Tours, Trends, Awards, and Football

This past week I had the opportunity to tour some incredible facilities and it really drove home the pure talent and drive we have in our industry.  As you know I love seeing different operations, I always learn something. This time it was a chance to see plants that were truly built from the ground up and in constant evolution mode.  First, I was at FHC- Frameless Hardware Company.  This company is only a few years old but they are absolutely rolling like a group that’s been doing it for years.  The work ethic of all involved there is driving that train.  I was impressed by the layouts of their space, the focus on quality, and the constant push to innovate.  Plus as an old marketing guy, I was jealous of their process there- so impressive and thorough.  It was great to visit with Chris Hanstad and Barry Sutherland during this time- I had them on my podcast last year and to see where they were then to where they are now- was very cool.  Then I stopped in at Glasswerks.  And that for me was a bucket list thing going back years.  Once upon a time I was in the same organization as Glasswerks but never saw their plants.  First thing that caught me was the drive through will-call setup.  That was something I have never seen and it made me think of Chik-fil-A in the way that it was organized and run.  Then seeing all of the operating centers, with an incredible variety of machinery all producing at a very high level.  This was not the typical plant, with everything under one roof- there were several areas broken up by buildings and yet the collaboration and communication going on had everything rolling in perfect rhythm.  It’s funny, our industry takes so much heat from those that don’t know us- but over the last month I have now seen Quaker, FHC, and Glasswerks and those operations would change the mind of any skeptic of what we do.  High quality, great cultures, and strong leaders.  Good stuff all around and thank you to the teams at these companies for inviting me in, I truly appreciate the time and hospitality.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  I was in Southern California for a college reunion wrapped around a great concert at SoFi Stadium.  Amazing structure and cool to see all the glass and glazing I’ve heard about previously. (Loved that switchable from Privacy Glass Solutions and pal Kevin Roth!) I was also very lucky to get to catch up with Joe Green of GlasPro, Scott and Kendal Rowe of Rowe Fenestration, and the OG #GlassNerd Andrew Haring.  Tremendous time chopping it up with them with some excellent hospitality and fun video recording for GlassBuild. Very memorable for sure.

 

--  In case you missed it, and especially because I was off of the blog last week, my most recent podcast with Tim Widner of Lippert and Dan Shields of Fabricated Products Group is up.  The reaction here has been great and I am thrilled these talented guys took the time with me and also shared what they did.  Tim’s comments attracting people to our world and Dan’s project breakdowns were standouts in the feedback- check it all out!
VIDEO

AUDIO

 

--  On the rumor mill... The smoke is turning to fire… Keep your eyes open, a major deal is getting close to going down in our industry.  This deal could go a few different ways, so we’ll see what happens, but some excitement is coming.  I will say this same deal has been left at the altar a few times, so nothing is a lock. 

 

--  By the way, my travels are garnering A LOT of interest in GlassBuild.  Obviously I am biased and obviously that makes me very happy (GlassBuild gaining buzz, not me being biased).  The new “Main Stage” with many special programs really has people fired up.  The Women in Glass program, hot off an amazing and impromptu gathering at BEC is going to be game changing.  Then the updates, awards, education, and a very important session on mental health is not to be missed. Register today and use MAXPOD as your code for a free floor entry!

 

--  Last week we did have a new Architectural Billings Index release and it’s still above water (at 51.0) but the cracks are now showing.  I have been worrying on this for a while, really questioning how this index could keep performing and maybe I was just ahead the lag.  In any case it was positive this month but down from last and analysis is pointing towards the trend continuing in that direction.  I don’t like negative but I want to be able to prepare properly and I think we have some choppy waters coming.  Between this and that weakening residential sector, the red flags are starting to raise.  You know the drill folks. Communicate, learn, diversify, and work your own business vs. worrying about your competition. 

 

--  Recently Glass Canada announced a list of their top 10 under 40 years old and two of the people caught my eye.  Ryan Spurgeon of Antamex and Laura Little of Goldray.  Ryan is a very smart guy who has an energy level that I wish I had.  He’s an outside the box thinker too- the status quo is not for him and I love he’s done things like throw his group in very early with new trends like modular attachments in Sapphire Balconies and transparent PV from Ubiquitous Energy.  The PV one especially looks brilliant in light of the latest tax incentives and Ryan’s companies push into the US with high performance fabricated glass.

I have talked about Laura and her company quite a bit here (props also to Lisa Maragh who really is a great communications conductor of that train) and Laura’s inclusion is so deserved.  Great passion and enthusiasm for our space and that shows in every presentation or event she is involved in.  Laura will also push for innovation and collaboration which are areas we need to keep improving on. Both Ryan and Laura will be great ambassadors for our world for many years to come!  The others on this list obviously deserve recognition I just don’t know them, but please check them out HERE. 

--  Football is back!  Now I am not thrilled that time is flying but it is what it is… so time to make my absolutely guaranteed picks for winners this year.  In college football… No one is beating Ohio State. (Notre Dame will end up being the closest and they couldn't do it)  I am a Michigan guy and yes I hope this jinxes them, but OSU gives me nightmares.  In the pros… coming off two straight correct Super Bowl picks… I am going with Baltimore over Green Bay for the call this year.  (And simultaneously Matt Verderamo (Ravens) and Jon Johnson (Packers) are mad at me)  No one is paying attention to the Ravens and they are well coached with good D and a tough QB to defend.  Good luck everyone with your favorite teams! 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The “Costco” door doesn’t seem to be the fix people may think it is.  At least to me.

