The Meaning of Essential

One of the things we learned this past week is we all now know what the definition of “essential” is.   Garret Henson of Viracon actually gave this thought to me, and he deserves the props for pointing it out.  Obviously we all have felt what we do is essential and that we provide an incredible and very important building product.  However for years we had always been beaten down either in the codes or by random glass bashing articles.  Now during this time of crisis we get our answer and in a majority of cases (including New York before the bigger shutdown Friday) we are deemed “essential.”  (And yes you party poopers out there I know its mostly “construction” as essential but we do have some specific cases- especially float plants- that are officially “essential”)

The tough thing unfortunately was even getting that recognition didn’t mean business could progress.  Other factors including job site and workforce availability were/are big issues that many in our industry are dealing with on a daily/hourly basis.  States now forcing shutdowns are another.  But I’m going to take this notice of “essential” and count it as a win.  I mean at times like this you gotta look for the wins and positivity right?  

Oh and by the way, for when we as a world emerge from this crisis, I think glass is positioned to be a major benefactor.  We have a great, clean product and one that has a lot more benefits than people realize.  Those advantages will come very clear on the other side. (My project of the week is a good example)  I look forward to getting there… and hopefully sooner than later. 

Elsewhere…

I have been attempting to keep this blog less focused on the virus but I do need to point a few things out.

--  The #NGAalerts on LinkedIn have been amazing.   I was honored to provide one about staying in touch and I have enjoyed and learned from all the others.  If you have something you want to share, let the folks at NGA know (or ping me and I’ll get you connected!)  When this whole thing started I stressed communication was a key and it is absolutely a must.

--  In addition now would be the time with workforces being on the lighter side to do extra training.  MyGlassClass is loaded and ready.  The courses are tremendous.  Use this time for good!!

--  Ok now to the lighter side… and reviewing the Glass Magazine Top Fabricator issue.  I mentioned a few weeks ago the actual Top Fabricator list which is super.  But this issue has some good nuggets in there as well with articles by Marco Terry on Profits and the Family Business as well as my man Joe Erb of Quanex talking about “Do’s and Don’ts on the Factory Floor.”  Again a loaded issue with info and resources, so get it, read it, and grow!

--  On the Ad of the Month award… I’m going to an old friend and one of the best in our world- Rob Struble at Vitro Architectural Glass.  The ad that adorns the back cover is fantastic.  The job photo is a showstopper.  Just stunning and beautiful.  Love the color scheme, layout, and headline.  Nice job Rob and the folks at Vitro on this ad!

--  Guy jumps head first through a glass door to rob a store- look at this story- it’s missing some key needs for me including a better picture of the scene.  It looks like maybe the door was knocked off the hinges vs. glass breaking.  Anyway it’s a release from the daily news to look at this and try to figure out- what happened?

--  Last this week two projects that make our industry look great and I’d love to know what companies were involved- you deserve props!! – First is the The Charles Library at Temple University.  Man it is nice.  And second one is this retrofit in Boston where glass was the clutch and THE key product refreshing a building from 1917!  Great work to whomever was involved in these…

LINKS of the WEEK

Wow I’m getting old.  Eminem now considered a “boomer”

The college admissions scandal keeps going…

Honestly surprised this hasn’t happened more with the way folks can be easily frustrated on a plane.

PROJECT of the WEEK

When I say I really think glass is going to grow I look at awesome jobs like this one from Paragon out of Miami, FL.  Stairs, floor, handrails.  All beautiful glass.  This project is in Arizona and I spotted on their Instagram feed.  The owners at Paragon, Max Hals and Ian Patlin are friends of mine and I love seeing their sophisticated work in action.  Well done gentlemen!  

Watching Other Items

I’m going to continue to try and keep this blog focused on other items vs. deep dives into the virus as I think that is being covered very well elsewhere.  (See the #NGAalerts online and amazing coverage at Glass Magazine/Glass.org)  There will be a few items though that I’ll need to comment on that have a connection to this on-going issue, but my goal is to give everyone a batch of “normal” in this current sea of “unbelievable”

Kicking off this week, one to watch.  On March 18^th the latest Architectural Billings Index was released.  Because our focus is elsewhere it garnered almost no attention.  The latest report is for February and it was compiled before things turned upside-down.   The index came in with an excellent score of 53.4.  These results in many categories were awesome with strong numbers in a few regions of the US and application areas.  So knowing how things have changed and with the worry and hysteria evolving, will the long run of the ABI and its effect on our industry (which is at least 9-12 months away) hold up?  Keeping jobsites open (or getting them re-opened quickly) is a key for sure and something that we are all watching very closely.  April 22^nd is the next release and that Index will probably be frighteningly low (because its tracking right now), but hopefully by then we’ll be in better place. 

