The Friday Stunner

Wow. Well on a day that it was announced US Inflation was at its highest rate in 40 years, another bombshell was dropped.  The news in case you missed it was a 40% price increase on glass from Guardian Glass… and that is not a typo. 40%.  While many other industries are used to big numbers like this our industry is not, so just the number alone had people thrown.  Obviously, there’s the initial emotional response in that this is a very tough pill to swallow in a domestic glass availability market that grows tighter by the day.  Not to mention everything else going on in everyone’s operations.  Then there’s the reality of what happens next and how do you deal with it all.  The week ahead is where all of this will come to play. So what is my take on all of this?  I think the timing was odd and the number way too high.  I could justify past price increases and quite frankly with inflation could say one fits here, but 40%?  No way. Maybe there’s a plant issue but if that was the case the letter would've/should've spelled that out.  Without something like that, this number is just hard to fathom.   

Now obviously there’s been a feeling for years that our products needed corrections on the pricing side but to attempt to get them in this manner, at this time, just doesn’t sit well with me.  Aside from the obvious tumult this will cause, It also has the potential to damage the supply chain with GC’s and Developers pushing to go in alternate directions for material, and quite frankly some of those directions won’t be good for our industry or reputation (meaning product quality will not be as good) 

But that’s me, there are probably people who have no issues with timing or total at all, though so far I have yet to talk to one, I assume as this blog gets posted I’ll hear more on it.  As for the next steps...  The OEM side of the business has a different runway to be able to implement this (still challenging) and they’ll be quicker to work through it. But interestingly enough the OEM side has slowed which makes the timing of this quirky.   On the other side, I feel for the project folks, both fabricators and glaziers with committed jobs will have serious issues here.  This increase goes into effect next week, which will surely be an issue.   Even those fabricators and glaziers who may have intelligently built in escalators to protect against volatility, still won’t be covered after a number like this one. 

Companies that are well run will work through this but even the best of the best will have to still reset their plans and raise their game even more.   For the less sophisticated companies or those that have not taken previous increases seriously some bumpy adventures lie ahead.  

The bottom line is once the emotion wipes away (which is going to take a bit), the industry will deal with it.  Companies have to examine what they have going and do what they have to do to survive. I fear for the quality that now may come into our space and the ramifications of that.  (Not every potential new supplier to the industry is poor, but the bad actors will make their way in)  Whether or not this move, in the long run, was a good one for Guardian will be seen- I am sure the market will ultimately decide. The bottom line is we are living in some turmoil-ridden times right now and there are going to be some very tough conversations this week up and down the chain. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  After that news above, it was hard to focus on other items- but that is what you want from me right?  So this link was possibly good news on the talk of a recession in the United States.  Moody’s Analytics is telling people like me to slow our roll with the predictions there.  Check out what they have to say and I’d love to be wrong here but I just can’t see how we avoid it.

 

--  More good?  The folks from my podcast last week.  In case you missed it, you can catch up with the amazing Aragon brothers from Aragon Construction and the incredible Kelly Whittingham of Halio Inc. We covered a ton of ground from growing pains to best-in-class technology and more. Thank you for listening/watching

VIDEO

AUDIO

 

--  Good news on the GlassBuild front.  The show hits in October and in the last month 25 new exhibitors signed up.  That is a positive sign of people wanting to get out there and show off their goods and services.  I think as we all know despite the miserable items I have talked about above and previously; we are all busy AND more importantly the need to get BETTER at what we do and how we do it is paramount.

 

--  Interesting blog post on the growth of modular building.  I have been seeing more and more of the “it’s taking off and going crazy” posts vs. this one that pumps the brakes a little.  Good read and thanks to the great Melanie Dettmer of NGA for the find!

 

--  Last this week… Another good read comes from Intelligent Glass Solutions magazine.  This piece covers the incredible benefits of glass and there are just multiple talking points here we should all commit to memory.  The article was attributed to the NSG Group so my assumption is either one of the tremendous duo of Dr. Kayla Natividad and Kyle Sword wrote it.  Or maybe they collaborated but it is fabulous!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The Starbucks cup controversy explained and figured out.

 

Falling into a tank of chocolate sounds like a dream, but not really- lucky these two are ok!  

 

Next week I’ll a blurb on baby names but this trend of needing help is craziness.  Now Ikea is offering to help… come on!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

We go to Illinois this week and Nathan Seaman and Architectural Grilles and Sunshades.   This is the Will County Courthouse and it is a stunner!!  This design from Wight & Company and HOK rocks and obviously the kudos go to AGS for their aluminum fins to the curtainwall that just made this building so much better.  According to the LinkedIn post “Threaded rods ensured perfect alignment, and custom clips concealed hardware all while overall lengths reached 46' tall on these bad boys” CONGRATS to Nathan and the gang at AGS for making the building better and our industry standing out once again!

Great People, Resources, Cities and More

The latest “From the Fabricator” podcast is now live and a fun and interesting one yet again!  This month kicks off with Joey and Matt Aragon of Aragon Construction.  Great company and these two are absolutely tremendous.  Their care for the industry and their approach to business are brilliant.  Plus being on the younger side, their influence will carry for a very long time- I love it.  Then I chat with the delightful Kelly Whittingham of Halio.  Kelly took an interesting path to our world and now is a part of some fabulous disruption with a company that is absolutely making moves in their space. Fun talk and she even flips the tables on me too.  Once again, I feel like the luckiest person around with getting to know new and ultra-cool people in our industry and then sharing their knowledge with all of you.  Thank you for checking it out! 

