Smart, Forecasts, Texas & More

I’ve got a new episode of the From the Fabricator podcast for everyone, and it’s got a bunch of strong takeaways.  First up, the 2015 Glass Industry MVP Jon Kimberlain of Dow joins me.  Jon is just a brilliant guy.  Smart as heck, extremely friendly, and always doing his best for his company and our industry.  It was fun to pick his brain on a few items, including the growth of unitizing and the moves he’d make to improve the industry.  Then we get the yearly visit from Nick St. Denis of KMR Research. We look back at the 2025 data, and Nick shares his insights on where the forecast is pointing in 2026. Nick is a good guy, and his appearance yearly on the pod always rates well. Good stuff all the way around!  Give it a listen or view.  Thank you!

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This episode was brought to you by FHC Frameless Hardware Company.  Sincere thanks to them for the support. 

Note- I’ve pushed a few extra pods out to start the year- I’m going to be settling back into the once-a-month cadence for a while- so next edition will be March 22nd.

Elsewhere…

-- One week til BEC. CAN NOT WAIT.  So excited to see everyone and learn from the best of the best.

-- Speaking of the best… this past week I had the extreme honor of speaking at the North Texas Glass Association Lunch n Learn.  Wonderful people there.  Thank you to James LaRocca of Gibraltar Glass, Valerie Nagy of Hartung Glass, and the rest of the NTGA board for having me in.  Those two always keep me in mind, and I’m grateful.  At the event, it was wonderful to see Kristina Buckett of Dallas Flat Glass- just flat out a cool person.  She had with her a true newbie to our space, Josh Prunty- he’s one week in, and I told him once you’re in the industry, you never leave.  It was wonderful to see Jamie Kernohan, now of Glass Guru, thrilled that her talent has stayed in our space, and it was nice to meet her cohort, Steven Maya.   A trip to Dallas wouldn’t be the same without seeing the legend Sam Hill and the hardest-working man in the glass business, Chris Hill.  Fantastic and classy folks, and congrats to them, too, as Oak Cliff celebrates a few milestones this year, including 70 years in business as Oak Cliff Mirror & Glass. Cool to meet Elizabeth Maynard of Gatsby Glass. I loved the enthusiasm she brought, and I’m excited to see how it all progresses for her.  (With Jeff Dowd in her corner- all is going to be great) Thanks to Dixie Still of CRL for connecting and dropping a LinkedIn post- awesome.  Last but certainly not least, the Texstar Glazing crew of Danielle Whatley, Emma McLemore, and Oscar Lopez were in attendance, and I am just enjoying watching Danielle and this company continue to crush it out there.  I know I missed a few people to mention- sorry on that- but know I am grateful for everyone’s time, and we’ll see you again down the line!

-- The latest ABI came out and is still in the downer territory. Actually, such ugly numbers- let’s just skip it and move on.  If only it were that easy!  In any case, that “uncertainty” aspect is so strong everywhere and not letting up, and this is an example of something that is getting caught in the mess. I am very curious about what Sarah Martin from Dodge Construction tells us next week at BEC.

-- Last this week… The TV show “The Pitt” is absolutely awesome.  So well done.  There was a glass related story line- kinda- as a pair of roof jumpers fell through a skylight.  The victim had major shards of glass sliced into him, and to me, that did not sit right. Maybe it was a very old skylight?  Don’t know.  But it did catch my attention.  Regardless- excellent TV for sure.

LINKS of the WEEK

Controversy!  Are the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups different than they used to be?https://apnews.com/article/reeses-peanut-butter-cups-hershey-chocolate-1a66ec75247fd146888b7a747a740cd3

Another dog comes through in the clutch! https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-police-dog-wandering-toddler-help-find-home/70420437

You may have seen this one- baby moose stuck in deep snow rescued.  Hope she’s still OK! https://youtu.be/Bq4AyNXZEig?si=tLWPAFSX6CfG7Ssh

PROJECT of the WEEK

Chesapeake Glazing gets the spotlight this week.  This is the MOB Office Building at National Harbor in Maryland.  From the LinkedIn post, this features extensive exterior glazing that supports both architectural intent and the office environment inside. Chesapeake Glazing provided the full exterior glazing package, including curtain wall systems, storefront & entries, deco glass, aluminum coping and flashing, and precision-fabricated panels and trim.  Nice work!  No suppliers were listed (that’s a bummer), but whoever you are- great job too!  Once again, the glazing makes the building + Chesapeake is NACC certified, which adds to it as well.  