Elsewhere…

--  Obviously the way we do business- face to face in so many ways- is going to change.  It’s been interesting to see how companies are evolving and the ideas they are putting into play.  Some very smart moves are being made to roll with these punches and be ahead of the new normal.  As some of these tactics get rolled out, I’ll share a few here….

--  With no sports on TV or movies to go to, time to read more right?  Last week I got ahead of myself on mentioning the Top Fabricator edition when I had missed reviewing the “World of Glass” edition from last month.  So this week I’ll give you what to look for in the previous and next week the current.  Both are obviously worth the read!  The “World of Glass” cover is a stunner in that you will be mesmerized by that picture!  At least I was…  Inside the content to jump on in my opinion was the entire “World of Glass” section that was penned by the supremely talented Norah Dick.  This deep dive into where the world was at the time will now be something to review as we see where our world goes in this current landscape.  There were many items in that section I was not aware of- such as deals and joint ventures- and I consider myself pretty tuned in.  So gaining that additional knowledge is appreciated.  Also appreciated is anytime Matt Johnson of the Gary Law Group writes.  Really interesting piece on insurance changes in the market.  Those are just two sections in a really strong overall magazine.

--  Ad of the month goes to Swisspacer.  Brilliant use of picture and showing warm vs. cold- great use of color.  Strong and impressive ad!  Congrats to the folks there on a job well done!

--  Some good industry news amongst all else… Congrats to Bill Daubmann and the My Shower Door/D3 Glass team for being named to the Inc. Magazine Top Florida business list.  They were the only glass related company on the rundown and its yet another honor for this great organization.  I have always liked the Daubmann’s approach to business, on social media, and their support of the industry so it’s good to see them getting continued recognition!

--  Also a hearty congrats to my friends at Diamon-Fusion International (DFI) on their latest innovation release.  The FuseCube Express looks like a fantastic solution for coating of glass and a smart progression of their product line.  Love the push forward and the marketing guy in me absolutely adored the home page they built for it.   Great work Syndi Sim and DFI.

--  Last this week… What happens when a glass house needs new glass?  And not just any old “glass house” either.  How about the legendary “Glass House” in a cool case study here….

LINKS of the WEEK

I can’t do a headline to do this one justice.  Pigs, Poops, and Fires?

I’m good with this tradeoff….

Gaming is not just for the young.  Even a 95 year old is heavy into it

PROJECT of the WEEK

This week the honor goes to the folks at Momentum Glass, along with W+W for this awesome point supported beauty at the Bank of America project.  Really perfect layout, clean and sharp.  Kudos to all involved here.  No other building product could look as good as glass here.  No other building product would deliver the experience glass gives.  We truly do have the best around and work like this helps cement that every day for me.  Great work folks!

Education and Content Review

I’m taking this week to avoid talking about the virus, as there is enough out that out there.  So that said… we start with the continuing recap from BEC, and specifically the education/information part of the event. I have noted previously how much I loved the keynote from Apogee President & CEO Joe Puishys and I wanted to share some of the details of his presentation for those of you who missed it.  There were a few major takeaways here including the positive trends of the forecasts and also the massive opportunities that await our industry on the renovation and remodeling side of things.  No doubt that the renovation-retrofit market is a big part of our future because of tighter (and smarter) codes- those buildings will need the best of what we have and that “best” is usually our highest performing and most value-added products.  Joe also hit on size (bigger is still better) quality (an obvious must) and Birds (those codes are no joke).  The feeling I had when he was done was one of being fired up and ready to go.  Everything he said were things that just connected with my desires to keep pushing our world forward.  Loved it.  

Speaking on loving it- I know for some folks in attendance the panel discussions may have seemed dry- but in reality they were just so loaded with detail that to me it was an intensity play over flash.  I think there’s a happy medium to be had- but I loved the deep dives people took into subjects that are crucial to the glazier- and that all of us who deal with the glazing community should understand and respect.  BIM, Delegated Design, Design-Assist, Liability, Document Custody etc. It really was good, helpful stuff. 