Video version is HERE 

Audio can be found wherever you listen to podcasts or HERE. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  I have pointed out here often other blogs or resources that l love to follow including ones from great folks like Rick Alexander, Matt Verderamo, Adrian Lowenstein, John Wheaton, and more.  Now add this one to the list- Michael E Brown and Associates have had some excellent posts including their latest on avoiding unnecessary costs for labor and material.  It was a quick take but valuable and in this day and age that is something we all need.  Nice work MEB team!

 

--  Heads up, some training available on Dow Corning Sealant including product reviews, best practices and more.  This looks to be super helpful for those newer folks and not a bad refresh for the veterans on the team.  More info and a handy QR code for signing up is HERE.

 

--  CONGRATS to David Nelson of CR Laurence who is celebrating his 39^th year in our crazy business!  David is one of the good guys in our universe and here’s hoping he keeps trucking along and spreading the good word for years to come!

 

--  Last week’s post on Fleetwood Mac garnered a lot of feedback and thankfully and correctly all agreed with me that the published list was pure bunk.  Love that many in our space have good taste in music!  Thanks again to all who conversed back and forth with me on that. 

 

--  Have you seen Top Gun- Maverick yet?  If not please do yourself a favor and check it out.  The movie checks all the boxes with great action (well done and not CGI’d) and sound, solid plot, and the pace of it was perfect.  It to me is the perfect diversion from all of the turmoil we deal with daily and a great chance to focus on something else for a couple of hours.

 

--  Last this week… another list… the annual “Best Places to Live” by US News and World Reports is out and of course, I need to comment.  This was the line on the approach they took:

U.S. News analyzed the 150 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life. 

 

Now when you see the list, it makes me wonder if they live in the same world we do… because coming in at #5 is San Jose, CA.  I mean is anywhere right now in California “good value”- please correct me if I am wrong.

The others in the top 5 were 

#4 Boulder, CO

#3 Green Bay, WI

#2 Colorado Springs, CO

#1 Huntsville, AL

 

2 Colorado cities in the top 4 is wild to me.  Meanwhile at the bottom of the list were 5 California cities and Memphis, TN.  The list itself is a rabbit hole that you end up in and surely a headscratcher all the way.  By the way my birth city of Pittsburgh, PA, once rated #1 on this list a few years back came in at #26 this year, right behind Nashville, TN and Jacksonville, FL. 

The entire list is HERE

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Odd one- when going “green” isn’t good

 

--  You probably saw this… a popcorn shortage at the Movies is next

 

A rare “Cougar” attack and brave little girl survives

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Back to the great state of Texas again for one of my favorite guys in this industry- Rick Newnom of Hou-Tex Glass. Rick is a class guy and my gosh this in-process job is a showstopper.  The glass looks fantastic and can’t wait to see it when it is done.  Congrats to Rick and his team at HouTex on a project well done and keep up the great work!  And kudos to whomever the suppliers were on this too!!

Something Special

Pride in our industry is something I totally enjoy.  In the past few years this feeling of our value as a trade has really grown and the more we go that way the better.  It is that same enthusiasm that we all have to continue to build upon to attract more people to our space.  We have something special here, different and better than any other trade, let’s keep pushing that narrative as far as it can go.  This feeling of mine dovetails with last week and the tough news on what is ahead for us.  That blog delivered more feedback to me than any other in a very long time.  It is our love for what we do and who we work with that will help get us through the adventures in our path now and in the future.  And hopefully along the way we can add to the teams here and grow the right way…

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Glass Magazine review time and CONGRATS to everyone who made the Top 50 Glazier list!  What a tremendous achievement!  This issue is so much more than just glaziers ranks, the Glass Magazine team broke down the surveys and supply some very interesting feedback on what’s happening now and what may be coming down next.  In addition to this amazing coverage the great Matt Johnson of the Gary Law Firm is back with a must read on product performance.  Check it all out!

 

--  The ad of the month continues to be a battle.  So many good ones again and given this is a VERY popular issue, all the advertisers brought their “A” game.  But we can only pick one winner…  this month it goes to Salem Fabrication Supplies.  Love the layout of their ad and the wording of “Safety” “Efficiency” and “Productivity” popped!  Kudos to Mike Willard, Dan Reinhart, Ann Greco and company on a great piece!

 

--  If you are a glass fabricator and care about the technical ins and outs of our industry, then you need to make sure you’ll be at the NGA Glass Conference- Chicago in July.  It really is an important technical event for the fabricator/supplier and amazing opportunity to have your voice heard.  Plus, the tour and testing at WJE will be awesome.  Early bird pricing ends soon- learn more about the event HERE!

 

--  I’ve written here about the show “Ozark” (how about that ending folks?) and how they seemingly get “glass” with the way they’ve talked over the last few seasons on SHGC, Natural Light and Thermochromic glazing.  In fact, I thought that Tom Donovan of Thompson IG was moonlighting as a writer on it.  Well, if he is, Tom skipped the episode where a broken patio door featured huge shards of ANNEALED GLASS!  Yes, that was for effect and shows better on TV then tiny pieces of tempered on the floor- but wow, after being in the glass know the entire time and to make a mistake like that was a killer.  Plus if Tom “was” writing he would’ve made the glass in his new protective glass line anyway…. Still always a shock to  the system to see our products in the wrong place.

 

--  New podcast is dropping next week, and it is an awesome one… so pumped to release.  I have 2 of the 3 interviews complete and they were incredible (great guests, making up for my mediocre host skills.  LOL)   I can’t believe how lucky I have been to talk with so many awesome folks in our world.  If there is someone I should have on the show, please never hesitate to drop me a line on it!

