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Monday, April 30, 2012

From the fabricator: The glass industry draft

This past week was the NFL draft. As a little kid, I seriously lived for this event. It used to be held on a Tuesday morning, and I would beg to stay home from school, but my parents were on to my ways, so no fake sickness was going to work that particular day. Anyway, this year’s edition got me thinking. One, can you imagine if our industry had a draft? The ability to bring in fresh talent to fortify our teams would be amazing, right? Especially if it came right to you, like it works in the football process. Sadly, the lack of new talent is a serious issue for our industry. As I travel the country, I hear about companies' needs for  operational and technical folks (seems like sales is not an issue in comparison) and that finding those candidates is difficult. There are great opportunities on that side of the industry, and companies that find good ones are locking them down, because replacing them is an epic chore. At the end of the day, we can never have a “draft,” so we have to find our way. One approach is growing folks from within, getting them involved in trade organizations and loading up on the great educational opportunities like the Glass Management Institute. That’s at least a start, and part of something that we have to continue to explore to keep advancing our industry.

Elsewhere…

Because it was a painfully slow news week, just quick hit thoughts…

  • Was it me or was the weather much worse in April than it was in February and March?
  • Congrats to Joe Shultheis on his new gig at Lin El. Great addition to a very good group of folks!
  • In case you missed it, the excellent Matt Johnson penned a fantastic article for Glass Magazine on social media and the risks and rewards of online communication.  It's worth a read right here.
  • Was I the only one who did a double take last week seeing news stories featuring “Mestek” and “Meshtec”?  With names so close, what are the chances they end up making news literally the same day?
  • For those of you interested, my daughter's foolproof guaranteed pick to win the Kentucky Derby will be online at my blog later this week, probably Friday night. I love the Derby. Someday, I will make it there for it.
  • I guess Boston and Chicago won’t be meeting in the Cup eh? And my reverse jinxing didn’t work because the Canucks and Pens also went out. The NHL playoffs… pure craziness.
  • Last this week, I got to observe an “Ask the Expert” radio show in Norfolk, Va., where glass and glazing were the topics. It was a great experience to hear the public call in and get a flavor for what they are looking for. Fascinating since what we consider important surely wasn’t the same as what the audience wanted, at least in this small sample.

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 atMaxP@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
Monday, April 23, 2012

From the fabricator: The trend is still our friend

It’s hard not to get excited over the latest numbers from the Architecture Billings Index. We are now surely past fluke territory and into a full-blown trend. The ABI has now stayed positive for the fifth straight month, and I am not about to throw cold water on it. Positive, no matter how small, is still a step in the right direction. If there is any worry at all, it’s that the ABI might not be the best or most accurate indicator of success. Because the effect does not hit our industry for 9-plus months--and when it does, it doesn't hit all at once--it really is hard for us to quantify. But in any case, news like this needs to be savored as we move from darker days forward.

Elsewhere…

  • Bob Leyland of Kawneer announced his retirement last week, and it bummed me out. Another true gentleman and class act leaving our ranks. He will be a tough act to follow, that is for sure, and I wish only the best for Bob in his next phase of life.
  • Lost in my excitement and glee over my alma mater making the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, I never gave proper love to the University of Kentucky. Big Blue did a great job in dominating the tourney, and I had a few of my industry pals gently remind me that I didn't honor them. So, congrats to UK and their fans; enjoy the title!
  • An interesting list via the always-informative twitter feed of Heather West. This one is the top 10 Cities with Energy Star-certified buildings:

10. Boston (161)
9. Riverside, Ca. (164)
8. Dallas-Fort Worth (178)
7. Houston (231)
6. New York (261)
5. San Francisco (270)
4. Chicago (294)
3. Atlanta (359)
2. Washington, D.C. (404)
1. Los Angeles (659 buildings)

The interesting angle for me is seeing Atlanta on there. Obviously, when that area was booming (seems like eons ago right?) they built the buildings right.

  • With some high-rise condos in Toronto going to a “protective mesh” to protect against fallout of broken tempered, how long will it be before we see a push for all balcony glass to be laminated?
  • Last this week: the Glass Management Institute kicks back off June 5. Yours truly is actually teaching one of the courses, but before you dismiss it because of that, please take a look at the rest of the schedule. All joking aside, this is surely a worthwhile piece of education. If you and your company want to get ahead, getting the extra education insights and advancements via GMI will advance the push. Anyway, this is my third stint teaching the marketing course, and I’m humbled and honored to be involved again. Plus, NGA has a tremendous new education facilitator in Lilly Grossman, and her addition will surely be a major positive for all involved.

