This past week was the Texas Glass Conference at the Woodlands (Houston). Tremendous event overall. The Texas Glass Association really delivered a great gathering chock-full of excellent insights and networking opportunities. A few standouts included a really informative AI panel and a fabulous talk from Scott Kimpland of FMI. Overall, everything really clicked, and I was honored to be involved. My sincere thanks to Brian Risinger and the TGA board for the opportunity.
Of course, I have to mention a handful of folks whom it was wonderful to run into. Super to chat with Kyle Lamb of Universal Glass- I always get a strong takeaway or three. The awesome Jacque Freeman of Binswanger was there and holding court like always. It was incredible to see the launch of a new Women in Glass chapter- Syndi Sim, along with Danielle Whatley, Emma McLemore, Kristina Buckett, and Valerie Nagy, are doing something great and needed for our space. Talented people in so many ways are now giving back even more to our industry.
Cool to see & hear from one of the all-time greats in our industry, Teri Gilmore of A3 Glass. And I guess while throwing the word “great” out there, it would also pertain to Chris Bayer of Austin Glass and Ted Baumgarder of Guthrie AI. Ted even overcame a nasty flat tire to make it in for the event. I was thrilled that Abdeali Karimjee of Precision Glass Industries was there- He needs to do more of these! And speaking of Precision- two of their newest people- Jack Wickstrom and Fulgencio Rey were there- I am thrilled for both of them as they start this new phase in their lives. I get a charge out of seeing good people joining good organizations.
Another dynamic duo- Hector Vallejo and Wade Arnold of USBP/Quikserv were there, but I could not effectively shoehorn my way into a conversation since both always had crowds around them. I was honored to have Omar Maalouf of Momentum Glass & Jeff Haber of W+W Glass in the audience for my talk. Both are so freaking good, and both care deeply about our industry, which I admire and respect.
I did get a short visit with Greg Grothoff of GlassFab. He is one of the sharpest guys in our world- neat to see him excelling. And amazing to meet new people- like Larissa and Julio Vasquez of Stratford Glass & Mirror. As well as Jaime Torres of Trulite. Really impressive folks!
Catching up with friends like Todd Schulz of IGE Glass Technologies can’t be underestimated. He was working it all, plus, and unlike the last time I saw him, he did not have to take me to the ER! As well as Rick Newnom of HOU-TEX Glass. Always fantastic to catch up & also talk some Houston sports. Plus, it had been a while since I had seen "The Great Joy Lee" (that’s her legal name- or it should be), and her work in and around this conference was huge & appreciated!
I know I missed a bunch- and I am sorry- I didn’t keep notes as well as I usually do! Wonderful to see everyone and another positive time in the great state of Texas!
Elsewhere….
-- The Glass Magazine Awards public vote is now open. More details can be found HERE. Check it out and vote. Some incredible categories and candidates- many I wish I could choose multiple winners. Deadline is May 5th. Go VOTE!
-- Changing of the guard at Winco Window with Woody Miller moving to the top spot, taking over for his dad, Gantt. I am excited for Woody and happy for Gantt. Great guys. I was lucky enough to have them on my podcast way back in October of 2021, and they were super. So much has changed, and I may have to get Woody back on. As the podcast has gotten so much better since then, too! If you want to check it out-
Last this week… a huge win for our industry at the International Code Council Public Comments Hearings. Can you believe there are people who want windowless buildings? Well, they exist, and thankfully, the NGA Advocacy & Tech team went to work and, with some excellent collaboration from across the built environment space, closed loopholes and pushed natural light into the play. Plus, a huge win with the use of daylight in classrooms, too. Read it all HERE. Good stuff from the team and massive for our space.
LINKS of the WEEK
Stalking in a “thoughtful” way- yes, it’s a real story/headline. https://gizmodo.com/meta-thinks-its-smart-glasses-could-stalk-people-in-a-thoughtful-way-2000746222
Ruthless scammers. This one with 3D printed homes. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/3d-printed-homes-an-abandoned-590000-deposit-the-fbi-what-really-happened-in-this-small-town/
Oh my- Bunk Beds on a plane? https://apnews.com/article/air-new-zealand-economy-bunk-beds-sleep-c2c434f60116f332c0ce96c69d662c3b
PROJECT of the WEEK
So, always a highlight for me is seeing Sam and Chris Hill of Oak Cliff Mirror & Glass. So good. So classy. And they really are key figures in so much of what we do in our industry. Tremendous people. So, the project of the week spotlight hits one of their projects.
This is the North Dallas Bank and Trust at Fields West in Frisco, TX. In progress and not complete yet, but looking great! And by the way, Chris Hill, also known as the “Busiest Man in the Glass Industry,” keeps adding on with more and more – and always on the cutting edge. How he finds the time will always amaze me! Kudos to the team there and all who collaborated on this one!
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