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Monday, November 26, 2012

Fenestration hallucination: The poor practices of some can hurt us all

"You must consider the bottom line, but make it integrity before profits." --Denis Waitley

Being a naïve Midwesterner, I’m sure almost all of America’s contract glaziers are honest, moral, ethical, decent folks who bid, supply and install specified and drawn products and services as the architect intended 100 percent of the time.

 But there are a few contract glaziers in each market who don’t always follow the rules to get work, cut costs, and make a buck any way they can.  Let’s tick off the list of the contract glazing industry’s ‘worst practices’ so you can recognize them when you see them:

  • Furnishes unspecified materials (“bait & switch”)
  • Delays issuing submittals and ordering materials, holds up the job and attempts to pressure product changes by using delay tactics
  • Omits traditional work
  • Omits specified engineering
  • Ignores the specified construction process and schedule
  • Installs improper, poor-performing and unsafe product
  • Fails to furnish complete and accurate O&M manuals, and manufacturer and workmanship warranties
  • Fails to complete the job or do warranty work
  • Doesn’t pay prevailing wage rates when required  (In this instance, workers don’t know about it or collaborate with the glazing contractor.)
  • Doesn’t pay union expenses when required (Here, workers are threatened or collaborate with the glazing contractor to dodge those costs.)

And I’m sure there are other worst practices out there. What’s the worst you’ve seen? Do enter a comment below!

Sadly, the recent recession has made contract glaziers feel as though they must break the rules in order to compete and survive.  There are contract glaziers taking advantage of a weakened architectural community that no longer feels empowered and might not have the support staff, experience and technical understanding to maintain construction quality.

The poor practices of some hurt all of us.  Take time to call out those who don’t play by the rules.  Maybe over time we can weed out the unscrupulous among us.

 "The higher the building the lower the morals." --Noel Coward

Rod Van Buskirk is the third-generation owner of Bacon & Van Buskirk Glass Co., with locations in Champaign and Springfield, Ill. A past NGA Chairman, Rod looks quarterly at the industry from the middle of nowhere, steals ideas from anyone he can and pretends to know what he’s talking about. Rod invites your comments as you are certainly smarter than he is.

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.

40 comments
Monday, November 26, 2012

From the fabricator: The passing of an industry icon

Mid-day Sunday, I received word that Eddie Goldberg had passed away. This one has shaken me up some, as Eddie not only was a relative of mine, but an industry icon as an owner and leader at a few different companies, most recently at Utica Glass. He was a serious fixture at industry events and a guy who truly cared a ton for what we all do. Eddie always greeted me (and most others) with a great smile and handshake, and could immediately jump into any of the issues affecting our world with ease. He and I used to go round and round about GlassBuild. He was never a fan of Vegas, feeling it was great for quantity but not for quality. No matter what role Eddie held in the businesses he owned and worked at, he always took the same classy approach: always welcoming, always looking forward. Many in the industry might have never met Eddie or known him, and that's a shame, as he was an excellent man who will be greatly missed.

Elsewhere…

  • Since my previous blog, Greenbuild took place, and reaction to the show has been mixed. Some folks felt it was a solid show that met expectations, but others disagreed. From an exhibitor point of view, it has to get concerning when this show keeps ending up in the most expensive venues possible: last year Toronto, this year San Fran, next year Philly. Those are budget-busting cities. And still I’d love to know how rock concerts, swanky parties and tons of worthless swag are good for the health of our planet? To me, it smacks of the “do what we say, not what we do” mentality.
  • Also on Greenbuild, there was a decent amount of news generated from the show, and once again a lot of it was from the dynamic glass space. Soladigm rebranded the company as View Inc., and SAGE announced a marketing agreement with Viracon. The dynamic space even got quality mainstream media notice in USA Today. I know there are doubters, but the momentum is really strong when it comes to the technologies that make up this segment.
  • Going hand in hand with this was McGraw Hill's very positive outlook for the “green” building market. While I believe certifications like LEED will wane, I do think that solid sustainable building practices, bolstered by codes and code enforcement, will dominate the next several years.
  • A hearty congrats to the gang at Metropolitan Glass in Denver for their “Circle of Safety” award. A commitment like that to a safe workplace can never be underestimated.
  • This may stun some of my loyal readers, but I have to give major kudos to the folks at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope for their BIM IQ rollout and website. It is simply amazing. BIM has been this bizarre mystery in our industry as it’s not mainstream and very few folks are embracing it because its usage is inconsistent. Oldcastle’s new setup may change that. Congrats to them for this effort. It looks very promising.
  • Hey, the ABI rocked upward again. It is really “put up or shut up” time for this index in my opinion. Starting with next month, we’ll be watching last year’s totals and comparing them to what is happening in real time.
  • Congrats to the folks at Guardian subsidiary SRG for setting a Guinness World Record at a recent family day in Spain. They broke they record for… get this… rhythmic snapping! Here’s the evidence.
  • Last this week, I was able to see the new movie Lincoln and all I can say is WOW. This was an amazing movie that was made even more so by the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role. The Oscars should not even waste their time nominating anyone else for Best Actor and just give him that statue. He was that good. In addition, I would not be surprised if Sally Field took home Best Actress. You know a movie is good when you come home and dig into the computer looking up as much as you can about the subject.

