Advocacy in Real Life

From time to time, I get the question about advocacy.  As in, what sort of advocacy is happening in our industry?  I think there is a perception that the only path to advocacy is through face-to-face or 1:1 meetings with members of the legislative branches of government.  And while that is a form, I believe some of the best advocacy happens at the grassroots level.  From volunteers and from leaders within industry-focused trade organizations.  When I interviewed Tom Culp for my podcast, we talked about the “battle for the wall” and, in doing so, covered that if our industry did not step up the way it did, then the window-to-wall ratio would’ve gotten reduced and we’d be very deep in the hole. And no meeting with a government official could save that. Smaller glass, less glass? Not good.   So yes, we need to be represented at every level and in as many ways as possible, because as I have noted here many times before, our industry is a popular target for seemingly every other trade out there.  If we’re not doing all we can to protect our way of life, it's going to be a problem.  All that said- my extreme thanks to every volunteer (and congrats to the latest volunteer honorees Steve Marino of Vitro and Vaughn Schauss of Kurarary) out there who cares deeply and advocatesfor us all.

Elsewhere…

-- And in case you missed the episode where Tom Culp and I talked about this and so many other important industry items, you can find the links below.  Jamie Kernohan of Glass Guru was also on this episode, and her energy generated a ton of positive feedback – especially from some of the marketing leads in our space.  Thank you, Tom and Jamie, and thank you all for checking it all out! 

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Of course, also grateful to FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the continued backing of the podcast! Much appreciated!

Note- I do have a new episode coming out next Sunday, and it’s got a couple of big movers and shakers, nationally and regionally. Can’t wait!

-- And speaking of volunteers and people stepping up for our interests, I got word this week that the fabulous Dennis Bevans of Anchor Ventana was named to the Executive Board of the Texas Construction Association.  Having a voice at that level is crucial, and Dennis will be perfect in that spot!

-- Some of my best friends in this industry are the brothers who own Peterson Glass in Michigan.  Great guys that I have known for years.  Well, recently they decided to call it a day, retire, and close up shop. (Happy for them and jealous of them at the same time) In doing so, they now have quite a bit of material for sale.  (Maglocks, Electric Strikes, Taper loc sets, Von Duprin cables, among many items, etc.) Please take a look at this LINK and contact me if you’re interested; I’ll get you in touch with the gang there.

-- Guess what…GlassBuild America registration opens THIS WEEK. The show this September in Vegas will be an incredible event, and I look forward to seeing you there.  The chance to connect and learn is huge and of monumental importance.  More info to follow, and as you can expect, I’ll be talking about this more as the weeks click on our way to the show!

-- Last this week… The gang at Gatsby Glass debuted a very cool tool on their website. A visualizer for the shower door space. GatsbyView lets customers upload a photo of their bathroom/shower door setting and see how a new design would look in that area.  I have seen this tech before, and I love it.  Gatsby did a very nice job with their effort, and to me, it’s great because it brings the homeowner/general public closer to all of us.  And as someone who has been planning a new shower enclosure since April of 2025 (and still not there, thanks to a GC disaster), I enjoyed trying this out and seeing what my enclosure could look like when I finally get one in 2028.  LOL.  I think.  Anyway, kudos to Gatsby on the tech and the push to serve the public more effectively.  See it HERE, and thanks to my friend Jeff Dowd at Gatsby for giving me a look before it went live. 

LINKS of the WEEK

A very cool winning scratch-off lottery ticket story from my stomping grounds in Michigan. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/18/lotto-Michigan-Lottery-last-minute-scratch-off/6241781805958/

Interesting take on the craziness surrounding the SpaceX stock. https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/business/spacex-flippers-have-sellers-remorse-after-50-climb-though-traders-wonder-whether-hot-streak-will-last/

The World Cup has been incredible.  On field action and amazing off-field stories.  One example? The Scots are taking the US by storm and depleting serious beer inventories! The legend Angus MacMillan is beaming with pride on this one- and thx to him for the heads up. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/are-scottish-soccer-fans-drinking-all-of-the-beer-in-boston/3966171/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=fark&ICID=ref_fark

PROJECT of the WEEK

The Gold Standard, Heather West, has been on fire lately.  This week, the project spotlight shines on one she shared on LinkedIn, and while it’s not a massive job, it shows how glazing can add another level to the exterior AND refresh an old structure.  From the post that was written by Technoform- as they led the way on this one with thermal breaks and warm edge spacers, this is Steele Elementary School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

“The over 110-year-old Steele Elementary School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been successfully revitalized, expanded, and redesigned to meet future needs. The comprehensive renovation of this historic 1916 building combines its original character with modern functionality, providing an inspiring learning environment for around 400 students.”

