Leaders in the Field

A new episode of the From the Fabricator podcast is out, packed with insights!  First up: the father-son duo Tom and Kyle Nesbitt of United Architectural Metals and United Glass & Panel.  Tom is brilliant, and Kyle is following in his dad’s footsteps there.  Culture, innovation, market optimism, trophies, and “challenging the ordinary” were some of the highlights of a very wide-ranging conversation. Next, airing by popular demand: the summer interview with Omar Maalouf of Momentum Glass that I transcribed here on the blog.  This wasn't planned as an audio/video version, but the blog post made a lot of waves, and with the podcast audience growing, I thought it was a good time to share it.  Omar covers a ton, talks about great technology and innovation, and then gets into his passion for the industry and his goals to advance us.  Both interviews were a blast, and I’m thrilled to share them with all of you.  Thank you for listening and supporting as always!!

VIDEO

AUDIO (Search “From the Fabricator” on Apple/Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts)

Thanks to the fine folks at FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for supporting this episode!

 Elsewhere….

-- I mentioned above the podcast growth.  Last September I posted a link to the Top 10 Glass Industry podcasts via the Million Podcast rankings.  I was thrilled to be in the top 10 then.  The 2026 list is out now, and I must THANK YOU all, as From the Fabricator is #1.  Very, very cool.  The list is worth checking out HERE, as it’s full of good ones again.  Thank you to the team at Million Podcasts for the recognition!

-- The latest Architectural Billings Index came out the week before last, and it’s still ugly overall, coming in at 44.7, well below the break-even 50.  The bright spot continues to be the inquiries, and we’re also hearing about clogged backlogs waiting for releases.  So I am keeping the faith.  But all in all, it’s not great out there right now, and I know you all know it.  We’ll keep pushing forward.

-- Big company news: November 1st marked a huge milestone for a tremendous industry company.  United Plate Glass out of Butler, PA (and locations in North Carolina and Maryland) turned 45 years old.  A proud family business then (with just a handful of people) and a proud family business now (with quite a few more people across three locations).  Mike and Joyce Cully and the team are as classy as they come, and they’ve built one of the most impressive operations in our space.  Congrats to the entire UPG team, and here’s to many more milestones ahead!

-- Big people news: First, Apogee Architectural Metals is bringing Marc Donahue back into the mix.  Marc is a force in his area and will do great for the surging Apogee team.  Thanks to the Gold Standard in PR, Heather West, for the heads-up on this one.  Then, next up... One of the nicest guys our industry has- Tom Herron- landed at Key Media & Research as Director of Communications.  Love it when good things happen to good people, and Tom will do a fantastic job there. Wonderful for all!

-- Last… I love my empty-calorie or treadmill-worthy TV, and so the new season of “Terminal List” on Amazon Prime fits the bill.  But when you mix some industry-related stuff, then I’m really loving it.  Episode 3 of the new season- a scene taking place in an office, and the glass behind one of the characters is obviously Bird Friendly glazing.  Hey, if Bird Friendly is making it in Hollywood, then it really needs to keep growing everywhere… bring it on! 

LINKS of the WEEK

-- A plea deal in exchange for a Philly Cheesesteak? https://www.fox29.com/news/murder-suspect-offers-guilty-plea-exchange-philly-cheesesteak

-- A best fries contest in Belgium looks intense! https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/champion-chip-best-fries-contest-013404720.html

-- Any guesses on the World Record for holding a knuckle handstand?  I can’t even believe they track such a thing… https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/10/27/guinness-world-records-knuckle-handstand/7141793116324/

PROJECT of the WEEK

When this one came across my feed, my immediate reaction was “whoa- that’s snazzy,” and I’d think you’d all agree.  This is the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge, LA, featuring sunshades from Architectural Grilles and Sunshades, installed by the fine people at Synergy Glass Company.  The “snazzy” design courtesy of WHLC Architecture.  Everything on this one really connected- so kudos to everyone who had a hand in it.  Keep it all going!! Also, the picture from LinkedIn was via Tricia LaFleur of Synergy. 

What Can We Do?

Two of the glass industry's most prominent products have been in the news over the last week+, and sadly, it was for awful reasons.  We had a school shooting tragedy and a bird migration disaster.  Both buildings featured some of the right products, but not all- more like half measures- and the price was unfortunately paid.

At the school shooting in Bend, Oregon, the shooter deliberately avoided the secured front entrance and went to a side entrance with a double door that did not feature the high-performing school security glass this industry is pumping out.  The shooter had easy access and was in.