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 atMaxP@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.

17 comments
Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Help wanted

In the weeks and months following Trainor Glass Co.'s closure, we have received many emails from former Trainor employees expressing their concerns about the situation, sharing their stories, or asking for assistance finding new employment. 

Among them, one in particular stood out. It reads: “I do not think we need to worry about innovative thinking or approaches to glass and glazing within construction. This doesn’t die with a company name. This innovation and approach lives within the people who work it day in and day out. … The people are the expanded mind. The people think outside of the box and have an attitude of anything can be achieved if you work hard to truly figure it out. These people will continue to work with high standards and excited hearts for building ... hopefully, no matter where this change takes them.”

Written by a former Trainor employee who had moved on prior to the closure, this email draws attention to our industry’s most valuable asset: the people. And as Garret Henson, vice president of sales for Viracon, says here, “It is imperative that our industry retains this talent.”

Market conditions remain difficult, but if you can hire new employees, do so, says Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst for the Institute for Trend Research. “We’ll see milder than normal growth [in the economy], but you need to be planning for it, hiring for it,” he said at the most recent Glazing Executives Forum. “This is an opportunity to hire talented people and take the time to train them.”

And with the number of experienced glass professionals currently looking for work, chances are that training could be minimal.

If your company is among those considering new hires in 2012, I would encourage you to visit jobs.glassmagazine.com to review hundreds of resumes from qualified candidates. There is a fee for this service; for more information please contact Jeff Smith at jsmith@glass.org.

Those of you looking for employment can create an account and post your resume on the site at no charge. You can also view available jobs and create alerts to notify you when a specific type of position opens up, for free.

I know several companies have already hired former Trainor employees and other talented people who lost their jobs in this downturn. My hope is that this will continue, both for the individuals and our industry at large.

Chase is editorial director of Glass Magazine. Write her at jchase@glass.org.

7 comments
Monday, April 16, 2012

From the fabricator: Time flies

Humor me this week, please, as I start off with a quick reflection: It was an e-mail conversation I had with Rodger Ruff of AGC that hit home for me this week. I made a comment that we are living in a crazy world, and his reply was along the lines of: "My dad just shakes his head all of the time at the antics and goings on in our society."

It made me think, as I often do, of my own father, who has been gone for 11 years, the anniversary of his passing actually this week. My dad would never have jumped on the computer to read this blog. I am sure my sister would have printed it out every week and faxed it to him so he could read it the way he wanted to. My dad also would have been amazed--but actually not surprised--at the adventures in the industry. As many old timers can tell you, a lot of what we have seen these last few years is a repeat of the past.

My dad would be beaming with pride over the way his oldest son (my brother Steve) has survived frustrating times and landed beautifully on his feet. He would be tickled but still in awe over the fact that after many years in the glass business, my sister actually found her true calling on the floor at Nordstrom. And obviously, he would be shaking his head all of the time at my antics. And if he was around today and reading this post, he’d tell me to quit it, so I’ll move on, but know that I miss the man pretty badly. He left this crazy world way too soon.

Elsewhere: 

  • This past week, there was a regional glass show in Texas, and I stopped on through. One of the main speakers was from the National Association of Home Builders, and he was very interesting. He noted that many of the economic indicators are moving in the right direction, but just aren't anywhere near where they have to be. The most fascinating stat involved how they track the housing markets. Six months ago, only 12 areas had positive economic indicators. Today, that number is 101. There is still a long way to go, as that number represents only a third of the areas they study, but it's improvement.  
    I also got to see and hear the fiery and passionate Deron Patterson of PPG. That is one dude that can bring it. Jeremy Kaeding of Sage gave an impressive presentation as well. And it was great to run into old friends Greg Oehlers and Jack Wickstrom, looking dapper in their Tri Star Glass gear. I was able to see the great Premier Glass Products team, which now includes Bob Larson, and for the first time in quite awhile, the always classy Larry Long. It was nice to run into Bob Cummings of Trulite. I haven't seen him in awhile, and he continues to be the most optimistic and friendly guy around. Even to me! Last, it was great to see Bob Lawrence in person. I get to e-mail him from time to time, but nothing beats seeing such a good person face to face.
  • I finished the Steve Jobs autobiography this week on the planes (two planes; no Internet; ouch!), and it was solid though not spectacular. If the book could have just been a case study of his business life, it would have been perfect.
  • Last this week, a neat stat on candy. Highest volume candy sales in the U.S. in 2011: Snickers, 470M; followed by M&M’s at 383M; and Reese’s at 343M. Wow, just imagine what those M&M numbers could’ve been if I wasn’t on a diet the first six months of the year! But seriously, those are some mindnumbing numbers.