 

--  Last this week, those of you who saw me speak in Toronto or Texas know I love Fleetwood Mac… and so when I saw a link promoting Fleetwood Mac’s top songs of all time, I couldn’t wait to see what this expert ranked them as.  Well folks this guy got it so wrong…  he had “The Chain” which in my opinion is a top 20 song of ALL TIME OVERALL ranked as the groups 10^th best!  Pure insanity!  He also had “Tusk” 15^th which was crazy low.  His #3 song “Everywhere” is brutally too high.  He did get 1 position right with “Go Your Own Way” as #2 which it should be,  but that should’ve been behind “The Chain” 

Anyway take a gander at it and if I’m crazy let me know or let me know what other snubs you see… 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Well this turned out to be a marketing adventure/mess.  

 

Seems like this could be the definition of going “Full Circle”

 

Bear attacks are no joke.  This one had a better ending than it could of

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Donald Jayson of Bendheim posted this one and it really is fabulous.  Channel glass is spot on and the overall look is a stunner.  Once again makes our industry look good!  And as I mentioned above on being lucky on podcast guests, I’ll be having Ben Jayson from Bendheim on soon!  Great people and company and they deserve this project of the week spotlight!  (You know much more prestigious than the millions of honors they’ve gotten from Architectural trades over the years!!)

Preparing for ????

This blog has been written and re-written 4 times already.  I am struggling on how to lay it all out.  The one thing I don’t like being is negative or worrisome but unfortunately the following is what it is.  So here goes… How’s everyone feeling about a recession?  There ya go I just ripped off the band-aid and went right to it.  Put me in the “expecting it” column and I think it’s not a bad business practice for you to be preparing for one too. Aside from the volatility in the market, big triggers with diesel gas supply (which oddly not enough people are talking about and that could be devastating to our world) struggling and costs rising on Natural Gas (in part to backfilling Europe because of the war in Ukraine) has us headed there quickly.  Now before I go on, I will once again state- we are a good, strong, resilient industry.  We have beaten these things back before and we will do it again.  Just sucks that we’ve gone from one issue to the next lately.  

So what is the play here?  First, it’s get your house in order- are you as efficient as possible and capturing every detail correctly?  Next is are you diverse in your offerings?  Do you have products and services that are vast enough that when one segment is hit the other one stays up?  Those two are big steps- obviously a lot depends on how bad things could get, with worries on gas, costs, and oh availability of glass and components, this road could be very bumpy no matter what.  Now keep in mind I hate being anywhere negative with my vibes here, but I felt like it was time to sound the alarm and if this all passes with limited pain I will gladly eat as much crow as you want to serve me.  In any case it never hurts to have a good solid introspective look into how you’re approaching things as we go forward….

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  The latest Architectural Billings Index was released and it continued to amaze and hold up with positive numbers.  That is something that I can point to where positivity is a plus.  The index was down slightly from last month but still in the good zone.  Interesting that the analysts noted that a main focus of architects right now are retrofits- if you heard me speak in Toronto or Texas- I noted that trend and it really is a big one….

 

--  I mentioned efficiency above. One angle to get there?  Go as automated as you can- that is another push that I hit hard in my last two presentations.  While automation has its costs, the advantages really outweigh all else.  Every time I see a LinkedIn post from Steve Brooks or Mike Debotte with awesome manipulating equipment, I think on how crucial it is.  When I saw a post from IGE and LandGlass, I also got fired up. A fully automated plant is a game changer (as Michael Spellman of IGE is known to say) and one that would make difference on survival and thriving into the future.  And yes, I know lead-times for equipment are rough but the longer you wait the worse it looks to get.  

 

--  One of the great plants in North America is at Vitrum and they are celebrating their 25^th anniversary next month. They’ll be having a great day of celebration and education on June 16^th and that will be a tremendous industry event for sure.  Congrats to Thomas Martini and the amazing team there on a spectacular run with many many strong years to come.

 

--  Do you play WORDLE?  Thanks to the legend Chris Dolan, I got into it and I start every day playing it.  (I think Andy Russo of Glass + Metalcraft is addicted too and can blame Chris for that)  Now I am wondering if Chris is setting up the words.  Last week one of the words of the day was “Metal” and this week one was “Glass” – now that is very cool.  Now if we start getting words like “Solar” “Units” or “Nerds” I’ll know this thing is fixed! LOL

 

--  Last this week… Netflix has a 5-part documentary of the “Inspiration4” space mission from last year.  I had never heard of that mission when it was happening so watching this was all new territory for me.  I love the whole space sector and this documentary mixed that with a really human focused story.  Check it out- Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

--  A wild story on a very ugly past matched with an insanely positive future.

 

--  Delivery robot lost in the woods.  I guess this happens now eh?

 

--  Another Gator in Florida story- as long as I don’t see them in person I am cool.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK  

Tremendous work from the team at SageGlass in this week’s spotlight.  This is at Middle Tennessee State University and a tremendous effort underway at the Athletic Center there.  The glass looks beautiful and it will make this part of campus really stand out.  Great install work by McInerney and Associates too! Kudos to old pal Peter Worstell and the classy team at Sage on a job well done!

