Get Involved!

One of the most important approaches we have going right now is the NGA Advocacy and Technical Services department.  It is here, where so much that can affect our day to day world, is worked on, debated, pushed, delayed etc.  This takes on a larger role when you think about the comments made by the Mayor of New York last week with regards to glass buildings.  (There are others in our industry, like Chuck Knickerbocker, who covered this much more eloquently than I could ever, so I’ll their words stand for me)

We are used to people taking shots at our industry and livelihood and we will continue to fight on all fronts but we surely could use more people involved and following along.   Go to this page HERE to see what’s happening currently and reach out to add your help to it.  If we don’t keep working together as an industry comments that are directed at going to less glass will start to become more real than we want them to be!  We can’t sit still, so please get involved!!

Elsewhere…

--  It has been a while, so time for the latest Glass Magazine review… I’m looking at the April edition, which has cover of an incredible entrance that was fabricated by AGNORA.  This issue was dedicated to the “Top Fabricators” and delivered as always.  The special section included a list of the top companies; focus on women owned operations, standout “partner fabricators” as named by their customers and some excellent stats about the market place.  It’s truly an incredible section of reading for anyone who has interest in the fabricated glass world.  Also for the 3^rd month in a row, the “Trendhunter” article delivered thanks this time to Michael Spellman of IGE.  Awesome piece on automation on the fab floor that has me wishing I had a plant of my own to put some of this innovation in.  Oh and the “take 5” with Andrew Haring was super.  I am getting to work closely with Andrew on GlassBuild promotion and the guy is absolutely brilliant.

--  Ad of the month choice was tough yet again, very thick issue with a lot of contenders.  My winner this month is Sika.  I usually don’t like text heavy ads- but the Sika ad jumped out at me because of the awesome picture they chose and the color matched Sika logo.  The picture was a very sophisticated structure that made me want to study it.  So when you stop on an ad like that it’s a winner.  Kudos to whomever at Sika did this- I think I only know the great Kelly Townsend there, so Kelly you can take the credit…lol!

--  Congrats to McGrory Glass on their new website launch.  The site setup is very unique with regards to layout and optimization.  It works nicely on the user experience for sure… check it out here- and congrats to the team there on a job well done!

--  The Texas Glass Association Glass Conference II is coming up quickly…. If you are involved in this industry and in Texas, you need to consider getting there for it.  More info can be found HERE.  Personally I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new people.  As I previously noted I am honored to be speaking at the session, and I’ll be sharing some interesting forecast news amongst other nuggets.

In addition the other speakers and topics are very strong.  Learn more here.

--  I have been hearing that black matte hardware- of all styles and applications are getting extremely hard to find.  I’m even hearing that from the millwork side of the business.  That look is hot right now and maybe too hot for everyone to keep up.

--  GlassBuild registration is now open.  Don’t procrastinate… register now and also grab your hotel room.   By the way my Philadelphia friends both the Eagles and Phillies will be in town during the GlassBuild run up and show, so you can mix a little sports with your show of the year.

--  Last this week… one of the coolest things to see architecturally in Michigan is at Michigan State University and the Broad Art Museum.  The exterior is stunning thanks to a great design by Zaha Hadid and glass from Guardian Glass.  Now this summer on the inside of this amazing structure will be an incredible glass sculpture in the exhibition named Oscar Tuazon-Water School.  Instead of me screwing up the description I’ll just use this from Guardian Glass:

“Tuazon’s “water window” uses more than 200 square feet of monolithic, tempered lites provided by Guardian Glass. The four trapezoidal shapes, which weigh in excess of 800 pounds, are installed in a steel frame connected to a post and bearing, which allows the water window to also rotate, further transforming the window into a door. A digitally printed image – a reference to the original water window by Baer – was placed on the 3rd surface and fired into the glass.”

More info can be found here- but if you find yourself in the great state of Michigan this summer- this is worth seeing!

