New Pod and More

Finally, we have a new podcast episode for you! The latest From the Fabricator podcast is now live with two insanely talented guys.

First up, maybe you caught my hint last week on a guest being “sharp.” Well, this one is…both for real and in name. Kyle Sharp from Sharp Glass gets us going. It is interesting to run through his past and present. Also great looks at the market, doing things the right way, and, of course, the awesome and upcoming Texas Glass Con IV. Which is open for more than just folks in Texas by the way- good event!. 

Then, next up is the ultra-cool Chris Giovannielli of Kawneer. I learned a ton here about Chris personally, which was super, and then even better, his insights into the hot segments, Kawneer’s intelligent approach to them, and also the growth of our industry overall. There is good stuff all around, and I think there are plenty of positive takeaways here for all. 

Watch now on YouTube, or listen here, as well as by searching “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify etc.

Thank you for checking it out! I appreciate it!

Elsewhere…

NGA Board

Congrats to Taylor Anderson of Anderson Aluminum for her addition to the NGA Board of Directors. That board has such a great range of talented, caring, and dedicated people, and Taylor will fit right in. Good stuff!

Glass railings

There are a few really hot product segments out there now, but I wonder if any have the current juice that glass railings have. The options on the railing side continue to grow and this past week we saw a new entrant into the race. Portals introduced their VETRO line, and usually, whatever Eric Miller at Portals touches turns to gold, so I assume this will as well! Congrats to Eric and team on the product debut. 

China real estate

A fascinating article on China and the real estate adventures there was sent to me last week and it’s a great read. I know a lot of our key industry people were in China recently for China Glass and curious about what they saw/heard/experienced. This story really got the mind racing on all the shenanigans that have taken place and how long they were able to keep it up.

NFL draft

The NFL Draft was in my backyard in Detroit and looked like a huge success. 775,000 people attended the 3-day event, and it brought a ton of attention to Detroit. Two notables…all of those people had to pass a building that had a custom structure to it that the great crew from Clover Architectural Products pulled off. On LinkedIn, Tom O’Malley of Clover gave a quick description of it:

"One of the most memorable projects we have done! Each folded aluminum chevron was 10 feet by 2 feet and had 6 bends to it. The support system back to the curtain wall and all the framing was designed by Clover Architectural Products. Not an easy job but our team did a great job led by Jim Stremplewski."

Kudos gang on this one! I remember it because Tom featured this on my very first podcast, so thrilled to see it in the spotlight for more to see. When Tom is on my podcast only gets like 500K listens so 775K in person tops it! LOL.

Historical project in Detroit

Also, in Detroit? The Historic Train Station, after years of being abandoned and then being resuscitated for seemingly forever, is now a month away from re-opening, and that will be awesome. There is so much excitement about that coming back online. I was lucky enough to tour it as construction was starting to get real rolling way back in September of 2021. I can’t wait to see it done. Kudos to Brian Thomas and the team at Super Sky for the work they did there and, of course, the indefatigable and awesome rep Joe Lucchese of JML, who has been a force on that project since day 1.

Another Ohio University alum joins the ranks

Last this week… some of you met my daughter Natalie at GlassBuild last fall. Well, this past weekend was a great thrill as she received a Masters degree from Ohio University, which happens to be my beloved alma mater. So, for me it was super cool and emotional and the first time back on campus in 30 years. So proud of Natalie as she continues to crush it! She really blows me away.  And on a fun note, she now joins the club along with glass and fenestration greats Rodger Ruff and Laurie Cowin as a Bobcat alum! Heck of weekend, that is for sure, and big time thanks to all who supported her journey!