Brilliant Minds

The latest episode of the From the Fabricator podcast is now out!  This time, I have two really smart, interesting people who drop serious knowledge.  Leading off is one of the NGA Technical Super Heroes, Urmilla Sowell.  Urmilla was on my first-ever podcast in 2021, and it was great to reconnect with her since so much has changed.  We cover what’s happening in the tech and advocacy arena, volunteering, super people, and a very memorable food conversation.  Then Bruce Murray of Steel Encounters joins the pod, and we get deep into safety and Bruce’s unyielding passion for it, his background, his love of the Raiders, and a clutch, meaningful quote, among other things.  Two fun, classy people, and I’m excited to see both in person in Las Vegas at GlassBuild. (BTW- Still time to join us!) If you are not familiar with either, this is a great way to learn about them.  Thanks to them and to everyone who checks it out.  I appreciate it!

VIDEO

AUDIO

Thank you to the gang at FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for their support of this podcast- I am grateful!

Elsewhere…

-- Very sad news, as we lost a man who made a massive impact on our industry.  Jerry Haber, past Managing Partner at W&W Glass, passed away early last week.  A beautiful remembrance is HERE, and it’s worth a read, but I wanted to call a few things out.  Jerry was a tremendous leader and man.  He earned respect from all sides of this industry through his character and drive.  With the 9/11 anniversary this week, I thought about Jerry and W&W’s role in New York's rebuild.  Jerry and team/family stepped up and did some usually impossible things to get crucial projects done.  These projects showed great American skill and pride, and they offered a chance to lift our world up after the tragedy.  There’s a great article HERE that goes into specifics on that time. The bottom line is we really lost a person whose contributions in both business and labor can never be minimized.  His legacy will live on through his family and current team at W&W; that is for sure.  My sincerest condolences to the Haber family and everyone at W&W.

-- Evan Afenir of DP Glass is a really thoughtful follow on LinkedIn.  He shares cool jobsite tech and project insights, but he also posts some true “food for thought” that is good for us to read, consider, comment on, act on, etc.  The latest was this post on one of the biggest issues and frustrations on the Precon side.  I appreciate Evan putting good stuff out there, and I think it’s really good for our industry to learn and push for improvements. (Some are easier than others, of course)

So, the New York Times recently had a piece on the “Happiest Cities in the US,” and of course you know I love lists… so here’s the top 10.

10- San Jose, CA – Out of the gate with a surprise.

9- Gilbert, AZ- Makes sense to me

8- Irvine, CA- Another California surprise- guessing perfect weather (most of the time) is big.

7- Charleston, SC- Home of the juggernaut that is CBK Media- so that tracks

6- Overland Park, KS- I can see it, plus people I know from Kansas are usually super chill

5- Fargo, ND- Wouldn’t the weather rule this out?

4- South Burlington, VT- Skiing, I guess?  Vermont is one of a couple of states I have never visited

3- Scottsdale, AZ- This one for sure makes sense on the list. Though it is pricey there.

2- Bismarck, ND – See Fargo.  Wow. #2?

And #1 “Happiest City,” based on three categories- emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment was:

Fremont, CA.

I have been to Fremont, and from what I remember, it was nice- but happiest city? Shocking.

Wow.  If I were guessing, I’d say Scottsdale and Charleston for sure (though traffic in Charleston has to affect emotional well-being), but none of the others.  Stunned no Texas.  Plano was closest at #16. I know Florida takes some hits, but there’s a ton of tremendous places to live there that can check these boxes, and anything Utah missing was a surprise.  If anything, these lists get you talking! 

LINKS of the WEEK

Flipping your car in the drive-through lane…how?https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/09/roll-forward-please-car-flips-into-auckland-mcdonalds-drive-thru/

An “overwhelmed” squirrel.  At an Ohio State football game?  Yeah I’d say the poor guy was probably freaked out. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/09/11/Perry-Township-Ohio-State-squirrel/9691789147583/

This party in honor of what would’ve been Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday looked like a fun one. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/dont-stop-them-now-fans-205122351.html

PROJECT of the WEEK

From the feed of Katie Boydstun of United Glass Commercial. Really sharp-looking job in Weatherford, Texas.  Love the design, and obviously the shots taken during a perfect sky (or photoshopped to look like it) make the building pop.  The glass and glazing look great! Plus, United also noted they did the interiors too, with offices and glass railings.  Very cool.  No suppliers were listed, but if you were involved- kudos!  And absolute congrats to Katie and team on a great one!