LINKS of the WEEK

There’s usually some dumb political move each week- here’s one for this post.  This can’t be true right?

The length that folks will go to for tickets to the Masters is amazing

This one is the ultimate “hmmmmm” article.  Interesting battle on parking tickets andenforcement. 

VIDEO of the WEEK

So did everyone binge the 2^nd season of Cobra Kai on YouTube yet?  I did- thought it was good- of course not as good as season 1, but solid nonetheless.  Regardless of it you watched the show or not- if you saw the original Karate Kid movie- this “mock” 30 for 30 is a fun watch.  Check it out. 6 great minutes of content!

Show Review

Busy industry week for those on the east coast of North America.  Both the Top Glass event in suburban Toronto and the Mid Atlantic Glass Expo in Maryland had full houses and strong events that attracted a great range of glass professionals.  I was lucky enough to be in Maryland and experience what the fine folks at the Mid Atlantic Glass Association put together.  Good large layout that made it easy to work the room and network.  Great representation of industry companies overall and a pretty positive attitude towards the market though the event happened before the latest ABI came out (more on that below).  Of course for me the networking possibilities are the driver and I got to meet some new people and re-connect with others.   In the new category, was great to visit with Joe Sennese of Vitro Architectural Glass.  Good guy for sure and he was working their stand with my old friend Nathan McKenna who gets congratulations on his latest promotion inside the walls at Vitro! Kudos Nathan!  Also new but too quick and not enough time to talk was Trevor Elliott of Kawneer,  I wanted to spend more time with Trevor but he was the MAN in demand being the outgoing President of the  MGA and all.  Hopefully next show we can catch up more, but glad I put a face with the name. 

Meanwhile it was an awesome trip down memory lane for me at the Trulite booth.  I got to see three people that I worked with closely in various times of my professional career but really had not seen any of them once I started Sole Source years ago.  Debbie Lamer and I go very far back and it just was incredible to see she is the same awesome, focused force she was back in the day.  I worked with her when we were both young pups in the business and I look and feel like I am 70 years old and she looks 24.  April Oakley and I worked together at Arch and she was one of my favorite customer service reps ever and she was also one of the first people to ever read this blog way back in 2005.  I loved catching up with her and the fact her skills and talents are being perfectly utilized by Trulite was a daymaker. Last but not least I worked with Ken Passmore when I was at Vitro and he has not changed a bit- still smart, sharp and just an all around solid guy.  It was a great thrill for me to see and visit with these three…  So of course I am now very fired up about the next two events on my calendar… The Texas Glass Association Conference May 17 in Waco and of course GlassBuild America in September.  Can’t wait to see people and keep the networking and education going.  This week just helped keep those fires burning!

Elsewhere….

--  Speaking of GlassBuild… get ready REGISTRATION opens this week!  Keep an eye out for notification of the open and get registered.  Even bigger… go get your hotel rooms locked down, Atlanta will be busy so get in the hotel blocks sooner than later.  This show will be off the charts… you will not want to miss it.

--  Some sad news though this week on the people side.  John Lang passed away.  John was a fantastic sales professional in our world for years and I worked with him when he was at Arch in Kansas City.  Funny guy- great sense of humor and timing.  He retired from the industry a few years back and traveled the world and enjoyed himself.  I am so sorry to see him go, my thoughts, prayers and condolences to John’s family and friends.

--  Back to the industry world, I teased above the Architectural Billings Index (ABI) hit a big roadblock this month… the ABI posted its lowest score in 7 years at 47.8** 

So a few things to look at… first we knew that the crazy January score of 55.3 was a bit of an outlier and so the lower scores are corrections for sure.  The labor shortage as we all know already is very real and now the analysts pointed to that as a reason the index was underwater.   On the good side, work and future activity is still pointing to a strong year and economic experts are waving off any thought of a recession at this juncture.  We’ll keep monitoring it all though and see if we get a bounce back. 

