glassblog

Ok, so two pieces of bad news last week: first, the Architectural Billings Index took a nasty tumble. Then, Canada's nonresidential building statistics came out lower than they have been. So, it wasn't exactly an uplifting few days.

The ABI continues to be a hard one to swallow, especially since our industry wouldn't see any effects from these lower totals until mid-2012. It will bear watching, because if 2012 is solid or at least like 2011 has been for some patches of our industry, it will blow the whole theory/report out of the water.

As for the Canadian report, all I could think of after reading it was the reaction of people in Toronto when I complimented them for being busy. They were seriously afraid that I'd jinx it, and gosh, I wonder if I did.

Elsewhere...

• Our industry has great new app joining the excellent Glass Magazine app that I mentioned last week. Guardian released its SunGuard mobile app, and I loaded it up and was very impressed. It's very sharp, clean and easy to use. Major props to Chris Dolan and his team on a job well done. If you want to download it from the iTunes App Store or Google's Android market , enter "SunGuard" in the search field instead of Guardian; it will be easier to find.
• I hated missing the GANA Fall Conference last week. I heard many good things, and the worst part for me was missing a chance to hear the always intelligent and interesting Stanley Yee of The Façade Group. Stanley is as engaging as they come and a good guy, for sure. Evidently, his presentation on air leakage was a showstopper, and I hated missing that and the rest of the event.
• I had my 900th airport delay of the summer this past week but in a new airport for me: Cincinnati. I must say, it's a very nice airport. I've been stuck in much worse places.
• Last week, I linked to an article in Forbes about a possible water shortage, and soon after my blog was published, I got an e-mail from John Fallon of Water Treatment Technologies. John's company does yeoman's work in trying to get people to use and re-use water smartly, and I am big fan of him and his company. Anyway, John pointed out that the Forbes piece is accurate (shocking to me in reality) and he went on to note the insane wastes of water from our industry. It is truly food for thought. If you are not recycling your water in your facility, you need to. It's a no brainer and the right thing to do. Thanks again to John for getting my mind back on it.
• I am biased on this one because I like the product line and people involved, but there's a great article here on how General Glass International (GGI) produced the glass for the Harlem Hospital (installation by W&W Glass and insulating by JE Berkowitz: what a high-powered group). Very intense stuff. Also interesting is that the job is actually not complete yet even though it seems like the glass has been up for years.
• Congrats to PPG on their awesome third quarter. As I have noted here before, they have some awesome people who make a difference out there. I'm happy for all of those who worked so hard to achieve it.
• Last this week: in my new life, I have been running into other quality folks who call consulting their career. Some great ones like Greg Carney and Arlene Stewart I knew, but I did not know Rick De La Guardia. Well, now I do. The guy is a tremendous asset from the engineering side, and it's pretty awesome to be in the same realm. You learn very neat things when you find yourself in a new world, that is for sure. 

Read on for links and clip 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. 

Glass Magazine recently linked to an interesting report from FMI that is surely worth the download and read. The key takeaway is that FMI projects 2012 will be like 2003. My memory is not great, but 2003 wasn't awful, and if we're headed that way, I'd be OK with that. The breakdown of industry segments and the growth--or lack thereof--was also something to digest. How much will the school/institutional construction be affected by current budget shortfalls and the battles in the government? That segment weathered the storms pretty well and remains the wildcard that no analyst really can accurately portray. Overall, a good read; check it out.

Elsewhere...

• After weeks and weeks of a pretty heavy news cycle, things finally calmed down last week. It was probably one of the slowest news weeks I have seen in a long time. As an industry, I think we deserved the breather! However, there's a lot of movement and news percolating in the background, so the cycle is going to start going full blast again soon.
• Have you downloaded the Glass Magazine App yet? If not, do so, it's really nicely set up. Kudos again to the folks who put that together. A job well done!
• Want to know what the realistic house of the future will look like? Check this story out. I agree with some of it, but not all, especially in regards to the skylights. There's too much technology out there that the writer obviously hasn't researched yet.
• This week is the Solar Power International show in Dallas. A few years ago, this show had a lot of desirable targets for our industry, but you can tell that things have certainly changed and many of the folks that should/could be there are not. Good to see though that Konarka WILL be there and will benefit from the lack of competition on the floor. They deserve to stand out.
• Forbes Magazine rang the alarm on what could be another crisis: a water shortage crisis. The article does get you to think but also seems so unlikely. In any case, I still hate the fact we use up so much clean water for waste disposal. That one gets me crazy.
• Last this week... Speaking of drinks, have you seen the new Dr. Pepper product geared for men only? The folks there feel that a "man" won't want to be seen with a "diet" drink, so they needed to create something new. Now I don't think that's a bad thing. A bad thing for a guy is having your favorite alcoholic drink be Malibu and Diet. Take it from me; you never hear the end of it. 

Read on for links and clip 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. 

