Let's Be Clear

The Biggest Stories of 2009

2009-12-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to you all! I know I’m very much looking forward to New Year’s Eve festivities (if you can’t imagine why I might be excited about 2010, you may want to watch our recent newscast!) and am already hoping that the new year has good things in store for our industry. Being prone to reflection, I can’t help but take some time now to look back at the year drawing to a close. Last year the contributing editors of USGNN.com™ each offered their take on the top stories of 2008, and this year I thought I’d ask for your input.

For my part, I think it’s easy to say that the economy has remained at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Obviously one high-profile bankruptcy has been leading the headlines of late, but we’ve run numerous stories throughout the year about several large fabrication and manufacturing facilities closing due to the economy. On the other hand, I’ve been surprised by how many stories we’ve also run about smaller fabricators growing into new markets and expanding their businesses. I think the story for 2010, perhaps 2011, may be about some of the smaller companies rising to the top of the industry supply chain.

We’ve also looked at a couple of the headline-making stories of 2008 that grew more quietly in 2009. For example, BIM wasn’t quite the magic word this year that it was last year—at least not for subcontractors—but the number of glass product suppliers listed in BIM libraries had grown exponentially from when we had first reported on this trend. Also, by 2009 it seemed that the word solar was becoming better understood; that is, while solar energy remained a hot topic for the glass industry, more speakers on this topic have offered words of caution rather than unbridled optimism.

As far as trends to come, in the scattered days I’ve been at work this month (between the holidays and some surprising snow days), I’ve been following up on what’s shaping up to be a big trend for at least early 2010: the business opportunities in energy efficiency retrofits. Green’s continuing as a money-making trend that could help commercial glass suppliers and installers keep plenty busy as new construction starts slow. (If this is a trend you’re noticing, please let me know.)

And there are a couple trends we at USGlass have been very much impacted by. I mentioned our newscast at the beginning of this blog, but the newscast is simply one of a multitude of ways we’ve been growing online. At the recent BETEC Symposium, I found myself taking notes and snapping photos for our newsletter and print stories; shooting video footage to use in that newscast; and tweeting highlights from the presentations. What is surprising is that the online mutlti-tasking is hardly a media trend—glass businesses have been jumping online in increasingly new and creative ways this year as well.

So now it’s your turn. What would you say was the headline of 2009? What about the biggest trend? Please share your comments here.

And for a similar take, check out DWM editor Tara Taffera's blog.

Holiday Shopping – for Glass

2009-11-30T05:06:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving. I actually hosted my first turkey-day and I’m happy to report that the house is still standing, so I consider it to have been a success. Despite my neighbors who several weeks ago put up the white lights and wreaths on their house (before taking down the scarecrow, might I add), I believe we’ve only just begun the holiday season and the bustle of shopping that comes with it. I’m hoping that for many of you holiday shopping means big sales of doors, windows, mirrors, shower doors, glass tabletops and other related goodies.

My last couple of blogs have focused on my personal adventures in door and window shopping; now I’m hoping that you will share your experiences on the selling side. The January 2010 (yes, already 2010) USGlass will include our annual look at glass in the residential market. Are things starting to look up? Are certain products selling more than others? Do you have any predictions you’d like to share for what’s to come? Please drop me a line to let me know what trends you’re seeing.

Now speaking of predictions, each December or January when I contact people to offer their forecasts for what they think (or hope) will come to pass in the year ahead, I get at least one or two comments along the lines of “well I don’t have a crystal ball, but …” I’m sure, too, that some of you readers share my usual reaction, “These predictions sound about right to me, but how many of these forecasts actually are going to pan out?” That’s why this year we’re taking a different angle (credit for this must go to the ever-creative Mr. Paul Bieber). Knowing what you know now, we’d like to know what you would have done differently during 2009. Our hope is that this look at what’s taken place in the year behind us is likely to help us more critically examine what’s to come. If you’re willing to offer a sharp look back at the year that’s passed for our article in the January USGlass, please let me know.

Decision Time

2009-11-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

I had one other lumberyard I wanted to check out for the door and window products I need for my remodeling project but it turned out the supply company was only open while I was working and things have been a little bit too busy here at the office for me to take a couple hours to go shop. So one evening while at Home Depot looking for a couple other items, Chris and I stopped by the window display.

I hate to say it, but the display was very nice. They had three manufacturers’ products on display, with a range of high-end to what I’d call more reasonably priced options for each manufacturer. We were immediately drawn to one particular window and about the time we had made up our minds there was a sales associate at our elbow ready to help us draw up a quote. Elijah walked us quickly through the options for the window and was able to print out a price and detailed description of the particular window we wanted in less than five minutes. The two-week delivery time was a bit of a drawback but as there was no question this was the product we wanted we agreed to the purchase. The patio door we did ultimately purchase from Supplier A – it was a good product he had and the lower price helped our decision.

Now hopefully I’ll have some photos of the installation process in a couple weeks!

Now on another note, I just wanted to send out a reminder that the December issue of USGlass features our Industry Buyer’s Guide. If you or someone at your company has not yet registered to be included, please send me an email this week. We’ve updated our process for bringing you the guide, putting it entirely in your hands, so it’s essential that you register with us to be listed. And trust me, you want to be listed. This is the issue that people will be reaching for all year to find out which companies offer the products they need.

Secret Shopping Part I

2009-10-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

After my visit to what we’ll call Supplier A, I had to give the company props for being contractor-oriented—even if, as a retail customer, I was put off by the customer service.

As I mentioned last week, my roommate, Chris, and I are in the process of shopping for a new patio door and window for our den, and our contractor advised visiting Supplier A for products. So Saturday morning we headed down the road to a nearby industrial park. While the way to the building was clearly marked, upon reaching it we couldn’t figure out where to park. The lot crowded with heavy equipment turned out to be the correct side, unfortunately.

Inside I found Supplier A to have a very orderly showroom with several window products on display. A customer was waiting while the man behind the desk spoke on the telephone, and so I went to browse the window displays. There were five display windows installed into sample walls of siding products. Each window carried an Energy Star label and proclaimed in a sticker at the top that they were available in glass packages that qualified for the tax credit. Alongside each sample wall were racks of literature, including a range of brochures from the manufacturers whose products Supplier A offered and a detailed glossy on the ARRA tax credit, stamped with Supplier A’s logo. I thought that was a clever touch, and when I headed up to the front of the store I found Chris had one in hand as well as they were scattered throughout the store.

Once the other customer left the store the salesperson at the front desk asked what he could do for us. We explained we were looking for a new door and window and he stared at us for a moment and then went to retrieve a thick yellow binder.

“Steel or fiberglass?” he asked.

“Fiberglass,” I said.

“You going to put something on it, like some lace, or something else like that,” he asked, his face scrunching up at the word lace as addressed Chris.

“Yeah, we’ll probably install blinds,” Chris replied.

“How much sun does it get?” the salesperson asked.

“Just a couple hours of morning sun,” I answered. “Nothing direct for very long.”

“Ok,” the salesperson said, “then you don’t need anything like the low-E or argon-filled if you agree you don’t get much sun over there. I’ve got this problem in my house where the sun’s coming through my front door pretty much all day and burning through the door.” I didn’t think he believed my answer, but considered it a good sign that we were edging toward a real conversation.

The salesperson flipped to a page of patio doors.

“Something like this?” he asked, pointing to an open glass door. We pointed to the one next to it with divided lites.

“You want the grids on the outside, the removable grids or the inside grids?” he asked us.

Explaining that I wasn’t thrilled with the removable grilles on the other windows in our house, I suggested attached outside grilles.

“The inside grids are for easy cleaning,” he explained with a motion of wiping the glass. Obviously in addition to lacy stuff this sales guy figured I also was obsessed with window cleaning. Boy does this guy not know me, I thought to myself, thinking to the handprint that’s been on our patio door since we moved in; I kind of like the way it seems to wave to me.

“Sure, why not, the interior grilles are nice,” I said.

After deciding on the handing he pointed to the product he would offer us. “Do you have any options we can take a look at?” Chris asked.

The sales guy got on the loudspeaker and called for his assistant to come out. Knowing how long we’d been waiting initially I was a little frustrated to know there was another helper lurking in the back. But when I saw said helper, I understood why he’d been hiding.

Okay, I understood this place is geared toward contractors and the usual customers might have found the inappropriate logo on the guy’s shirt amusing. But c’mon guys, if you have a showroom and there’s the least chance you’re going to be doing retail business, let’s leave the risqué logos at home, okay?

Sighing, I began to explain the size and style of the window we wanted to match the others in our home but when I said the word “wood” the salesperson shook his head and smiled grimly. We pushed him to offer a quote on a comparable vinyl product so that we could get a sense of the price difference.

At that point another customer walked in, obviously a regular as the second salesperson greeted him. Apparently thinking that it would take me ten minutes to quickly scribble down the approximate costs of doors, window and siding, our helper excused himself to assist the contractor with what he needed. In a place geared toward contractors, I could appreciate putting the regular customer first … but it still ticked me off.

After the other customer was taken care of, our salesperson took us back into the warehouse to look at products. It was reasonably clean in the area where we walked, with wide open aisles of wood, siding, doors and windows. He pulled out an example of the door he’d guided us toward and we agreed that’s what we were looking for.

Next he took us over to a window display. As he showed us the size options, I couldn’t help but think that the large cardboard boxes scattered in front of it were a slip hazard. Chris joked that I wanted the biggest windows available—which, I’ve got to admit, is true, since I love our view—and the sales guy laughed at me and told Chris, “Boy have you got your work cut out for you.” I like to think he wasn’t intending to be rude but by that point my patience had already run out.

And then that was that. No writing down quotes. No business card. The sales guy explained that next Friday he’d be leaving for a month but that anyone at the front could help us with our order.

So you can probably guess what I’m doing this afternoon. Yup, checking out the competition down the road. I’ll keep you posted.

Adventures in Remodeling

2009-10-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

At the Atlanta show a couple of weeks ago I talked with several individuals who mentioned that there are lots of opportunities out there for the glass industry when it comes to retrofitting. I’ve been reading about a couple notable examples of retrofits in the consumer press, and it’s a topic we’ll be looking at more closely in USGlass in the future. So if you’ve noticed this trend, or are planning to take part in it, please send me a note about your current or planned retrofit projects.

On a much smaller scale, I’m excited to share that the first real remodeling project at my own home is going to involve a new, energy-efficient door and window. I’ve been living in the 20-year-old house for a full two-months now. My projects have included painting most of the upstairs, whereas my roommate tends toward more extreme (i.e. expensive) measures to personalize our home. But I could hardly argue with him when he proposed this project, since it would mean a chance to visit some local glass shops (glass geek that I am).

Saturday morning I got to meet Ken, the second contractor to come out and offer a quote on our little project. We explained that we wanted gone the foggy old sliding glass door that breaks up the very long den. Instead we’re hoping to install at one end a French door to lead out on the deck and on the other end, close to the fireplace, install a window. It’s essentially an attempt to make more cozy and usable an unusually long and narrow room that's broken up in odd ways.

Ken listened while we explained, nodded a few times, and said, “Sure, that’s no problem.” Once he got to offering a quote it seemed he might be right.

Ken went on to explain that now is the time to be doing remodeling projects, when so many contractors are out bidding on the same project (an unfortunate problem I’ve been hearing repeated by glazing contractors). He added that purchasing new doors and windows is a great investment now given the tax credits available for these energy efficiency upgrades (I smiled and nodded, pleased to hear that this benefit was being promoted – for more information you may want to visit our sister publication DWM’s e-green site). Ken finally said that if we had something particular in mind regarding the new glass products, we could pick them up ourselves and he’d be happy to supply the labor. Now the only tough part here is to shrink everything I’ve been reading/writing about, and all the products I got to eye at the show earlier this month, into a selection for my own home.