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.

3 comments
Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Who is watching you?

I’d rather see a sermon any day than hear one. Wouldn’t you? Someone is always watching each of us. Most of the time we do not know they are watching us. Rest assured, though, they are taking notes about what we do. Through my experience as a runner, I have seen the positive impact consistent behavior can have on the observer, and how the disbelief/belief stage of an observer can change. For example:

Stage 1: I tell others I am training to run a marathon.  The observer acknowledges the goal but does not believe it. We, as a society, have too often heard people say they will do something and then seen them make excuses for not completing the task.

Stage 2: The observer sees my consistent behavior, but justifies his or her inability to do something similar by using a weak excuse.  For example, the observer sees me running consistently, but states they can’t do it because they have “bad knees."

Stage 3: The observer still doesn’t believe I will finish what I've started, but is beginning to want to believe.  They ask, “Are you still running?”  It takes willpower not to become discouraged or influenced by this remark.  It also takes willpower not to make snide smart-aleck remarks.

Stage 4: The observer becomes an apprehensive believer.  As it relates to running, they ask about upcoming races or mileage.  The observer begins to live vicariously through my consistent action.

Stage 5: The observer is now a complete believer.  They ask about my goals and my progress toward these goals. The observer celebrates my accomplishment of goals as if the goals were his or her own. 

Stage 6: The observer becomes a participant themselves. He or she always compares what they are doing to you in a diminishing light.  For example, they might say, “I’ve starting walking twice a week, but that doesn’t compare to your running.”  It is at this point that we must become a cheerleader for the observer and encourage them to attain their goals, not ours. 

These same stages occur during a business cycle:

  1. Observers watch you start/diversify a business. 
  2. They make excuses about why they can’t do the same. 
  3. They ask if you’ve hit any roadblocks in your business.
  4. They ask how busy your business is and begin to celebrate its growth. 
  5. They ask what your growth strategy and goals are for the coming year.
  6. The observer might come to work for you, open their own business or expand their role in their current job.

Our consistent actions and words can change those observing our behavior.  If, on the other hand, we quit and justify our failure with excuses, we reinforce the observer's initial disbelief in us. We need to be consistent in our actions! Who do think is watching you?

The author is president, Evans Glass Co. in Nashville and chairman of the board 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.

118 comments
Monday, November 12, 2012

From the fabricator: Congrats, kudos, thanks, and more...

Well, the U.S. election is finally over, with excitement for those on the winning side and the absolute angst of defeat for those on the losing side. Regardless, the deal is done, and the hope on both sides should be that the dysfunction junction that is Washington D.C. gets it together for the good of our world. As for our industry, the focus will return to the lending institutions, as many of the projections in the last few months noted that the election would have an effect on construction. So, we’ll now surely see what that effect will be.

Elsewhere…

Lots of good news this week; let’s hit a few...

  • Congrats to an old friend and coworker of mine, Jeff Ziesche (also known as my Mom’s third-favorite kid behind my brother and sister). Jeff was tapped by the sharp folks at CRL to become director of sales & marketing for the US Aluminum Division. I am thrilled for Z and family: a great spot for him.
  • Kudos to Arlene Stewart, one of the keenest minds ever to talk energy, who was named the Florida Home Builders Association  Associate Member of the Year. Arlene brings credibility and passion to all she does, and it’s nice to see the FHBA recognized that.
  • The folks at YKK AP picked up an award from Architectural Products Magazine in their “Innovative Products” section for their latest curtain-wall release. More than 50 judges from all angles of the construction industry selected YKK for the honor. Congrats to Oliver Stepe, Mike Turner and all of the folks there.
  • This week is Greenbuild, and I will miss it, but I know plenty of folks who are going, so we’ll have any pertinent details when I post again.
  • And speaking of posting again, this will be the last post until the week of November 25. I'm giving my fingers and brain a break for the holiday. Of course, if there's any more breaking news, or hot and heavy acquisition rumors, you will be able to find them here.
  • Last week saw another acquisition for the Consolidated Glass group. They are surely on the move. Loved seeing my old pal Don Power have his name in the news too. If you know Don, you know he’d rather be anywhere than in the media.
  • By the way, a huge story this week involved the  ICC pushing to laminated glass for handrails and guardrails. That should have a significant effect on business and design, that's for sure. The bad news is that with how slow municipalities are to adopt measures, it will be awhile before this truly shows its value.
  • Last this week, two items: a happy birthday to my Mother, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. Hope everyone can take that day to sit back, relax and enjoy, and get away from the race and pressure of this breakneck society we live in.