 

Another Gator story and I know this area well from my daughter attending school there- yikes!

 

The TikTok “Star” making angle is fascinating to me. Amazing how it works and good for these guys

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Sticking with the So Cal vibe… via GlasPro and their awesome marketing lead Stephanie Aldrete. This is the Martin Luther King Jr. light rail station and its awesome pavilion entryway. GlasPro worked with artist/designer Mara Lonner to help her create distinctive artwork titled Leimert Park Landscape, integrated into the walls of the pavilion. Giroux Glass was the installer and photo comes from their Brian Peregrina.  Great work by all!

Bumpy Forecast, Great Pod, and More

Even in the dog days of summer- like we are in now, news gets made in our industry.  This week a few items led the way and I’ll kick it off with some notes from the Dodge Construction Network quarterly webinar.  The overall vibe was while things are pretty stable right now, the simulations into the future aren’t as positive and we could have some murky times in 2023/2024.  The telling piece was the initial projections when adjusted for inflation.  Those actually have the non-residential space going down next year vs. the up we all expected.   Single family homes are now lagging and in the past that was a red flag for our space to slow up down the line.  So that was eye opening.  Also as we all know, projects are taking much longer to get going and to get to our spot in them, so that makes things nightmarish schedule wise.  Now not all is negative, some individual segments are poised to do well including lodging (hotels are back folks) multi-famly (which I consider non res) and surprisingly retail.  The Southeast rounding into Texas is still smoking hot market wise, so happy for folks there.  In addition, as I have noted previously, renovation and retrofit are big drivers going forward as well.  So we have some challenges ahead but nothing we are not expecting that is for sure…

Also best bet for all of you who are interested- get to the Glazing Executives Forum at GlassBuild to hear Connor Lokar talk on this- his insight will be crucial. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  NEW PODCAST Episode is live… yes the latest one is now ready for your consumption.  Guests this time are Tim Widner of Lippert Components and Dan Shields of Fabricated Products Group.  Great people with tons of experience in our world.  Interesting takes on products, training and getting involved along with other subjects covered. Also the need to have bowling outings vs. golf outings (Dan would be a ringer there).  Seriously very good stuff and I think you’ll enjoy.  Thanks for checking it out!

VIDEO

AUDIO or Apple, Spotify etc.

 

--  The world of transparent photovoltaic had a strong week too.  First off the huge news that Andersen Corporation is now taking the next step with Ubiquitous Energy.  They will develop windows and doors with the new technology and this is massive.  Andersen is the biggest player out there and they set a lot of tables, so there is no doubt this just took the Ubiquitous product into a big-time world. 

Meanwhile UbiQD Inc. had big news too with announcements of a contract with the US Air Force and demos at Western Washington University.  Items like this are great for them but also for the entire space and continues to show the way our industry keeps evolving with new technology.  Love it all.  Congrats to everyone on the great news!

 

--  Are you headed to glasstec next month?  If so let me know- would love to connect with you while there.  NGA is once again sponsoring the North American pavilion and that is exciting and I am looking forward to seeing some of the new technologies in person.  Top of my list- possibly joining (if I can get a spot) on a tour of a facility running the ground breaking systron fabrication line with the team from IGE.  Michael Spellman changed the holes/notches/fab space once and he’s doing it again here.  Also on my list seeing the next great tech from Clearshield and their do it all guy there- Shaun Gustafson.  Clearshield had been somewhat quiet for a while but now are primed and ready.  Cool stuff ahead! 

 

--  Just one to always keep in mind after I saw a massive thread on Facebook on this and a good industry friend also pinged in on it.  When it comes to ballistic glazing- the term is “bullet resistant”- never “bullet proof”  Yes for many of us that is obvious, but I think we just have to keep hammering away with the right term.  Too many slip and use the wrong term which really isn’t a good thing for anyone. 

 

--  Last this week… a programming note… NO BLOG next week.  I’ll be back in this space in September with the latest ABI (will it keep rolling? Even now with the worries from the other forecasters?) and a lot more. I figure with us about to hit show season you are going to get your fill of me, so this is a good breather for everyone before everything breaks loose!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Who knew a story on trash cans could be so interesting?  But in San Francisco and some at 20K a pop- this story is something.

 

High School Heroes… Love it

 

An alligator on the first day of school.  

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

One of the most impressive organizations in our industry is Momentum Glass led by the great Omar Maalouf. (Past podcast guest too- HERE if you want to check it out) This project in Nashville fortifies that point.  Look at how beautiful this one is! The Hyatt Centric stands out. Built in a town like Nashville with so many neat things to see, this one will be a must visit for me next time in the area.  Awesome.  JE Dunn was the GC and glass from what I can tell was by Viracon.  CONGRATS Omar and everyone involved in yet another great project that makes our world look good!

 

Beat Up Backlog

Each time an index comes out I run through it and give you all some quick thoughts.  Lately I have been mystified over the Architectural Billings Index.  It’s just overperforming reality in my opinion.  Well now comes the latest Construction Backlog Report and that one unfortunately is connecting to my pessimism pretty well.  This report has fallen 3 months in a row and is under water.  This LINK breaks it all down for you, and this too may be “off” because as we know in a post covid world nothing can be assumed or guaranteed in any report.  Still the marching orders remain the same for me, that is communicate, diversify, and keep your head on a swivel. 