Consider this part one of my glass adventure. We’ve got one more individual swinging by to offer a quote, and then I’m off to shop some of the local glass shops – I’ll keep you posted on what I find.

Show Review Part I

2009-10-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

First things first – thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to hand me a bottle of hand sanitizer. Just to know you are all reading that closely had me smiling throughout the event - and I made it out of Atlanta unscathed so I suppose it helped!

Second, a huge thanks to everyone who, with a big grin, told our Newscast viewers “they are watching USGNN.” Readers/Viewers, next week’s Newscast will have lots of unseen show footage and a couple great surprises so you’re definitely going to want to tune in for that.

I had a lot of exhibitors asking for my take on the show and when I got their input, boy was there a range. In a few cases I heard “best show in years” and in many cases I heard “no one’s coming by.” We were happily in the middle. Every time I eventually made it back to the booth there seemed to be someone on my heels eager to talk and I was thrilled that so many people came to seek out us (and, more likely, extra copies of the magazine).

Speaking of which, I was so glad to see the folks at APG International coming by for extra copies of this September issue. We were honored to publish Ed Zaucha’s article, which I think is a big wake-up call to anyone who doesn’t have such a plan in place. If you haven't read it, I'd encourage you to seek out our digital edition pronto.

It was a pleasure to meet in person Eugene Negrin and Mike Kelley, both of whom I talked recently for our feature in the October USGlass on tips for purchasing new machinery and equipment during a down economy. That’s always one of the highlights of the show for me, to finally shake hands with those people who are so eager to help out with comments for and insight into our various articles. I got to meet a lot of new faces, which was great, and I look forward to working (and, in some cases, playing shuffleboard) with you all more extensively in the future. It also was very interesting to hear the thoughts of those long-time GBA veterans on the show, from our own sales rep Scott Rickles, who has been attending for a good 30 years; to Dan De Gorter who shared his thoughts on the transitions the event has taken for our preview; and Dennis Clark who offered his comments for us on video.

To the exhibitors I talked to who seemed so downtrodden about their chances in our Green Design Awards (you know who you are) ... you might be surprised ... To everyone who hasn’t voted yet, visit http://www.usglassmag.com/ to cast your votes this week!

I was glad I finally ran into Urmilla Sowell, Helen Sanders and Stanley Yee who have all be so active in GANA’s efforts to try and work with ASHRAE on its updates of 90.1. It’s a huge issue we all need to pay attention to, but they’ve done a great job in taking the lead on this. If you made it to the ASHRAE meeting that took place in Atlanta last week, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this issue.

To everyone I didn’t get to say hello to in person—please drop me a line with your thoughts on the show or anything you feel must be included in the show review. I tried my best to cover it all, but I think one of the results of a smaller show is that everyone had a little more time to talk.
Now this is part one of the show review ... for the in-depth review you'll have to keep checking back to USGNN and look for the November issue of USGlass.

Looking forward ...

Metalcon is set to kick-off tomorrow in Tampa, Fla. While I won’t be able to attend that event myself, I would like to you hear your thoughts on it.

Taking place later this week is another energy-focused event—the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. Let us know if your products will be featured in any of the energy-efficient test homes being built on the National Mall as I know last year we got a ton of news releases on this event.

Vitrum is coming up at the end of this month. Two years ago I provided some tips for first-time attendees to the Italian trade show of note. If you have any to add to the list I hope to update this blog as this event for glass fabricators gets underway.

A little further afield is Greenbuild, set for November 11-13 in Phoenix. I know YKK AP is saving its latest product launch for that up-and-coming show; let me know who else thinks that will be the glass industry’s big event for the year.

Nervous Nelly Braces for Atlanta

2009-09-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Usually about this time of year I’m eagerly anticipating a chance to get on the road and get a chance to mingle with the familiar faces at national trade shows. But I don’t know, folks, this year I’m feeling a bit more trepidation about next week’s GlassBuild down in Atlanta.

For starters, my colleagues and I made the decision a couple months back to drive down to the show, our magazines and booth in tow. Seemed like a great idea at the time, until the reports started coming in about the terrible flooding the area is facing. Our hearts go out to those impacted by the floodwaters. But then too are the practical concerns, which began to worry me even before I chatted with Vitro’s Alice Dickerson about her downtown commute.

Assuming we make it to the show without problems, I know some of my coworkers are a wee bit concerned about the stories circulating regarding the H1N1 virus. Nowhere does a germaphobe live more in fear than in areas where large crowds circulate, eager to shake hands. So don’t be offended if you stop by Booth 2902 to talk with my colleagues Holly Biller and Katie Hodge, who will be manning the booth, and catch a glimpse of them heading straight for the hand sanitizer.

Then there’s the show itself. I’ve spent all day double-checking appointments, revising my seminar schedule and other such organizational tasks. Unfortunately, it feels like the second I’ve written down a booth number, that company is no longer on the exhibit list, so I’m nervous that we’ll have another mis-marked directory on our hands.

I’m not usually such a pessimist. And I am optimistically hoping that these concerns will fade by the time our van is stuffed with magazines, or at least by the time the appropriate driving music CD is blasting. But I think I’d feel a lot more optimistic if some of my co-attendees out there would drop me a line or leave me a comment here about what you’re eagerly anticipating at this week’s show … or if you’ve got your own organizing to do, just drop by the booth Wednesday to share some positive stories about your company that will help set the tone for this year’s event.

Overheard in Kansas City

2009-09-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Kansas City, Mo., and the Glass Association of North America’s Fall Conference and I just wanted to share a few observations from the meeting:

Was one of many thrilled to see Greg Carney at this meeting. He was quite the man of the hour …

Got a nice chance to chat with Henry Gorry (ask him about his tennis injury). We went to a favorite topic of travel when he mentioned that Guardian might be considering a second site in Russia for manufacturing glass, in addition to its facility in Ryazan …

Heard an interesting conversation regarding the soon-to-be-completed Protective Glazing Manual – print, digital (i.e. CD) or both? Good question – what’s your preference? …

Was happy to touch base with Rick Kalson during the meeting regarding our new Contract Glazing Site. This means some great new updates from that site coming soon on USGNN.com …

Governor Parkinson did a terrific job on his presentation before this group. Each of the Energy Seminar presenters provided a lot of interesting information, but I was pleased that the governor seemed not only knowledgeable about the audience to whom he was presenting but very passionate on the topic of renewable energy …

GANA executive VP Bill Yanek noted yesterday morning that there were more than 120 participants at the Fall Conference, even more than last year. Considering during Glass Week we were hearing this annual event might simply be a webinar, it seems the membership really supported the great benefit of these meetings. Kudos again to the staff at GANA for making all this happen …

There were oohs and aahs during the Decorative Division meeting when a photo of division chair Kris Vockler’s beautiful new baby boy were projected on the screen. Looks like she had a great excuse for missing this meeting. Congratulations, Kris, and we look forward to seeing you in March …

Can’t believe how many information bulletins are poised to come out of this group. I’m sure there will be plenty of updates by the time we get to the next big meeting, Glass Week, set for March at the Paris Las Vegas. Looking forward to seeing everyone there …

In the meantime, folks, keep an eye on USGNN.com as we’re coming closer to the November issue of USGlass, with its special GANA supplement. We’re cooking up some good ways to get everyone involved and you can expect a request for submissions to come out soon.

Greening GANA

2009-08-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Next Monday the Glass Association of North America’s (GANA) Fall Conference kicks off with a meeting with PGC International (that group’s co-located meeting runs through September 1). There seem to be a number of highlights on this year’s conference. Among them is a presentation by Stephen Harty of BNIM Architects on “Master Planning for Greensburg, KS.” If you’re not familiar with this town’s story, after being leveled by an EF5 tornado in May 2007, the community decided to rebuild and make Greensburg a model green town for the future. It’s a really forward-thinking attitude and I, for one, can’t wait to hear more about how glass figures into the town’s “greening.” In addition, Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson will be at the conference to speak on “Emerging Energy Technologies and Government Support/Demand.” Gov. Parkinson’s talk on September 3 will be just one of the many highlights of the Fall Conference’s energy seminars sponsored by Solar Glazing magazine.

Speaking of the magazine, if you haven’t visited our http://www.solarglazingmag.com/ site lately, you’ll want to keep checking back for daily updates to newly released products and stories in the consumer press related to this field. In addition, there are several solar events coming up that we’ll be following closely on our site in the weeks ahead. (And starting next week, just in time for the Fall Conference, you’ll be able to visit the site to sign up early for the standalone Solar Glazing magazine, coming in 2010!)

Among the recent stories posted on the site was one today for the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Solar Decathlon, coming up again October 9-13 and 15-18 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. According to the event website, the Solar Decathlon is an international collegiate competition in which student teams compete to design, build and operate completely solar-powered houses that incorporate building-integrated photovoltaics. There were some really exciting projects included last year and now that solar energy is such a hot topic for our energy, I have no doubt a lot of unique new products and designs will be on the table for the upcoming event. If you know your company’s products will be a part of one of the houses under construction, let me know so we can be sure to include it in our coverage.

Busy Week Ahead

2009-08-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I received a particularly nice comment on our recent “Secret Shopper” article that ran in the July USGlass. A reader down in Fort Worth commented that the details in the article proved helpful to him (the biggest compliment I could hope to get), and he extended an invitation to come visit his new 12,000-square-foot retail showroom. I was glad to know that the article proved inspiring to a few other showroom owners out there, especially since the kind folks at ABC Glass & Mirror were such good sports about letting me come in and share their showroom with the glass world at large. If there’s anyone else out there who would like to share what makes their showroom great, and get tips for improving the rest, drop me a line and I’ll add you to my list.

I’m also making plans to do a little unofficial secret shopping pretty soon here. You see, this very afternoon I’m moving into a new house. While I’m eagerly looking to leave my personality on it by swapping out paint colors and carpet, I was surprised to learn that my significant other’s first project involves replacing the ancient, heavy and largely fogged sliding glass door in the den with a fresh, new, easily opened patio door (you’d think I’d be looking at the doors and windows first, right?). So if your glass shop gets a call for an estimate on the cost of a patio door, make sure your customer service is top-notch as it could be for our Industry Outlook department; Virginia-area glass retailers, keep your aisles clean as you may be subject to some secret shopping soon!

On another note, aside from the excitement of this move, this week will also be a busy one because our company, Key Communications, is holding its annual sales meeting. It’s a chance for us editors to share with our terrific team of sales reps all of the changes and improvements we’re making to our various publications in 2010, in addition to reinvigorating our entire team for the year ahead. I’m sure your company holds similar events, and I’d love to hear what you do for your sales team and staff to get them prepared and amped up for new products or company changes. And if you’re interested in getting a copy of USGlass magazine’s 2010 media kit, drop me a line and I’ll add you to that list.

Online Pros and Cons

2009-08-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Late last week I got a phone call from Integrity Glassworks owner Linda Medine warning me that she’d twice this month been contacted by e-mail scammers. Here at USGlass we’ve been focusing so much lately on the positives of the Internet that this was the perfect reminder that there are a lot of things out there to be cautious of. If you haven’t read that story, I’d encourage you to check it out, and let me know if you’ve run into any request from scammers in the last few months so that we can let others in the industry what to watch out for.

