Latest Articles in Fabrication
Diversification, marketing, personnel key to moving beyond recession to recovery
October 29, 2009
To maintain profitability and attract new customers, glass companies are diversifying, be it in the form of products, services or new markets.
Q&A with Gary Jones, Manko Window Systems
October 26, 2009
Exhibitors on the floor at GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo expressed optimism and touted new products and services in Atlanta, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. And the attendees, while fewer in number than last year, were buyers and decision makers checking out the new offerings. During the show, I sat down with one such buyer, Gary Jones, president, Manko Window Systems, Manhattan, ...
September 15, 2009
Editor's note: This article is the second installment of a two-part series on smart fleet management. See Page 30 of the September 2009 issue for the first. Smart fleet management not only involves vehicle maintenance, but the efficient use of fuel and execution of vehicle repairs. In an effort to reduce fuel costs, consider using nitrogen in your tires. Currently, I am testing the use ...
March 11, 2009
In a recent e-glass weekly poll, 31 percent of respondents reported their company had laid off employees in response to the current recession. In January alone, U.S. companies laid off 237,902 workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov.As a result, many Americans find themselves working longer hours to compensate for reduced staff resources. Efficiency is now the name of ...
What will be your top business challenge this year and how do you plan to address it?
January 12, 2009
CommercialAlvaro Correa, project manager, West Tampa Glass, Fla.We are going to have a moderately slower year than last year. The residential market is zero, and we are seeing the commercial market in a similar light due to these economic times. We have to find other sources of revenue, with the market the way it is. The hospital market is moving, and we are finding success [in that segment]. ...
January 9, 2009
When asked to identify a lesson learned early in his career, 30 under 40 award winner Stanley Yee, now a principal and building enclosure consultant at The Façade Group in Portland, Ore., admitted to many. “Career development is all about making mistakes and learning the hard way,” he said. “And it doesn’t only include your own mistakes; you can learn from other ...
... to their pockets
January 1, 2009
Just a little incredulity was in order when Merrill Lynch’s John Thain asked for a $10 million bonus at the end of 2008. As all of us contribute to that company’s $10 billion bailout—along with the rest of Wall Street and possibly the auto industry—we look out across the next 12 months with precautionary belt-tightening.So, it was gratifying to learn that several glass ...
Know when to hold `em; know when to fold `em
July 22, 2008
This article is first in a series that will explore how to run a successful shop, and will touch on various aspects of managing a business including: when/how to expand, downsize, sell your business; decide on location, whether to rent or buy; when to add new products, services and people; when to diversify; and when to change name, logo and marketing materials.
A proper interview can mean the difference between a good employ and a bad experience
July 22, 2008
In the late '90s, a large manufacturer in the Detroit area hired a gentleman to fill the position of marketing manager. His resume and references indicated he was a tremendous hire, but he quit after only one day on the job. At 5 p.m., he told his supervisor: "There is some type of disease in this company that I don't want to catch."In this case, the disease was the negative company ...
July 22, 2008
This is a sidebar to the article, "Hiring horror."
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