The largest GlassBuildAmerica ever is over for 2025, welcoming over 9,600 participants. Here's a few takeaways from the show.
Bird-friendly glass is in demand
Bird-friendly glazing solutions continue to proliferate, with new and existing options from Walker Glass Company Ltd, Vitro and Guardian Glass North America demonstrating how much this specialty glass has advanced in the last few years. Walker debuted its AviProtek Turbo glass, now with larger sizes and shorter lead times to accommodate growing demand, representatives say.
Speaking to existing bird-friendly options, Guardian’s Alexander Sobolev says that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to deter bird-strikes, and the context of the project needs to be considered for the application. “Selecting a bird-friendly solution very much depends on project goals as well as the environment of the building,” he says. “Some frits may work better in a darker space than a lighter one, for example.”
Glass Magazine Award winners demonstrate the horizon of glass
For the first time, the Glass Magazine Awards ceremony—which recognizes superlative projects as well as the products that make them possible—was part of the programming for NGA’s Blueprint for Collaboration, an initiative to connect the glass industry with the design community. This year’s Main Stage programming kicked off with the ceremony, followed by an educational session comprised of project players for the winning Project of the Year, One River North. Panelists Chris Fronsoe of Vitro Architectural Glass; J Alberto Alarcon of Kuraray America, Inc.; and Alejandra Carballo of Millet Glass Industry spoke with National Glass Association (NGA)’s Katy Devlin about the complex design and manufacture of the superlative project’s glass façade. “Everything is possible with glass,” Carballo reminded the audience.
Tariffs could stymie growth
Unsurprisingly, the ongoing tariffs remain a concern, especially for machinery manufacturers and other importers. Pete deGorter of DeGorter, Inc. | Glass Processing Equipment & Supplies Inc. says that tariffs could disrupt fabricators’ ability to invest in new machinery and grow their business. “Machinery takes a while to make. By the time it’s finished, another tariff could raise the price of the machine, which means the small business loan they took out no longer covers their costs.”
Glass Magazine celebrates its 75th in style with the World of Glass
This year marks 75 years of Glass Magazine, and that was demonstrated throughout the show with the presence of Glass Magazine’s newly minted World of Glass map. Available in print (and on glass, thanks to Goldray Glass and Michael Saroka ), the project seeks to accurately represent the breadth of the float glass supply chain, now including global float manufacturing locations, as well as North American fabrication plants and recycling facilities. Learn more and add your location here.
