glassblog

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

From the fabricator: Sad day for the industry

I just heard the very sad news of the passing of Tommy Huskey, CEO of Gardner Glass. Tommy was a tremendous man and will be truly missed by many. This is a very sad day for our industry. Condolences go to Tommy's family and his family at Gardner during this very difficult time.

This will be a shorter than normal post since we are coming off an abbreviated week (for at least the American readership). I hope everyone who celebrated had a great holiday! For my readers who only pick this blog up via e-glass weekly, please click HERE to catch up on last week's post. It's full of good stuff, including a fabricator on the move making a great hire, a new Twitter feed to follow and the most recent Architectural Billings Index.

As for this week...

  • It was not a great holiday for my brother Steve, as he spent the entire holiday in the hospital after complications from a recent surgery. He is still in the hospital and looks to be there for a while longer as he recovers. To make matters worse, there's no cable TV in his hospital room. For me, that would be worse than being laid up in the first place! Anyway, sending positive thoughts to him to get well soon and get back to doing all the good that he does.
  • PPG released its new Glass Configurator Widget. It's a very cool little program that can run on any style of computer or smart phone. While geared for architects, it does have value for the rest of us who just like to know what is available out there. Nice work.
  • Not glass-related but interesting nonetheless: the hottest trend in school building is the removal of lockers from the design. Schools are deciding that lockers do more harm than good, and designers are being told to leave them out. Pretty wild change... Can you imagine going to school without having a locker?
  • Last this week: The Fiscal Times listed the "Top 10 Places to Find a Job" and quite frankly this list was very surprising. Here goes:

1. Ft. Wayne, IN

2. Worcester, MA

3. San Jose, CA

4. Tulsa, OK

5. Houston, TX

6. Tucson, AZ

7. Dallas, TX

8. Akron, OH

9. Phoenix, AZ

10. Boise, ID

To me, the surprises were Akron, San Jose and the two Arizona locations. I was not surprised by Texas, Oklahoma or Idaho.

Read on for links and video of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fashion or focus?

Being an avid reader, I often find inspiration and focus within the pages of biographies of successful people or in discussions with people I admire. Sometimes, I even find it while enjoying a spectacular sunset. On occasion, inspiration and focus can be found in the strangest things and at the most unexpected times.

I have just returned from the Vitrum show in Milan, Italy, where I was supporting our European office in the trade show booth. Just before the show opened, our manager of the French-speaking market segment handed all of our booth personnel blue shoestrings to immediately place in their shoes.

I assumed that this was meant to be a fashion statement, as the color of the shoestrings was a very close match to our official corporate logo color. With Milan being the fashion capital of the world, I thought this made perfect sense.

Now, I've never been accused of being fashionable – actually quite the opposite – so naturally I hesitated for a moment. I watched as the rest of our team took out their old laces and inserted the new ones. I was still not sold on the fashion idea, but being a team player, I followed along.

As the week went on, I found that these shoestrings provided much more value than just fashion.

Each morning as I tied my shoes, the blue shoestrings stared me right in the face. These shoestrings provided me the inspiration each morning to approach the day and trade show booth with the proper mindset and focus on our mission in Milan.

So here it was: focus for less than a buck! No long hours of reading or deep discussions with others or even an enjoyable sunset. Focus was simply found in the strangest thing and at the most unexpected time--while tying my blue shoestrings.

Upon returning home, my wife, Tammy, took one look at my shoes and informed me that the look was certainly not a fashion statement – at least not in Cleveland, Ohio. These laces have been changed but not discarded. They now sit on my desk as a daily reminder of the focus that was found in Milan and the mission that we are on.

There is now a very good chance that blue shoestrings will be a part of our fashion statement and focus at our future trade shows! 

The author is president of FeneTech, the Aurora, Ohio, provider of software automation products and services to the glass, window and door fabrication industries. Write him at ron.crowl@fenetech.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors. 

9 comments
Monday, November 14, 2011

From the Fabricator: Big code news

The big news of the week was from the International Green Construction Code meeting in Arizona. When the event ended, the United States finally had a national green building code. While creating and executing the code are another adventure, the groundwork has been formally laid. Like with any process, the final piece has positives and negatives (the excellent Dr. Tom Culp taught me that), but I think the good will outweigh the bad overall. If anything, it continues to force us as an industry to keep evolving and moving the ball forward. And this is not the end of the process anyway, as the debates for the next cycle have already begun. At the end of the day, I have always been pretty critical and focused on the code process over the years and will continue to stay on it.