And I missed this last week- but a major THANK YOU to everyone involved in this event- especially those who volunteered their time on the planning committees and presented on stage.  Everyone is so busy in their “day jobs” that trying to cram this in can be a challenge.  But an amazing group of industry folks came together and really got it done.  Thank you to all!

Elsewhere…

--  I’m going to stay lighter this week because I think we have plenty of heavy in our world right now… but one sad industry note I have to comment on first.  That is the passing of Greg Saroka.  Greg passed away at age 61 last week and it really hit me and many in the industry hard.  Greg was a brilliant man and an innovator.  He and Cathie built an amazing company (that Cathie continues to build and do an incredible job with) that changed the decorative glass world.  Greg was such a nice person and really made an impression on all he came in contact with.  He will be sorely missed.  My sincerest condolences to all of Greg’s family and the team at Goldray Glass.

--  Congrats to my friend Ted Bleecker and his team at Bleecker Associates on celebrating their 50^thAnniversary in business!  That is freaking awesome- and I am happy that I got to meet Ted and be somewhere in his circle of friends (way on the outside but still…). Amazing accomplishment and I wish Ted and Bleecker Associates many many more great years!

--  The Glass Magazine Top Fabricator issue is now out (bigger review of the issue next week) and this is a listing I always enjoy checking out. This year aside from the list there’s some good insight on the landscape in the fab world (which right now for some is a bit rocky) that I found pretty interesting.  Check out the whole thing online. 

--  Last this week… Not sure if you saw this one… the simply astounding story of the World Trade Center blueprints.. from the trash heap to 250K!  Wild. 

LINKS of the WEEK

This is great- the creativity of Ryan Reynolds knows no bounds!

You know I love dogs… so this is super cool!

The rotary dial cellphone… made in protest.  Fun! 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Guardian Glass had a cool setup at BEC at a reception where they honored several projects with awards. Nice touch for sure.  One of the projects is what I am spotlighting here…The Southport Office Complex in Washington State is gorgeous.  Architect was Zimmer Gunsul Frasca - Seattle.   Great work on the install by Walters & Wolf- and the fabrication was by the folks at Vitrum Glass Group. (Always very nice to get 10 seconds with the great Thomas Martini and then 10 minutes with the awesome Tara Brummet at BEC).  Guardian Glass was the glass manufacturer… nice work again everyone and shows the power and beauty of glass in design!

BEC Recap

The 2020 BEC was surely one for the memory bank.  Obviously first and foremost the tornado that ripped through the city and affected so many people there has my thoughts and prayers.  Many of us from the industry have been going here to make donations.  Thank you to Bill Sullivan for direction there. From an industry standpoint the fury that a storm like that can bring can never be underestimated and does continue to bring in the thoughts of more protective glass and glazing (as well as other building products)

Moving to the event itself, BEC was a massive success.  The largest attendance since 2008 and the new location brought an amazing amount of energy. For years, those of us who were BEC originals could never fathom moving it from Las Vegas.  Now it’s pretty clear that rotating this event around gives it a new and fresh flavor.   Nashville was an incredible and fun venue and perfect for this sort of conference. 

Next week on this blog I am going to break down some of the key presentations in more depth, but overall the education this year was top notch.  We had so many interesting deep dives into complex subjects, it truly was a great opportunity for growth.  I knew the kick off keynote by Joe Puishys would not disappoint.  He was really interesting on so many levels – some of which I will talk about more next week.  I also loved the YKK case study lunch.  Mike Turner from YKK is a brilliant guy and getting an inside story about the awesome hotel you were at- including a sample to touch and feel was a cool touch.  I am biased about Jake Gaddis of United Architectural Metals as I have been a fan of him and his company for years and I thought he and the powerhouse panel he was a part of delivered.  Next week more on this… but now time to get to the fun stuff… Networking.

I love to meet new people or grow relationships from LinkedIn contact to industry friend.  I got to meet a couple of people in that level, Juan Gallego of Extrusiones SA chased me down to say Hi and that was cool- then I watched him work the room like a champ.  Pat Pennington of Kovach was a man in demand and I was glad he made the show given how busy he and his company are in Nashville and elsewhere.  Cool to meet him!  