Elsewhere

 

--  Aside from forecasts like mentioned above, the biggest questions I get these days are focused on the supply chain and labor/culture. I think they are easily the biggest issues facing our industry on a day-to-day basis.  So I am thrilled to see the annual Glazing Executives Forum taking these all on – head on actually- this October in Las Vegas.  The more we can educate and bring visibility on to these issues and spread the communication the better.  Two of the speakers on these subjects are set with Vic McConnell and Connor Lokar. Both are leaders in their fields and will bring the highest level of perspective available to the subject.  The time is now to start plugging in your plans to come to GlassBuild in October and also attend the Glazing Executives Forum too.  For more information click HERE and I’ll see you there!

 

--  Congrats to the team at GlassBuild for being awarded as one of the top trade shows in the US! Huge deal to be recognized by Trade Show Executive Magazine in their “Gold 100” rankings.  I can tell you from having the honor of working alongside the team at GlassBuild that those folks absolutely bring it and have 1000 things going on at once and still come through with a great event every single time.  Congrats! 

 

--  If you missed my latest podcast- here’s another reminder.  This was my first ever “onsite” interview and the reaction has been tremendous. Thank you to all who have chimed in. The latest pod featured a tremendous trio from Quaker Window and they were something special for sure.

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AUDIO

Another new podcast should drop next week too… so again thank you for listening/watching and following along!

 

--  In the latest governmental moves the Dynamic Glass Act looks like it is coming together.  (It is in the same legislation as the 80,000 new IRS employees- which makes me wonder where in the world are they going to find 80,000 people to work there or anywhere these days!) This move could be a very big plus for the dynamic glass space and get more high-performance materials out there and will probably carry other glazing materials just as an offshoot further too. Excited to see what the Halio and Sage folks do with this behind them.

 

--  Speaking of items that could move the needle- Washington DC puts into place to go all Net Zero by 2026.  So that too means more high-performance glass and glazing. Love to see this and this sort of thing will invite more usage of VIG, Transparent PV, Thin Triples and more.  Will more follow this aggressive lead? 

 

--  The Vanceva World of Color awards were announced and it was AWESOME to see the great team at Goldray recognized at the top! Here is the rundown of all the details but a massive congrats to Mike Saroka, Laura Little and the entire team at Goldray!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Never underestimate dogs. This one lived in a cave for a few months. 

 

I am stunned at how stupid some companies could be expansion wise.  This one was doomed to fail from the start.

 

Sad story and evidently with 3000 incidents a year something that probably needs addressed.  Brutal.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This one stopped me in my tracks.  NGG posted this one and wow does it stand out! They noted the following- 

NGG designed and installed a four sided structurally glazed curtain wall system. Building offered some unique challenges due to the large cantilevered second floor. Structural calculations were provided by JEI Structural, which also included custom anchoring. Glass supplied by Viracon and aluminum by YKK

Kudos to Cannon Design on a spectacular look here!

Latest Pod- On Location

Fun new podcast is now live! I went on location in Missouri and spent time at the amazing Quaker Windows facilities.  I had heard a bit about Quaker and then learned more once Josh Wignall got there, but seeing it in person was a jaw dropper for sure.  So I decided to do an onsite podcast with Josh, along with two excellent industry veterans Dusty Fick and Chris Dickneite.  All 3 were great interviews (and even better people too) as we talked trends (vinyl in commercial?  Seriously) markets, projects, sports, music and more.  Really enjoyable time with class acts and tremendous hospitality. And plus being a glass geek, seeing this operation was something special- a top 5 location for me all time. (and don’t worry Bill Daubmann, D3 is still in the top 5!) 

So please check this one out- great insights from folks who know their world well and was cool to take a deep dive.  

VIDEO

AUDIO- (or on Apple, Spotify, Google. etc.)

Also I am changing up my format some and cadence of podcasts, I will be putting out some shorter ones more often as its easier to get people lined up and get them done and out vs. combining.  Plus most of you listen in chunks anyway so that will help as well.  And I may drop the video aspect- the uploads take painfully long and as you’ll see below, right now I am technically in a bad place.

In any and all cases, THANK YOU for supporting this effort- I truly appreciate it!!

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Last on Quaker I also need to recognize a few others who weren’t on the pod.  The great Joseph Holmes, who I have known a long time is there and just kicking tail like he always has.  I am huge fan of his.  Jason Pratt and I worked together in a past life and it was great to connect with him and awesome to see him doing so well, and it was nice to add to my network by meeting Tom Kuper.  Good guy and bright future ahead!

 

--  How about the news that GlassBuild will have new locations in 2024 and 2025 and great locations too! Dallas and Orlando.  Both will be fabulous areas and the show will benefit from these locations.  In the meantime the 2022 edition is coming together nicely.  Have you seen that trade show floor yet?  Incredibly impressive and loaded with awesome vendors. Get registered and also get those hotel rooms- they are starting to fill!!! GlassBuild.com

 

--  The MyGlassTruck promo with giving away a truck rack is pretty cool.  Love the idea and support of the education in our industry.  Kudos to the MGT team for coming up with it and of course Andrew Haring (him driving the truck in the promo video was very cool) and the NGA team for collaborating to make it really fly.  Want to learn more and get registered for a chance to win? GO HERE.