The GREAT State of Texas

The Texas Glass Association Glass Conference really delivered this past week, once again showing that people want and NEED these onsite events to help to grow themselves and their businesses.  The TGA is such a first-class organization and kudos to the fabulous Kyle Sharp of Sharp Glass for his leadership and approach to this event.  The Glass Conference is a perfect opposite year compliment to the bi-annual TEXpo event and this year the content really was top notch.  Great breakout sessions and a couple of truly memorable and insight heavy main room presentations.  The “Supply Chain” panel did not disappoint at all.  What a wonderful job by Seth Madole (Viracon) Chris Giovannielli (Kawneer) Mike Walters (GE Silicones) and Kyle Jones (PGP) in tackling so many of the biggest topics in our industry and doing it in a perfect conversational style.  It was like the 4 of them were catching up on things and the rest of us got to listen in. Really well done.  The closing keynote by Kris “Tonto” Paronto ended with a rousing standing ovation which was more than deserving.  A story of sincere perseverance delivered in a genuine way.  Absolutely awesome. In addition, Kris did have a great line on training… “Train to the highest level” meaning the further you train someone the more that they can handle.  That stuck with me and it is something that is a best practice. (With MyGlassClass and other options, there are plenty of ways to push that training envelope)  For me it was honor to present and meet a ton of new people and also feel the energy of the room and region.  The great state of Texas always brings it and I am grateful for every visit.  Thank you to the TGA for having me in yet again!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  A few other wrap up thoughts on the TGA... it was absolutely amazing to see a TON of Binswanger Glass folks in the crowd and catch up with some old friends too.  Major kudos to Jennifer Brereton there for rallying the team and supporting this event plus it is never a bad thing to chat with the great Jacque Freeman either.  Wins all around there.  I really enjoyed getting to spend quality time with Nathan Seaman of Architectural Grills and Sunshades- cool cat there.  And speaking of cool, I think Brian Risinger and Joe Lambertson of Country Glass have that aspect cornered- they are cool and just tremendous people.  My old pal David Shaw is looking amazing, down 70 pounds from last year.  Way to go my friend!  I cherish every chance I get with Sam Hill of Oak Cliff Mirror and Glass, Sam is just a super human being.  Last on this, being able to visit with Felix Munson and the entire team from Anchor Ventana was awesome.  Have not seen these folks in a while, and they are pure class always.  

 

--  I want to give this a spot here so kudos to the amazing Dr. Kayla Natividad of NSG Pilkington for the term she has coined “SolarCoaster” because that is just a brilliant way to talk about the epic rise of Transparent PV and other solar related glazing products. The SolarCoaster is a happy thrill ride that is starting get a nice line waiting for it.   This week in Texas my presentation noted the new PV revolution and reaction was of some serious anticipation of what is to come.  This is surely an area to keep tabs on!  And as for Kayla, I think “SolarCoaster” now enters the lexicon of great industry terms right after Andrew Haring’s “GlassNerd”

 

--  Was cool to see good news from old pal Kevin Roth at Privacy Glass Solutions in Florida.  Kevin and team have a pretty smart new product now available with the only hurricane rated blinds between glass window in the marketplace. With the push in Florida for more impact glazing (wonderful news in itself) this sort of specialty window is an excellent play.  Nice work Kevin and team!

 

--  Reminder on my most recent podcast- if you missed it, I had John Wheaton of Wheaton-Sprague on as well as Jill Read of Binswanger Glass.  Plus Andrew Haring jumped on too with some insight.  Fun conversations with truly terrific people. Thanks for checking it out.

VIDEO 

AUDIO or wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify etc.)

 

--  Last this week… ENR’s annual list of the Top 500 Design Firms is out and the news is good overall with firms making more money.  Obviously, it will be interesting to see how the volatility of 2022 plays out here but at least for 2021 many of these folks are living right.  The breakdown of who does what and how was an interesting read too. Check it out here….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The ultimate buyer beware story and I can’t imagine any insurance company touching this

 

Great story but how does a building like this get built without the automatic doors/handicap access?

 

Instead of Blinds between Glass – how about BEES between Glass!  Wild.  Back in the day we’d maybe end up with a fly inside the IG but a whole swarm of bees? 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Above I mention my podcast and a previous guest and her company gets the spotlight this week. The incredible Emily Yukish and the team at Specified Systems did this job known as “The Vision on 15^th” and it’s a beauty!  Lots of great looking glass installed by the team at Specified- no mention of suppliers so we need to find that out, but a major congrats to the team there on a job well done!!

Lots of People Who "Get It"

Well that was a good "blog week" off and now back at it...  The new podcast is now ready and the diversity in guests continue.  We kicked things off with John Wheaton of Wheaton-Sprague Building Envelope.  John is an awesome guy and also is a person that has perfected the podcast game.  I was lucky enough to turn the tables on him and ask him some questions and the insight he provided from business to life were fantastic.  Next I visited with insanely talented Jill Read of Binswanger Glass.  Cool career path that has led her to a tremendous spot in our industry and simply to say she just “gets it.”  Plus, the king of #GlassNerd nation, Andrew Haring joins me to chop it up on some big issues in our industry and solutions to them.  Good stuff from 3 wonderful people. Thank you for checking it out!

VIDEO

AUDIO

 

Elsewhere….  

 

--  Big week on the solar side of things in our world and with every move our industry and space looks so much better.  3 companies hit the spotlight…

--  Vitro named Jemssy Alvarez Product Manager for Advanced Glazing which encompasses their SolarVolt BIPV brand.  Jemssy is a good man,  pro, and industry vet that will do a great job of building the status of this product line.  

--  NEXT Energy made big news with a collaboration with powerhouse glazing outfit Walters & Wolf.  I love seeing more and more transparent PV options jumping into the market and partnering with players who can get it mainstreamed in a quicker fashion.  Kudos to both parties there.