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 atMaxP@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.

4 comments
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Six days and counting!

Have you submitted your nomination for the 2012 Glass Magazine Awards yet? If not, you still have time to make the April 16 deadline. 

The Glass Magazine Awards: The People, Products and Projects will recognize the best projects and products the glass industry has to offer, as well as the individuals behind them.  Categories include:

  • Most innovative curtain wall project
  • Most innovative curtain wall product
  • Most innovative decorative glass project: commercial interior
  • Most innovative decorative glass project: commercial exterior
  • Most innovative decorative glass project: residential
  • Most innovative decorative glass product
  • Most innovative energy efficient glass project
  • Most innovative energy efficient glass product
  • Most innovative protective glazing project
  • Most innovative bath enclosure product 
  • Most innovative bath enclosure project 
  • Most innovative machinery/equipment 
  • Most innovative commercial window 
  • Most innovative website 
  • Most innovative electronic resource (to include apps, widgets, website tools, etc.)
  • Best installer
  • Best project manager
  • Best production supervisor
  • Best sales rep

There is no fee to participate, and winners will be featured in the July issue of Glass Magazine, on GlassMagazine.com, and in e-glass weekly. So submit your nomination today!  And if you have any questions, please contact me directly at jchase@glass.org.

Chase is editorial director of Glass Magazine, GlassMagazine.com and e-glass weekly. Write her at jchase@glass.org.

11 comments
Monday, April 9, 2012

From the fabricator: Are we wasting more money?

So last week I defended my positivity, and amazingly this week, I start off with a little bit of a negative edge. There are just some things that set me off, and this is truly one of them. Readers of this blog know that I have never really been a fan of the Department of Energy. I have found them weak, feckless and usually smitten with one side of the story, with no desire whatsoever to learn the other. Lately, the DOE has been in the news thanks to adventures in the solar world and loan guarantees gone bad, and this week, they yet again made the wrong kind of news. Evidently, the DOE started a contest for “app” developers to create programs for consumers to measure how much energy they use. This contest offers over $100K in cash prizes. The problem? There’s no need for the contest! There are already several apps out there! In addition, do we really need to spend $100K on something so frivolous? It just boggles the mind. Meanwhile, the DOE blows off legitimate products that could use a bump of cash and support. But, a contest to create something already created makes the cut. Unreal.

Elsewhere…

  • A pretty wild story this week on Serious Energy and the adventures that might or might not be happening over there. Here’s the link. It's an interesting piece to say the least, and with a title like “Serious Energy in Serious Trouble”, I think it might be worth a read.
  • A few major personnel moves from this week: Dan Plotnick has joined Guardian in the Asia Pacific region. A great grab for the guys at Guardian, Dan is a super-talented guy and one person brave enough to read my stuff in China. Bob Larsen has joined Premier Glass Products, making a good group even better. I have known Bob a long time, dating back to us sharing a board of director assignment together, and they just don’t make 'em much better than him.
  • Also, Consolidated Glass Holding Group named its CEO with the announcement of Tom Ryan. Welcome to the wild and wooly glass and glazing industry Mr. Ryan.
  • If you missed it last week Rod Van Buskirk had his debut blog, and I have to say, it was a great maiden effort. Rod’s work looks to be a “must read” every time out, and considering it will only come quarterly, there’s surely no excuse to miss it. 
  • And speaking of “missing it,” if you haven’t checked out the latest issue of Glass Magazine, you need to. Seriously, one of the best all-around issues I have seen. From cover to cover, great articles, information and advertisements. Congrats to Jenni Chase and the team at Glass Magazine on a job well done.
  • A job well done to the folks at Technical Glass Products; they launched a new website, and it is simply super. Clean, sharp and tons of info. Plus, it looks to feature a great social concept, including a blog from Jeff Razwick that I am holding out high hopes for.
  • Last this week: NHL hockey hits playoff season… I have been warned I am not allowed to pick the Canucks, Capitals or Penguins. Fans of those teams have demanded I don’t jinx them. Sadly, (especially being a Pens fan) I wasn't picking those teams anyway as I am going with a Cup Final of Chicago vs. Boston… for the Hawks I think Patrick Kane carries this team and the Bruins are a solid, well coached team and I think they are going to repeat and hoist the Cup again.