It seems like all we've been hearing on the economic front is bad news on the verge of panic: debt crises that threaten to unravel the worldwide economy, legislative standstills that create plummeting consumer confidence, and a stock market that seems to be in free fall two or three days every week. So, I thought I would use my vast power as a member of the, let's call it "trade-stream media," to share some of the good news that we've been hearing about the overall economy and construction market.

For example, did you know that the commerce department revised its GDP growth numbers upward last week? Or that U.S. manufacturing (and the overall U.S. economy) grew in September?

Additionally, I had the pleasure of hearing two economists speak during September about their economic forecasts, focusing on construction: Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst, Institute for Trend Research, Concord, N.H., who spoke Sept. 12 during the 6th annual Glazing Executives Forum, part of GlassBuild America in Atlanta, and Esmael Adibi, director of the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research and Anderson Chair of Economic Analysis, Claremont Graduate University, Sept. 26, at the 2011 American Architectural Manufacturers Association National Fall Conference. The forecasts were quite similar, especially when addressing fears of a double-dip recession. Adibi started off his presentation, in fact, by announcing: "We don't see a double dip." Dietrich agreed. "That's not our forecast. We think this economy is resilient enough," he said.

Both Dietrich and Adibi said the U.S. economy is growing. It's just growing slowly—too slowly to make much of a dent in the huge drop in employment and GDP. Read Glass Magazine coverage of Dietrich's forecast and Adibi's forecast.

The construction sector (finally) saw some gains in the last couple of months. The Architectural Billings Index experienced an upturn in August. Nonresidential construction starts were up 19 percent in August, compared to July, and overall construction spending edged up in July. And while 25 states and D.C. experienced construction employment declines in August compared to July, 26 states and D.C. have added construction jobs during the past 12 months, according to a recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America.

I’m certainly not blind to the threats and vast challenges still facing the economy and construction industry. However, I think we all might need a brief breather from all the bad news.

Devlin is senior editor for Glass Magazine. Write her at kdevlin@glass.org.

Amidst the massive malaise on Wall Street last week and continued pathetic performances coming from Washington, D.C., the AIA released some positive news with the Architectural Billings Index. The ABI actually bounced back, shocking analysts and onlookers alike. The biggest surprise was the leap in new projects on the boards.

In my opinion, there are two ways to look at this:

1. It's about time, we were due for this and it means the building segment will be strong next summer
2. These projects are pie-in-the-sky efforts that will never get the financing, and the study is skewed.

In my opinion, it's a little of both. I do think better times are ahead and I continue to discount the ABI for the most part, but I also don't think massive jumps are in the offing. A steady, positive run will be the play here. The bottom line is this was some good news to grab ahold of in the middle of a very volatile week.

Elsewhere...

• Last week's blog by the brilliant Bill Evans shows that he is a great voice of the glass shop and glazier. He is pure money, and I am in awe. When I met Bill at GlassBuild America, he said he was amazed that I write my blog 52 weeks a year, and asked how I came up with stuff. I told him that my blog doesn't carry the weight or importance that his brings to the table, and last week's effort proved that point. Bill' s work was a tremendous and powerful read, and it's an honor to share a page with him.
• I was honored yet again to return to Colorado and speak at the Colorado Glazing Contractors Association. I have been a huge fan of the CGCA for years and consider it the model that every regional trade group should follow. Rebecca Kaspari, along with this year's President Marty Richardson of Metro Glass, do an awesome job.
• Comically, when I got to the hotel where the CGCA event was held, I asked the front desk where I should go. They sent me to a room where I started to set up, but I recognized no one. I was really spooked. I mean, I figured I'd see the ultra classy Cameron Scripture of Viracon at a minimum, and no Rebecca or Marty? What was going on here? So, as I'm quietly trying to get organized, I asked someone if it was the CGCA meeting. And I was then told it was a benefit for orphaned animals in Rwanda. The funny thing is: no one stopped me from setting up. I should have spoken there too!
• Time for a list. Trust in America recently came out with the "Fattest States" list and here is your top 10:
• 10. Michigan- Wow we can't even win this one. But we are fattest in the North!
  9. Arkansas
  8. South Carolina
  7. Oklahoma
  6. Kentucky
  5. Louisiana
  4. Tennessee
  3. West Virginia
  2. Alabama
  1. Mississippi
• Amazing comparison, Mississippi a few months ago was noted as the "unhappiest" state by another poll. So that doesn't jive for me. Isn't the term "fat and happy"?
• The fight in Vegas over the Harmon building at CityCenter rolls on. I'm telling you, someday someone will do a book on the entire process, from the birth and concept of that structure, to construction mode with all of its issues, through the lawsuits and eventual conclusion. It will be riveting.
• Last this week, the dynamic glass world surely gained some positive momentum with the marketing agreement between PPG and Pleotint. PPG putting its credibility behind a product brings a lot of value, and I believe this move benefits all of the technologies in that segment. At the end of the day, new technology in our industry will be the difference we need going forward. 

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.