Getting Closer!

It’s September. It’s GlassBuild Month!  Are you feeling the energy build?  I feel like there’s been more social and media activity for the show this year than ever, which has helped fuel the excitement.  If you haven’t checked out the schedule yet, give it a look.  One I want to point out is the Case Study- Project Failures and Lessons Learned by Raul Espinosa of CDC. Getting a guy of Raul’s caliber to come in and share stuff like this is huge.  The key is that by hearing Raul and seeing the issues encountered, you could possibly avoid those same mistakes on one of your projects.  This piece takes place on Day 1 at 1PM on the Main Stage.  That is just one of so many solid sessions featuring a ton of brilliant industry brains like Casey Anderson, Ted Baumgardner, Jamilla Walcott, the up-and-coming Alicia Berzinis (very cool cat), Diana San Diego, Mike O’Neal, Joe Kaiser, and so many more.  Go to HERE and check it all out- I guarantee at least one session will be valuable to you- if not more.

Elsewhere…

-- ICYMI- I did do a GlassBuild focus podcast with Andrew Haring of FHC and Kevin Hardman of Hardman Glazing Systems.  And this pod provided me with evidence of the energy building, as it is now the most-listened-to pod of the year for me and is getting close to the rarefied air of the all-time most-listened-to pod I did with the incredible Troy Johnson of Apogee Architectural Metals.   Check it out:

VIDEO

AUDIO (or Apple/Spotify- Just search "From the Fabricator"

New episode coming next week and features two very sharp industry people who are making a difference out there.  Can’t wait to release it!

-- I have noted on here a few times about the mess happening at CSI and their desire to copyright and charge (license) for the use of the MasterFormat classification system (you know, like 8800, etc.). Welp, a Federal Judge has ruled against CSI and now they have 30 days to appeal, which looks fruitless, but evidently CSI is going to try.   This was a bad idea from the start; now it has turned into an embarrassment for them.   We’ll see what happens next…  The court judgment is here, and it's a wild read.

-- One of the best in our space announced his retirement- Dave Nelson of CRL is hangin them up.  Classy guy- always greeting you with a smile- and repped our space well for a long time.  Go enjoy that next chapter, Dave!!

-- The Gilbane 3Q Market Conditions report is out, and it’s what you would expect- data center dominance, shortages of labor, supply chain challenges, etc.  Positivity still remains for non-data center growth heading into 2027, and that sentiment is shared by many based on increased quoting activity.  But man, it would be nice to see this volume of quotes transfer into orders sooner rather than later.  In any case, the battles still continue.  There was one line in the report that probably will make some throw their coffee at the screen when they read it:

“Despite on-going tariffs, imported glass and aluminum from the EU are currently priced competitively with U.S. sources.”

 So much to say on that, but I’ll refrain… for now.

-- CONGRATS to the folks at Quaker Window & Door for being named the “Show-Me-State Best Overall Place to Work for 2027” by Missouri Magazine.  That is a VERY cool honor and having gotten the opportunity to see Quaker a few years ago, I can see why they picked up this recognition.  Great people, place, and culture.

LINKS of the WEEK

Comical jury duty story about Reese Witherspoon and Legally Blonde https://www.fashiontimes.co.uk/reese-witherspoon-jury-duty-mix-1763528

A stolen truck filled with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is missing.  Not me!  Now if that truck was filled with Diet Dr. Pepper…. Lol https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pabst-blue-ribbon-stolen-beer-california-b3041792.html

150 Corgi dogs running in a race… fun! https://apnews.com/article/lithuania-vilnius-corgi-race-costumes-nose-bark-82c1d801bc7805e78bf365ea44a1344f

PROJECT of the WEEK

Colorado is the home of the spotlight project- it was posted by Allen D Smith of Ryan Glass, and it’s their installation of the Abrams Elementary School at Fort Carson Military Base in Colorado Springs, CO.  No suppliers were listed, but whoever it was teamed up nicely with the Ryan Glass team for a job well done!  Congrats to all involved!!