Speaking of those positives, I want to take a second once again to congratulate those winners of the Best of the Web contest we held for the August issue of USGlass. (Those winners were announced as part of our July USGNN.com Newscast.) This is the second year we’ve run this contest and I was pleased not only at the large number of entries we received but the fact that some of those sites that were nominated last year had already been updated for this year’s contest. Today, more than ever, a web page is a first point-of-contact for consumers and an unattractive, difficult-to-navigate page might as well be a “closed” sign for many consumers. Personally, I spend a ton of time online and one of my biggest pet peeves is a slow-to-load web page. A search for glass on yahoo.com brings up 953,000,000 returns, so if your site is slow to load due to flashy graphics, then I’m going elsewhere for the information I need.

It was also interesting to note the number of sites that are branching out into other forms of online communications—including blogs, Facebook pages, tweets, video and more. We have a few updates in that area as well. I have offered my first tweets in the last week and I’m hoping that this will be just one more way in which to encourage you readers out there to get involved. I’ll try and keep this line of communication flowing with reminders about upcoming editorial focuses and deadlines, upcoming events and major announcements. You can start following us at twitter.com/usglass – and I hope you do so I have some new tweets of my own to follow.

Connected to the Glass Industry

2009-06-29T13:15:00.001-07:00

I know this blog is late in coming, but I wanted to just say for the record that Glass Performance Days was a blast. I was really surprised about how many of us first-timers were there – and here I thought that I was the only person in the industry not to have made it to Tampere, Finland, for this notable biannual conference. Some people were drawn by this year’s expanded focus on solar glazing, some because they’re starting to do more business overseas and were interested in networking with the heavy-hitters that this event tends to attract. I was there to soak it all in. As I commented time and again to other attendees, the five simultaneous tracks was a bit overwhelming – but it was possible to learn about the seminars you missed just by tuning into the buzz at the coffee breaks or chatting with the speakers over dinner.

Of course beyond the flood of information on glass processing and design, there was another nugget of information I took home with me. Never do I appreciate the connectedness offered by the internet as when I’m overseas. While at GPD I had numerous comments from my compatriots over there about how at the end of the day they would check their email and find already a report on the conference’s activities on USGNN.com. (I had high hopes of blogging daily but somehow between the day-long sessions and the night-long networking, I’m sure you can understand that it was hard to find the time to collect my thoughts much less post them … ) On tomorrow's USGNN newscast (stay tuned!) you’ll see some video footage from Finland, as video is another great medium more and more people are adopting to help spread information. Following GPD, as I enjoyed a few days of R&R in beautiful Helsinki, I was able to better appreciate the beauty of social media as I kept my friends and family updated on my whereabouts by posting photos and stories on my personal blog.

What about you out there? Obviously if you’re reading this blog you’re taking advantage of one of the most popular means of social media in the name of business. But what other platforms do you use? Do you tweet about glass? Are you linked in? Does your business blog? Are your Facebook friends all in the glass industry? Let me know – not only would I like to connect virtually, I’d like to include your comments on connectedness in our electronic-focused August issue of USGlass.

In this upcoming issue we’ll also be running our Best of the Web contest (in fact, our judges are reviewing those many nominations this week …!). I can’t help but think of how for the past several years we’ve urged our readers to create and update websites, as it’s a medium you can hardly do business without these days. In the future, will a website be enough or will other forms of online marketing be a necessity for keeping competitive?

Packing for GPD

2009-06-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

I spent my Saturday afternoon trying to cram three suitcases worth of stuff into one much-abused bag. I tend to over-pack anyway, but I wanted to be particularly prepared for anything for my upcoming trip to Finland.

“Finland?” my friends have said with some surprise over the past few months when I’ve mentioned my trip.

I do somewhat share that sentiment, in the respect that Finland seems so off-the-beaten path compared to the usual European tourist destinations. Who goes to Finland? Well, aside from the several hundred other members of the glass industry who will be flocking to Tampere for the Glass Performance Days conference?

I’ve been looking forward to this trip for about five years now, since I first joined the USGlass team and heard stories about my coworkers’ visits to this much-talked about event.

My friend and colleague, Brigid, recently shared with me a few words of advice based upon her GPD trip four years ago (which you can read about here):

"Ask for ‘flat’ water, otherwise you get seltzer water (or be prepared to drink tea, coffee or carbonated beverages);

If you're traveling by train, make sure you're in the right train car before you sit down;
Don't be afraid to try food you've never seen or heard of before. If nothing else, it's a great conversation starter; and

Don't worry about the sun not going down - the hotel rooms have wonderfully thick, dark curtains on them and you won't be able to tell what time it is outside. Not that you could even if the curtains were open," she says.

Ellen Rogers added to Brigid’s words of wisdom from that trip. “Get used to the midnight sun,” she advised. Ellen recalled from her last trip, “I remember being at an outside bar with a few others from GPD ... it was around 1:00 a.m. and still daylight. It's so strange ... luckily there are heavy drapes in the hotel rooms. One of the best parts about the trip was having dinner at the top of the Näsinneula Observation tower (a restaurant offering a vegetarian option!). It must have been around midnight ... maybe even later ... and from windows on one side of the tower you could see the sun setting, while on the other side it was rising. Very cool.”

And although I’m excited about the literal 24-hour days and am salivating at the thought of a week’s worth of salmon … the glass geek in me is anticipating a fantastic seminar schedule, as this show is known first and foremost for its cutting-edge presentations. As my friend Steve reminded me when I asked for his impressions on the show he attended two years ago, “GPD is the premiere world-wide glass technology conference. The breadth of topics along with the wealth of knowledge at this event is world class. Anyone involved in the glass or fenestration industries must attend for the scientific and networking opportunities.”

If you will be attending GPD—I’m sure we North Americans will stick out and I’ll be saying hello to you soon. If you won’t make it to the conference, take a look at the program and let me know if there’s a conference topic you’re particularly interested in, as I’ll be working to include the most useful information for you in our USGNN.com newsletter, as well as the August issue of USGlass. And if you have any tips for traveling to Tampere - post them here!

Back from AIA

2009-05-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

I’m not quite over the jet lag yet, but with the May USGlass going to press and the June New Products Guide deadline just passed (yes, that’s right – but if you send in yo ur products this week we may be able to squeeze them into this packed issue) leading to an avalanche of product releases, lounging at home wasn’t exactly an option. Yes, those West Coast shows sure can be tough for us East Coast dwellers. The American Institute of Architects Annual Convention may have been tough for a lot of exhibitors, though.

Max Perilstein touched on the show floor layout in his blog last week and I’m sure will have additional comments on the show later this week. For my part, the first day seemed to get off to a fairly slow start, but, in the South Hall at least, it remained steady even through the last minutes of the show on Saturday. While the refrain of “quality leads over quantity” quickly became tired, by the second day I found myself echoing it—not because traffic was so slow at our booth but because those architects who came by truly were excited to see the magazines we were offering. As one exhibitor I spoke with mentioned, “Probably everyone that has come by has a need where we can help them.” It just goes to show you that if you’re investing in the dollars to travel in this economic climate, you’re going to take it seriously.

But I didn’t spend nearly as much time in our booth as I did wandering the show floor (and with the many booths mismarked in the directory listing, wandering proved more helpful than setting out to track companies down). If you didn’t make it to the show, we tried to capture a sense of the goings-on via our video reports on USGNN.com, and a great many more product highlights will be featured in our full show review in the June USGlass. (If you did make it to the show, please share your observations by commenting here on this blog!)

You can see on our video post my interest in solar products was shared by a number of companies showcasing their photovoltaic products at the show. In addition to the video, you’ll want to check out our Solar Glazing website for other highlights in this arena.

My college art history courses flashed before my eyes when I stopped with my colleague Ellen Rogers at the NGI Designer Glass booth. Although I know Ellen will be writing plenty on the gorgeous decorative glass options showcased at the show I can’t help but to comment on the amazing clarity of the replica masterpieces captured within and in some cases upon the glass in that booth.

At the Dorma booth, Mari Ciastko was kind enough to give me a tour of some of the stylish new products I’d been reading about from the company. There was plenty there to impress, including the slim header of the automatic sliding door that is operated using the same magnetic technology as the “maglev” trains that float rapidly over the rails in Shanghai. According to Mari, the real “wow” factor for architects visiting the booth was the MOVEO glass operable room partitions that combine transparency with sound insulation.

Serious Materials had a serious presence at the show, and I was happy for the opportunity to talk with Sandra Vaughan and Judy DePuy in the marketing department about their upcoming projects. That’s a company that’s sure to have a lot on its plate in the months ahead as it amps up production at its new facilities that we’ve highlighted on USGNN.com. Although I got a kick out of the graphics in the booth of the Virginia Air and Space Museum in my hometown, talking with these ladies got me curious about the projects this company will be working on in the near future.

It also was a pleasure to meet up with Mark Kearns with Dlubak after visiting with him at my recent plant tour. Mark was spotlighting the company’s new Green Heat product among other things; you’ll be able to learn much more about what the company is working on these days in the June USGlass.

Obviously this list is far from complete, so for those obvious omissions - I'm blaming it on the jet lag. Please give me a hand by posting your impressions of the show here. And for those of you who didn't make it to San Francisco, there will be plenty more to learn about in our review within the June USGlass.

Retailers Find Ways to Stand Out

2009-04-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Following the response to our recent post on our USGNN newsletter “calling all glass and mirror retailers” I’ve been doing some pondering about retailers and competition. I started considering this with regard to another area with which I’m pretty familiar. Last year I began landscaping my new home and now with spring back I’ve already made three or four trips to Home Depot for bags of dirt. And when I’m making a trip for topsoil I’m usually sidetracked by brightly colored annuals as well.

However, the thing about going to the big box stores for plants is that you end up with the same stuff in your yard as all of your neighbors. And that’s fine, because it’s pretty stuff that you already know will grow well in your area. But on the way home from Home Depot I like to stop at a little garden nursery just down the street. It’s a little pricier, but has a wider variety of shrubs available. Of course, its advertising always states that the store has landscape experts on staff, even though the high school kids ringing up purchases have yet to be able to answer any of my questions. That disconnect between the advertising and reality always irks me a bit, so I tend to be a little more critical of those higher prices unless they have something I absolutely can’t get anywhere else.

Now my goal this summer is to make it back up to the traffic nightmare that is Fairfax County to the little nursery I’d once passed that had declared it had “150 Types of Herbs.” Despite the terrible location and lack of discernible parking spaces, that distinction piqued my interest. In this day and age where there’s even a vegetable garden at the White House due to the green and economic benefits of growing one’s own food, I’d bet this sign would appeal to other passersby as well.

The point is that all of these small retailers have a distinction that separates them from their competitors. For the big box store, it’s a supply of basic materials for a reasonable price. For the local nursery, it’s a wider selection of materials hand-picked to suit the region. For the third option, it’s a trendy selection of products that is likely to change depending on current demands.

For the store with the bad location, obviously that isn’t something that can be fixed, but they’ve offset it with unique roadside advertising designed to lure in traffic-weary travelers. I would guess that a rotating selection might lure those passersby back into the traffic trap to check out their new selection.

For that second nursery, the fact that their staff doesn’t support their advertising and that the customers’ expectations aren’t being met is a factor that could cause shoppers to turn elsewhere to have their needs met, despite the fact that they have a good selection of product available. But is the store manager aware of how damaging this disconnect is? Maybe, maybe not. I would expect that if customers brought this to the manager’s attention, some positive changes could be made that would in the long run improve sales. Is there a number where those advertised landscape experts can be reached? How about hour-long weekend tutorials where shoppers can learn tips for caring for roses or properly planting shrubs, and then have their questions answered?