Elsewhere....

  • Speaking of being critical: one of my major targets over the years has been the Department of Energy. Since the Solyndra adventure, DOE has been in a ton of people's crosshairs and now the Inspector General is investigating them for more than 100 stimulus-related issues. Here's the link.
  •  Last week in e-glass weekly, Bill Evans once again hit one out of the ballpark. I seriously love every time that guy writes. Classy and inspirational.
  • A major thank you to everyone who enjoyed the Twitter post from last week and jumped into following some of those awesome people. And thanks to the folks who decided to follow me, I am grateful.
  • Also from last week, I traded e-mails with Henry Gorry of Guardian. Henry is winding down his incredible career, and I for one will miss him greatly. Henry is a tremendously eloquent speaker, one that mixes fact with a calm passion, while keeping discussions absolutely on track. (A stickler for protocol, there was no moving beyond a task without completion when Henry was in the mix!) He made every committee and organization that he was involved in better because of his presence, style and overall professionalism.
  • A happy belated birthday to this blog's most important reader: my Mom. Without her, this blog doesn't exist... and imagine what a loss to the world that would be? Ha ha. Anyway, Happy Birthday Mom from your 5th favorite kid out of four.

Read on for links and video of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.

 

3 comments
Monday, November 7, 2011

What is your No. 2 priority?

People often misuse words such as affect/effect, may/can, need/want, and urgent/important. Perhaps, the last example affects business people the most, especially this time of year.

Let’s look at the following list of tasks:

  • Important, urgent items
  • Important, non-urgent items
  • Urgent, unimportant items
  • Non-urgent, unimportant items

It is easy to prioritize items that are urgent and important, or not urgent and unimportant. But, how we prioritize the other two determines our effectiveness. Which is more valuable? Which will lead to long-term gain?  If something is urgent but not important, what is its value? Quite frankly, we all get consumed by what we consider "urgent" without analyzing its importance. This is compounded by the prevalence of smart phones and 24/7 accessibility. If it is not important, why do we feel the pressure to respond quickly?

Recently, I attended a two-day meeting with peers in the glass industry. Most of us own glass shops, and one owns a fabricating company. I really didn't have time to go to the meeting because of the daily, urgent demands of my business. However, this meeting was important, even if it wasn't urgent.  I always learn something at these meetings, and my employees ask me what I learn that is applicable to the business. They are excited about ways to improve. So although the meeting wasn't urgent, I still chose to attend because it was important.

When we place urgent, unimportant items in the No. 2 slot on our priority list, we ease present situations. But it also keeps us forever focused on the short-term. Growth will be a result of working more hours, not smarter.

When we proactively plan, we place important, non-urgent items in the No. 2 slot. This allows us to look to the future, strategize, and implement plans for growth and survival. The fourth quarter of the calendar year is a great time to work on important, non-urgent items. Use this time to plan for the next year, five years, and 10 years. Do not be consumed by the urgent, nonimportant. Success is dependent upon having a priority list that looks like this:

  1. Important, urgent items
  2. Important, non-urgent items
  3. Urgent, unimportant items
  4. Non-urgent, unimportant items 

The author is president of Evans Glass Co., and chairman-elect for the National Glass Association. Write him at bevans@evansglasscompany.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors. 

 

 

 

 

 

6 comments
Monday, November 7, 2011

From the fabricator: Tops on Twitter

Back in mid-2009, I debuted the "Twitter Top 10" on my blog, and since then, I have spotlighted various "tweets" of the week. Well, it is time to update the list. More and more people have joined Twitter, and it's becoming a way of life and communication for many. Twitter itself has also changed; it's not used as much for personal updates but for the sharing of news and information. Some of that information normally would not see the light of day, so it has become valuable.

So, if you are on Twitter and you are not following these folks, it is time to do so. You will thank me later. If you are not on Twitter yet, keep these folks in mind for when you do jump on in. This list is for industry-related folks and companies. In the next few weeks, I will highlight non-industry "must follows."

