling and get more of our product out there!

LINKS of the WEEK

A robot teacher is making its debut this fall. I’m stunned it’s taken this long! https://www.newyorkupstate.com/schools/2026/07/upstate-ny-school-district-will-deploy-a-humanoid-robot-teacher-this-fall.html

A bear on a golf course in British Columbia wreaking havoc- including stealing golf clubs https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/07/13/bear-golf-clubs-Golden-Eagle-Golf-Club-Pitt-Meadows/7131783961633/

Kinda “Sci-fi” for me- but astronomers have discovered sugar in space… so guessing Martians may have a sweet tooth? LOL  https://www.sci.news/astronomy/sugar-interstellar-space-14913.html

PROJECT of the WEEK

To Illinois we go this week… This is the Northlight Theatre in Evanston, IL, from Glass Solutions. The cool thing was how quickly they put this one to bed.  One week.  That happens because Glass Solutions was ahead of the game with all the coordination and obviously had great collaborators too.  This had to show the powers that be on this project that the glass industry has the horses to get things done! Nice work, Glass Solutions team and everyone else in the industry who may have worked with them!

Family Business Recognition

As you may have picked up, there’s a lot happening at GlassBuild this fall.  One of the areas that has me pretty stoked is that there’ll be a program celebrating family-owned businesses! The family-owned business has been around for more than 100 years and is still going strong, serving as the backbone of our space.  Getting folks together to honor it will be amazing.  If you did not see the call to action on this one via LinkedIn, HERE is the form to tell the team more about your operation and hopefully be highlighted during this event. 

Elsewhere…

-- The latest Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) dropped this week, and it brought some interesting takes.  So, the index itself was down about 2%.  But the analysis behind it was positive. That consisted of improvements in offices, hotels, and healthcare, among others. Of all of the various reporting, the DMI continues to be the most hopeful. Dodge, being a massive company with incredible resources, makes me feel confident that they’re more accurate than not.  Regardless of where we stand right now, many areas are super soft, so the sooner more breaks our way, the better!!

-- A bunch of times in the past, I wrote about the company, Acelab.  I was into them from the start and a massive fan of their founder, Vardhan Mehta. In fact, I may have been the first person to have Vardhan on a podcast, and now, a couple of years later, he’s doing a ton of them in the mainstream world. (And also probably on the shortlist for Kara Swisher and others) And I am seeing the company everywhere! Very cool that this effort continues to grow and do great things for the overall construction space.  It has taken the sourcing of materials to new levels and with really no equal.  And with the madness at CSI, along with so much other turmoil in the material spec world, it is awesome to see Acelab thriving.  If you have not checked them out- do so. Everyone benefits from a group like this that elevates the entire space.  Kudos to Vardhan and team!

-- Have you ever heard of the hot new sport “Padel?”  It’s neither Pickleball nor Tennis.  It actually has some squash to it.  But the best part is that it features glass enclosing the courts.  So if this keeps growing, we’ve got a new area for glass use!  Those of you who can remember when racquetball exploded, and the amount of glass used for that, know that this could become a good thing for us.   Here’s a quick video that shows and explains it.

-- Last this week… each summer, during the dog days, I try to do something different here to not only fill the space but also bring some different flavor to the blog.  So I’m up for any ideas you have, and at worst, I think I’ll resurrect my "3 Question series"- which was always fun and a way to either get updates on previous issues (or podcast guests) or elevate new voices.  

LINKS of the WEEK

I’m old school, so I don’t like the new trend of electric pop-out door handles on cars- and there’s surely a lot wrong with them. https://insideevs.com/features/798731/why-pop-out-door-handles-suck/

Fun list- 50 old home features that need to come back https://www.buzzfeed.com/lizmrichardson/outdated-home-design-trends-that-need-to-come-back

My friend who sent this to me called it “hideous,” and it really is.  It may have been a favorite of Frank Gehry, but it's not my taste. https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/07/07/loop-glass-desk-designed-frank-gehry-7-tons-auction-inland-steel-building