**Note- ABI has changed formulas so the 47.1 posted in 2012 may not be an exact match to this month’s low score, but there’s no conversion chart to use otherwise.

--  On the flip side other metrics were up in March so, again we have a lot of data at play here so it all bears watching closely.  I think those scarred by the recession happen to be more keenly interested in every data point.  (I am one of those for sure)

--  Last this week…  you may have seen this… plans for a big floatable city that is big time sustainable…

LINKS of the WEEK

The college admission scandal continues to enthrall me.  I love the argument now that the celebs didn’t realize they were doing anything wrong…. No way… horrendous excuses abound.

Just click to read the headline.. then move on.  Wild.

Sorry this guy is not as good as El Pres when it comes to Pizza Reviews.  Get the one bite app…

VIDEO of the WEEK

With GlassBuild registration about to open… time to look back at last years event… check it out!

Comings, Goings, Forecasts, Brands, and more....

Yet another week with lots of news bits around the industry and beyond… so let’s take a look.

--  Coming and Going… two very good people made the news this week with updates on their careers.  First my old friend Marty Biskup was named Sales Director at GAMCO in New York.  Marty is a great guy and this seems like a perfect spot for him and his energy.  Though I must say when I saw the news he was listed as Martin and the picture showed a guy without a mustache so I have to wonder if that’s really him!  LOL.  Congrats Marty!  On the flip side, Steve Morren of Walker Glass announced he’s retiring effective at year-end.  I don’t know Steve that well- I have interacted with him on a few occasions and those times were really interesting and helpful for me.  I do know that Steve has a reputation as one of the more brilliant architectural minds in our world, so him hanging them up will leave a hole.  Congrats Steve on your retirement, enjoy the next phase of life!

--  One of the hottest subjects/exhibits at the BEC show was MyGlassClass.com and this week I noticed a pretty cool pitch on LinkedIn about it. 

“MyGlassClass.com was originally created for glazing professionals. Now the curriculum has expanded to more than 60+ on-demand courses designed for fabricators, installers, sales reps, customer service reps and more.”

Preview the free courses: HERE.  Really good stuff and major steps for the industry.

--  The latest Dodge Momentum Index stayed steady- in fact the report said the index moved “sideways.”  The analysts point to many major projects being in the late stages of work for the “sideway” quote.  In any case it stayed in positive ground and the focus on public buildings and schools for the rest of 2019 should keep it in plus territory.

--  This piece of news usually comes up a few times a year but it’s been a while since my last mention.  Surging gas prices are back … and this pain at the pump is returning just in time for summer driving/busy season.  What’s frustrating for me is there’s usually never any rhyme or reason for the price maneuvers but yet here you have it. 

--  Last week I mentioned Chris Phillips incredible shower door page.  This week he had me on his podcast.   A ton of fun for sure and I really enjoyed the questions Chris asked. Thank you Chris for having me on!  I’ll be posting link here and on my social pages as soon it is live!  (So feel free to listen on that next commute or whenever you take in podcasts)

--  I love brands and I love lists… so how about a cool story that lists the most loved brands?  This is for 2019.  This is a fun breakdown but man I have disagreements all over the place.  Check it out for yourself but never in my wildest dreams would I expect the US Postal Service or Subway in the Top 20.  Well worth the read…

--  Last this week… my wife often calls me a “travel snob” because I have no patience for other travelers because I am on the road a ton.  (Honestly I try to be very patient with non travelers, I just fail a lot.  Lol)  Well this week I got my comeuppance making the ultimate rookie mistake.  I left my iPad behind on the plane, safely nestled in the seatback in front of me.  So. Stupid.  This is one of those things I am always usually 100% focused on- “do I have everything” and I check everything 3 times before I leave the plane.  This time, I completely blew it.

