Flipping Pages on My Computer Screen

I remember some time ago attending a conference that hosted a keynote speaker who talked about the changes brought on by increasing use of technology. He pointed out that many of his listeners probably had children who could program cell phones for their parents with ease, couldn’t remember a time without the Internet and had friends they’d never met with face-to-face thanks to instant messaging and on-line games. For this tech-savvy generation many companies are adapting the way they do business and bringing more operations on-line.

I could certainly relate to the differences the speaker pointed out between just two generations. I’m the oldest of five siblings and, as I’m part of what I like to call a “modern family,” I have a young half-brother and half-sister who are as often as not mistaken for my own kids when we hang out. It’s amusing for me to see the toys they play with that I’d never even dreamed of having as a kid, and their online aptitude boggles even my mind. For instance, by the time he was six, my brother had passed by the Nintendo systems I played with as a child in favor of online gaming. My dad loves to recount the time my brother, as Dad tucked him at bedtime, asked where Finland was. Dad pulled out the globe and pointed and then asked why—only to have my brother explain that he’d made a new friend there.

My half-sister recently got her own laptop for Christmas so that she could have easy access to online games and e-mail like her older siblings. You might ask what a seven-year-old needs with e-mail. Would you ever be surprised.

I guess if you can make friends online, it’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that at some point most of our reading will be done online. I’m old-fashioned enough that I can’t imagine reading something like Jane Austen by the glow of a computer screen, even if it was a screen portable enough so that I could curl up in an armchair with my digital tome. But I also know that it pays to have quick access to resources that provide news or timely information that you want to share. That’s one of many reasons that USGlass magazine is now available in a digital format. You can visit http://www.usglass-digital.com/ to view our March issue or CLICK HERE to read today’s http://www.usgnn.com/ announcement about the launch of our digital publications.

I was surprised myself when I first saw the digital edition in that it follows the same format as a magazine—even to “flipping pages.” By sending the publication via e-mail, versus snail mail, those of you who are always on the road—or know how long it takes to receive your magazine internationally—will receive the latest information the moment that it’s printed. If you are already an avid reader of our e-newsletter, http://www.usgnn.com/, then you know how important it is to have the most up-to-date information from a wide variety of sources. The digital editions of USGlass add that immediacy to our columns and features as well.

Now those of you with an iPhone or otherwise easily portable electronic device will just have to let me know if it’s the same reading through a digital publication as it is poring through the print pages—I mean, you can’t flip down a page online. Although you can tell your clients or colleagues, “You know, I was just reading an article about this very topic … let me just pull it up online …”

Is Trying New Things Really All its Cracked Up to Be?

This winter I prided myself on not only trying something new, but trying something that I’d been afraid of doing for some time. This winter I skied for the first time.

I do try to push myself to try new things, especially things that might seem a bit daunting at first—and I happened to have a friend who was willing to loan me her skis and boots gratis. And so far I’ve survived two weekend trips, although there was a recent weekend when I wasn’t sure that I would return with all my limbs in place.

I guess I was feeling a little cocky after a successful first trip, and then my first few practice runs across a fairly flat practice area during this second trip. I managed a few turns, was able to plow my way to a stop more than once and didn’t mow over a single child (unlike my first trip). So late that afternoon, after quite a bit of practice, I agreed to go with my traveling companion/ski instructor up the lift to the top of the formidable “Happy Village Trail.”

I trusted the more experienced skier at my side and followed the signs to the beginner’s trail. I admired the scenery as I glided along the few bumps on the flat trail, and everything was fine. However, we soon came upon a sign that gave us a moment’s pause. “Happy Village Trail bypass” the sign said. Two large green circles marked the top. Without a map, and with the sun beginning to set and cast shadows below the trees, we didn’t have a clear idea of which was the best path to follow. The trail we’d been following seemed to circle around the villas at the top of the hill, while this bypass seemed to aim in a leisurely downward direction. Since they both looked about the same, we followed the bypass.