A Dynamic Duo is GlassBuild Ready!

Fun new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast for you.  It’s a dive into the upcoming GlassBuild show in Vegas with two guys who have done it all at this event.  I chop it up with two Kings in our space- Andrew Haring of FHC-Frameless Hardware Company and Kevin Hardman of Hardman Glazing Management and Hardman Glazing Systems.  The pod became a fun round-robin about first shows, cities it could go to, tips and tricks for getting around the show, and tons and tons of name drops. If you’re going to the show or still thinking about it, give it a listen/watch.  If you don’t have plans to go, it’s still an easy listen that drops more than a few nuggets along the way.

VIDEO

AUDIO (or Apple/Spotify- Just search "From the Fabricator"

This time out, the episode is brought to you by Hardman Glazing Systems. Exciting new venture from Kevin and team.  Thank you for the support!

Elsewhere…

--  An important yearly tradition is coming up.  The 17th Annual Hale Glass Blood Drive.  If you are in or around Southern California on September 11th, stop by Hale Glass and donate.  Blood is in short supply this year, so every bit helps.  The event runs 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. with lunch provided for donors 11am - 1pm.  Thank you to Gloria and Brian Hale- always classy, always caring.

-- A must-watch, very funny clip on LinkedIn- if people ordered fast food as they talked to contractors.  Perfect.

-- Promotion news- the extremely talented Wade Arnold is now Vice President of Sales at Quikserv. Wade is a true-blue industry guy, and it’s awesome to see him get a new position and continue the good he’s done before.  Congrats Wade!

-- You may have seen a blurb on the dialogue in Washington, DC, about their glazier certification/licensing effort.  This plan is getting pushback, and all I can say is that the detractors are off on this one.  Way off.  Certification is crucial.  And we, as an industry, should support it with all we have.  It can lift our entire space and improve what we do and how we do it.  And from what I am seeing, efforts to get certified everywhere are growing, so it’s kind of a “get on board now” sort of thing.  If you have questions/comments about this, hit me up.  Would love to chat through it.

Links and the Project of the Week from North of the Border are below the next section.

-- The final installment of the Summer Catch Up Series is here… this time out I touch base with Jill Read of Diamon-Fusion International (DFI).  Jill has always been the dynamo of brilliance, and she’s hit the ground running at DFI. But what about the time since we talked on the podcast?  We catch up on that and more.

MAX: Okay. The last time I had you on the podcast was 2021, so it's been five years. I think a few things have happened in your world in that time. Do you want to take me back and how the journey's been from then till now? 

JILL: Sure. Gosh, five years goes by so quickly. Yeah, so I've just been living the dream, Max. 

MAX: Love it. 

JILL: My family is good, with one teenager left in our nest. So, looking back over the last five years, the glass industry has helped me transition to where I am now. I was with Binswanger for over seven years and then Impact Security for two and half years. Just this March, I joined the team at Diamon-Fusion International, well known by most as DFI. So that's a snapshot of what I've been doing for the last five years.

MAX: Some cool roles though. So that has prepared you for this one. 

JILL: “Oh, most definitely, Max. I’ve had the opportunity to work in some vastly different areas of the glass industry. I started with a focus on retail and contract glazing at Binswanger, where I worked with large national customers. From there, I moved into the security side working with ballistic and film products, which I absolutely loved. And now I’ve transitioned into something completely different, but still very much connected to glass - making sure the glass is protected, stays looking its best and doesn’t leave the fabricator ‘naked,’ so to speak.”

MAX: The naked glass thing. Somewhere Guillermo Seta has a huge smile on his face. One of these days we'll explain that in more detail, but I have to ask, how's it going at DFI? You've been there for a few months, settling in okay; you still got that excitement in your bones for it?

