MVP Season is Here
Looking back at past MVPs and runners-up
Next week, in this space, I will announce the 2025 Glass Industry MVP Award winner, along with the runners-up. I started this program in 2013 to recognize folks/companies who go above and beyond for our space, and it’s been a great mix of people & companies from far and wide. Below is the list of past winners and past runners-up. My goal is never to repeat any, and I think once again this year, I’ll be successful in that effort. I admire everyone on this list in one way or another, and I appreciate all they have done and, in many cases, continue to do. I’m excited to unveil who gets the nod in 2025 next week!
Previous MVPs and runners-up
Starting with the past winners, your previous MVPs were:
2013- Tracy Rogers
2014- CR Laurence
2015- Jon Kimberlain
2016- Chuck Knickerbocker
2017- Joe Erb
2018- Nathalie Thibault
2019- Bill Sullivan
2020- Tim Kelley
2021- Matt Kamper and Steve Dean
2022- Jodi Martinez
2023- Ron Crowl
2024- Julie Schimmelpenningh
And the long list of previous runners-up:
Tom Culp, Mark Silverberg, Ed Zaucha, Mic Patterson, Oliver Stepe, Dr. Helen Sanders, Scott Thomsen, John Wheaton, Rick Wright, Tom O’Malley, The late great Bernard Lax, Garret Henson, Walker Glass, Dip Tech, Kris Vockler, Mike Albert, Thom Zaremba, Urmilla Jokhu-Sowell, SAPA, GCI, Darijo Babic, Cathie Saroka, Felix Munson, Jeff Haber, Glenn Miner, Rob Struble, Greg Oehlers, Courtney Little, Scott Rowe, Rowe Fenestration, Syndi Sim, Dustin Anderson, Casey Anderson, Sam Hill, Bill Daubmann, Keith Daubmann, Dr. Kayla Natividad, Kyle Sword, Adrian Lowenstein, Tom Jackson, Stanley Yee, Chris Phillips, Frameless Hardware Company- FHC, Matt Day, Tyler Faulk, Brandon Bellegarde, Jennifer Lang, Joey and Matt Aragon, Cal Beyer, Dave Argus, Carolyn and Michael Spellman.
Also, next week, the annual year-end “From the Fabricator” solo guest podcast drops. It’s already been recorded, and it will have breaking news in it. I am honored that I’ll be a part of sharing it out there. You’ll have to check that out too.
Elsewhere…
Industry loss
Some sad news. Ed Wilson, one of the founders of Thompson Innovative Glass (IG), passed away. Ed was instrumental in Thompson's overall growth over 37 years there and recently played a significant role in Thompson’s successful move into new products, such as bullet-resistant and protective glazing. Ed was a class act always, and he will be sorely missed. My condolences to Ed’s family, friends, and team at Thompson.
Upcoming webinars
Two webinars are coming this week for you to check out.
On 12/9, NAGMA has a great one titled “Advancing in the Industry: A Panel Discussion for Future Leaders.” A well-thought-out panel was selected, and if you want to go and grow, this is one for you.
Then on 12/11, the NGA is hosting “Grow Your Workforce and Project Pipeline with Glazier Apprenticeship,” and if you have had any trouble finding good folks, you need to check this out. Also, check it out for the dynamite Josh Johnson. He is a force and will be a massive benefit to our industry.
LinkedIn share
Dan Poling of Schott is an all-time favorite of mine, and he had an interesting share on LinkedIn on glass being used in the computer chip business. Some cool potential there. This story is a few weeks old, thanks to the goofy LinkedIn algorithm serving this up to me long after it was published. Still worth the read!
BEC registration
Last this week, BEC registration is opening this week so make sure you sign up. I have had the chance to work on some of the content, and it’s going to be incredible. Plus, as those of you who attend know, there is no better place to network each spring than at BEC. Do not sleep on the fact that it’s in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a tremendous location and town, and all will have a great time. In the meantime, this article got me thinking about BEC. It’s a dive into the design assist process and was awarded as “Article of the Year” from CSI. That alone makes it worth clicking.