Always nice to visit with Seth Madole of Viracon- I love his social media game and he had some cool video of unitized curtainwall being installed over the weekend in downtown Nashville.  Work is never stopping there.  Tom O’Malley of Clover Architectural is a good man from a great company- I am just thrilled he gives me a few minutes of his time each time at BEC.  I love catching up with Jon Kimberlain of Dow- and now I must get to “Lex Vegas” next year for a UK game.  That Kentucky flavor also pertains to Brad Thurman of GGI. Been a long time since I got a few minutes with him and I enjoyed catching up.  

Maure Creager of Sage is a one-time interviewee of mine on this blog and this was first time I had seen her in person in a few years.  Very awesome. Chris Bole- the Chairman of the Board of NGA and Owner of Pikes Peak Glass is just a great presence to have at this event.  Some day I will remember that he’s coming off an Achilles injury instead of knee (I always screw that up) 

The Tristar Glass team had a nice reception that I was honored to be invited to- and just spending time with the legend Greg Oehlers there was fabulous.  Also at that reception I was able to catch up Sam Hill of Oak Cliff Mirror & Glass and that was a valuable experience as always.  

I was also fortunate to go to the Vitro reception and while there seeing good friend Mike Dishmon was awesome plus visiting the trendsetter Glenn Davis who was rocking a cool beard that all of his coworkers were trying to imitate was neat.  While there it was also old home week for me getting to see several folks from Binswanger Glass- loved that and thrilled they had a great contingent at BEC.

Also from my past, a customer that goes way back with my family is DM Products in the Pittsburgh area. So thrilled that I get to see them yearly at this event.  Dick and Mike Macurak along with Mike Stroupe and Tim Mackin- all just awesome people. Tom Nesbitt of the aforementioned United Architectural Metals is another great one who has always been a staple in my professional life.  Just great to always see him at BEC.

The high-end talent and brainpower that we get at this event is something.  Getting a guy like Jeff Haber of W+W involved the conference is tremendous.  Incredible approaches he takes and always so good the way W+W supports the industry and this event.  Stanley Yee of Dow and Bernard Lax of Pulp Studios also fall into that category. Just love the angles/innovations they are always bringing to our world.  Oh and if we are talking brain power and skill can’t forget about Chris Dolan at Guardian Glass- one of my all-time favorites and was thrilled to get to attend the Guardian Glass event while at BEC. 

Catching up with Brian Thomas of Super Sky was fun- love the signature jobs he and his company are doing- it was fun to see panelists showing Super Sky work while Brian was in the crowd- I am sure he was pretty pleased.  Seeing Brendan Brown and meeting Rick Alexander of Tom Brown Inc. was a worthy experience- they have a strong organization and they pointed me to Rick’s fabulous blogs on line.  (He is a technical force!). It is always good to visit with people I have worked with at different junctures in my life like Tony Kamber, Scott Sallee, Jack Wickstrom, Connor Leahy, and Scott Goodman.  Tremendous as always.

Last it’s just nice to see people who are very classy and cool.  Shelly Farmer of Trex is a major favorite of mine.  Carl Christ of DFI fits that mold (missed Syndi Sim though!) as well as my guys Max Halls and Ian Patlin of Paragon.  Love them and they brought the future with them with Matt Halls and David Montoya.  Young, energetic guys like those two give me hope for our future!  

I know I probably missed mentioning many I visited- and I am sorry, I try to keep track and this year was a tough one to do so.  Plus there were people I wanted to see like Tyler Hall of Dennison Glass that I never saw the entire time but I know was there (saw him in the BEC recap video!) as well as industry MVP Bill Sullivan (Brin Northwestern Glass) and John Wheaton (Wheaton-Sprague).  Too many great folks and not enough time! 

Speaking of the recap video- if you haven't seen it- look at it here! 

Thank you to all that came and all I got to visit with and catch up with.  Truly appreciate everyone’s time and I am grateful for so many amazing people in our world!

LINKS of the WEEK

Because of length of these post show recaps- I skip the Links of the Week… but they’ll be back next week for sure…

PROJECT of the WEEK

I did also get to see briefly Tom Jackson of Steel Encounters.  Super guy and company that is one of the best around.  So why not give them the focus this week as my project spotlight. This is the Facebook Data Center at Eagle Mountain.  Spotted this on their LinkedIn feed and it noted that this building will be 100% renewable power. Nice!!