--  And last the Transparent PV space and our industry got a nice boost with some great publicity via Ubiquitous Energy.  Last week Susan Stone, the CEO of Ubiquitous was on Bloomberg News talking up the product and future and Susan and Miles Barr, CTO of Ubiquitous were featured on CBS News San Francisco with a rundown on the company.  Great stuff!

--  Education matter and I preach that all the time.  Guardian Glass is one that is always stepping up there and they did it again with the launch of their Guardian Glass Training Center.  Check it out here- and I love the mix of approaches they are laying out.  Well done and important stuff here for our world.

 

--  I’m going to talk more on this subject soon, but this headline really got to me and it’s not a surprise is it?  “Report: GCs more likely than subs to get paid on time” - I mean has this EVER been in doubt?  And right now I think the delays in pay coming to the subs (glaziers and glass shops) is growing slower and worse daily.  Not good. 

 

--  AIA’s COTE Awards for 2022 are out.  Awesome work.  If you had a hand in any of these please let me know as you deserve props.  Some of these projects really show off great glass and glazing inside and out.  Love seeing that!

 

--  Last this week, I am off to Texas to talk at the awesome Texas Glass Association Glass Conference III.  This is an awesome event with some of the best people in our industry involved.  A complete honor to be there.  Plus the day has a ton if helpful subjects that I am excited to sit in on.  The legal and code updates are always crucial but a supply chain talk led by excellent folks like Seth Madole of Viracon and Chris Giovannielli of Kawneer will be a must to take in.  More on this on next week’s post!  If you are attending this conference, I look forward to seeing you!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Absolutely baffling on how the homeowner wins this case

 

I love Florida but these gators are getting way to close out there!

 

Too wild not to share- “The Bike without Wheels”

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Saw this post from Joe Bentley of Harris Wall Systems.  Aside from having a great company name (my dad was named Harris) this project in South Carolina came out nicely.  Joe noted in the comments that he worked with Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope and Press Glass on this supremely sharp effort.  Congrats Joe and team at Harris for great work) and same to OBE, Press and all else who supported!

Top Glass Recap

Top Glass happened this past week and it really was a tremendous event and opportunity to once again bring everyone back together in person.  It was also good to get to Canada for the first time since 2019 and see and catch up with so many.  Toronto is booming and there’s a ton good happening there- though supply chain is even more challenged there and the vaccine mandate for truckers is still a big-time issue and drag on productivity.  As for the show kudos to Patrick Flannery and team for a first-class event.  What I enjoyed was seeing some of the latest and greatest products on display. Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope had VIG in their stand, while GlassCan was showing off the latest approach to bird friendly glass and that had a constant line of people wanting to see and touch.  I also loved what iMagic Glass had on display- obviously they have serious decorative chops and are moving into much more these days.  Kudos to them.   It was awesome to visit with Tom O’Day of NSG Pilkington- have not seen him in forever and I got to see the legend Louis Moreau, who is now an independent consultant with his company Moglex.  He is amazing for sure. Also while there It was nice to meet two sharp young folks in Eldho Baby of CR Laurence and Val Voznyi of Salem Fabrication. Impressive potential there. Last it is always fun to visit with Jordan Richards and Rob Botman of Glassopolis.  Great guys who always are supportive of our industry and you know that is something I always love to point out.  All in all, a great show- now some of you will be at the Mid-Atlantic Glass Expo this coming week- I will not unfortunately make that one but it should be excellent as well!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Reminder on my latest podcast… this one is getting tons of reaction and I am thrilled once again.  Really lucky to have great guests every month and this was no exception.  If you have not watched or listened yet, feel free to check out the video HERE or the audio only HERE or on any podcast platform.  Thank you!

 

--  Late to getting to these items but my goodness the team at Quaker have been absolutely on fire lately.  An awesome new website launch, the smart move to join the NGA and a range of new BIM/3D models published- among other moves.  Having quality folks like Josh Wignall does make a difference and the team there is rocking- congrats!

 

--  The latest Architectural Billings Index has left me stunned. The latest report came in at a sizzling 58!  That up from a 51 last month and a feeling that the index would soon go under the 50 mark meaning- underwater.  But nope, this month was huge.  Interesting that the focus of this month was the push on retrofit and how popular it is.  I had a question from one of the attendees at my presentation at Top Glass on that and I noted how bullish that market is in that space- and now the AIA is backing that up.  Only bad news from the index this time is the Northeast continues to put up soft numbers.  That is surely a concern going forward as there are a lot of players in that area and if the work tails off like this index is predicting, things could turn ugly there.

 

--  This week just wrapped up “National Volunteer Week” and I just wanted to pass my kudos on to all of you who volunteer in our industry at the National Glass Association.  The time and effort you put in is seriously meaningful and you are helping make this industry stronger.  That is huge and appreciated.  In this day and age where everyone is swamped and understaffed, taking the time to help make our world a better place (whether it’s in the industry or out) needs to be fully commended.  So thank you to all that step up and do it!

 

--  Last this week… no blog coming next week… I am taking the “blog” week off (not the work week, the consulting work always goes on) to see my daughter walk in an actual in person college graduation!  My son, like so many other kids graduated virtually during the pandemic, so it is exciting to see this event return to in-person. So unless crazy news breaks you won’t see me in this spot until the week of May 8^th and that post I do plan on dropping my next podcast too! Until then stay well everyone! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

An unwanted birthday party gone very wrong

 

Just painfully dumb people among us.

 

The depths (even into an outhouse) we’ll go to for our phones!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Before I get to this week’s project, my apologies to Trulite for not properly identifying them in last week’s project of the week.  They were the fabricator of record and my mushy brain misread the info.  