Now on this note, in case you haven’t yet seen the USGNN blurb, in anticipation of its upcoming retail-focused July issue, USGlass magazine is looking for interested glass retailers to open their shop up to a review from our secret shoppers. If you’re interested in this opportunity, e-mail me at mheadley@glass.com by June 1 to put your name on our list. We’d like to show you how your customers really see your shop, and offer suggestions that could help boost your sales. Or if you’d like to share your tips for success with our other readers, I’d welcome those suggestions.

On the Road Again

2009-03-16T13:13:00.001-07:00

Last Monday I was fortunate enough to take a little road trip, and as I love any opportunity to get away from my desk and out on the road—especially when there’s the potential of seeing some cool glass machinery in action—I was particularly excited about my trip to the Blairsville, Pa., headquarters of Dlubak Corp.

Frank Dlubak was a gracious host. We started out with a walk through the factory floor where I gawked at the massive thickness of the laminated lites on the floor and Frank pointed out the five autoclaves at that particular facility, the tempering line and an IG production line. Although I recognized a number of the names on the machinery on the floor, in the other cases Frank explained to me that when the need arises for a piece of equipment to do a specific task that doesn’t yet exist—he designs it.

The innovation is hardly limited to machinery design, I learned, or even the unique applications of the company’s bent glass and aluminum products, for which the company may be best known. Frank shared that he is in the process of starting up yet another company with a pretty “cool” take on glass—keep an eye on USGNN for more on that soon.

Though our conversation focused on the rather intense topic of security glazing, due to this focus in the April issue of USGlass and the focus on this topic that Dlubak Corp. has had for the past several years, the atmosphere during the interview was relaxed. As Frank pointed out, he has no office in any one building, as his works takes him always to the next project, so we gathered with CEO David Bazzano in a kitchen area upstairs in the facility (and yes indeed, sir, those tasty sprinkle-topped brownies helped me make the long drive home). During our wide-ranging discussions we were subject to welcome interruptions ranging from the curly-haired terrier Max who came in to greet me with a wagging tail to plant floor employees with whom Frank was eager to chat to the appearance of Frank’s son and VP of operations Damon and son-in-law and project manager Sunghoon Kim who joined in our talk. It’s those “slice of life” scenarios (as my high school creative writing teacher would have called them) that make these profiles so interesting; a chance to really see what it’s like on a given day at a given company.

Coincidentally, as the oldest of five kids, I was quite intrigued by the family aspect of the company; as it was pointed out during my visit I sat talking with two sets of brothers-in-law. Close as I am to my siblings, I feel as if the majority of projects on which we have collaborated have resulted in someone being grounded …

Frank pointed out one benefit to this arrangement as being how well “the kids talk to each other every day.” That ever-open line of communication has got to be a boon in business. I know as much as my sibs may drive me crazy, at the end of the day we’re always able to work out our differences. Obviously the same must be true of a number of you out there, as when working on our Big Book of Lists last month I received countless forms indicating some form of family ownership (something we’ll be working to recognize in future issues of USGlass).

And for more on what I learned in visiting Dlubak Corp., you’ll just have to look out for your next issue of USGlass.

Back to the Grindstone

2009-02-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

The Glass Association of North America's (GANA) Glass Week and the BEC Conference were a great success from everything I saw and heard, and I think the GANA staff and conference speakers have had the well-deserved accolades piled on. For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity to make it yourselves, we tried our best to bring you a view of the conference highlights with our video footage, which you can find on our USGNN archive site, marked with a small red video camera icon.

The only thing I think hasn’t been covered, was the intense conversation on any given night at the ghostbar, located on the 55th story of the Palms, regarding whether that was in fact glass or a polycarbonate “window” set into the bar’s patio floor. Anyone want to claim this particular project and settle this question once and for all ..?

As I’m sure the 500+ attendees of last week’s conference will agree, great as the conference was, after a week out of the office the inbox was looking pretty scary upon my return. As I told someone this morning, it’s been very encouraging the tremendous response we received to this year’s Book of Lists, but after a week out of the office there was quite a lot of your forms to wade through. It’s a great problem to have, though, and my thanks to everyone who showed such interest in being a part of this annual feature.

With this massive project just about coming to a close, I’m starting to turn my attention to our April issue, with its focus on architects. For those of you who responded to our contract glazing survey last fall, I get the impression that just this mention of the architectural industry already has gotten a reaction from you. No offense meant to architects—we love ’em to death and wouldn’t have work without them—but admit it. Your life would be a lot easier if they knew a thing or two about glass, right?

Well here’s your chance to help. You can either post here or email me, as I'd like to hear the top three things you wish architects knew about glass or the glass industry. We’ll run your kind suggestions (or desperate pleas) in the April issue of USGlass, which also will feature a preview of the AIA Convention in San Francisco.

Video Highlights

2009-02-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

I’m sure by now you’ve clicked onto the first of our new monthly online newscasts (and if you haven’t, be sure to check it out here). Thanks to those of you who offered your kind suggestions and comments. As I mentioned in my last post, everyone’s trying to stand out, and this regular video broadcast is just one more service we at USGNN/USGlass are offering to bring news to the industry. Of course, I can’t help but remark that it’s a service I’ve noticed a number of glass industry companies offering of late.

As I’m preparing for our March issue and its annual Big Book of Lists—which includes rankings of the industry’s top glazing contractors and suppliers in a number of categories—I’ve been drawn to a couple of websites to learn more about the companies that have been submitting forms for this issue. On a number of those sites I’ve stumbled upon video offerings that I thought worth sharing:

Egan Co. provides an overview to its services, including curtainwall installation;
Arizona Shower Door welcomes visitors to its website with a personable video about the company;
DORMA Group North America goes a step further by providing video product introductions and installation tips; and
Applied Materials may be a bit further afield, but the company offers an interesting video on processing glass for solar modules.

Obviously there’s a range of offerings here—from the technical to the overview—but it’s exciting to me to see how many companies are embracing this “different” way of making their company stand out. These are just a couple I’ve stumbled upon in the past couple of weeks—I’d love to hear about the decision that led to your video offerings and the learning curve you’ve faced in making that transition.

And as for the Big Book of Lists—if you haven’t received a form yet and you’re interested in being included, send me an email at mheadley@glass.com and I’ll get that over to you pronto.

Standing Out

2009-01-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

You can chalk it up to the economy or you can chalk it up to the cyclical nature of the commercial construction industry, but either way you look at it, things are getting tough out there. Savvy contractors are paying attention to areas forecasted to stay comparatively strong, such as in healthcare and institutional building (for more on this, look for the January USGlass). The thing is, so are all their competitors.

Yes, as construction slows there’s no doubt that there are areas where competition will fierce for the jobs that do exist.

Back in November when I attended the Finishing Contractors Association’s Glazing Advisory Committee meeting, a number of glaziers there were talking about competition coming in from other trades. At the time, a number of glaziers had commented that they’d seen instances of ironworkers and metal panel installers are doing more railing installations because they may have a metal trim, or shower doors that perhaps have a shoe on the top and bottom, and that even unitized glazing was being installed by carpenters.

From another perspective, we had some activity on the message forum some time back about suppliers selling glass products direct to general contractors, who then contracted the glaziers simply for labor. Whether it’s rumor or not (and feel free to add your two cents to the forum or this post), glaziers now have the concern that they’ll be competing with their own suppliers to make a buck!

While talking to Steve Bouchard, president of Glass Distributors Inc. (GDI) in Bladensburg, Md., this morning, I asked him if this is something he’s run across.

“I have not noticed that part,” Steve told me, but then quickly added that it was another competitor entirely that his customers, typically smaller glaziers, were facing: the larger glazing firms bidding for their work.

Man, that is tough, I thought. But then a few hours later I spoke with Bill Rhodes, vice president of sales for GDI and while he wasn’t about to argue with Steve’s observation, he made the comment that sometimes, on the smaller jobs, “the company that has less overhead is able to maneuver more easily, more so than the large companies.”

Well that seemed reasonable, but Bill wasn’t about to let me off the phone without throwing out another challenge. Where before “there might have been five companies bidding [a project], there might be 12-14 now,” he said.

I heard the same sentiment echoed when I spoke with one of those “large glazing contractors” this afternoon. Michele Juba King with Juba Aluminum Products Co. Inc. in Concord, N.C., spared a few minutes to chat with me on this topic. As she pointed out, they’ve built a niche in custom, commercial work and with the frequency of spec changes the general contractor is hardly likely to go straight to the glass shop; they’re relying on the glazier’s expertise. But she did agree with Bill, “Instead of there being one or two contractors now you’re going to see three, four or five.”

Michele also told me that she’s found that a lot of building owners are looking to use local vendors or suppliers, which can be stifling for a glazing contractor used to covering an entire region.

In the end, everyone’s got competitors, and maybe there are more of them now, but being aware of where these new challenges are coming from can help you prepare to make your services stand out. So I’d like to hear what “new” competitors you’re preparing to face, in the hope that by sharing this information you’re not giving those competitors a leg up but instead learning what you can do to differentiate yourself. Or if you’ve seen instances of any of the above, please let me know.

Can’t wait to hear from you—drop me a line at mheadley@glass.com.

Singing the Blues in Chorus

2008-12-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

In working on an industry forecast for our January issue, I expected the comments to be discouraging. This year, more than most, the predictions have come easily for the folks I’ve talked to—including manufacturers, fabricators and glazing contractors—and all are along the same lines. While many glazing contractors still have some commercial projects scheduled for early 2009, what happens after the first quarter is anybody’s guess, or so I’m told.

This afternoon I spoke with Vicki Holt, PPG’s senior vice president of glass and fiberglass, who was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule to answer questions about what the glass manufacturer is preparing for in 2009. To some degree, they're waiting to see like everyone else.

“It’s just a very difficult time to have good visibility right now,” Vicki commented.

But Vicki’s first prediction matched up with other comments I’ve received, that “in the commercial construction space in North America we have not seen a significant downturn yet in 2009.” While a number of contractors are telling me about project cancellations, many are still working through backlog and are only beginning to look warily for the next job to bid.

However, Vicki added that Global Insights, the economic and financial analysis with which PPG works, “is forecasting as much as a 14-percent decline for commercial construction in 2009.”

So the forecasts are pretty comparable. But what about the solutions? It may seem like the time to hunker down and focus on core businesses, but what are the areas in which branching out could be profitable during a commercial construction downturn?

Vicki presented one that is no stranger to the pages of USGlass, noting that green building construction and investments in renewable energy are likely to provide opportunities for jobs in a number of areas, including the glass industry.

When I talked with Tom Niepokoj, vice president of sales of Harmon Inc., a few weeks ago following Greenbuild, he made what I thought was an interesting observation.

“There’s no question that the country would like to more proactively pursue the green building product lines; our question is, can we afford it?” Tom said. “We’re kind of wondering if that trend will get a little sidetracked by the economy and the cost of those green elements.”

What do you think? Will initial investments in higher-priced “green” products deter architects looking to keep budgets low? Or will the long-term payoff remain inviting?

And in what ways are you preparing for 2009? Share your forecasts by emailing me at mheadley@glass.com, and I’d be happy to include your thoughts in our January issue.