These are in no specific order:

  1. @SouthwallTech: This feed is run by Bruce Lang of Southwall, and he mixes in some super links with a daily news piece.
  2. @JChaseGlass: The wonderful Jenni Chase (Hey, I mean it, even if she is my editor when the blog appears in e-glass weekly) runs this one and it's a great way to stay up on the news as she posts when it happens.
  3. @Glassandglazing: Run by Greg Carney. It's no secret that I am fan of Greg, and his tweets, while more sporadic than usual lately, are always worthy.
  4. @GlassBuild: This feed is the best way to stay ahead of the news about the premier industry show. And from what I hear, this feed will really be ramping up in the next few weeks.
  5. @Glasslam: Run by Matt Hale, this is probably the most active, interesting and diverse feed on Twitter as it relates to our industry. It's very rare that a story gets by Matt.
  6. @RavenBrick and @Sage_Glass: These two powers of the dynamic glass world both have strong, growing and interesting Twitter feeds. And with both companies constantly making technical strides, Twitter is a usually a great outlet for that news.
  7. @HeatherWestPR: Heather is a PR icon who I have mentioned here before, and her feed lives up to her stature. Tons of interesting links and stories. How she finds some of the stuff, which has great relevance to our world, is beyond me.
  8. @ArleneOnEnergy: Arlene Stewart, as I have noted here before, has made news with her feed and she is very good from an information dissemination standpoint. She really uses the medium effectively.
  9. @YKKAPAmerica: Very green news-focused but mixes in fun links and pictures. Also a very conversational feed. I'm not sure who is behind it at YKK, but that person deserves a pat on the back.
  10. @EnclosCorp: One of the largest glaziers around runs a very sharp and effective feed. They use it well, and the reader benefits.

Honorable mentions (and still worthy of a follow of course):

@DanPompeoAGS, @GGIGlass, @GuardianGlass, @ICDCoatings, @Kawneer, @GANATechnical, @PPGIndustries

Of course, if you want to follow me, I am at @MaxPSoleSource. But, I am nowhere as fun or interesting as any of the above. I save it for this blog!

Elsewhere...

  • The new Apple store design really is amazing. I'm not sure how the other glass geeks out there feel about it, but I really dig it.
  • College football is getting interesting. Wild game with Alabama-LSU (sorry, gang at Coral, tough one), and now we head down the stretch with the last few games and conference championships. Gonna be fun to follow.
  • Last this week, Glass Magazine has their latest edition of "G3" out. This is where industry folks weigh in on a question, and this month features three absolute heavyweights in David Petratis of Quanex, Lloyd Talbert of CRL and Mark Silverberg of Technoform. Three paragraphs from three interesting and well-put-together men. Check it out.

Read on for links and video of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.

 

1 comments
Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Molto bene in Milan!

There are three things you can always count on if you are lucky enough to attend Vitrum, the Italian glass show in Milan, Italy: high style, great food and new product introductions, especially machinery.

This year's event lived up to all three. Everything from the decorative entrance displays fashioned of glass chips and plantings, to the people (business suits, please!) conveyed an elegance most trade shows don't even try to approach. Milan is, after all, a leading fashion capital of the world.

As for the food, my taste buds and their memories attest that Vitrum 2011 was the all-time best show I've ever attended in 20-plus years, thanks to the first annual Vitrum Gourmet Festival. Usually, I shed a pound or two making trade show rounds, too busy for anything but a granola bar on the run. This show was different; make that Michelin- star-chef-spectacularly-different. Four prominent Italian chefs each prepared a multi-course feast for each of the four days. A special and very elegant "restaurant" was set up in Hall 22 with white linen tables surrounding a glass art showcase and a full-wall screen projection of the chefs and their edible artworks.

Right. So now I come to the third and most crucial item you can count on: new product introductions.

Now in its 17th year, the GIMAV-sponsored Vitrum is renown for being the venue where Italian exhibitors introduce truly new products. Call it, orgoglio, the Italian word for pride. Not surprisingly, most of the other exhibitors from around the world follow suit.

New product introductions are the core of any trade show, but these lean days, it's so much more impressive when you see it first-hand. The buzz and energy when you walk into a stand and start talking to the salespeople and technicians who want to show you what they have is jet-lag dissolving. It even helps you refocus when you're waiting for the espresso shot to kick in after the three-course lunch (with wine, no less). It's a fine thing that Vitrum and GlassBuild America are marketing partners. I'm proud to note, too, that NGA's print and electronic publications are highly regarded in a worldwide marketplace crowded by so many industry magazines.

So, if you missed Vitrum this year, I strongly encourage you not to make the mistake in Fall 2013. I'll be marking my calendar as soon as the dates are set. 

In the meantime, you can read about the products on display at the 2011 event here, as well as take a photo tour of the trade show floor.

Harris is publisher of Glass Magazine and vice president of publications for the National Glass Association. Write her at nharris@glass.org.

2 comments