It’s been a week since I did it and while the lost & found forms have been filled out, there’s been no sign of it.   I have the tracking technology on it but so far nothing has been turned back online or someone trying to get in.  So who knows, maybe its in a bin at gigantic warehouse somewhere waiting for some awesome employee to find it but I am not feeling too confident. So this travel snob obviously doesn’t have all the skills…

LINKS of the WEEK

A friend sent me this with an absolute dead on note… if this picture happens today the outrage would’ve been off the charts.  But since it was waaaay back in 1995, it didn’t even make a ripple.  That is the bigger takeaway than they article itself!

This one will be one to watch… shoplifter?  Millionaire who owns an island?  Or both?

Crème Egg Mayo?  NOOOOOOO

VIDEO of the WEEK

Skipping this section this week…. It shall return next week!

It's Back

For those of you who have been following this blog since its start way back in 2005 knows that one of my favorite subjects of the early years was the NFRC.  I spent tons of time and thousands of words on that organization and its movement and through it picked up fans and detractors along the way.  It truly was a time where we had massive engagement from our industry with regards to the way our products were being received and being reviewed in the marketplace.  Especially with the lack of knowledge of commercial vs. residential…  As the years went by things calmed, movements settled, and the need to be a watchdog went away somewhat.  NFRC is still out there and can still be very disruptive but its not anywhere near what it was… or is it.  See I had to laugh when I saw a blurb online about the latest members elected to the NFRC board.  I clicked the link and cracked up when I saw so many of the same exact people from 10 years ago, still in same positions of power there, meaning the same approaches and most likely the same lack of understanding of the commercial glazing world exists.  Now there’s at least one person on that board I have a ton of respect for and she knows who she is but when I saw some of the others listed, especially those who went after our industry with such rancor and disrespect, it really hit me.  The more things change the more they stay the same.  Anyway I hope the calmness will be here to stay but you never know and we always have to be prepared for any instance coming our way.

Elsewhere…

--  I know for many people Facebook is something not to utilize anymore, but I will say if you are in the shower door world, being a part of the Shower Door Installers and Manufacturers group (search for it) is awesome.  Incredible pictures and stories there.  Major props to Chris Phillips of Showcase Shower Door Company for starting it and to all of the folks posting on it- great job!

--  Heads up marketing friends… last year we had GPDR for e-mail and communication to Europe… now we have a new wrinkle from California with the California Consumer Privacy Act.  This goes into effect January 1 and from all that I am reading will have a serious effect on how you market in the golden state.  Here’s a quick link with some details. 

--  Congrats to my friend Tim Finley on starting his own business T.Fin Building Solutions.  He is now a full scale, high-end manufacturers rep with an absolute powerhouse of lines under his roof.  Very happy for you Tim and you will do great with this business!

--  April 17^th I will get to do another first for me… a visit to The Mid Atlantic Glass Expo.  I have never gotten to attend this legendary event and hopefully I’ll even get to see people like the great Michael Albert of S Albert Glass… (one of the best people in our world)  More info on this event can be found HERE. 

--  For folks in Canada and eastern US- the next edition of TopGlass in suburban Toronto is coming also April 17.   Very good educational event and trade show.  Among presentations there will be strong presentations on contractor certification and the adventures of anisotropy.  

--  Really cool building here that is looking to meet some serious sustainability goals…

--  Last this week… so full disclosure…. GlassBuild America is a client of mine and has been for years.  This year I am taking on a larger role in promoting the show.  So be prepared there will be more mentions here than normal.  But also please consider coming to the show and share that message around.  What is being planned for this year is very exciting at so many levels.  I truly believe we will have an event to cherish because of the education, innovation, and networking along with incredible displays by the best companies in the world who will be exhibiting.   So this is the heads up… and get ready… more to come!

LINKS of the WEEK

I do love dogs and so this site would be helpful for me when I am watching movies

When you read about kids like this it surely gives you hope for the future!

Interesting- the Meatless burger from Burger King

VIDEO of the WEEK

Cobra Kai season 1 was incredible… the flash forward of the Karate Kid series was so good it is exciting we get a season 2!  Its coming in a few weeks and here’s the trailer…