JILL: “Absolutely. A few months in, and the excitement hasn’t worn off. If anything, I’m finding more reasons to be excited, Max. So, quick story, having been in the industry, I’d heard of DFI, and had a certain idea of what the products were all about. But at my first trade show of the year in New York, while sporting the DFI logo on my jacket, I quickly got introduced to DFI’s reputation. What really stood out to me was that as I walked the show and talked with people, they were telling me great stories about my team members and sharing their view of the DFI brand. I remember thinking, how great is it that I’m meeting people who already have such a positive impression of the company and the team that I’m now a part of. It was a really nice feeling.”

MAX: That is awesome. Congratulations again on that. You got a lot of things going on because I know Adam is always inventing something new. And so I have to ask from a similar level: I've always thought of you as kind of an old school person. You've come up through different worlds in our industry from the marketing side and so on. What's your take on AI, artificial intelligence? Do you like it, hate it, use it, avoid it? What's AI for Jill Read? 

JILL: I love it. In fact, I have a good friend; she came over a couple of days ago for a quick visit, and she said, "I know a lot of folks are not really excited about this AI." She said, "But I love it." And I confess, "Me too." From a business standpoint, Max, I had a spreadsheet, which I wanted to create multiple tabs for, run calculations and incorporate filters. Old school Jill would've probably taken a good four hours to develop that and then still not been real pleased with the exact outcome. New AI Jill put that into ChatGPT, and it came out beautiful within 10 minutes. And AI made some suggestions that I hadn't even really considered. Bam, I have a project completed in my hands in ten minutes. Our industry as a whole, needs to embrace parts of AI. Reviewing drawings, completing takeoffs, building the estimate, I don't think it's going to replace our industry estimators. I think what it's going to do is help our industry become more productive. If you can have AI look at 200 pages of an architectural drawing and tell you the areas you need to bid, the glass type, the approved manufacturers in a matter of a minute – I mean, that’s awesome.

MAX: It really is something else, and I've enjoyed working with it. And the last thing I have for you is GlassBuild. You'll be there, I assume. DFI always has a place in the middle of the action. The industry front man, Carl Christ, is always there front and center. What's on tap for you at GlassBuild? 

JILL: I'm not supposed to talk too much about our big secret reveal, but I will tell you there is a lot of R&D going on. Adam, along with our engineers, have been extremely busy to the point where he's canceled team meetings, and Adam doesn't cancel meetings—it’s because we're ramping up for GlassBuild. We want to unveil what he's been working very hard on. And I think our friends in the industry are going to be excited right along with us. So yeah, GlassBuild, our booth is #2759. And if Carl gets his way, he's going to have a large banner over our booth. He says no matter where you're standing, you'll be able to see DFI's banner from various parts of the building. 

MAX: Awesome. Can't wait to see you in Las Vegas. Thanks for doing this. 

JILL: No problem. Always enjoy talking with you, Max.

Thank you to everyone who connected back up with me.  An audio version of these takes will be coming soon.  And thanks to all reading this for going back in time with me!

LINKS of the WEEK

A ban on glass or metal water bottles in a school… why? https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/new-jersey-school-district-water-bottle-ban/

A wildfire in Belgium leads to a scary scenario… https://www.wbaltv.com/article/wildfires-expose-detonate-buried-bombs-mines-wwi-wwii/73501078

I love rollercoasters- but some are going to far… and now being shuttered because of it! https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/six-flags-x2-coaster-closed-brain-injuries-1236683165/

PROJECT of the WEEK

We go inside and up to Canada for the spotlight this week. The always-wonderful Ryan Shoemaker and Champagne Glass caught my eye with this wild interior job and its use of dichroic options.  As the caption says:

This installation features 12 mm clear glass partitions with both swing and sliding doors, finished with 3M Dichroic decorative film. As the viewing angle and lighting change, the glass shifts through a spectrum of colours—creating a bold, dynamic look while keeping the workspace bright and open.

This will really stand out to the folks who will work in this office and anyone who visits.  Everything is looking fabulous here and the workmanship is on point.  Kudos to Ryan and team for the great work, as well as their suppliers.   Keep it up!