PROJECT of the WEEK

VIG growth is kicking in, and so we go to this incredible project from Vitro Architectural Glass- Harvard Gund Hall.  This mixes Vitro’s VacuMax™ VIG and Solarban® to deliver an incredible building performance. 4x the thermal performance vs. double-glazed.    Also, I still love the VacuMax name- for obvious reasons.  The VIG growth curve is upon us, and it’s very exciting.  I’m most thrilled for the trailblazer Michael Spellman.  He’s lived and breathed this product for so many years- perfecting it a ton along the way and never giving up when not one person would blame him if he did.  Kudos to Vitro and everyone else involved in this stunner!

Holiday Catch-Up

So, if you only read this blog via Glass Magazine Weekly, I did have a post last week with a special episode of From the Fabricator, a classy family celebrates an open house, a couple of good people moves and much more.  CLICK HERE to read it. Thanks!

With the holidays this past week, this is more of a quick hit, catch-up post.  And on the shorter side.  So here goes!

-- ICYMI: the aforementioned pod featured a very cool interview with Lakisha Woods, the President and CEO of the National Glass Association.  Feedback has been strong- with lots of interest in the new tweaks coming to GlassBuild and people enjoying the “fun” question we had halfway through.  Please check it out!  Thank you!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Or search “From the Fabricator” on Apple and Spotify)

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

-- Anniversaries hitting – Guthrie Glass celebrated its 40th.  Great company, tremendous people, and class ownership.  And kudos to Ted Baumgardner, who penned a tremendous tribute that you can read HERE.

-- Also hitting a milestone is Technical Glass Products, reaching the half-century mark.  I think back to their founders, the Razwick family, and what they built is truly incredible, and it carries on with Allegion today.  Also, hiring some of the best of the best in our industry didn’t hurt either. HERE’S a quick tribute video they put out.  

-- And last, Standard Bent Glass celebrated its 90th anniversary with a big BBQ that I hear featured several Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think Aaron Rodgers even showed up. Greg Conn has some friends there! Lol.  Congrats to all!  

-- On the people side… Congrats to Tony Genzale on his promotion to Vice President of Business Development at Hartung Glass.  Always nice to see good folks getting those props!  Happy for all there.

-- Another good update HERE on adaptive reuse.  It continues to grow, and that is so good for all. Obviously, I want projects that will add more glass, but I’m also good with just making something good from something that’s not being used now. 

-- Recently, I had an article published in Construction Business Outlook on the need and value of glazing certification. I know some may not see it my way, but I am absolutely on this train for life.  We need to keep putting our best foot forward, industry-wide, and independent 3rd-party programs like NACC and AGMT are the way to go.  Check out the case I made- HERE.

--  Last this week… The World Cup.  It has truly been awesome.  The entire event has been mesmerizing for me.  I have always enjoyed the World Cup, but this year it really kicked up a few notches for me.  I’m excited to see how it plays out in the next few weeks.  I think we’re in for a dandy finish! 

LINKS of the WEEK

Wow.  A “stolen” cookie causes serious havoc.  Unreal the amount of time/effort that went into this debacle. https://local12.com/news/nation-world/ford-employee-fired-after-cookie-theft-accusation-says-payment-proof-led-to-reinstatement-union-back-pay-policy-change-following-kiosk-malfunction-report-at-kentucky-truck-plant-in-louisville-dispute-resolved-cincinnati

Some treasures CAN be found at Goodwill.  Crazy stuff here. https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/07/02/3-goodwill-jacket-now-expected-sell-up-250000/

I can’t imagine a pony living in a 4th-floor apartment… but it’s true! https://apnews.com/article/croatia-pony-mile-rovinj-flat-recovery-11860c31d0e950a2066d845c9161bc74

PROJECT of the WEEK

The team at G4 Glazing gets the spotlight this week.  They have become a solid follow on LinkedIn, plus I love their logo.  This is Passport Park West, Irving, TX. The glass and glazing look fantastic!!!   Great industry partners, too, in YKK AP America and Precision Glass Industries. Nice work to all, and keep it going!