In Chicago, at Northwestern University, the Kellogg Global Hub had been on bird monitors’ radar from the jump, and while they finally applied bird-friendly film, it was only on the first 3 floors.  It was a band-aid, and at least 1,000 birds paid the price.  That building was completed in 2017, and Bird Friendly glass was available then… not as widespread as it is now, but it was out there and should’ve been used.   

We are making and innovating products that can improve these scenarios and save lives.  But those products need to be used in all the right places.  It’s great that schools are doing their vestibule, but they need to do every single entry point.  It was okay that Northwestern added some bird-friendly film, but if they'd spoken to any bird monitor, they would’ve been told this would eventually happen. (betting they were probably told)  These moves (main entrance in Oregon and 3 floors in Chicago) probably made people feel like they were doing something, and they were, but it wasn’t enough.

So, how do we fix that?  As an industry, we need to keep ramping up the information we share with all parties.  I'd bet the glaziers on these two jobs saw these red flags and said something, and someone probably dismissed it.  We need to talk louder there and everywhere. And more often.  Both school security and bird-friendly glass have enough manufacturers that they can amplify the message to potential users.  Your glaziers know you have it- let’s find a way to grow the messaging beyond that.  Obviously, we all in the glass industry know how hard it is to educate and inform.  It’s basically a nightmare, but for the good and safety of our world, we need to do it. Meetings like the NGA Glass Conference (I noted its importance last week) play a role, and we need to hone and develop strategy there and elsewhere to improve these situations.

Also, a thank you to Heidi Trudell and Scott Goodman, who both immediately brought the Northwestern catastrophe to my attention.

Elsewhere…

-- ICYMI, my latest podcast was a great ride.  The feedback has been strong, with people recognizing and valuing almost everything Scott Thomsen of Luxwall, Brendan Champion, and Andrew Leopard of 1st Choice Glass said.  I loved hearing from folks who listened to it on their runs, in their cars, offices, and, of course, on their walks around the park, & tip of the hat to my sister Marcie, a loyal listener!  So check it out, and THANK YOU for your continued support.

VIDEO

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

Thank you to the folks at FHC, Frameless Hardware Company, for their support!

-- We had a deal in the industry this past week: Salem is adding Matodi to its ranks.  That is operating company #5 under Salem, and Matodi will continue to operate under its name and operations.  Dapper Dan Reinhart (who marked the 15-year milestone at Salem this past week) and company are out there making news and moving the needle.  We need good, strong companies in all areas, so this was nice to see. Kudos to all involved.

-- Last this week… I gotta lighten it up… So I saw a poll showing “Favorite ice cream flavors by state,” and I have to say I was pretty shocked by vanilla's power!  19 states had vanilla as their leader.  Kudos to New York & Connecticut for choosing peanut butter.  Yum!  Five states chose coffee-flavored as their favorite (not me at all), but shockingly, the home of coffee, Washington state, wasn't one of them.  They went with Rocky Road.  But the winner, to me? The fine folks from Wisconsin who chose Moose Tracks!  Amazing choice by the Badger state!  See the whole graphic HERE.

LINKS of the WEEK

-- I’m not an AirBnB guy- but these rule updates sound pretty fair and right https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/new-airbnb-rules-ban-hosts-from-making-guests-wash-dishes-do-laundry-other-checkout-chores-3420832/

-- World record for “chin ups” – yeah this guy has some serious strength https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6dxwkd50d2zo

-- I can’t even wrap my head around this.  Wedding venue refuses to return deposit after fiancé dies a few months before the ceremony… and the it gets even worse… wow.  https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/09/23/unjust-and-ghoulish-wedding-venue-keeps-nearly-dollar16k-after-groom-to-be-dies-then-countersues-fiancee/

By the way- The venue ended up settling.  Brutal business acumen by that group.

PROJECT of the WEEK

I’m a big fan of Karolina Styk at Press Glass (and I found out at GlassBuild that I wasn’t alone- quite a few people in that fan club).  Recently, I saw one of her projects, and it’s one of those “wow” efforts.  This is the Two Kings Casino in North Carolina.  That color comes from IG’s, with the OB being laminated with a few different Vanceva colors.  Fabulous. Some may look at this one and remember past vibrant, color-led projects, but this one is surely much more impressive than anything we did before.  A1 Glass was the glazier, and Peerless provided the framing with their Talon Wall.  Nice work, everyone!  This will catch some eyeballs.

Hot Product-Cool People

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.

VIDEO

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.