Oh, foolish mistake! Before long the trail had dropped off into at least a 5-degree slope, and the shadows cast by the lights on either side of the trail made the bumps in the snow appear even bigger. Within ten minutes my jacket was soaked by repeated tumbles into the snow and I was beginning to realize that the friend who had loaned me her ski boots had feet at least one shoe size smaller than mine. To cut my story short, I’ll just say that my skis were off well before we made it back to the lodge—or the bottom of the hill.

Luckily, I was eventually convinced that I did not in fact hate skiing, that it is not actually an awful excuse for a sport, etc. (words spoken in the heat of the moment I assure you, my friends from Minnesota and other points far north), and I took up my poles again the next day. I started out slowly but eventually worked my way up to a simple trail (map secure in my pocket) where I was able to build upon the skills I had learned previously. By the end of the weekend I had gotten over that one bad experience to the point that those bypasses were the most fun part of the slope. I guess you could say I got what I deserved for setting out without a map, or assuming I could take the skills learned in one arena and automatically apply them to a new situation.

It helps to have a map, or a plan, in place before setting off on something new, not to mention the guidance of individuals who have “been there and done that.” That’s just what the latest blogger for USGNN.com/USGlass, Pete Chojnacki, is looking for as he starts to add his two cents to our line-up. We’re thrilled to have Pete’s input, especially because he is looking for more input from our readers as continues to grow FabTech LLC.

I might also rub in my recent lesson that just because two paths might look the same from a distance, they aren’t necessarily identical once seen up close. Take residential and commercial construction for instance. Pete has a background in the residential side of this industry, and while he’s applying those skills he learned from his previous positions, he knows he has a bit of a learning curve for his new role.

As a matter of fact, this seems to be a lesson many primarily residential companies are learning these days; check out this recent story on the joint venture between PGT Industries and ASI LIMITED.

What do you think? Are these two trails—residential and commercial—vastly different or is the “scenery” fairly similar? Share your thoughts by sending me an email at mheadley@glass.com or stopping by our message board.

Keeping Up with the News

I hope none of you were badly impacted by the tornado that went through Atlanta on Friday night - CLICK HERE to read our coverage of this on USGNN.com. It sounds like a nasty mess there in the downtown area—check out this article from the Gainesville Times and its descriptions of “exploding glass.” From the numerous glass companies I put in calls to this morning, almost all of which were quick to tell me they didn’t have time to talk, it sounds like the repair work is already beginning.

I’ve never been that close to a tornado myself, and can’t imagine being one of the unfortunate travelers staying in one of the downtown high-rise hotels now bereft of windows. And I thought I had bad travel stories …

It’s no picnic when a natural disaster strikes but it’s times like this when our industry’s services are much in demand. After several recent interviews with glass retailers that provide a range of services from installation to custom fabrication—in preparation for the April issue of USGlass—I know that many companies out there adapt to provide what’s needed. I would guess those companies with product readily available and an “emergency board-up” note on their yellow pages ad are able to grow their business—and win loyal customers—based on the service they provide during these stressful situations.

We try to keep our readers up-to-date with how these stories in the consumer press are impacting our industry, and have run numerous weather-related stories in the past. Let me know if you find them helpful—or feel free to share how your business addresses these natural disasters. Do you bring in an extra set of hands? Offer emergency board-up services?

On a much lighter note, has anyone had a chance yet to take in The Glass Experience at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry? After reading a preview of the unique exhibit (USGlass will be running an extended version of the article in a future issue) I’m looking forward to traveling to that area to see it for myself but, in the meantime, would welcome any photos or tips from your visits.

Finally, Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you Irish folks out there and those of you who just enjoy the festivities of the day. I like to think my granddad would be pleased I actually remembered my green today, although he did always seem to enjoy pinching my sister, brother and I when, as kids, we forgot or just plain rebelled. If you forgot to wear your green today, let me encourage you to instead do something “green;” read one of my earlier posts on this blog for some ideas of how to think green!

Coincidence?