Remembering Larry Vockler

Once again, a massive loss has occurred for our industry.  Larry Vockler of ICD Coatings & Chemistries – known for OPACI-COAT 300- has passed away.  Calling Larry brilliant would be an understatement.  He saw things at a different level and created products that could change an industry, one of which was how he completely disrupted the Spandrel space, and his invention and his drive allowed many a fabricator to grow their businesses.  Before Larry perfected OPACI-COAT, the spandrel space had issues, and the spandrel itself was hard to get.  Thus, architects usually specified brick or another building product instead.  But thanks to Larry, his spandrel changed it all.  Those fabricators I mentioned (including our company, where my brother Steve was a first adopter) could now produce it, and with that, architects started to spec it- more and more.  Just like that, Larry was responsible for a critical segment of our world.  How about that?!? Think about the amount of glass used in spandrel? It’s significant, and I point to Larry for that reason. Also note that Larry took the chance and built ICD from the bottom up, and he never forgot anyone who worked with him or supported his efforts. 

You hear the line “they don’t make them as they used to anymore,” and that would pertain to Larry.  Nothing like him then and now.  I have a bunch of memories, but seeing an unexpectedly bawdy Elton John concert in Las Vegas during one of the shows out there will always stand out for me.  I was there with him, his wife and partner, Trish, his daughter Kris, and others, and believe me, it was memorable.  And speaking of Kris, Larry instilled the brilliance there, too.  Kris, like Larry, thinks above the norm.  That is a part of the legacy, too.  My sincerest condolences to Trish, Kris, grandson Alex, and the entire ICD staff and family.  He will be missed.  Larry Vockler made an unforgettable mark in our space- we supply a lot more glass because of him- so the next time you quote, fabricate, or install spandrel, give a nod to Larry, without him, that area is probably some other building product.

Elsewhere…

-- ICYMI- the latest From the Fabricator podcast is up, and the reactions it’s getting have been pretty fun for me. The guests were Brad Thurman of GGI-General Glass International and Paul Robinson of Pioneer.  I heard from folks who thought they knew everything about Brad and were thrown off by the fact that they didn’t know it all.  And I heard from folks who loved Paul’s approach and passion for the space.  All good stuff!  Please check it out if you have not already.  And by the way, both men do talk BEC, and they provide fresh, non-biased insight.  So, if you’re on the fence about going, give it a listen, and you’ll surely want to attend!

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AUDIO – Or search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  Also, on both Apple and Spotify, you can subscribe to the pod, and you’ll actually get it before it officially drops.

Thank you to FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for their support and sponsorship of this episode!

-- I have hit you with a ton on BEC.  All I can say is more and more people keep signing up- meaning you do not want to miss it!  Register now.

--  This past week, I had the extreme honor of being a part of an excellent ½ day educational session put on by Precision Glass Industries in Houston.  The speakers there really blew me away.  I had never heard Brian White of HB Fuller or Geoff Shellard of Guardian Glass speak, and they were extremely impressive. Scott Kennett of NACC/AGMT delivered a strong case for glazing certification, and my pal Ted Baumgardner went deep into his world of AI.  The keynote was Stefan Burnett of Perkins & Will- and he was absolutely tremendous.  Really exciting to hear from a young, sharp architect who really loves glass. He made a comment, “We want to improve the perception of glass,” and man, that made my heart flutter.  Thanks to the always cool Steve Versland of Guardian Glass for making that speech happen.  And kudos to Abdeali Karimjee at Precision for making these efforts to educate the market- even when some of the projects shown weren’t his. Classy approach always.

-- Last this week, Super Bowl ads- and I’ll just point out one.  The Budweiser Horse/”bird” ad was absolutely incredible.  If you missed it- see it here.  They mixed great music, incredible visuals, cool animals, and the pace and conclusion that were perfection.  Kudos to them! (PS- The sun was in my eyes too- you’ll get that reference if you watched)

LINKS of the WEEK

Hard to explain this one- but living in a barn is a big part https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/christian-farmer-who-secretly-turned-a-barn-into-a-home-and-lived-with-livestock-is-to-be-evicted/ar-AA1VSAT3

 Wonderful. (sarcasm) now we have black holes to worry about?https://www.unilad.com/technology/space/black-hole-more-energy-than-death-star-195781-20260208

The Data Center boom now needs some real creativity when it comes to power distribution. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/state/virginia-bill-aims-to-cut-residential-energy-costs-shifting-expenses-data-centers/291-1433ec58-7660-4021-b2dc-a5fb2f5287e2

PROJECT of the WEEK 

I don’t know MGSI Glass in Iowa, but I know I like this work!  Precision, custom focus here, and it looks sharp! The post I saw didn’t list the glass suppliers- and hopefully someone will jump in and take credit because that looks great too.  In any case, massive kudos to the MGSI team on a job well done!!

