glassblog

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." -Peter Drucker

Most economic forecasters are predicting the construction industry in the United States will likely grow at a very slow rate over the next few years. Our fenestration industry sales are expected to limp along as well. However, I believe sales could improve dramatically with some active technological and production developments, coupled with appropriate pricing.

Fenestration and glass already offer many static features at reasonable price points. Combining multiple, active technologies with existing, static products could conceivably take fenestration and glass beyond the architectural envelope and transform them into multi-functioning devices that completely change the way they are viewed. Consumer awareness and demand is there. People are ready to buy now if mass production exists, the products work well and the prices are right.

Imagine combining these technologies with residential and commercial fenestration:

• Interactive touch screens
• Video
• Signage
• Variable privacy film
• Variable tinting film 
• Changing decoration
• Solar energy collection
• Sensor-activated functions
• Power controls
• Lighting and lighting control

I’m no scientist or industrial engineer, just a consumer. I’m impatient for the future shown in Corning’s ‘A Day Made of Glass’ video. Curtain wall as active signage like that in the classic film Blade Runner has always been an intriguing vision. It’s exciting to imagine what the world will be like when those products are out there and in common use. I’m also impatient to become a dealer for new and exciting products.

While some of these new product features currently exist, they’re either not being combined into multi-function consumer products, they’re not effectively mass-produced and/or their price point isn’t right. Manufacturers that can reliably and economically produce more of the new, active technologies in combination with existing, static glass and fenestration products will tend to profit and grow faster over time than those who don’t.

"We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims." - R. Buckminster Fuller

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.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of touring two glass industry plants in Minnesota: the Cardinal CG location in Northfield and the Erdman Automation facility in Princeton. The plants provide very different services to the industry: Cardinal offers coating, high-volume cutting and tempering services; and Erdman produces a variety of machines for window manufacturers and IG fabricators. However, they are similarly impressive in their skill, service level and ability to address the challenges of a still-lackluster economy through investment and diversification.

Vern Volkert, plant superintendent, served as tour guide for the Cardinal CG plant, held as part of the Window and Door Manufacturers Association Technical Conference, June 26-28, in Bloomington, Minn. (We couldn’t take photos during the tour, but Cardinal has a nice video of the plant on their web site—click “Cardinal Plant Tours” in the menu; the CG plant tour begins at 6:57.)

While the facility is not operating at full capacity—it employs between 150 and 160 at its max, and currently has about 90 to 100 workers—the company has taken strides to improve and update its equipment, and ready itself for an evolving industry. An impressive recent addition is the company’s new coater. After two years of preparation, Cardinal recently brought online a second coating machine that was designed specifically for the solar market, allowing it to diversify into a new business segment. As the company waits for solar to pick up, it is running residential products on the state-of-the-art line.

In an additional move to face economic challenges with innovation, Cardinal has started making its own equipment. The Northfield plant is already using some Cardinal washers.

North 90 miles, officials at the Erdman Automation facility are also relying on innovation and diversification to thrive and even grow in the current economy. The company, which primarily served the window and door market in 2006, is now serving the curtain wall, insulating glass and solar industries as well. Erdman is also expanding geographically. “In the early years, we were just in the United States,” says Jim Tibesar, sales manager. “Now we’re in Canada, South America, China and Europe. We recently started working with a customer in Barbados.” Tibesar led the tour, along with Paul VanKempen, general manager; Michael Schmidt, IG sales specialist; and Jessica Erdman, marketing manager.

The company has made investments in its own machinery, including the purchase of an advanced bridge mill machine. And, Erdman has made investments in its product line to serve advancements in the industry, such as its secondary sealant applicator for triple-glazed IGUs, and its machinery products for solar. Below is a video from Erdman demonstrating its Solar Frame Assembly Station.

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

Every day, business owners/managers face tough situations. Maybe a competitor hires one of your key people. An employee rolls a company vehicle down an embankment, totaling the vehicle and knocking down an electricity pole. Or, you leave costs out of an estimate and realize the job will incur a loss. Sound familiar? What is your initial reaction? I suspect we fear the worst will happen.

People believe the extremes are the truth. The extreme causes us to fear. Our fear is of the unknown, not the known. Once we have knowledge, we begin to deal with fear. When we act based upon knowledge, we begin to defeat fear. When we complete the action, we defeat fear and build confidence.

Positive realism is analyzing what is the worst that will happen and what is the best that will happen. The final result will be somewhere between the extremes.

Will we lose business because the salesperson went to a competitor? Possibly. Can the salesperson be replaced? Probably. Replace the salesperson and mitigate the damage.

Will the accident cause our insurance premium to rise? Probably. Can the vehicle be replaced? Yes. Is the employee alright? Thankfully, yes. Buy a more fuel-efficient replacement vehicle, and lower long-term costs.

Will a loss on this job bankrupt the company? Probably not. When we complete the job, even at a loss, will our customer be satisfied? Probably. Is there a way we can reduce the loss and possibly break even or create a small profit? Possibly. Will we have a chance to recoup some of the loss with this customer in the future? Yes.

In each of these cases, I knew how to handle the situation. I did not go to the extreme and dwell on the worst case scenario. However, just having knowledge is not enough. I acted on my knowledge and my fear of the outcome evaporated.

Two rules: Knowledge overcomes fear. Action cures fear. 

The author is president of Evans Glass Co., and chairman-elect of 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.