 

--  I teased above my tech woes… so here it is… my beloved desktop computer that I have had for years, an absolute workhorse, crashed and my data sadly was unrecoverable.  I am devastated.  While I have a lot backed up, I did not have it all (I am a moron) and just the hassle of starting over is daunting and depressing.  We depend so much on these things and when it goes south it is an absolute gut punch. But there are much worse things happening and I know that, so it is what it is….

 

--  Last this week… it is now August.  Football is back.  In many cities school is back in session.  Can the snow be that far behind?  (Expecting a note from Brian Savage of Viracon noting that they got some this weekend. LOL) Where in the world did this year go?  Unreal the way time flies!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  If this “giant nuclear-powered sky hotel airplane” happens I look forward to Adrian Lowenstein’s video review of the curtain wall and windows and him talking about space dust affecting the operation of the window etc....

 

--  I heard about this gig this past week… really fascinating on if its true and then what it would do to your health.  

 

--  Interesting read on the Michigan / Ohio war. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I have always been a huge fan of Tom Nesbitt and the team at United Architectural Metals (though I can’t get Tom to do the podcast- will keep trying!) and this week spotlight falls on them!  This is the Hope Tower at the Jersey City Medical Center.  Great looking structure.  United manufactured the unitized curtainwall (tremendous 44,000 sq ft of it) and the glass was installed by the team at National Glass.  Designed by WHR Architects and the glass product was Vitro Solarban 70. Tom and the team at United do amazing work, and this one may look more pedestrian than others, but it is a beaut! Great work to all involved.  

Big Notes from the Road

I have been on the road now for 2 solid weeks and it’s been great to see people in their natural habitats again and really get out and learn.  The feedback was pretty interesting overall and I wanted to share some quick takeaways.  On the contract glazing side, there is some concern with how Q4 is playing out.  There is surely a softness in many books for that time period and it’s an uncomfortable feeling.  But as always, our industry is pretty resilient and will fight through.  I also heard a ton of reactions from the news out of the NGA Glass Conference.  The aftermath of the new ASTM standard led the way(I mentioned how big this was last week) but the other items covered like changes in SGCC and IGCC, and Katy Devlin’s market look had people buzzing big time.  There was some serious FOMO after this event as so much happened there that I think that people are realizing you can’t miss important industry events.  Last on the trend side, the world of laminated glass is obviously on fire.  There was more talk on that entire area from machinery to products (and usage of lami in previously unused places like showers) than I have heard in a long time. 

Also from my travels, I’ll have a special podcast from one of my stops launching next week, it is a format I have never done before and may do it again someday.  I think the insights I gained will be very beneficial to the industry and loved getting to know some seriously cool people. 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  I had a short layover at O’Hare in Chicago.  I usually will do anything to avoid that airport, but this time it couldn’t be helped.  And I will go on record here and say it is easily the worst airport in the US.  The signage is horrendous and the lack of bathrooms is pretty frightening.  Plus they have grown so much that they just will pop a gate in anywhere there’s extra space. It truly is a bizarre flying experience there.  So Newark, which used to hold the title for me of worst US airport- you are off the hook.

 

--  The latest Glass Magazine is out and time to review here… it is the annual MUST HAVE “Source Book” edition of the magazine so it’s a great resource to have as you work your way through various levels of the supply chain.  This issue is also obviously loaded with advertising and so picking the “ad of the month” was a challenge.  Maybe it is because green is my favorite color but the Lattuada North America ad really caught me.  Loved the look and layout and it was powerful.  That is your winner for the month- kudos to the team there for an excellent effort!  

 

--  Congrats to Sid Miller and the team at Miller Glass for celebrating their 28^th year in business!  Miller Glass is one of those companies that is well known and seriously respected in our space and I hope they keep on rolling for a long time ahead!  

 

--  Last this week…Here are the top 10 metropolitan areas for construction and multifamily starts

City	% change	Total value
New York City area	Up 20%	$15.3 billion
Dallas	Up 72%	$8.1 billion
Washington, D.C., area	Up 35%	$5.5 billion
Miami	Up 31%	$4.5 billion
Austin, Texas	Up 70%	$4.3 billion
Phoenix	Up 53%	$4.2 billion
Atlanta	Up 68%	$4.2 billion
Seattle	Down 10%	$3.5 billion
Los Angeles	Down 14%	$3.4 billion
Philadelphia	Down 3%	$3.2 billion

 

Did any of these surprise you?  Dallas being up so big is interesting because I know that there was some worry there that things were leveling off but I think we all know never to mess with Texas right?  Atlanta rolling was a surprise for me and I really thought Nashville and Orlando would be on this list.  In any case let’s use this as fuel to keep plugging along out there!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

Not something you see everyday- a cat stuck in a vending machine

 

Who does this first?  Andrew Haring or Keith Daubmann?  Both would be perfect for it too!

 

The scams out there keep getting better and better and worse and worse for our world. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This one via Greg Buczko of Global Security Glazing and Isoclima Specialty Glass.  Obviously post NGA Glass Conference there was a renewed focus on the security space in schools and this was one project that utilized that sort of product.  And the school design and the way the picture lays out were fantastic.  Great work from Greg and team along with Arrow Glass Company out of Urbana, IL as the installer and Graham & Hyde Architects with the amazing design. The products used were from Vitro with Solarban 60 IGU’s featuring the CHILDGARD product from Global as well as 3/8” monolithic CHILDGARD.  Congrats to all involved!