Experience-Here, There, and Everywhere

I’ve got a new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast for you, and I gotta say it was a real dandy.  Leading off was Brad Thurman of General Glass International- GGI.  Brad is super sharp and has extensive experience in our industry, and we hit on a wide variety of items that Brad just nailed.  Then to Paul Robinson of Pioneer Glazing.  Impressive man and company, and his story is inspirational- he’s done it the right way and continues to do so.  Plus, both had insights on BEC and what’s happening out in our space right now.  I think you will enjoy.  Thank you in advance for checking it out! (PS- on YouTube, feel free to check out Brad’s glorious bourbon collection sitting behind him-Wow)

VIDEO

AUDIO – Or search “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Thank you to FHC-Frameless Hardware Company for their support and sponsorship of this episode!

Elsewhere…

--  Thrilled that on February 18, I’ll once again be in Dallas at the North Texas Glass Association’s monthly lunch meeting.  Excited to speak there and bring everyone up to speed, but also to learn from everyone as well.  It’s always an incredible crew at this one, and I’m extremely honored to be there.  So if you’re in North Texas and haven’t signed up- do it- and we’ll see you there!

--  Last week, I had a post on the Netflix special (from Michael DeFrank) on the solo building climb in Taiwan.  I had no idea that the glass was fabricated in the US at Viracon!  Via Garret Henson of Viracon:

Several of us at Viracon watched the video of Alex climbing the facade . Project is located is Taipei, Taiwan. 100% of the fabricated architectural glass came from MN. I was there on several occasions working with the original Buliders Federal team that then transitioned the facade to Gartner/Permasteelisa. The man lift on that tower was crazy. 👀 I took the stairs on many occasions. Check out their YouTube New Year’s Eve celebrations- the fireworks from that tower are epic. The comments on Michael’s LinkedIn post are spot on!

Thank you, Garret, for the info, and congrats on a fantastic job.

-- Last year, the industry’s nicest guy, Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural Glass, got me into the show “Hijack” on Apple TV.  The first season was great. Second has been a bit uneven, BUT there are a few shots of an awesome laminated glass handrail (season 2, episode 1), and the glass edge itself was pristine.  Made me think my guy, Ian Patlin, manufactured it… So even an uneven show with great glass keeps my attention!

-- A bit ago, I noted that Kermit Baker, the economist at the AIA, was retiring.  They have named his replacement, and it’s former Dodge economist Richard Branch.  Tremendous move.  Richard is so good, so this is a big-time winning move.   Congrats to all involved.  ALSO big, Richard will be a keynote speaker at the inaugural GFAB event this summer in Chicago.  That is going to be a great conference, and I love seeing this all come together!

-- One of the best this industry has ever seen announced he’s retiring at the end of the year.  Tom Jackson of Steel Encounters, in a LinkedIn post about attending the BEC Conference, let it be known this would be his last one and he’s hanging ‘em up at the end of the year.  Tom accomplished a ton, was a force across a multitude of efforts, culture, and workforce improvements, leading the way, and he will also go down in history for delivering two of the highest-rated presentations at BEC ever. I am so happy for Tom, but hate seeing him go!  Congrats, my friend- I’ll see you in Louisville and will always wish the best for you going forward!

-- Last this week… a loose BEC Conference connection.  In 2007, our keynote speaker at BEC was Mike Eruzione, Captain of the 1980 US Olympic team- aka “Miracle on Ice” and he was incredible.  Inspirational and funny.  He picked on the Minnesota contingent from our industry (a fun rivalry between his home in Boston and Minnesota) and truly had the audience in the palm of his hand.  I bring this up for two reasons.  

1- BEC is where things happen that you just don’t forget.  Speakers, Connections, Tornados etc.

2- Netflix debuted a new documentary on that 1980 team, and it is absolutely a must-watch.  Never-before-seen video, never-before-heard stories, and some serious emotions that, if you are a parent, you will cry.  Just so well done.  Check it out.  And please come to BEC too!

 And by the way- here’s a picture of me at that event with Mike… time flies!!

LINKS of the WEEK

Wow- 13-year-old boy swims for hours to save his mom and sibs.  Incredible https://people.com/boy-13-swims-4-hours-save-mom-and-2-siblings-stranded-at-sea-11897300

This winter sucks and too much snow for a lot of us- but please do not use a flamethrower to melt it… or something bad can happen! https://www.koat.com/article/man-using-torch-massachusetts-home-on-fire/70229819

No more frozen concentrate OJ.  Another item from the past is going away. https://apnews.com/article/minute-maid-frozen-juice-orange-cocacola-81e513c8b692e10eec2304501958bcf4

 PROJECT of the WEEK

We head to the Pacific Northwest for an absolute showstopper from Sargent Construction. This baby is at Washington State University, and it’s going to be a must-see piece for years to come.  I don’t know the Sargent folks at all, but I’m guessing I should with work like this! The post listed a bunch of people- some I knew, like Brad Glauser, and a few I did not.  I did recognize companies like Vitrum and Pittco- so my guess is you all were involved.  Congrats!  And for sure, I need to get to know Eric Ritchey of ZGF Architects, as his design is a big-time winner. Keep up the great work, everyone.