Is there anything worse for a writer than staring at a blank page and feeling an echoing blankness of mind rather than the reply of a creative spark? It’s a Monday-kind of feeling, I think. After a few days of rest and relaxation, getting back into the groove of an article may take more than a strong cup of coffee and Wilco jamming on the CD player. Sometimes it takes a coincidence to jolt you wide-awake and back into the swing of things. Like this morning, when I was pulling together links for today’s USGNN.com, I stumbled across this story, “Allied Glass Products Shows Off New Showroom in Davenport.”

As those of you who checked out last week’s blog know (and many thanks, Jim, for your comments!), I’m currently working on an article about showrooms for our April issue. It was refreshing to read this morning about yet another company that’s in the process of expanding its showroom to account for the interest consumers have in coming in to see products rather than relying on a catalog alone. Clearly having a showroom is an important factor even for those companies that already offer a variety of services. (And knowing we’re on the right track with this article is great motivation!)

According to the article from the Quad-City Times, this glass and glazing company works mainly with contractors, which brings up a question I’ve been pondering. If part of your business handles installation, but you’re selling to contractors that do installations—does one part of your business compete with the other? Or does it just help you to cover your bases, by handling commercial installation while selling to people doing residential installation? Let me know your thoughts by shooting me an email at mheadley@glass.com.

Speaking of expanding one’s offerings, we have a new addition to our blog line-up. USGlass publisher Debra Levy is now blogging at http://usglass.blogspot.com/. Be sure to check out her latest blog … and keep your eyes on USGNN for another new addition on its way later this week!

Showroom Success

As of yet I haven’t frequented a great many glass shop showrooms, but there is one type of retail showroom I do often visit. In my free time I’m an avid knitter and occasionally when I’m on travel I’ll make a point of looking up local craft or yarn shops in the telephone book to see if there’s something unique in the area (if you’ll bear with me, gentlemen, I promise there’s a point to this girly anecdote). Even when I don’t have a particular project in mind, I enjoy visiting these retail shops to see what’s available. Every craft chain has the same discount acrylics, basic wools and the trendier fringe-type yarns, but by visiting different retail shops around the country I’ve come across local yarns that vary widely in texture and colors.

Just this past weekend I found a small shop in Pennsylvania with an interesting selection. I was discouraged at first by the generic inventory set at the front of the shop, but upon further inspection I found several shelves of hand-dyed yarn toward the back of the store. It seemed an odd way to set up inventory to me; wouldn’t you want your most impressive custom material set toward the front?

Well, what about glass? When it comes to setting up your showroom, do you find it more beneficial to put your custom products up front to attract attention—or do you get better results by making the most-requested items clearly visible?

I may have plenty of experience in browsing, but I don’t know the best way to set up a showroom—although, for the April issue of USGlass, I’m hoping to find out. For our April Retailers Issue, I’m looking to learn what it takes to set up a successful showroom.

I recently received a few tips from Buddy Moses, co-owner of Ajax Glass Co. in Fort Worth, Texas. The 63-year-old company does both commercial and residential work, and also has a 12,000-square-foot showroom with a wide variety of inventory on hand. Buddy took a few minutes to talk to me about how he stocks his big retail space.

“Obviously show a lot of product,” he told me, “but make it roomy enough that people can maneuver and move around. We try to carry almost everything in stock and that way we don’t have to depend on other people to supply [product], which is just going to delay delivery times. For example, on the hardware end, people don’t carry as much as we do in stock and they have to order it. [Customers] kind of like to spend their money and just carry it out or have it immediately.”

In addition to hardware, the company offers numerous types of mirrors, glass furniture, glass sinks and shower door enclosures.

“We try to show some of everything so people can see the wide selections,” Buddy said, “and I think that’s important to try to make them in display situations so that people can get a visual of what it may look like in their homes.”

Having a wide variety of product in the showroom means that when it comes to the Ajax’s installation services, any product they’ll need is right at hand. It just happens to benefit the retail customers as well.

So is a bigger selection better? Or do you aim to set out a sampling of what you can accomplish? What’s the secret to your showroom success? Drop me a line at mheadley@glass.com and we’ll see about featuring your glass shop showroom in our April issue.