Absorbing an Adventurous Week

I feel like this blog is like the old episodes of Sesame Street that were brought to you by a letter… so this week, it’s brought to you by the letter A.  (As a bunch of subjects I have started with that letter so may well be creative…)

 

--  A for Architectural Billings Index.  Well, it shocked the world again this month and stayed positive and barely a blip under last month.  Am I good with the positivity?  Absolutely.  Am I leery of the results?  No doubt.  Something feels off.  There were down numbers, specifically, the northeast went underwater for the first time in a few months, so I guess that feels like reality. Still I will wonder in a year+ what it will look like market-wise for us.  If things are going great then these guys were right…and as I always say, I’ll gladly eat crow. Note that construction starts in June did slow somewhat- so that may be affecting my feelings here. 

 

--  A for Active in the Active Shooter profile news that the NGA broke this week.  The ASTM standard in that space is HUGE!  For too many years the lack of a clear and logical standard really made things muddy. This is a great step in the right direction.  Huge kudos to the legendary Julie Schimmelpenningh of Eastman for doing her thing here to get this over the finish line!

 

--  A for the awesome Andrew Haring who was on the Glazing Guru podcast last week.  Check it out here- was a good interview and the guru John Spelman did a nice job drawing some answers out of the king of all Glass Nerds.  Good listen overall! 

 

--  A is for AIA and their awards for small projects are out. Some interesting designs, and kudos to those who used glass more prominently. (Like Jessie’s House in Austin)  A lot of this is not my taste but thought it was a cool one to check out.

-- And A is the beginning letter for a word I never heard of... see my last nugget for that one.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  This “sign battle” went viral but I first saw from my pal Kevin Grammens of Target Mentality (best mental health and business coach around) and I loved the marketing aspect but also the way these folks figured out how to playfully work with each other for the greater good.  Tremendous back and forth.

 

--  This may not be relevant to the folks in the commercial business but some big moves on the residential side with the latest update to Energy Star and the potential now that thin triples and VIG are big time in play.  I am happy for folks like Mike Rapp of PDS IG Equipment and Michael Spellman of VIG Technologies as those guys have worked hard to develop products to fit these needs and they had waddle through a ton of choppy waters to get to this point. 

 

--  This is intriguing.  Evidently, a Tesla exec is under fire for purchasing a special type of “hard-to-get” glass for Elon Musk for his personal use.  The story does not say the special type of glass- but did note it was purchased because of supply chain issues.  See the richest man in the world even struggles with glass too.  

 

--  Now that an awesome Glass Conference has been put to bed it’s full speed ahead to GlassBuild in October.  I am so pumped for it- lots of new things happening, some fresh education approaches and old favorites like Connor Lokar talking economy and given our world right now, just attending to see and hear what Connor says is worth it.  Registration is open now, and don’t dawdle on the hotel room either. Get it all done now at GlassBuild.com

 

--  Last this week… Wordle folks… the word on Thursday was APHID.  I swear I never have seen that word, used that word, nada.  I am sure ultra-brains like Dr. Kayla Natividad and Tom O’Malley got it in 2 tries but I have to say in the long time I have been playing this game this is the first word where I was like “this is a word?”  I did get lucky and get it- only because I had 4 letters and played every combo just seeing if it would accept it.  When it did on APHID I was stunned.

 

LINKS of the WEEK

The luck of having your boat sunk by a Walrus?

 

I have a few buddies who are UPS Drivers and they hustle big time, so seeing one collapse in the heat I can see… glad he’s ok!

 

Fun Squirrel story

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Beautiful project this week from the Pacific Northwest! The fine folks from Herzog Glass glazed this building using product from Garibaldi Glass.  Stunner really.  Mithun Architects on the pretty much perfect design.  Big time kudos to everyone involved in this one and again as I always preach- it is amazing glass projects like this that make our industry look good!  

Congrats to everyone involved here! 

Questions Abound

While the big news has dominated our landscape over the last few weeks or so, there’s been a lot of other nuggets and news I wanted to get to… so here goes….

 

--  The latest Dodge Momentum Index was up again.  It is now at its highest point in 14 years. While that is exciting it is also a bit of a mirage.  There are still some dry pockets out there now and in various backlogs so it once again has me questioning these indexes.  I’ll take the positivity- you know me, I live for it, but the reality is surely singing a slightly different tune.

 

--  By the way, the next Architectural Billings Index is this coming Wednesday.  No way it’s above water.  No way.  But we will see….

 

--  The latest Gilbane supply report was released and I laughed out loud (Or LOL in text form) when I saw they noted pricing in the glass industry as “Stabilizing” – yeah I think we are all doing a great job of rolling with haymakers being thrown at us, but “stabilizing” is not the feel I have.  Obviously, the report probably covers the time before the latest round of increases hit.  In the other 2 tracked categories, we are noted as “contracting” on inventories and “delayed” on shipping which I think is accurate. The only building trade that doesn’t have those two classifications is “Plumbing” where on inventory – they are stable.  So obviously the whole chain continues to challenge. 

 

--  If you missed my most recent podcast, please check it out.  Two tremendous guys from leading companies in our world.  Ben Jayson from Bendheim and Will Pounds from TSI Corporations.  Really impressive folks who will be around our space for a long time to come and that gives me great hope for the future of our industry!

