Thrilled to have a new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast for you. This one lets us dive into hot companies & products while also addressing the industry's needs. First up: Luxwall Chairman and CEO Scott Thomsen. Scott has been making the podcast rounds, but I think I pulled some fresh insights from him. Obviously, he’s one of the most intelligent people our industry has ever seen, and his swing with Luxwall is massive for our space. Next up, I get the dynamic duo of Brendan Champion and Andrew Leopard of 1st Choice Glass. That company is crushing it out there- which I love to see. I always get fired up talking to people who have their finger on the pulse and bring real passion to our industry. Fun, sharp guys who I am now a fan of since this was the first time I ever got to speak to them. I think you’ll enjoy and get ready for me to complain about electricians again. Thank you for checking this out! I appreciate it.
AUDIO (also search “From the Fabricator” on Spotify and Apple.
Thank you to the folks at FHC, Frameless Hardware Company, for supporting this episode and the show as a whole! This was podcast episode #92 and my 236th, 237th, 238th guests. I can see 100 episodes coming soon along with 250 guests. We’ll keep it going!
Elsewhere...
-- Early reports on 2027 segment forecasts are somewhat interesting. Lodging and Office are the only categories that look like gainers right now, but all other segments are predicted to be flat. So I guess that’s better than a loss? Still, this is super early, and as we know, with the massive uncertainty and volatility, things will probably change several times before the year ends.
-- The extremely important NGA Glass Conference returns in February, officially set for Charlotte, NC, February 1-4. This is a must-attend if you care about the technical and innovation processes or you just want to stay in the know. Be in that room! Urmilla Sowell, Karen Wegert, Georgia Oehler, and Amber Johnson & team do an amazing job, and the industry volunteers who attend and support the event can testify to its importance. More on this as we get closer!!
-- My friend Junaid Saleem of CGS Talent gave me a heads-up that my previous podcast guest Hugo Ramirez’s company has rebranded. Adler Windows is now Adler Facades, and I’m loving the transition. The website has a good, clean look and clearly explains the move. Kudos to Ross Adler and team for a great job on something that could go awfully wrong. And thanks again, Junaid, for the note.
-- More than a few times over the years, I have noted on here the IRS Tax Code 179. This provision lets businesses immediately deduct the full cost of qualifying equipment, software, and certain property in the year it is placed in service, rather than depreciating it over several years. In our industry, many have used this for new trucks, machinery, and software. Just a reminder: the qualification date is year-end. So time is of the essence. FYI.
-- Last week… the airport rankings I ran last week never fail to elicit a lot of feedback. I loved how so many people felt their home airport was the best and ranked too low. And I enjoyed folks calling out the ranking for locations that had no business being Top 10. Anyway, I am glad you all could enjoy it. By the way, the exceptional Bruce Murray of Steel Encounters noted that his home airport, Salt Lake City, was ranked too low, and I tend to agree. Also, that's the airport where I ran into Bill Cosby. So maybe it's not the best memory association based on the person, but he was still a pretty big star at the time.
LINK of the WEEK
-- One- I have never been to an In-N-Out- something I think I have to address next time I’m in the West. Two- I had no idea that they don’t allow mobile deliveries, and now there’s a “black market” for it! Wow. https://ktla.com/news/california/in-n-out-delivery-black-market/amp/
-- I’ve got a buddy who's battled Poison Ivy growth around his deck and had the “thrill” of getting poison ivy on him. Now all he needs to do is hire a sheep…. https://www.kgns.tv/2026/10/09/they-love-it-sheep-hired-eat-your-poison-ivy/
-- A thief breaks in and steals computer boxes… empty ones… oof. Also, that business owner needs to upgrade to protective glazing… https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/tempe-burglar-steals-empty-mac-mini-boxes-instead-computers
PROJECT of the WEEK
A really show-stopping project here posted by Innovation Glass. This is the CoStar Richmond Campus. And I know there may be some nitpicking on the glass- but the project as a whole is amazing. Here’s the background from Innovation:
This project is our tallest unreinforced aluminum curtain wall in the US at 54’, and is made possible by a 17.5”-deep VS1 aluminum mullion. The impressive clear span is achieved without any steel reinforcement or backing structure and is a new world record for an unreinforced aluminum curtain wall. Only one splice plate is required for the entire 54’ assembly at mid span offering an incredible display of structural aluminum.
Great work by Innovation- this one is something special. Also, big kudos to Harmon as the installer here.