Walking on Laminated Glass

2008-11-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

Last week I took up an invitation to attend my first (and LMCI’s fourth) Finishing Industries Forum, which I found to be a really interesting experience. It certainly had a different feel to it, with the music pumping out of the speakers in the large conference room on that first day. For me the most interesting part of the meeting was sitting down in the first Glazing Advisory Committee held by the Finishing Contractors Association and hearing the glaziers openly discussing with one another the challenges that they faced. You can read all about this in my report for USGNN—so instead of reiterating on some of these interesting points I’m going to share with you what I did the day before this conference …

I’ve made it my goal this year to take some time to enjoy the travels that this job throws my way. So when I learned that I’d be spending nearly a week in Las Vegas for a few back-to-back-to-back conferences I simply shrugged and started googling. As much time as I spend at conventions in this city, it was a no-brainer that I’d spend my free day a little further afield. I’d never been to the Grand Canyon, just flown over it countless times, and that was immediately at the top of my list. While I learned later from my tour guide that the South Rim is the spot from which 90% of photos of the Grand Canyon are taken, it was the West Rim that drew me. And while I can attest now that this end of the canyon also has some spectacular views, I had one object in mind when I first set out: I wanted to see the Skywalk.

You wouldn’t be the first to call me a glass geek this week, so go right ahead. Because, yes, after several speechless minutes at the canyon’s edge, I did make my way up to the U-shaped glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. And yes, after slipping over my shoes the thin booties handed out at the gate (the walkway is constantly polished to allow for clear views) I may have knelt down to take a closer look at the laminated lite that makes up this unique glass floor. According to information from DuPont, the two-inch thick glass decking, approximately 10 feet wide and 70 feet deep, is made of a multilayer glass construction including three of that company’s SentryGlas structural interlayers and four layers of Saint-Gobain’s Diamant glass. That makes for one very thick and pretty impressive piece of glass.

While the faint-of-heart can avoid walking over the see-through portions of the bridge by sticking to the cement girders at the sides, I felt no worries when it came to wandering across the bridge with a clear view of the canyon floor below my feet. Truth be told, I felt a lot more secure on the thick laminated glass than I did when creeping up to the edge of the canyon itself—where were the structural engineers telling me that wouldn’t crumble?

For any of you out there interested in making the trip, there’s a lot more to see than this somewhat-work-related, although extremely neat, attraction. From Las Vegas, a drive to the West Rim takes you past Hoover Dam and through the Joshua Tree National Forest. There are several stops at the West Rim that allow you a variety of panoramic views, each more impressive than the last, and some opportunities for light hiking. In addition, there are opportunities to learn about the Hualapai Tribe, which owns the land.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

It seems true to me that a good job is as much about doing what you love as doing it with people you enjoy spending time with. Lucky for me, I work with a lot of terrific individuals (in this office but also the industry in general). Terrific individuals with good senses of humor—critical to any stressful job, I think.

This hardly comes out any stronger than at the end of October, as our staff rushes to prepare to put on a major conference in the auto glass industry yet still finds time to let their creativity out in spooky (and sometimes just goofy) ways. The Key Communications Halloween Costumer Contest is an annual tradition, and one much anticipated here in the office. It takes the joy of “casual Friday” to a whole new level.

Not to mention, a couple of mini Snickers bars at 10 a.m. are the secret to my productivity, and Halloween provides a good excuse to bring out the sugar.

I was brainstorming with a friend in the industry yesterday about my costume idea(s) and he commented that his office doesn’t do anything quite as exciting at this time of year as we do. “Engineers just aren’t creative,” he sighed.

I could hardly suppress my grief at that thought. “Are you joking?” I asked. “Not creative? You have to be creative to come up with the wild things that we get to write about. Sure, maybe then you have to be a little rigid in your thinking to make it work—but where does that first idea come from? Or the inspiration to try this instead of that to improve a product’s performance?”

I know there is a great deal of creativity lurking out there in the glass industry. The innovative new products at glasstec, for example, had to start with an idea. Surely you engineers out there are taking that creativity and applying it to your own Halloween costumes … and you have the rigidity and follow-through to go all the way with your idea (unlike some of us artsy types—i.e., me—who spend weeks on grandiose ideas of costume genius before frantically hitting the thrift store the day before the contest to initiate the back-up plan).

So let’s see it. I’d love to post your costume photos on this blog on Monday, or any great ideas that you saw at your office party. And for anyone who manages to keep it industry-related, well, we may have to come up with a special prize for you.

Happy trick-or-treating everyone!

I Survived glasstec

2008-10-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I would have loved to have blogged more before this. I had high hopes of blogging daily from the glasstec show floor, bringing the sights and sounds of glasstec to all of my friends in the States, and pointing to my fellow attendees the most trendy and exciting booths to visit. But you know what? The show is big.

No, I don’t think you understand. To tell you the truth, I don’t think there’s a word yet in existence that conveys the distances I walked over the past five days. BIG barely begins to describe it. Because the size of the halls—the nine halls, did we mention that this show covers nine big halls?—is only part of this equation. Each hall that you walk through is filled with the latest, the most exciting products you’ve seen and so for the first day you just walk around gawking at everything. And maybe for some attendees, those focused few, that’s not a problem because they have their list and they stick to it. But when your objective is to cover everything … I get dizzy just thinking about it.

(Keep in mind the above photo is just a part of just one hall.)

When speaking with another glasstec first-timer, Kearne Prendergast with Grenzebach Corp., I heard my sentiments echoed. When asked his impression of this show compared to those in the U.S., he laughed: “Bigger—and, a lot bigger.” That’s just the only way to describe it.

Knowing this, on day one I made a plan. I decided I’d start off on the furthest hall (thinking that as my feet began to hurt throughout the week I’d move closer to our booth in Hall 13) and start with a familiar face. And that provides me with an example.

As I entered Hall 17 I saw that the Lisec booth essentially was Hall 17. The booth was massive. In some ways I started to feel I’d lucked out: being responsible for covering machinery at the show, I’d hit two or three massive booths and have a hall covered. I wasn’t counting on the fact that each booth would be demonstrating a number of brand new lines—and anyone who has spoken with me at a trade show knows the machinery is my favorite part (it’s so much easier to understand when you can actually see it in action) so I could hardly resist walking every square inch of those massive booths.

But at the beginning of the show I commiserated with Bob Quast, president and chief executive officer of Lisec America Inc., who was another first-time glasstec attendee. When I asked what he thought about the show so far he mentioned that the previous night he and his colleagues had gone out to dinner and “must have had 20 of our customers from the United States come into that one restaurant.”

Yes, that’s another great thing about the BIG show. I ran into so many familiar faces that I hardly felt far from home and the number of North American accents I overheard lulled me into thinking I was ok without any knowledge of German. Which brings up what I hope is not a silly point. Throughout that first day, at least, I found myself drawn into a number of booths because I’d seen words in English over every inch of the booth, only to find that no one in the booth spoke more than a few halting words.

My German is limited to no more than a few words, so I greatly appreciated those individuals who took the time to find a way to translate (in one case, the word translate). But I was surprised at how English seems to be the language of product marketing even for those companies without English-speaking representatives at the show. Nearly every booth had a sign proclaiming in clear English their product’s capabilities, signs that lulled me into thinking I could launch into my rapid-fire spiel and be easily understood. Ha!

But as the days went on I learned to adapt, and to slow down not just my spiel but my whole way of covering the show. I marveled when at Vitrum last fall how many booths had full-blown meals in their booths and while at glasstec I think I finally understood that it’s because each visit is a drawn-out business deal. It’s not just that things move slower overseas; it’s that if you pop in for a booth visit, there’s the real possibility that you’ll be leaving an hour later with a purchase made. With that understood, I began to accept more offers of cappuccino (which I’m sure didn’t help me to slow down my spiel) and prepared to sit and wait at each booth until it was my turn for the focused attention of the booth representative.

So somehow, I made it through my first glasstec. The food was delicious, the people friendly, the fall weather just perfect … the examples of solar glass mind-blowing to someone learning as much as possible about the topic before the launch of a solar section … the machinery demonstrations fascinating … all in all, everything I’d hoped for and more.

Now, one last note; those of you who checked out our video coverage may be amused to hear some of our harebrained plans for a show video wrap-up. My personal favorite ended the report with my colleague Ellen Rogers clicking the heels of her red shoes on the gold carpet that wound through the solar exhibit, chanting “there’s no place like home.” But to tell you the truth, we have so much footage left to share that for us the show is far from over. Stay tuned to USGNN.com for more video from the trade show floor—and keep an eye out for the December USGlass for a peek at products and a full glasstec review.

Greetings and Guten Tag

2008-10-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic day to be in Düsseldorf, Germany! The air was crisp but not too cool; large yellow leaves cover the sidewalks, lending a seasonal beauty to the city; and already I’ve seen familiar faces and made new friends.

Following an uneventful, if sleepless, flight, I arrived in Germany this morning, collected a stamp in my passport and was off to the hotel for a very few z’s. After a mere two hours of sleep I was ready to throw open the curtains and take a look at my view—and what else should I see but a crane atop a nearby building waiting to lift the last lites into place? It’s as if the city itself is preparing for glasstec, a feeling strengthened after passing numerous signs advertising the show on the short tram-ride to the halls. (At this point, let me extend my thanks to the guardian angel on the tram who appeared over my shoulder as my co-worker and I studied our city map and explained which stop was the best for us to take—every shortcut is needed, I’ve learned.)

Upon arriving at the hall, and eventually locating the booth (Hall 13, Stand C73 for those interested in visiting), our crew took part in the flurry of activity consuming the fairgrounds today—purchasing assorted odds and ends, making adjustments to the booth and getting the “lay of the land.” In some ways I’m less overwhelmed by the show than I’d imagined simply because I’ve already walked from the far-off hall 13 to the north entrance at hall 9 several times today, delivering copies of USGlass to the international press stand, among other things. But the mind-boggling displays I’ve already seen have left me eagerly anticipating tomorrow. And not just the fascinating new products and technologies at which I’ve had an early peek—the massive and creative booths themselves top anything I’ve seen before.

If you’re here in Germany this week, let me invite you to stop by the USGlass magazine booth, as I’d love to hear your varied perspectives on the show. And if you’re reading this from the comfort of home, wherever that might be, feel free to make suggestions of interviews or product news you’d like to know read about—or see—on USGNN.com.

glasstec ’08 Awaits

2008-10-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

It’s almost here! I feel like a kid at Christmas-time as I wait impatiently for Sunday to come. My first glasstec trip is rapidly approaching and while my excitement has been somewhat dimmed by an extremely busy week of following up on information from last week’s GlassBuild show and putting the finishing touches on a jam-packed November issue of USGlass to boot, I am eager for next week nonetheless (and not just for the much-needed nap I anticipate on the flight over).

It’s been some time since Ellen Rogers wrote about her first time at glasstec and after re-reading it yet again I consider myself even more lucky in knowing that Ellen will be there to lend a hand as she covers it for our new Decorative Glass magazine, as will Charles Cumpston for the Architects’ Guide to Glass. (You better believe Deb will be there too, and you’ll be able to recognize our video producer Drew Vass by the equipment he’ll be carrying.)

But first thing’s first. As I pulled out the big suitcase from my closet last night, laid my passport on top and began to fret about how I’d squeeze my latest knitting project into my tiny carry-on, I felt the first stress about my upcoming trip. Now don’t get me wrong—the idea of spending five days walking across 725,000 square feet to talk with some of the 1,000 exhibitors at the show isn’t the least bit daunting to me (stop that laughing!), especially coming fresh off of covering the recent GlassBuild show (ok, I know it doesn’t compare). Nope, this early in the game, my biggest worry is just making my way to the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf: you know, trying to find the right mode of transportation to a destination I can’t pronounce, fighting jet lag while functioning in a fog of foreign conversation, yawning my way through a meal of food I’m just not used to … So I called in an expert in these matters to reassure me: my sister, Robyn, world traveler extraordinaire—and recent German major.

Me: What advice can you give to someone traveling around Düsseldorf for the first time?