VIDEO 

AUDIO (Also on Apple, Spotify, Google etc..)

 

--  Congrats to Jeremy Hoy on his new position at Hartung Glass.  Jeremy is a fantastic talent and just a very good dude.  Great hire by the Hartung team and this match will be a nice one.  Hopefully Jeremy will still be attending the various shows and events, as his positive presence is always welcomed!

 

--  Also congrats to the fine folks at Country Glass in Texas.  They just marked their 38^th year in business!  Congrats to the great Brian Risinger, Joe Lambertson and the team there.  They do things the right way and I really appreciate how they are always there to support the greater good of our industry.  Also the best-looking swag in the business…

 

--  Sad news from my backyard in Michigan.  Ed Hickey, a major presence in this market, most recently with his sons at Peterson Glass has passed away.  Another market legend moves on and this one gets me as I was a huge fan of Ed, and his sons have always been great friends and supporters of mine.  He built a strong and respected company that will carry on his legacy for years to come.  My condolences to the Hickey family and all of Ed’s friends and industry mates.

 

--  Last this week… two items on the lighter side… if you were a music fan in the 90’s – you know Nirvana and the story of Kurt Cobain their lead singer.  I was turned on to a documentary on his death and it opened my eyes on if he died the way we were all told.  The doc was a bit uneven but still worth the watch if you were a fan- it’s called “Soaked in Bleach” and it’s on Amazon.

 

Also on Amazon a new series called “The Terminal List” and that is a VERY intense watch.  Only a few episodes in but there was a classic mention of a new building having “eco friendly windows” and I laughed because of how generic.  Evidently Tom Donovan of Thompson IG (who I believe wrote “Ozark”) did not write this…. But hey glass/window mentions?  I am all for it.  Also bird-friendly windows were needed in this one but that would screw up a storyline I guess….

 

LINKS of the WEEK

I knew about the “treehouse” trend- but this offshoot of that I had not seen.  Wild!

 

This would scar me for life.  An iguana found in the same toilet.  Not once or twice, but three times!

 

How to prepare for a Nuclear Attack was a public service announcement put out by NYC.  No words for this one. 

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

I am fascinated by the Carvana “Car Vending Machine” structures that you see more and more of. Recently I saw a post on LinkedIn from Bob Lentz of Above All Storefronts showing the install of an IG going into one of those setups.  Thought it was very cool.  Love the look so I wanted to share… Bob if this one is done or you have more info on who else was involved share away- in the meantime congrats to all involved in it.  These designs really do show the value of great glass and glazing!

 

 

 

 

Power Players

New podcast is now posted with 2 tremendous guys from fantastic companies.  First up is Ben Jayson of Bendheim.  That is a legendary brand and Ben is one very sharp individual.  Good dive into his past, his thoughts on the space, and some of the very smart things Bendheim does.  Then I chop it up with Will Pounds of TSI Corporations.  Will was impressive and I loved hearing about the lessons from the past that Will and the team learned and how they put it to work going forward.  Plus neat look at some hot new products he likes and he stuns me with his favorite food. All of that and more.  Check it out, the insight shared by these two was something to savor. I appreciate the listens and watches!

VIDEO 

AUDIO (and on Apple, Spotify etc.)

 

This month’s podcast was brought to you by GlassBuild America, which just opened registration.  The show this year returns to Vegas in October and it’s looking like a masterpiece.  A few new wrinkles have been added and the show floor is really coming together nicely.  Plus more than ever an event like the Glazing Executives Forum is crucial given the challenges in our space.  Get registered today and get that hotel room too!  GlassBuild.com 

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Congrats to Tim Thomas on his recent promotion to President at Erie Architectural Products.  Tremendous news for a truly great person.  I have always been a huge fan of Tim’s and also his brother Brian. (I think Brian is easily one of the 5 best company leaders in our industry right now atop of Super Sky) So this brotherly love thing got me thinking… are the Thomas siblings the best sibling group in our industry?  Some serious competition there with the awesome Aragon brothers of Aragon Construction, the superstar Stathopoulos brothers at Ajay Glass, the brilliant brother/sister team at Goldray in Mike Saroka and Laura Little, and I always get confused on the Habers at W&W if there are brothers there or are they all cousins, but that is an immensely talented crew too.  Who am I missing???  And shame my brother Steve can’t count on my sister (because she left the industry) or me to live up to his visionary skillset!  

 

--  Also congrats to K-Space Associates and Darryl Barlett on their 30^th anniversary in business.  I met Darryl at GPAD and it was cool to get to know him and learn about their product line and approach.  Good guy, good stuff and congrats on the anniversary!

 

--  We are a week away from the NGA Glass Conference: Chicago and I was impressed with the companies attending. Was a serious “who’s who” of the fabricating/manufacturing side of our world and good to see so many companies focused on the technical side of our world.  Urmilla Sowell and team do an awesome job in representing us and also making sure we are doing things the right way. There are always holes out there (a big one is some unsavory approaches to school protective glass with lots of create-it-yourself testing standards) but the NGA team surely does the best it can to make sure things get done the right way.

 

--  Those of you who know me know I do not care for the AIA Expo.  They don’t care for their exhibitors and it’s a shame when so many other shows do but can’t get some of the same buy in.  Anyway I had to laugh when I saw AIA chose San Francisco for its event in 2023.  That may be one of the worst possible locations in our world right now.  Good luck to them on that one and good luck to anyone who is going to exhibit there.

