The Pod & Lots of Great People

Good stuff this time out after an excellent industry week. First, the latest “From the Fabricator” podcast is out and has two really enjoyable conversations. First up was Jason Epps, CEO of Specialty Fenestration Group (Quikserv & USBP), and it was fabulous to get to know him. Jason has built a top-notch culture & company, and when you listen to him, you can understand how he did it. Good stuff on that, and also the latest with his company, with new owners and positive items going forward.

Then I connected with JJ Derman of NovaTech Wall Systems. Loved hearing about JJ’s path and also learning more about his company, that’s new ground for me and very interesting. Plus, he dropped a nickname for one of the industry's most beloved people. Had me speechless there. All in all, a ton of great insight. Thank you to both men and thanks in advance to all who listen/watch and support! Much appreciated!

Watch on Youtube, or listen here.

Elsewhere…

Glass Symposium in New Jersey

So, my magical mystery tour for the month of April (shows, shows, shows) ended at the Glass Symposium in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tremendous event with excellent people involved, either organizing, speaking, attending, or exhibiting. The venue was a classic, too, which added serious charm. Kudos to the awesome Pat O’Connor for his intense drive in making this effort so successful. And of course, there were quite a few people rowing alongside Pat, and for me, it was a great thrill to meet and get to know them. Their hospitality towards me was amazing.  These were incredibly cool and talented folks like Steve Metzger, Lisa Godlewski, Roberto Rios, Mike Laughlin, Matt Traska, Dave Tomczak (who had to be pumped with the Flyers win over the Pens), Tim Crowther, and Dion Frasca. I know I missed a bunch, and I am sorry, I was meeting so many new people at once, I was taxing what’s left of my brain and memory power to the max. 

I also got to know a bunch of people in our space and also adjacent to it. Chris Puzo of Ventrina was seriously cool, along with Steve Racht and Will Paquette of EDA Contractors, all young, sharp guys who will be big parts of our future. Add Archie Goldsmith to that list, too. Excellent case study he presented! Two guys not exactly in our space but attended and “got it” and were super classy were Jason Copely of Cohen Seglias, and Craig Hall of P. Agnes, who had to deal with my 30 questions to him over lunch. Love any opportunity I can get to spread the glass gospel.

Seeing old friends like the legend Jon Kimberlain of Dow, Barry Wood of Wood’s Pwr Grip, Doug Derusha of FHC, and Joe Silva of Smart Lift was enjoyable. I also enjoyed meeting people in person that I knew and admired online, like Ron Kudla and Megan Kudla of Advanced Glass & Metal, John Pierce of Glass Enterprises, and Pat McIntyre of Synergy Glass. Now I know them in person!

It would not be a trip to the Philly/Jersey area if I didn’t get to visit with old friend Mark Rabinowitz of Paul Rabinowitz Glass. He’s incredibly strong out there and is constantly thinking outside the box. Plus, seeing his son Justin again and meeting Sean Griffin from there was a bonus. Cool to see Mike Clabbers of National Glass outside of the walls of BEC, and his company was prominent in the absolutely fantastic keynote from Shaun Patchell of LF Driscoll.

For me, a great way to end a busy month, but also see and meet so many people that make our industry go. Folks who are super resilient and determined to do right by their company and the glass space as a whole. I look forward to seeing all of them at another show and hopefully at Glass Symposium 3 next year. (Which keep in mind is open to more than just the Philly/Jersey region, so may be one to add to the list)

GFAB Registration

Last this week… the GFAB momentum is rolling along. Early Bird ends this week, so get signed up, and if you have folks for the Workshop sessions at Skyline Glass, get them in now before the openings go away. (It’s a 50-person max.) And on that note, I really enjoyed seeing old friend Michael Spellman of IGE Glass Technologies on the Glass Cast podcast. He always lays it out there, and his passion is really second to none. More on GFAB is here, and I hope to see you there!