Robyn: Take the U-bahn. Everybody takes the U-bahn. It’s just like in D.C. The thing is they’re absolutely punctual. If it says it’s leaving at 10:04, it’s leaving at 10:04.

Me: What are a few words you suggest travelers in Germany know?

Robyn:

How much? ......... Wie Viel?
Please.................... Bitte
Thank you ............ Danke
Train station ........ Bahnhof
Subway ................. U-bahn
Exit ........................ Ausgang
Glass ...................... Glas

Me: What's your favorite German food to order?

Robyn: The best food ever is stollen. The thing about this is you have to be there around Christmas time (it may be out this early). It’s amazing over there, fluffy, with powdered sugar on top. You can buy it at marketplaces and especially at the Christmas fairs. You have to try the original thing. The stollen is amazing.

If you’re looking for fast food, Döner. Basically it’s like McDonald’s in the sense that it just costs a couple Euros, it’s quick, but it’s so good. They serve pitas with lamb, kind of like a gyro.

Also, the salad over there isn’t just lettuce, but it is different than salad over here; it’s compartmentalized. It’s not everything thrown together—it has lettuce but everything else they put on is sectioned off.

Oh, and they don’t have fluffy bread like we have over here. It’s very hard, and that’s normal.

And the water—they’re going to give you carbonated. If you want tap water, you have to ask.

The other thing I wanted to add is they eat a lot of beets (Me: yuuuck). Yeah, beets and potatoes, stuff like that. They're really good.

Me: What’s the name of that chocolate bar Mom has insisted I have to bring her as a souvenir?

Robyn: Milka bar. It’s got a picture of a cow on it. Cappuccino, remember.

Me: Thanks for your time (or something to that effect …).

P.S. For anybody who is curious (I was), the glasstec catalog is an inch and a half thick. But I’m not worried about the show. Much.

Another Season, A Lot More Trade Shows

2008-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

It’s officially fall, and not just because the leaves have begun changing here in Virginia or, as my mom recently pointed out, candy corn is being sold at every grocery store, but because around every corner is another trade show.

This week I suspect some of you may be heading out to Metalcon, the annual conference and exhibition for the metal construction industry. I’m sure many of you reading this are getting ready for next week’s show out in Las Vegas and then many more are turning around to head to glasstec in Germany.

For both of these shows we’ll be looking to take our usual show coverage to the next level by adding to our daily USGNN.com reports and the reviews in the December USGlass with video interviews from the show floor. Exhibitors, let us know if you’re ready to let your product be the star on camera—and attendees, be sure to stop by booth 310 to let us—and our viewers—know what trends you’re seeing at the show. I can tell you from experience, it’s not quite as intimidating as it first may seem!

And for those of you heading out to glasstec for the first time—like me!—let me know as I’d love to talk to you in advance about your plans for getting the most out of this massive show.

Just beyond glasstec is the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Boston. This show is a bit further off, but I’ve already been planning for it as I’m working on an article for the November USGlass about, what else, green products. I’ve been asking a number of people in our industry (and I’d love to get your input) the seemingly simple question: What does green mean to you? While we all may have a general idea of what a green product is, contributing editor Tara Taffera will be showing in the November issue that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is examining green claims in the building industry to see which can be supported and which are just claims being made to take advantage of this widespread green trend.

Not too far beyond Greenbuild is the annual Glass Expo Midwest, which you can read about in detail in the September USGlass.

Are there any other trade shows on your radar? Let me know by posting your comment here!

Hot, Hot, HOT!

2008-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever toured a float glass facility then perhaps you already know to what I’m referring. A few weeks ago I had just such an opportunity, when Rob Struble, marketing communications manager of Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries, was kind enough to invite members of our editorial staff to tour PPG’s float facility in Carlisle, Pa. What made the tour particularly tempting was the fact that the facility, which houses two side-by-side float lines, was undergoing repairs to one of its lines. The once-in-12-years opportunity, as Rob pointed out, allowed our small group to view a line in action—as well as an up-close view of the inside of a typical line.

We started our tour from the end of the float line, which provided an interesting perspective. We walked quickly past the cutting and sorting lines and into the last chamber of the float line.

“You think that’s hot?” our guide, Mike Henry, asked as he led us into the long room. There wasn’t much to see at that end of the line where the lengthy lehr enclosed the glass being annealed. We learned later that at this point the glass is cooled to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet sweat beaded on our collective brows and one cardigan was shrugged off as we nodded.

Mike smiled and replied, “That’s not hot.”

We followed our guides further down the line and crossed into the area where the glass actually begins to take its shape atop the molten tin bath. We could see purple licks of flame at the point where the glass was pulled into the lehr. Adjustable wheels on either side of the ribbon essentially pulled the glass out into the desired thickness, one point of the process that determines whether the glass will be a 1/8- or 1/4-inch lite, for example.

“You think that’s hot, don’t you?” Mike joked again.

I personally felt like I’d been vacuum-sealed and stuck in an unvented attic like a pile of discarded winter clothes in July. It became difficult to stop thinking, no, fantasizing about the pack of water bottles sitting in the van. We nodded.

Mike laughed. “That’s not hot.”

Finally we passed the 36-foot-tall regenerators, chambers on either side of the furnace that alternately force hot air into the furnace and take the excess heat back for reuse. We’d reached the end of the line, where batch ingredients were fed into the furnace. As the raw materials were deposited into the open end of the furnace, what was a moment before solid silica, limestone, soda ash, dolomite and cullet now bobbed in a liquid state. Now that was hot—but it was all we could do to stay away at that point.

And of course it’s hot. The peak temperature inside the actual furnace is 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which silica melts. With the green focus of the upcoming November issue of USGlass on my mind, I couldn’t help but consider how much energy must be required to maintain such high temperatures 24 hours a day.

After a moment’s breath of fresh air outside, where we gazed upon mountains of glistening glass shards, divided by tint and type to be recycled as cullet, our group went back in better prepared for the heat. Our guides then dove into explaining each step of the process and helping us to find the best view of the molten batch as it proceeded through the furnace, into the refiner, along the tin bath, inside of the lehr and finally out into the open where it was cut to size.

On the walk back past the furnace we had more opportunities to peek inside the inner workings of the furnace—and into the interior of the non-working furnace, which is in the process of being rebuilt. We were given a glance inside the refiner, and were able to make out examples of the bubbles removed during the process. At that point Mike also pointed out the “tweel,” a gate that that is adjusted to control the amount of glass that enters the next chamber, the first step in controlling the size of the glass.

We were also given a few moments’ reprieve in two different examples of the air-conditioned control consoles, from which the line’s attendants view the glass via video monitors as it progresses along the line.

While it may differ for my coworkers (pictured here from left: assistant editor Katie Hodge, DWM editor Tara Taffera, yours truly, AGRR editor Penny Stacey and Wind ow Film editor Drew Vass), one of the most interesting parts for me was when we returned to the cutting line where we had first began our tour, but now with the consideration that until the lites were scored and cut, we’d been following the path of one tremendously long piece of glass. As many times as I’d read it, it was mind-boggling to think that the ribbon of glass keeps moving nonstop for years.

CLICK HERE to read Tara's perspective on the trip and HERE to read Penny's recollections of our adventure.

And if you’re interested in seeing this process for yourself—let your glass supplier know you’re interested—or you can take a look at this video from the Glass Association of North America’s Flat Glass Manufacturing Division.

Last Day of Fall Conference

2008-09-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

No offense to the fine folks at the Glass Association of North America (GANA), but I’m pretty happy to be leaving Dallas today. The Fall Conference itself has been terrific, with lots of progress made during the meetings, as well as some interesting presentations (check out www.usgnn.com for more on that). But for the second morning in a row, I woke up, turned on the news and was immediately greeted with the warning that 88 counties in Texas have already declared a disaster in preparation of Ike. This morning I learned in addition that the Dallas Convention Center is being prepared by the local Red Cross to house evacuees as the hurricane approaches.

For those of you who read my recent post on our storm-related reports, let me just say that while I’m happy to assist in getting information out there, I have no interest in offering a first-person perspective on the need for glass replacement following a hurricane …

Maybe Dallas and GANA are just a bad combination. Back in 2005, Hurricane Rita kept GANA members from attending that year’s Fall Conference, as several people commented during last night's reception. But on the other hand, I’m just glad that this go around everyone had the opportunity to come together and progress on the number of items that have been under discussion this week.

Hard at Work in Dallas

2008-09-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

As predicted, labeling did come up during yesterday’s meeting of the Fire-Rated Glazing Council (which met as part of the Glass Association of North America’s Fall Conference), but it was only one topic of many discussions. And what was most refreshing was being in the same room as the majority of individuals with whom I’d spoken for the article—and hearing the willingness to address the issue of labeling as a unified group. While the different perspectives were clearly evident in discussions, the discussion was open and the group seemed focused on finding a way to put this issue to rest once and for all. Of course, it helps that the alternative is letting the International Code Councils’ (ICC) Code Technology Committee make a recommendation to the ICC that would decide this issue for the glass industry. As Thom Zaremba commented on my way out of the room, the final chapter has yet to be written on this article - but hopefully it will be the glass industry representatives that are penning this chapter.

Last night concluded with a very well attended reception and gave everyone a chance to say hello, and gave me the chance to speak face-to-face with a couple of the folks whom I’ve had the pleasure of quoting in articles over the past year. Today I had a similar pleasure in that following his tremendous keynote address on the state of the glass industry, Apogee chairman and CEO Russ Huffer took some time out of his busy schedule for a one-on-one interview. He answered a number of questions I’ve been asking over the past couple of months for various articles, running the gamut from photovoltaics to coating advances to the rumors of a glass shortage.

One point that I thought was pretty interesting was that Russ touched base on one of the cutting-edge trends we’ve been tracking in USGlass, solar energy and building integrated photovoltaics. He stressed that while photovoltaics (PV) will be a big player in the glass industry for some time to come, there are significant challenges when it comes to integrating PV into vertical facades that are not likely to be solved in the near future. The difficulties lie in the fact that by installing solar cells on a vertical façade, there are only soaking up sun from one direction, limiting their usefulness throughout the day. In addition, he pointed out that thin film is “winning the day” with regard to costs, but is less efficient than other technologies in converting sunlight into usable electricity.

For the rest of the interview, well, you’ll just have to check out http://www.usgnn.com/ to see the interview for yourself!

Greetings from Dallas

2008-09-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

While this morning’s flight to Dallas was relatively uneventful (at least the parts I was awake for), I’m sure that the same can’t be said of the reason I’m here. The Glass Association of North America (GANA) is holding its Fall Conference at the Wyndham Hotel here in Dallas, starting with this afternoon’s meeting of the Fire-Rated Glazing Council.

This afternoon's meeting is one I've been looking forward to since wrapping up the August issue of USGlass. It had given me an opportunity to learn more about an item on this afternoon's agenda, the labeling of fire-rated glazing materials - but also an opportunity to speak to a number of the individuals present here at this meeting. One of the things I'd been told repeatedly was that although this topic has been under much discussion of late, it's only one item of interest in this specific area. (To learn about some of those other items, keep an eye on USGNN tomorrow and Wednesday!)

This is a group that certainly knows how to get down to business, so I know there will be plenty to report. We’ll have to wait and see the highlights the meetings are sure to hold, but there is one highlight set on the schedule. Russ Huffer of Apogee Enterprises is set to discuss “The State of the Glass and Glazing Industry” during tomorrow’s breakfast. I’ll be particularly interested to hear what he says as I’ve just recently finished up an article along those lines for the September issue of USGlass; that is, what is in the future for the architectural glass industry.