 

--  Last this week… the final 6 episodes of Better Call Saul start this week… unreal show and cannot wait to see how this one ends.  If they pull it off as perfectly as they did Breaking Bad (same writers etc.) then that will be awesome. 

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  This is an issue out there and also one of more and more people who won’t learn how to swim.

 

--  What a cool mistake- getting a few moments with the Stanley Cup

 

--  An absolutely bizarre hobby

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

This week from the LinkedIn feed of Alex Gonzalez… this fabulous job in Lake Nona, FL fabricated by South East Glass and installed by Pro Glass Installers.  Tavistock Town Center is the project name listed.  Good looking project in a very hot and upcoming area in central Florida.  Nice work to all that took part in it!

Moving Forward

Here we are two weeks into our latest adventure, so I checked in with glaziers and fabricators from all over North America and gained their perspectives to add to mine.  I thought for this week it was time to talk about what is happening now and how people are handling it.  Overall it was pretty uniform that people sat down and worked through it. Battled. Yes, jobs were lost to overseas players. As was predicted. Yes, jobs were put on hold until things could be determined more. As was predicted.  But we did see intelligent and creative work from so many to work through this the best way they could.  The point being made to me in several ways is that we can’t just hide under the covers. We have to figure it out and deal with this hand. Kudos to every sales manager or estimating head who had to make those phone calls, re-work quotes, and deal with the confusion and turmoil. There was a ton and you dealt/are dealing with it.  Good on all of you.  

Now, one more piece on the actual increase. I was constantly reminded about the costly nature of making glass. That’s not in dispute. The issue will always be timing and approach. It could’ve and should’ve been better.  Especially when I see how smartly some are handling (more on that below), we had a chance here to do things better.   

One person reminded me of something I would point to a lot here in my travels. A lot of our pricing was the same in 2019 as it was in 1958. Obviously, advancements in machinery and technology allowed us to keep pricing “stable,” but eventually, when the world finally hits a breaking point, that bill would come due. And I’d say from a business sense with inflation rampant and no one at the higher levels of at least the US government seemingly interested in effectively addressing it, that time is now. 

So here we are.  

By the way, lost in some of this is how the big Cardinal purchase of AGC played into this. It changed the landscape, unintentionally at first, and that play helped push this rock down the hill. No doubt when that deal happened no one saw a crazy landscape as we have now.

OK, so on the next steps - it’s been handled in many ways. Viracon had a classy approach which is to be expected. Oldcastle took the bull by the horns. That was important to see and experience, and kudos to them.  Independents took various angles, but for the most part, all are doing their best for the industry and their customers. (Though I’ll note some cowboys out there aren’t. And that thinking is frightening and will not be good in the end) anyway, the march here goes on. We will lose work. We will probably have to re-fight a window-to-wall ratio (thankfully, the NGA and the great industry volunteers will be on guard there) But kudos to the fabs and glaziers who are doing all they can to protect our way of life.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  I need to note that while I have been commenting on the Guardian and Vitro approaches, their support for the industry in other ways- like education, sponsorship, advocacy and technical- are huge components of what they do and the value there is immense.  I’ve noted several times that the education centers (and I think Vitro’s is incredible) and support of events like GlassBuild matter and I don’t want that lost in the shuffles here.

 

--  So I keep getting stunned.  Yep.  This time it was the latest Architectural Billings Index being in the positive again with its latest report.  I am starting to doubt its accuracy or approach because it’s not jiving with everything else.  Again I would love to be wrong, but something doesn’t feel right.  They’re the experts and no way would they put out details that aren’t accurate, so I’ll take the win… cautiously.

 

--  I’ll be recording for my next podcast this coming week and I am excited for the guests I have lined up. 2 highly successful companies will be represented and I’m excited to get insight into how they’ve done it.  Speaking of podcasts, a new one to recommend is one from John Spelman of YKK.  He has the “Glazing Guru” podcast and it’s an outstanding effort.  I love the range of guests he’s had, including the awesome Frank D’Aprile of Kenpat (whom I could never get on my pod- too big time for me these days!) and one of the talented younger stars in our world- the Arch Insider Russell Williams.  Check it out where you get pods online but here’s the Apple link or search for “The Glazing Guru” 

 

--  I’m so far behind on the embodied and operational carbon issue within our industry so I am thrilled that the great Dr. Kayla Natividad of NSG Pilkington is doing a Thirsty Thursday this week on it. Excellent way to get up to speed from one of the best in our space. Here’s the LINK to sign up.  

 

--  Congrats to Ron Crowl on his new position!  Ron was named as managing director of Compusoft + 2020 Doors, Windows and Glass Vertical Group. Ron is a huge industry supporter and it’s great he’ll continue to be so active in our space!

 

--  Last this week… NO BLOG next week because of Independence Day in the US.  If something wild happens I’ll post and note on LinkedIn.  But hopefully, it’ll be quiet… to all of you celebrating the 4^th of July- be safe, enjoy, and take it easy around the fireworks- both for your health and the dogs in the homes (like me who has too many of them) who go crazy during this time of year!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Bear came through an “open” window and destroys a house.  I wonder if the window was closed if the bear doesn’t come in?