Now on to this week… School jobs make up a lot of what many of us do… and when I saw this post from Rodney Nichols of Carolina Classic Window & Glass, I knew I had to showcase it here.  Glass and metal looking great on the install West Charlotte HS.  Lots of great industry players collaborated with Rodney and Carolina Classic including Press Glass, Guardian Glass, Global Security Glazing, Kawneer, and Jireh Glass.  Congrats to all of you on a great project!!

Life and Business Lessons

Exciting new podcast for this month is now LIVE!  Went from coast to coast in a few different sides of our business and really walked away with a lot of insight.  I start off with a tremendous time with Ricardo Maiz, President of Vitro Architectural Glass. Ricardo covers his amazing path to the current, Vitro’s gains in the market, the awareness of the challenges ahead and also some inspired favorite athlete choices.  All of that and a ton more.  Then to Carey Mobius, President of Garibaldi Glass.  Carey and company do incredible work, we look at one stunning job but also talk meat and potatoes of the business and Carey dropped some seriously smart business knowledge too. (One line I am stealing for sure and using in Toronto this week at Top Glass.) Last but not least, a serious “power couple” in our space in Tony and Kristen Kasprzak of Seawall Architectural AP.  They’ve built a great business against some seriously tough headwinds and they’ve done it with pure teamwork.  Plus a comparison to Walt and Roy Disney comes up and it fits.  Thank you to all of the guests who really were fantastic.  So please go ahead and watch or download and listen.  Links below- and I appreciate your support!

VIDEO

AUDIO (And available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google etc.)

 

Elsewhere…

--  Reminder this week is Top Glass in Toronto.  If you are in that area please come on by, a tremendous event with great exhibitors and networking.  Plus, you can get to hear my latest presentation on the latest and greatest strategies in our space…. More info can be found here and we’ll hopefully see you there!

 

--  Congrats to the team at Ubiquitous Energy for a huge breakthrough this week.  They were able to coat 1.5 meter wide glass in their continued scaling up of their product line.  This is a great accomplishment on the way to full scale production and it’s extremely exciting for the industry and our world overall.  Keep that progress rolling folks!!

 

--  Also congrats to Bill Daubmann and his team on yet another nice piece of recognition.  MyShowerDoor was named on the list of the Top 50 Contractors in their region (which is going bonkers with work by the way) I love anytime one of our companies get the publicity because it brings eyeballs to what we all do- and Bill and company really work hard to bring it each and every day.  Kudos!

 

--  The latest Gilbane Supply Chain report went a bit deeper this month and aside from noting what is now obvious (that pricing is up, inventory tight, and leadtimes extended) it also went specific noting that things like Curtain Wall are running in some cases at a 10 month leadtime.  Now the report did not give specific parameters on how it arrived at that time frame but it’s surely something that we all know is an issue.  Metal especially is tight and certain aspects of it are pushed out quite a bit.  As I preach here a ton- if you are not communicating consistently and thoroughly up and down the chain, you are not doing yourself any favors…

--  Ok last this week…. One of the best shows on TV is back for their final season. “Better Call Saul” started back up and I can’t wait to dig back in.  This also led to a few lists coming out on “Best Shows of All Time” and made me think- ok time for me to list my Top 10 of all-time… so here goes… and feel free to give your two cents on where I may have gone south.

 

10A- Mad Men- slow start and horrendous finish but the middle was incredible

10B- Friday Night Lights- Love football, the story and pace and just found out recently that Tom O'Malley of Clover Architectural was closely connected to the show- that alone makes it great! 

9- Entourage- For some reason I just loved this show

8- ER- Best hospital show ever in my opinion, though St. Elsewhere was close

7- The Sopranos- I am actually still watching it but deserves on this list

6- Seinfeld- Just always came through for me

5- M*A*S*H- I’m old school

4- Better Call Saul- The writers are brilliant to create a prequel from thin air

3- Friends- Gets better with time

2- The Americans- The first season may be best single season EVER made.

And at #1

Breaking Bad- Seriously not even close.  Amazing TV. Writing, acting, plots- love it. Only 1 bad episode in the entire run. (Those who have watched may be able to guess the episode I hated)  

So there ya go….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

A professional baby namer.  She makes 10K per.  Good for her that she can find suckers to pay… 

 

Buying a cruise ship.  On Craigs List. What’s next an IG line?

 

Yet another example of why dogs rule.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK (edited 4/18)

From B & D Glass in Utah- This is “Freedom Commons” - great project- glass fabricated by Trulite and the primary was Vitro.  When all cleaned up and landscaped it’s going to be awesome! Glass is Solarban 70® Optigray.  Major props to all involved!

Catch Up Time

It has been so hectic lately that it’s probably time for a quick hit blog covering a wide range of subjects- so here goes.

 

--  Show time continues!  So we just passed BEC, GPAD, Glass Expo NE, and Advocacy Days but the fun and networking continues.  Coming up on the 20^thof April is Top Glass Canada which is one event I always wanted to attend and this year I’ll be there! Every year the assortment of speakers and exhibits there look more inviting than the last and I am honored that I’ll be among the mix of presenters for 2022.  Very excited for that and to also visit my friends in Canada.  So if you are not signed up or want to learn more- go HERE to learn more!

 

--  After that, next up is the classic bi-annual event in the great state of Texas- the Texas Glass Conference on May 13^th.  The folks at the Texas Glass Association are awesome and this event is one I never miss. It will always be a thrill to be involved with this conference for me, and I’m excited to present there.  In addition they added a special keynote as well. Being able to hear from Kris “Tanto” Paronto makes it even more of “can’t miss” show.  The details and more can be found HERE.  