Of course part of that was the question of whether or not there is in fact a glass shortage on the horizon. The glass manufacturers with whom I spoke suggested that there are indications of a shortage in the future. Meanwhile, a few of the contract glaziers interviewed for a follow-up article clearly have seen no such signs. Please share your input by sending me an email or leaving your comments here.

Howling Winds

2008-08-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

In my last blog I talked about a recent trip to Miami … well, this blog also goes out to those folks located in Southern Florida, as news reports send out more warnings about what is currently (and hopefully will remain) Tropical Storm Fay.

Luckily, few hurricanes ever venture so far as our location in Virginia. Growing up near Virginia Beach brought me into some contact with hurricanes, and whenever I hear the news reports these days I recall running to a window during the eerie silence of a hurricane’s eye (obviously not the smartest move) and staring at the odd green-blue cast of the sky before the bottom broke once again and the rain came pouring down.

Well, that and those few key scenes at the end of Key Largo …

The last major hurricane with which I crossed paths was Hurricane Isabel. I have distinct memories of the time I passed with a flashlight and a novel on the (interior) bathroom’s floor while my apartment’s glass patio doors threatened to rattle off their hinges and more than a few trees fell outside.

A lot of people out there who have hunkered down listening to that sound of rattling glass, waiting for the shatter, know how valuable it can be to have a glazing contractor at the ready the following day to come pick up the pieces—and install the news ones.

At USGNN.com we aim to track many of these major hurricanes to serve our readers on two levels. First, all businesses are disrupted when a major storm comes through, but glazing contractors and glass retailers are among those involved in the recovery efforts and keeping these businesses on their feet to help others is vitally important. We aim to offer tips and suggestions for businesses in these storm areas, such as those provided in a recent USGlass article on hurricane products.

Second, because our readers are involved in these recovery efforts … we aim to help track areas where resources may be taxed and companies from somewhat further afield may benefit from assisting in glass replacement efforts.

Are these reports a helpful service to you?

Do you have any suggestions that you’d like to offer to your colleagues for preparing your business for hurricanes and other bad weather? Leave a comment here or send me an email at mheadley@glass.com.

Thanks for letting us know—and good luck to those of you riding out this coming storm.

R&R and Construction Work

2008-07-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

I know this may come as a shock to some, but I actually took a few days a week ago for a little vacation, a cruise that left Miami. As I had a late flight leaving Miami following the cruise, I indulged in a guided tour of South Beach and its striking art deco style. While Jerry, the charming tour guide, had plenty to say about the millionaires’ homes along the waterfront and stories about the area’s distinct deco style, I must confess that I was probably most interested in what he had to say about downtown Miami’s very vertical skyline.

Jerry lamented that many of the clubs for which South Beach is known have found new homes in the city’s downtown, as the district is being built up at a rapid pace. According to Jerry, the skyline shown below didn’t exist as much as ten years ago.

Now this was my first trip to Miami so I can’t vouch for that, but I can repeat the words of the taxi driver who brought me into town, that the city constantly “is just knocking down one thing to put up more condos.”

Evidence of construction was everywhere in the city, a startling contrast to the historical deco district which is fiercely protected by the city (according to the tour guide, you can’t remodel the historic building’s exteriors with colors and additions similar to the original style—it has to be exactly the same). Downtown was filled with cranes and scaffolding although, as the taxi driver pointed out, few tenants yet reside in the newest wave of condominiums.

The downtown district is slowly filling, though; according to Jerry, extensive public transportation systems have been constructed throughout downtown to account for the high increases in traffic in an urban area that never expected such high residential growth.

Taking a step back, as I gazed at the city’s skyline from the ship I thought to myself about how the buildings melded together nicely, seeming to confirm that they had all gone up within a comparable amount of time. But after the tour of South Beach, I could appreciate the influence of the deco design upon the urban architects, with the clean vertical lines repeated by interesting protrusions in the building’s otherwise flat profile. In the newer condos, some more contemporary elements had begun creeping in, such as the undulating glass balconies pictured at right.

Of course, I don’t need to point out the incredible use of glass, another “modern” element in this new downtown area.

It was pretty interesting to get a chance to see an area with so much evidence of glass going up, but I’d be curious to hear from you in the area as to whether this is a trend that’s continuing. And if one of these lovely buildings is a project on which you contributed, please speak up and let me know!

Influencing the Glass Industry …

2008-07-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, the board of the International Code Council (ICC) recently met to vote on whether or not to let its Code Technology Committee (CTC) devote time to researching “marking standards for the rating of fire-resistance and fire protection glazing.” According to Steve Daggers, who handles ICC’s media relations, the board has agreed that the issue is important enough to take on, and CTC will be added to the list of organizations examining this rating system, including the Glass Association of North America and the Americas Glass Association.

As Steve pointed out during our conversation, this is just a go-ahead to research the issue. The committee, or its study group should one be appointed, may decide a code change is necessary and it very well may not. One thing is certain, anyone with a vested interest in this issue will want to stay tuned to these meetings.

While we wait to find out if these code officials will influence this segment of the glass industry, I’m waiting to hear more about who you think is the biggest influence in the glass industry. Just a reminder, you have until August 11 to nominate those individuals who you think should be recognized as the Most Influential in the September issue of USGlass. Whether this is an individual who works quietly behind the scenes to impact our industry, or someone whose name you regularly read in the pages of our magazine, vocalize your kudos by nominating them for this list.

Playing with Fire

2008-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Back in May I got to listen in and learn a lot about the labeling of fire-rated glazing when I attended a meeting of the International Code Council’s (ICC) Code Technology Committee (CTC). At that time, the CTC agreed that it would recommend to the ICC board that the committee be allowed to form a task group that would research “marking standards for the rating of fire-resistance and fire protection glazing.” The ICC board is scheduled to address this topic during a meeting this weekend and I hope to have an update for you on Monday as to whether yet another group will be trying to find a way to label these products that suits product manufacturers and properly informs the code officials.

This is a topic we’ve reported on at great length in the past (see Ellen Roger’s very informative article on the labeling system in this April 2006 issue). And in fact, I’ve been asked a couple times in the past two weeks, while interviewing industry professionals for a related article in our August 2008 issue of USGlass, if anyone is really still interested in this topic. Maybe that’s the attitude of manufacturers no longer interested in continuing the discussion (and hey, that’s not commentary on anybody as I’ve heard it from several corners!) but so long as the topic continues to be brought up at industry meetings, I feel that we owe it to our readers to continue covering this discussion.

I’ll admit, I’m new to the intricacies of this labeling system. But the one thing I’ve heard from each and every fire-rated glazing manufacturer with whom I’ve spoken is that the intent of the label is to make things easier for building code officials. Clearly some companies and/or individuals feel the existing label accomplishes this goal, while others do not. Maybe now we’re going to find out if the building code officials feel the need to change this label; not necessarily Monday when the ICC board determines whether or not to establish a task group to research this issue, but perhaps if such research is undertaken code officials will step forth and offer their input.

In the meantime, I’d like to have your input on this issue. Have you heard input from building code officials stating that they find this system confusing? Or is all quiet on the fire-rated glazing front? Send me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com; rest assured, your name won’t be thrown in print without your express permission, but I would appreciate hearing input from the individuals affected by this issue.

Opening Discussion

2008-07-07T12:12:00.001-07:00

While I’d asked in an earlier blog on skylight safety whether you thought skylight manufacturers should be responsible for the safety of individuals walking on their product or if that should be the responsibility of the individual placing themselves in a dangerous situation—it seems like many manufacturers are asking if this should be the responsibility of glass skylight manufacturers at all. As one member of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s (AAMA) Skylight Council's skylight fall protection task group brought up in one of the recent conference calls on its scope, there's very little data at this point on how many people have fallen from skylights or what type of skylights were involved in the incident—or, for that matter, if they were skylights at all or merely some type of “roof opening” including unprotected holes on construction sites.

Since the article on ASTM committee E06.51’s work on a human impact resistance standard for skylights ran in the May 2008 USGlass, the Skylight Council task group has worked on revising its scope to reflect the fact that no concrete data exists on skylight-related accidents as of yet. It seems that the AAMA task group is doing a good job of backing up and asking that first question: what risk are we really looking at? The group is examining data to see if glass skylights are creating an unaddressed risk, and upon doing so aims to address what they can do to lower related accidents should the need be there.

As an editor dealing with technical topics I feel that much of my job is trying to collect background information to get to that first real question. Such has been the case during this last week as I’ve spoken with manufacturers of another product that has been under much discussion on our newsletter, fire-rated glazing. Over the last year we’ve published stories about several different groups that are examining the topic of labeling for this protective product. Jumping right into a topic that has been discussed since the labeling system was adopted in the 2003 International Building Code, I’ve done my best to understand the background on why this topic has raised so much discussion, and I’ve had plenty of questions for the professionals I’ve spoken with. But I feel that all of that information is needed to get to the real question behind a story, and that’s something I’m still working to find out on this topic of labeling. If you have any comments about this topic or why we’re addressing it, I’d certainly appreciate your input—shoot me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com.

For parties interested in discussing this topic anonymously, we provide our message forum as a place to share your thoughts openly and honestly.

Making Windows Work

2008-06-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

I’d mentioned a couple weeks back that I was working on a pretty neat article about solar energy. It seems that more designers, and glass manufacturers for that matter, are learning how to make their windows work for them. For instance, this link on today’s USGNN.com™ newsletter disccuses how store windows are “emerging as a new kind of billboard business.” Who needs to look through the glass when you can watch an advertisement on it?

We’ve made so many demands of glass in recent years, and it seems to be getting more complicated all the time. It’s no longer just enough for it to provide the perfectly clear view to the outside, let in natural light (while keeping out the heat, naturally), clean itself, etc., but now it also has to produce energy and keep us entertained.

And consider this incredible project that makes its glass products do both. By day, the Greenpix Zero Energy Media Wall in China uses its 20,000-square-foot glass-clad wall to soak up the sun—to produce enough energy to project videos at night.

That’s a lot for one product to accomplish. In researching my article on solar energy, it seemed incredible to me that glass could perform as highly as we’ve come to expect, and still be effective in these new roles.

But as Vince Van Son, commercial manager of Sustainable Solutions for Alcoa Building and Construction Systems, explained to me when we recently spoke, “building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems do not require the architect and building owner to give up or compromise other desired building features. Rather, BIPV systems can be complementary to the current and emerging demands of building owners, their occupants and society.”

I bet concrete manufacturers wish their product was this versatile!

Honor Your CEO

2008-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today marks the last day for entries in the USGlass magazine 2008 CEO of the Year contest, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve received information on some great candidates. I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to receive these glowing nominations of employers in our industry.

And while it will already be tough enough to choose the winners to include in our December issue—I would like to use this as reminder as an opportunity to invite any last minute nominations. If it’s impressive enough, it’s worth an extra week’s wait, right? And don’t think that we’re only accepting nominations from the biggest companies out there—we’ll be choosing winners in two categories, large and small companies. CLICK HERE for a nomination form or contact me at mheadley@glass.com if you have any questions.

I’ve got to tell you, these profiles are among my favorite articles to write, because it’s always so interesting to sit down and talk one-on-one with an industry expert and to learn the history behind the company.

I blogged last November about my visit to Owatonna, Minn., to interview Don Pyatt, CEO of Viracon and I have my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to make a similar trip on the months ahead.

You can read both my profile of Don, as well as the profile of John Wheaton, CEO of Wheaton & Sprague Engineering, in the December 2007 USGlass.