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.

15 comments
Monday, November 5, 2012

Sandy is not over

I live in New York City, and Sandy was my first hurricane.  I am one of the very lucky.  Except for rattling windows and worry, we were spared the worst of the storm.  We never went dark, never cold, never hungry.  

John Swanson, Window & Door's associate publisher,  lives and works about 90 blocks south of me, and the lights went out.  He came to my apartment last Wednesday to get WDweekly out and charge cell phones and laptops.  He then decamped with his family to his mother's house in Massachusetts for the rest of the week.  

On Saturday afternoon, I walked around Greenwich Village, where the power had just come on. Building doormen commented about the ghost town atmosphere.  Some people I talked to hadn't yet seen the endless images of destruction on Staten Island and Atlantic City, among many others.

As is true in any disaster, where you are relative to the epi-center can mean life, death and degrees of destruction.   For some glass companies in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut last week, scrambling even a few hours before the 'worst storm ever' hit was the difference between maintaining some power and connectivity to the world or none at all.   They were also among the lucky semi-prepared in the face of Sandy’s onslaught.   We're still hearing about others who have lost their homes, their glass business or both.    

To be sure, there are lessons to be learned as mayhem continues in some areas, and clean-up and rebuilding starts in others.  For those of us safe and sound in other parts of the country, as you reach out to help those in need, think, too, about helping yourselves for a future calamity—whatever form it takes. 

As I searched for articles on disaster recovery planning (stay tuned, you’ll see a lot more), here are six steps to start thinking about and implementing now:

  1. List events that may cause lost data or technology
  2. Safeguard  company data
  3. Safeguard the network
  4. Safeguard staffing
  5. Test the plan
  6. Have a recovery plan

You can read the full article, “Disaster Planning in Six Quick Steps,” on Inc.com and also this one, “Disaster Recovery Planning 101.”

It will be a long road for some in our industry to get back to installing glass.  The National Glass Association is reaching out to its members in the affected areas.  We'll update our coverage as we know more.   

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

Sunday, November 4, 2012

From the fabricator: Hoping for a speedy recovery

 

Without question, this past week was dominated by the destruction from the massive storm that hit New York, New Jersey, Virginia and other spots along the East Coast.  I, like so many others, hoped this storm would not be as bad as expected, but unfortunately in many cases, it was worse.  My heart breaks thinking about the loss of life and looking at the damage.  There's no question that it will take a very long time to recover.  No doubt, we are a resilient nation, and I know tragedies like this usually bring out the best in people and I expect that to happen here.  To all affected by the storm, here’s hoping and wishing you a speedy return to normalcy.
Elsewhere…
  • By the way, you may note I did not call the storm, “Super Storm Sandy,” as that name just is so annoying to me. This was a massive storm of destruction, and the media’s name for it sounds like a character on a children’s TV show.
  • There’s no doubt this week is a huge one, as the election is finally here!  I am thinking we’ll either have a blowout and it will be settled by 11 p.m. election night, or we’ll have a battle that won’t be decided for a very long time with the lawyers and courts involved.  No middle ground.  No matter what, at least the commercials will finally come to an end!
  • In the last several weeks, I have talked about trade shows and their success this year.  Some folks have disagreed with me; one in particular felt that the AIA show was not as good as I noted.  It got me thinking about what goes into making the show successful, and it is more than just a great booth.  It’s the pre-show promotion, using social media, communicating with customers/attendees, having something to draw people to the booth and so on.  Some of the groups that do that extremely well are preparing for Greenbuild with strong pre-show efforts.  Examples like producing great videos the way Guardian is, foreshadowing a new product launch like Viracon is, or creating a contest like Duo Gard is.  I am pretty confident that pre-show efforts like this will amount to a good show performance.  If you're doing something to push pre show, I’d love to hear about it. And, I’ll also be curious as to how it turned out.
  • A last note on the shows: a wise man recently told me that anyone who thinks the show can be replaced by online or electronic means is crazy.  There is no replacement for the personal effect and the ability to see, touch and feel on a show floor.
  • It's been a while since I was able to finish a book, but I just did this weekend and it’s a good one.  “The Last Headbangers- NFL Football in the Rowdy 1970’s” by Kevin Cook is a really strong read.  Especially if you are or were a fan of the 70s Raiders, Steelers, Dolphins or Cowboys. I think you would enjoy this lookback at football before it went off the charts in popularity.
  • Last this week, more pressure on my pals over at the Department of Energy with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce now asking questions about a $400 million loan to failed solar company Abound.  According to the story, an independent consultant helped push the DOE to approve the loan.  Knowing how some consultants are so very loved at the DOE and the folks there would jump into a lake if said consultants would ask, I could easily see this happening.  Something tells me this is not the last we’ll see about issues like this.

 

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