 

One big takeaway from the past two years of zooms is that we should never ever take these in-person events for granted anymore.  So if you are in either of these regions, sign up and get to the shows!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Speaking of events- I noted last week I would recap GPAD here more.  The Glass Processing and Automation Days event really was amazing.  The technology available right now to the fabricator is mind blowing.  The opening “whole factory” panel was great, Burkle blew people away, and I loved seeing the technology from Lattuada and hearing about new stuff from the IGE folks.  Overall tremendous presentations throughout the event showing what is new and next.  Plus, some really good down to earth focus and advice from folks like Terry Hessom (an absolute great from my past) of Salem/HHH and Chris Cullum of CMS.  Both guys gave the audience a ton to think about as they approach things day to day in their operations. If you are a fabricator you simply can’t afford to miss what’s next in this space.

 

--  The NGA and its amazing members played a massive role in the Advocacy Days events in Washington DC this week coinciding the International Year of Glass. The opportunity for so many amazing leaders in our space to talk with the “powers that be” in the US is hugely impactful.  This is something that we rarely ever had a chance to do and this past week not only did our industry accomplish it but they knocked it out of the park.  Massive props to everyone who participated. Glass Magazine has had insightful coverage for more info there.

 

--  GREAT news this week for a super good guy. Frank D’Aprile landed an excellent new gig… Director of Preconstruction at the KenPat Group of Companies.  KenPat is an interesting organization, 5 different companies all working together in the building product space and Frank’s role is a crucial one- and one he will excel at!  Happy for Frank on this great gig and a savvy move by KenPat bringing him on.

 

--  Next week I’ll be dropping an amazing podcast with guests from a few different angles of our industry. So get ready for some fascinating and diverse insights.    Recording them all this week… thank you in advance for checking it out!

 

--  Congrats to the fine folks at Binswanger Glass on their 150^thanniversary!  That is huge.  I am honored that I had 5 year+ connection to them and many of people I got to work with are still there and plugging along.  The video they produced (which includes an all-time favorite of mine Rusty Nails) is a great watch.  Kudos to the team there on the celebration run up and on congratulations again on the anniversary!

 

--  Last this week… Another TV watch… “WeCrashed” on Apple is a fun one and based on a true story of what happened at the WeWork company.  I had been following that WeWork story for a while and have seen a few documentaries on it, so seeing the dramatic recreation has been pretty fun for me. If you are unaware of the story, it is a wild one of runaway spending, egos, and "interesting" business practices.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Dogs always come through. And classy family here on the way they reacted.

 

--  This had to be one of the most ridiculous lawsuits ever.  Good on the judge!

 

--  The wild story of a rogue flamingo!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

To Texas for this sharp school project from MS Glass.  Good use of glass inside and out and really impressed by the growth of Raj Karimi and the team there.  From the LinkedIn post Vitro and Tristar were tagged in so I assume they were the glass fab partners so congrats to those guys too for grabbing the project of the week spotlight.  Congrats to all involved and keep up the great work!

The Massive BEC Recap

Wow.  What a week in Nashville.  Unreal in so many ways.  Get ready, for a happening this big, and two+ years in the making, it takes an extra-long blog with plenty of name drops is coming your way.  First off thank you to all who attended BEC and GPAD.  The energy in the room was incredible and the desire to be in person and connecting was top notch.  There were positive vibes on where the market is and where it is going despite worries about softer markets and the obvious concerns with the issues overseas.  The education was strong and networking amazing.  Just an epic time overall.  

 

First and foremost, I have to say I am still blown away at being recognized during the conference and given the coolest possible jersey ever- as in BEC MVP.  I am so thankful to the NGA for having that faith in me and to all of you in the industry who support me and these events.  Thank you.  

 

--  Now, time to recap the people I saw and more.  I knew this was going to be a good event when my trip down had me on a flight with industry superstars like Kayla Natividad and Tim McGee. Then the Sunday night reception did not disappoint.  Kayla asked Tim and I if we were attending it and we explained that the Sunday night reception is the one thing NO ONE misses and judging from the packed rooms and halls we were right.  The show was at a hotel that Viracon did the glass on and it was a beautiful job too- perfect glass from top to bottom.  Kudos to Garret Henson, Cameron Scripture and Seth Madole etc. on it and it was a blast to catch up with them all- and yes Cameron is still my main man- movie star good looks never get old!  (Plus he had a great book recommendation “The 5AM Club” too!)  On the recommendation side, the awesome PJ Hilboldt of NGG turned me on to “Bad Vegan” on Netflix and that was an incredible watch- was great to see PJ and catch up on all.  

 

--  It is not a BEC for me without seeing one of our greats in the industry Tom O’Malley.  Love the success he and Clover have had- all deserved.  Same for seeing “Slim” Rich Porayko- my gosh my man looked spectacular and his talented fingerprints were all over certain aspects of this event.  Loved seeing it.  Was cool to see Mike MicKenzie of Glass + Metalcraft, appreciate him stopping me to say hi- and same with Matt Hanna of Glass Coatings and Concepts.  Means a ton that you guys check this blog out from time to time!

 

--  Texas was in the house and it was fun to catch up with Joe Lambertson of Country Glass.  He and Brian Risinger were sporting fabulous company gear- great taste guys!  Visited with Kyle Lamb and Taylor Frizzelle of Universal Glass and that never disappoints.  And no doubt I was thrilled to death to see old friend Debbie Baker of Binswanger Glass.  That was awesome- catching up with her and the ultra-talented Jennifer Brereton.  Binwanger folks always will be super special to me. Same with seeing first time attendees Matt Verderamo and Skutch Montgomery of Alliance Exterior Construction. Pumps me up to see sharp young folks attending and being involved.