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.

4 comments
Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Fenestration hallucination: Increase your profit margins!

This week, glassblog introduces “Fenestration hallucination,” a quarterly blog addressing industry, management and sales issues, written by Rod Van Buskirk, president of Bacon & Van Buskirk Glass Co.

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
--Dale Carnegie

Fear and ignorance have ruled the fenestration industry for decades.  Most companies in our industry don’t do what good salespeople should: follow up with customers to find out what is really happening in the marketplace, in order to maximize profit.  Instead, we’d rather drop price quickly to build sales, and ignore our margins.

Mirror is the same price per square foot now as it was when I came into the business 35 years ago.  Major glass fabricators’ production volume has returned to 2008 levels, but their margins are cut in half.  Glaziers have a long history of marginal profitability. As far back as 2001, an annual surety survey comparing the profitability of all construction segments indicated every segment that year saw a 3 percent to 5 percent increase in profitability, except two trades: excavators and glazing subcontractors.

No doubt you’ve reduced your overhead as far as you can.  It may seem counter-intuitive in this tough marketplace, but do your market research and raise your profit margins now. If you do your homework, you might find the market can bear more than you realize.

You lose when you chart a “break-even” strategy.  Most of our industry is facing reduced long-term sales volume and ever-increasing employee overhead.  The bankruptcies and consolidations in our industry point to the failed strategy of seeking gross-profit volume over per-employee net profitability.

Changing values, changing habits
One key reason why you’re able to raise profit margins is that the downturn has changed the way Americans value their purchases.

We all have less money now, so every dollar matters more to us when we do spend it.  Within three short years, saving and spending patterns in this country have radically changed.  Retailing nationally will never be the same.

Thus, our buying habits have changed. While overall consumer spending is down, when considering a sizeable purchase, Americans are now actually willing to spend more if they perceive that product or service will be better, higher quality, last longer, etc.  When we do spend that precious dollar, we must get more from it. 

So sell ‘up’!  Meet the new demand for higher quality.  Sell quality products and personal service, and your customers will likely pay that extra amount.  You can make more on what you do … but you must deliver higher value to keep that repeat customer.

“Profits, like sausages... are esteemed most by those who know least about what goes into them.”
--Alvin Toffler

 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.

9 comments
Monday, April 2, 2012

From the fabricator: Mr. Positive

In what could be considered a really ironic twist, I have been getting beaten up lately for being too positive. It’s funny because I used to be seriously negative, but I guess time and circumstance have mellowed me. The latest dust-up stems from when I talked about the fact that most people at last week’s industry get-together were trying to stay positive. I was taken to task by a few folks because they said it’s basically not true, the majority of our industry is not seeing what I am seeing and so on. And while I think I am more positive than most, I am not alone. This week, a few items came riding to my rescue.

First, on the residential side of things, the CEO of major U.S. homebuilder Toll Brothers said he “sees improvement everywhere." Then, in the always excellent WDWeekly, Senior Editor Christina Lewellen had a great piece about the housing industry showing signs of life. Lastly, the AIA ABI continued to be in positive territory for the fourth straight month. These are just a few of the factors I believe are part of bigger push forward. So, I think my optimism is in the right place. I am not overboard like the people I talked about a few weeks ago here, but I am staying on that positive side of the street.

Elsewhere…

  • Major omission from my BEC post: getting to see the best barrister in the entire land, Mr. Kim Mann. He looks so much calmer now that he doesn’t have to worry about what I might say or do!
  • Really interesting read with the owner of the Empire State Building here. His stance on LEED is absolutely refreshing, and in my opinion, completely correct.
  • You may have seen the interesting story about the lawsuit involving Apple and the person who walked into the glass wall. Here is this great piece on the history of people suing after they run into walls. Amazing.
  • Several weeks ago, I asked for Twitter recommendations and I have gathered a few that I will share with you all next week. So, if you have any that should be added to the list, feel free to drop me a line.
  • Baseball starts up in full this week, so I’ll go on record with my official (wrong) pick. I think the Battling Bucs will win it all. Go Pirates! Oh wait, that is an April Fools Day joke (a dream though really). We’ll go Yanks over an upstart Washington Nationals team in the World Series.
  • Last this week, yet another link…but very appropriate for the audience. This time, a video: Guardian Industries was featured in a very nice piece about “Made in Michigan” on a local TV station here. It was very cool to see it and was fun to hear people talking about glass the next day while I was out and about. Here’s the piece, excellent stuff…

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. 

5 comments