The collaborators who joined Technoform on this excellent effort featured a who’s who of players in our space, including: Glazing contractor, Aluma Glass & Glaze, Primary glass manufacturer, Vitro Architectural Glass, laminated interlayer via Kuraray America, Inc., and window manufacturer: Apogee Architectural Metals’ brands: EFCO, Wausau Window, Linetec.

Great job by all!  Keep up the good work showing off our products!

New Pod: Codes, Hustle, & More

A new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast is now up!  This time out was a very cool mix with the guests, and it had tons of helpful notes.  I lead off with Tom Culp, consultant extraordinaire and one of the key cogs of the NGA Technical Superhero team (led by the incredible Urmilla Sowell, and featuring a crew of folks who care deeply for the good of our industry: Thom Zaremba, Nick Resatar, Karen Wegert, Georgia Oehler, and Amber Johnson).  Tom covered a ton of the technical ground and also broke some great news on daylighting for our industry.  In addition, Tom covered what’s next and how we as an industry- with great volunteers too- are working through it. Next up was the fabulous Jamie Kernohan of Glass Guru.  Jamie is a pros pro when it comes to the marketing game and has done a great job in our industry, and now is making a difference within the walls of a pretty massive organization at Glass Guru.  Jamie shared some great angles she has in play now, what’s happening in her world, and the importance of not being in a “square on the screen.”  Loved it.  Both guests brought it, and I’m excited to share!  Thanks for checking it out!

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Thank you to FHC- Frameless Hardware Company for the continued backing of the podcast! Much appreciated!

Also, Jamie noted a cool resource- “Superhuman”- during our talk, and I said I’d drop the link here.  It is a short daily newsletter focused on the AI space, featuring news, tips, etc.  I just signed up and assume I’ll see a story about Ted Baumgardner any day now.  Site is: https://www.superhuman.ai/

Elsewhere… 

-- Huge industry news with the return of Casey Anderson to our world.  She’s now back at it with the fine people at Garibaldi Glass.  I was so happy to see this. Casey has done so many good things in our space, and she cares a ton.  Matching her with the Mobius family and the other talents at Garibaldi is an excellent connection. Congrats to all!

-- Another new website rebuild dropped.  This one is from Pilkington, and it is strong! The great Dr. Kayla Natividad put a note up on it, and I knew right away that this was going to be excellent, and I was not disappointed.  Really smooth layout and one of the best uses of color and icons I have ever seen.  Creative without being too busy or overboard.  Massive kudos to the team at Pilks who worked on this one!  Really impressive.

-- The latest Dodge Momentum index showed some life yet again.  So there is a flickering light out there… though if I turn on the news, everything will change 15 times before I can flip the channel.  Anyway, May’s Dodge Momentum Index rose nearly 6%, with healthcare, retail, and office planning also gaining ground alongside continued data center activity. Office planning gaining ground?  Yeah, let’s go.

-- Last this week… Adaptive Reuse- I have been banging this drum for a while, and I was thrilled when I ran into this great website from Jason Miller.  It’s called Repurposed and Redeveloped Commercial Real Estate and showcases a wide range of projects that feature the full adaptive-reuse angle.  My current favorite is this one that shows how former banks (TONs out there) are being reset and reused. Check out the full site HERE and the bank example HERE.

LINKS of the WEEK

Wild story on stolen crypto and just a mess of the world out there overall.  The amount of money is astounding. https://sfstandard.com/2026/05/27/east-bay-teen-laundered-millions-private-jets-nightclubs-ferraris/

You’ve got to read the stats behind the Crumbl Cookie Sodas. Like 186 grams of sugar in a 32-ounce portion.  Wowza. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/astounding-amount-sugar-crumbls-dirty-144754767.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Elvis for a new generation. https://apnews.com/article/elvis-youth-tribute-competition-tupelo-festival-063ce85ac0cabcc40fed26e6bb7479dc

PROJECT of the WEEK

From the feed of the incredible Tammy Schroeder at Apogee Architectural (so EFCO, Tubelite, Lintec, etc.) This is Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health in Michigan.  Beautiful job, and the intercompany collaboration was on fire here.  This project brought multiple strengths across the portfolio into one cohesive solution, featuring Tubelite curtain wall systems, Wausau behavioral care windows, and Linetec finishing.  Tremendous work by all, and day by day, I’m seeing and hearing great things about what my friend Troy Johnson is getting done over there.  It surely helps when you’ve got Tammy crushing it too.  More info on this job, and it’s a cool one, HERE.