 

--  Can I talk a minute about the Goldray Glass crew?  They took this event by storm- the bourbon tasting event looked to be a massive success (and the quick frost glass looked great too) – congrats to Laura Little, Michael Saroka, and Lisa Maragh on a masterclass in great marketing.  

 

--  This event is the only time I get to see certain people like the epic Paul Robinson of Pioneer Cladding and Glazing.  He’s been a massive player in the BEC programming side and a great guy and he’s now bringing along Kip Larison from the Pioneer side to keep that momentum going.  Kip did an amazing job on his remote work panel too- great session there.  Speaking of the sessions, all were strong, but my favorite was the Mock Up one- and I thought that Szymon Zienkiewicz, of Larsen Zienkiewicz was an absolute rock star.  Hope to see him at more of our events.  Of course when I talk rock stars I have few that fit that mold that I got to visit with- guys like Rick Alexander of Tom Brown, Brian Thomas of Super Sky, Tim Finley of TFIN,  Jon Kimberlain and Stanley Yee of Dow, Barry Sutherland of FHC, and Gus Trupiano of GGI.  All never fail to deliver.

 

--  I met a ton of new people too which is always the goal.  Anas Al Kassas of INOVUES is an impressive guy as is Miles Barr of Ubiquitous Energy.  Both nailed their presentations and had the audience buzzing.  Jake Kasbrick and Jon Griggs from Guardian Glass were tremendously impressive and great to chat with.  Helped me get by missing my pal, the happily retired Chris Dolan.  Bill Wilson of Kensington Glass Arts I have talked to on the phone but meeting him person was fantastic and loved watching him network the room like the true pro he is.  Three future podcast guests of mine in Joey Aragon of Aragon Construction, Ben Jayson of Bendheim and Thomas Cornellier of TSI Corporations were amazing meets for me. Bright guys that I wish I had a tiny bit of their brains and approach.  

 

--  More blasts from my pasts?  Brock West of Glass Systems and I go way back to when we both were in Michigan and I tried (unsuccessfully mostly) to sell him glass.  He’s done incredibly well in his career and he also volunteers to help the BEC too.  Henry Taylor of Kawneer and Jeff Ziesche of JAZ sales are also ex co-workers who are just crushing it like always and they both are favorites of mine forever.  

 

--  People I saw and barely talked to and bummed me out were folks like Shelly Farmer of Trex, Lance Cotton and Greg Buczko of Global Security Glazing and the amazing Heather West. Next time folks- next time! 

 

--  Saw fellow podcaster Mitch Hawkins- he and Matt Krier are doing a great job with their work. Matt was not at BEC- probably because he was lining up another great guest or two.  Also not here this year- Jeff Haber of W&W.  Not sure if I have been to a BEC without Jeff, but he’s busy and W&W was more than capably represented by Chris Lalonde (super guy too)

 

--  The draw of BEC is when you can talk with some of the best our industry has to offer like Tom Jackson of Steel Encounters, Omar Maalouf of Momentum Glass, Jim Stathopoulos of Ajay Glass and Tom Nesbitt of United Architectural Metals.  3 of those 4 guys did my podcast and they’re working over the 4^th for me…LOL.  Anyway, the work these folks do make our world look outstanding and I appreciate them always taking the time to attend and interact!  You know who else makes our world look good the NGA superhero tech team of Urmilla Sowell and Karen Wegert. They along with Tom Culp, Nick Resetar and Thom Zaremba protect our way of life with an extreme passion. 

 

--  Next week I’ll hit on the massive success of GPAD- they deserve their own post.

 

--  Last but surely not least- the team from the National Glass Association is so amazing.  I am so lucky I get to work with these folks- they are the best around.  Led by Nicole Harris (who is on a totally different level than all of us) this team totally rocks.  I am eternally grateful to the king of Glass Nerd Nation Andrew Haring.  He is a beast- and an amazing human and along with the intense enthusiasm that the incredible Melanie Dettmer brings, I can’t believe my fortune to get to work with them and them put up with me.  Kudos also to Sara Neiswanger for pulling the levers and putting parts and pieces in place to make these shows go, and the caring, conscientious, and absolutely dogged and determined team of Molly Grenn, Wendy Rochelle, Michele Nosko, and Casey Stafford made sure everything was in its place and flowed, even when an extra couple hundred people just showed up for the party.  Plus Jenni Chase and Katy Devlin- the BEST in the business when it comes to the content and editorial side of our world.

 

--  I know I didn’t catch everyone here in the recap and I am sorry if I missed you…. Thank you again all who attended and supported- it is truly appreciated!  Now I am really fired up to see everyone and more at GlassBuild!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

 

This person- “said she was seeing a Leprechaun” – yeah the story goes on from there

 

I guess rules are rules but this seems oddly harsh. Then again I’m not a parks guy at all.

 

I wonder if I’ll see one of these when I go to Texas in May.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

So Keith Daubmann WAS at BEC and GPAD.  But you may not have seen him. He was like the wind- always on the move and constantly changing directions.  But that is what he does and the energy he possesses.  That same energy and drive brings us to the project of the week… from Keith and his companies D3 Glass and MyArchitecturalGlass.  This insane and amazing stairwell- matched to the perfect glass rails.  Bent glass by Glasshape.  This is just such a stunning (and tough) install and one to be proud of as an industry. Congrats Keith and team and keep it up!