 

--  I don’t do Air BnB’s but these bizarre stories of people getting into the wrong places are something.  This one took on a life of its own

--  I’m a space geek and this story goes way beyond me.  Moon dust and cockroaches.

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

Podcaster extraordinaire and sales rep star Mitch Hawkins posted this one on LinkedIn and given a few industry folks were in Chicago this past week this seemed timely.  

This is The U of Chicago Rubenstein Forum and Viracon is the glass on it and my oh my how nice does that glass look?!?!!  Tremendous work gang!  Also according to Mitch’s post congrats should go to Glass Solutions Inc. and Diller Scofodio + Renfro as well for their efforts.  Love it! 

The Other Shoe Dropped

If last week was the earthquake, then this week was the aftershock.  And a heck of an aftershock indeed.  Just four business days after Guardian Glass dropped a massive 40% price increase on the industry, Vitro followed suit with their version of an increase featuring 40% as the main number.  I was stunned.  I honestly did not think this was coming at this point.  I knew other shoes would fall but I expected a longer time between increases and a lower number.  If you re-read what I wrote last week, there’s been no doubt that the corrections were needed and coming, it was just more to the point of how much and how fast.  So after the fallout of the increase, I could not see how anyone would follow Guardian quickly into the fire.  But Vitro not only followed them in, but pretty much took the heat away from them and positioned it on to themselves.  Pretty wild in a competitive world eh?  The cheering in Auburn Hills when Vitro’s letter came out could be heard for miles.  While the Guardian increase took your breath away, the Vitro one, that fast after, and for pretty much the same amount, smacked of opportunism and not need.  It amazingly made people madder over this issue if that was possible.  A chance to pile on an industry that was and is wounded, confused, scared etc.  Just crazy to see.  And I’m also probably more shocked because I love the folks at Vitro- I worked there a long time ago and have lots of friends there and people I respect immensely.  I just don’t get why they did what they did when and how they did it.  But then again I am on the outside looking in- all I can comment on is what I feel and also how it looks- which to me is not good.  Am I saying Vitro should not have increased?  No. I’m sure their costs have gone up like all of ours, but it sure looks pretty funky that 4 business days after a competitor raises that they have the same exact pressures and the numbers basically are the same.

Also it bears noting that with both increases besides the lack of a clear justification for that big of a number, there is still a fuel/energy surcharge in place and that is no shrinking violet either.  

The psyche of our industry right now is fragile. The back-to-back blows, combined with all else has people from companies of all sizes freaked out.  These increases and the way they are being implemented are extremely hard on all makes and models.  The bigger companies have the most exposure, tons of long-term commitments to work through. The smaller have issues getting materials as is and don’t have the deep pockets to ride things out.  

So time to fight through it all.  We will.  We as an industry always have.  My worries that I noted last week remain.  I don’t want to see bad products imported into our markets. (And again I note, not all imports are bad) I don’t want to see corners cut (like less innovation or specialty) because of this and I don’t want to see less glass on a project because we somehow went crazy on the bottom lines.  Already in the marketplace, we are seeing immediate concerns of project cancellations- as noted in this piece.  Overall just a frustrating run we have going on right now.

 

Elsewhere…

 

--  Interestingly enough the metrics we follow are strong but the concerns that are out there are really giving people pause.  So while I am thrilled when I see the latest DMI in the positive again, I am getting opposite reports from those in the field that they see things slowing. The next Architectural Billings Index is due out this week and I will be floored if it’s in the positive.  But given my track record of late, I guess I’ll be happy to be wrong. We shall see!

 

--  Interesting take here… The US economy issues are crushing things like crypto and the layoffs in that sector are huge. Maybe it’s time to get people trained from these other sectors that are losing people and bring them into ours. Project managers are still a massive need. Plus no matter how nuts our world is, we are still more stable than most.  The question is how do we attract people from these other areas into ours. 

 

--  Saw the sad news of Bill Briese of GED passing away.  Bill was a class act and a true gentleman.  I interacted with him many times at GlassBuild and learned a ton as he would demonstrate what the latest and greatest GED had to offer. Huge loss in so many ways for our industry and world and my condolences to Bill’s family and the team at GED.

 

--  I am big fan of Quaker Windows and they did yet another cool thing recently with the awarding of 28 college scholarships from their TMK Memorial Fund.  Good on Quaker for investing in the youth and their education and hopefully some of those folks will end up in our industry too!  

 

--  Last this week- gotta go lighter… and had to have fun again with another list!   This time it’s the top baby names of the year.  The “classics” are back according to the piece and one classic is “Oliver” which comes in at #3.  That is going to be tough for any kid with that name to get into this industry and be as good as the legendary Oliver Stepe from YKK…. That’ll be an impossible one to live up to!  Some interesting choices here also in the rising names and ones that are losing popularity. Check it out!

 

LINKS of the WEEK

--  This is amazing.  I am all about building culture but walking over hot coals?  Nope.  And this one went wrong!

 

Every week that I post a wild animal story I think it’s the worst I have seen yet.  This week topped it!  Snake bite!

 

And on the flip side- a pet story that I like and glad all is well!

 

PROJECT of the WEEK

From the feed of Rich Harenberg of Erie Architectural, this beauty is in Kansas City and looks fantastic!  Kudos to Erie Architectural for their work and the post also noted the Flynn Companies and YKK AP as well.  Great work everyone!!