Are We Good or Not?

“Construction shows signs of life beyond data centers”- This is the headline that caught my eye and got me excited.  Then I saw the subheadline. “Despite hopeful signs, rising fuel prices will take a toll on material costs in the second half of the year, according to construction data provider Gordian.” And just like that, I was deflated. Then the rollercoaster of emotions continued when I started reading the article HERE.  It struck a more positive tone throughout, which was nice to see.  I think we all know the situation we are in (frustratingly soft) and really don’t need to be told, but getting some reinforcement on the plus side never hurts. And if indeed the metrics showing the crucial segments we care about are moderating- sign me up for more of that!  Guess only time will tell- and in the meantime I need to up my game with catchy headlines…

Elsewhere….

--  A few of you are headed to the AIA show this coming week in San Diego.  Tremendous town to visit (hoping for you all, no June gloom) and experience.  Have fun!  Especially because if you are going to exhibit, you’re probably going to have a tough show.  Those of you who have shown there in the past know exactly what I’m talking about.  And those going for the first time will experience the pure frustration that comes with the event.  Who knows, maybe this year is the year architects won’t be distracted, and they’ll come to the floor and spend time with the exhibitors.  Also, maybe this is the year I get my big break and star in the next Denzel Washington movie. LOL.  Anyway, it’s just so tough when you want to spread the good word, and no one is there to hear it.   (By the way, I wrote and rewrote this a bunch of times to go softer on the whole deal.  Trying to be nicer in my old age…)

-- Staying on the west coast- Kudos to the team at Glasswerks on the launch of their new website.  Looks good!  Special mention to whoever was project-managing the site and had to create the project pages.  They are super, and there’s so much there.  That HAD to be a bear to develop.  So that person deserves a pat on the back for sure.

-- Want to see some serious glass getting set?  Check out this post from the great Kevin Hardman (Hardman Glazing Management).  He usually can’t share all the brilliant work he does- so when the time happens, it usually does not disappoint, and this one did not.

-- I wrote a few weeks ago about the new Jack Ryan movie on Amazon Prime and how the previews showed a broken glass floor and some BR glass.  I finally watched it, and as a movie, it follows the classic spy-adventure formula, so that works for me.  As for the glass- a star of the show, of course.  Many of the fight scenes were set in a partially completed building, and it looked like several unitized components were in the background ready for install.  The floor scene with the breakage was interesting, but I am not a glass-floor expert, so I’d love my guy, Ian Patlin of Phoenix Architectural, to weigh in. Or someone like Tom Donovan of Thompson Innovative Glass, who lives and breathes laminated glass. The BR looked great and performed as expected.  Go Glass Industry Go.  And anyone else who watches or has watched, feel free to weigh in!

-- Last this week… Quick one- speaking of movies- the new Nate Bargatze film, “The Breadwinner,” is super.  Funny and just an enjoyable ride. I am biased as I love Nate’s comedy- and if you do as well, you need to see this one.

LINKS of the WEEK

-- I don’t really understand the “influencer” model.  And I surely don’t understand how taking pictures with cute cows works.  But now farmers want to breed ugly cows to scare off the influencers.  Bizarre. https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/lifestyle/farmer-plans-to-breed-ugly-cows-to-stop-influencers-from-harassing-them/

-- I am so pumped for the World Cup, and if the US does well, I think this country will melt.  Also, it would be a nice wedding present for a US player who got married in the thick of all of this. https://apnews.com/article/brenden-aaronson-wedding-world-cup-e7ff08e340613b6a8b73e8cbb928d99d

-- Also, World Cup?  A great oral history of the 1994 US World Cup team that basically saved soccer in the US.  https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48893158/how-usmnt-went-italia-90-embarrassment-world-cup-force-1994

 PROJECT of the WEEK

W+W Glass is on that Mt Rushmore of great glass companies, and so this week it’s fun to shine the spotlight on them.  Instead of me putting words to it- here’s what they had on the LinkedIn post.

Check out our latest INSIGHT structural glass enclosure we engineered and supplied up in Boston in partnership with our supplier TriPyramid Structures and erector JK Glass Co. Love to see those thin steel plate beams inside. This happens to be the third structural glass bridge enclosure we have done in Boston (Boston Children’s Hospital Bridge and Liberty Mutual Bridge were completed some years back). We can’t wait to see this one wrap up soon.

Nice work by the Haber family and the talents at W+W.  Keep up the great work!