A Long Road to Whistler

2008-06-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) summer meeting started on Monday in Whistler, B.C. I feel that I should mention here that the fantastic people at IGMA really know how to pick a meeting location.

When my travels started on Saturday I couldn’t help but feel like someone at Travelocity needed a map as they had booked my flight from D.C. to Canada via Houston, but I didn’t mind the layover too much when it gave me a chance to stretch my legs … and admire the glazing in the E terminal. I felt a bit silly for being so excited to remember that when I profiled BHN Corp. in Memphis, Tenn., several years ago, they had just begun installing the glass in this wing. I particularly liked the clerestory effect of the curved windows three stories up, the natural light pouring in from all angles upon the travelers waiting below (see photo at left).

From Houston I finally made it to Vancouver—a few days early for the meeting as I had never previously had a chance to visit this amazing city. My first impression is that where in most big cities downtown is the place to be, the cityscape here just seemed in the way of the natural beauty of the mountains and rivers. Still, when traveling to an IGMA meeting, one couldn’t help but notice and appreciate the prevalent use of glass throughout the city (see photo).

The meetings kicked off on Monday and from the beginning it’s been evident that this group is here that despite the fantastic venue, the group is here to work. This isn’t one of those meetings where topics are talked about in circles. It’s been a productive and interesting meeting, with action taken in the gas permeability working group to further its test protocol for argon permeability through IGUs, there were some in-depth discussions on capillary tubes to further work in that task group and some progress made on a new educational seminar on IG manufacturing quality control. Not to mention that Tuesday’s lunch featured a timely session on building information modeling and specifically how it relates to manufacturers.

The group also discussed some exciting ideas for being more productive going forward, making this a great time for IG manufacturers to step up and get involved in the direction of this association.

Gonna Soak Up the Sun

2008-06-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

We had a beautifully sunny day for my mom’s Memorial Day cookout a couple weekends back, which I suppose could be why the conversation turned the way that it did.

My uncle, the president of a company that manufactures stoplights, had mentioned that he was working on a project very close to where I live. I needled him about providing a stoplight in one particularly troublesome intersection, and he explained the history of the project on which he was working. Upon asking how long a stoplight is designed to last, he explained that many stoplights and other construction signs are powered these days by photovoltaic (PV) panels.

Solar energy, huh? I found the conversation even more interesting as I heard it echoed later that week when I spoke with Steve Fronek, vice president of Wausau Window and Wall Systems in Wausau, Wis., about this very topic.

“It’s a real interesting topic because the overall PV market worldwide is growing like a weed and, for obvious reasons, could really be a key segment for the overall market (building integrated photovoltaics) doesn’t really get the attention because the rest of the markets are growing so fast,” Fronek commented during our conversation. “Going through road construction you’ll see the road construction sites, or the emergency phones by the side of the interstate, are now powered by solar panels instead of battery packs.”

And notice I have. Between those two conversations, my commute to work has been much more interesting lately. It’s hard for me to not notice the small panels perched atop the occasional road sign. It’s rather comforting to know that in some ways the transportation industry has adapted to the rising costs of fuel and is turning to alternative power … even if it doesn’t benefit me in my weekly ventures to the gas pump!

But what’s that about building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)? And why is it an area you should be giving attention? Well, in this day and age, BIPV doesn’t just mean those high-tech looking panels perched atop a house—it can mean power-generating spandrels and even transparent curtainwall and facades.

Maybe this solar energy thing is still just a small trend, but it’s one that’s beginning to get noticed big-time by the glass industry. Have you read USGNN.com lately?

And that’s just a few of the related stories we’ve covered since the start of this year …

For me personally, BIPV has meant one of the most interesting articles I’ve worked on for USGlass. Do you know how many types of technologies use the sun to generate power? And how many of them involve glass? And that it’s possible to produce a transparent window that creates electricity? I’ve been researching just this for an article set to appear in our July issue.

In the meantime, I’d love your input on this exciting topic. Specifically, if you know of any buildings in the D.C.-area making use of PV (especially in vision areas), be sure to let me know. You can shoot me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com.

Boston Site-Seeing, the USGlass Way

2008-05-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

I headed up to Dulles International Airport Wednesday afternoon, on my way to Boston for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention. I’m at Dulles a lot, and I always enjoy watching the progress on their construction of the new underground train lines and walkways that will better connect the terminals. Wednesday I happened to linger for a few minutes outside the security checkpoint to watch the installation of the last of a series of (comparatively) small skylights. A number of lites of glass were propped up on the roof—I suppose you can call it the roof, although the concrete surface with its scattered pyramids of glass was several feet below my viewing area. I watched a crane slowly lifting … well, presumably the skylight or pieces of it that would fill the large opening the three orange-vested workers stood around. I never saw the load make it to its destination. I decided it would be better if I didn’t dawdle too long or snap photos to share with you, readers, as security had already thoroughly checked my bags and I was hoping they wouldn’t do the same to my person.

So it was off to Boston, with my site-seeing already begun.

You see, last week’s call for unique projects in the Boston area hadn’t gone unanswered. Mike Gainey of Azon USA was kind enough to point out a unique and artistic work at Brown University, which Mapquest tells me is about an hour outside of that city. The Lines of Sight Installation is comprised of 140 windows. According to information from the school, each unit is made up of hundreds of thousands of glass elements—made of slightly green-tinted glass or crystal-clear glass, tiny magnifying lenses and small mirrors and prismatic beads—interspersed with about a half-million clear glass distillation beads. Small rectangles of glass, resembling microscope slides, were hand-engraved with phrases of poetry or prose, the authors’ names and their birth year. Finally, the outer layer of glass was sandblasted with the faint image of two hands, one on either side of the bridge. Mike reports that Solar Seal, a commercial glass fabricator in Boston, made the IG units that artist Diane Samuels worked on.

"I have not seen the glass on the jobsite but did in the factory and it was really fun to see something so artistic out of what we do every day,” Mike told me.

It seemed like such an interesting project I just had to share that background here.

While I didn’t get too much opportunity for any touristy trips in Boston—days jam-packed with seminars and booth appointments kept me hopping—there were two buildings that used glass in ways worth noting.

On Friday night Oldcastle Glass hosted a lovely reception at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter. One of the top ten sustainable buildings in the nation, as selected by AIA, the venue typically provides the city’s “underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.” On Friday night it had been transformed into a musical and colorful site for industry networking. I’m mildly embarrassed to say that I did in fact text a photo that night to my coworker Penny Stacey, editor of sister publication AGRR/glassBYTEs, not of the artwork decorating the walls but of the windshields that formed the railing along the loft-like second story. I knew Penny would approve of this mode of decorating.

The second building may seem like an obvious choice, but those of us in the combined USGlass/Glass Association of North America booth couldn’t help but comment on the appropriateness of the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as the site for our glass-related activities. The glass-walled Skywalk, the hallway across the expo, provided a neat overview of the show. And the importance of daylighting clearly wasn’t lost on the construction team responsible for the new building. It was a neat venue, and I look forward to returning soon!

Boston, Here I Come!

2008-05-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit it: I’ve been looking forward to this week’s American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention for months now. And yes, I’m looking forward to the insightful seminars on topics such as “Daylighting Obstacles,” “High-Performance Enclosures” and “Energy Codes and Fenestration.” And the interaction with architects expressing where they see demand for glass heading, providing the fuel for many articles to come. And the many appointments set up with companies such as Zeledyne (formerly ACH), which is going through such an exciting transition right now, and others that are just hinting at exciting product introductions to come. But can I be honest with you for a minute? Truth be told, I’m really excited about spending four days in Boston.

I’ve actually only been to Boston once, as part of a school trip back in college. My roommate was a historic preservation major and I was just interested enough in the fascinating topic to take part in the club activities and trips (but not the intensive class work; we lucky English majors just had to curl up with a good book!). What a great way to see a city, though, through its historic architecture.

The first thing I remember about that trip is that it was March and the wind was blowing furiously to the point that our group of 16 traversed the city through a complicated system of coffee shops in order to stay out of the cold: walk a block, stop in Starbucks, walk two blocks, pop into a local coffeehouse, walk half a block until the wind picks up, time for another caramel macchiato.

The next thing I remember is visiting Paul Revere’s house. And, ironically enough, even all of those years ago what interested me the most about the small, historic house surrounded by skyscrapers was (you guessed it) the glass in the windows. No, I am not making this up.

The tour guide explained that you could tell that several of the original lites were still in place because of the lavender color they had taken on over time. (One online source tells me the color change was due to an excess of manganese oxide in the glass. Another says the color was the result of ultraviolet light on the imperfections in a shipment of glass sent to Boston around 1820. Your thoughts?) He also noted that there was a barely perceptible difference between the thickness at the top of each small pane from the bottom because the glass was slowly “dripping” down, glass being a liquid and all … Is that so, I thought at the time. How would you have responded to this comment? Throw your best technical jargon at me so I can casually spout this industry knowledge to other tourists next time I make my way back to Paul’s home.

That visit probably won’t be during this trip. Hopefully I’ll make it out of the convention center for five minutes this week to explore more of this fascinating city. Being time crunched, I sure would appreciate it if you would stop by the USGlass booth, #14165, to share your recommendations of must-see examples of Boston architecture. I’d love another tour like the one I recently took part in while in Las Vegas for Glass Fab. You can bet I’d be staying extra days if it weren’t for the fact that my brilliant and wonderful sister is graduating from the University of Virginia this Sunday with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in French (I just had to get that “shout-out” in there). Congratulations Robyn!

Stay Safe Everybody!

2008-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Today marks the start of Building Safety Week, as promoted by the International Code Council (ICC). This year’s theme is “Building Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play.” Among the top five building safety tips the ICC proposes for homeowners is the installation of “tempered or multiple pane windows – Windows allow heat to pass through and ignite combustible materials inside. Dual- or triple-pane thermal glass, and fire resistant shutters or drapes, help reduce the wildfire risk. You can also install non-combustible awnings to shield windows and use shatter-resistant glazing such as tempered windows to help prevent breakage from heat and debris.”

I’m sure the glass industry can offer a number of additional ways in which to promote building safety. Are you promoting the many ways in which glass can keep people safe in your community?

For our part, USGNN.com recently ran a preview of an article on skylight safety that will be appearing in our May issue of USGlass. While I found in researching the article a great deal of discussion over whether a human-impact resistance standard was as necessary for glass skylights as compared to plastic skylights, it sure seems like something needs to be done. That same day we ran an article titled “Child Falls Through School Skylight.” The following day we ran this link: "Boy Fighting for Life" (notice the mention of the plastic skylight—I wish more of these articles made note of the type of product involved in these injuries). Unfortunately, these stories aren’t so rare as one might hope. Hopefully programs such as the one ICC is promoting this week will help keep more people safe.

While ICC’s safety promotion might be aimed at the consumer, what better time than the present to take a look at your own safety program and make sure your facility is in full compliance with OSHA regulations.

Las Vegas Through “Glassy” Eyes

2008-04-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

And I thought the helicopter tours of Hoover Dam sounded cool; I had no idea that Las Vegas offered a tour so exciting as the one I attended on Monday. As part of the Glass Fabrication and Glazing Educational Conference here in Las Vegas, the Glass Association of North America (GANA) offered a tour to its contract glazing session participants of some of the hottest spots (glass-wise, of course) in this city.

About 40 adventure-seekers climbed onto the tour bus. Greg “glass guru” Carney, technical director of GANA, led the tour.

The visit began with Mandalay Bay, the southernmost casino on the Strip and notable for its sparkling gold color. According to Greg, that bright gold color was created by a 10-carat gold—yes, real gold—coating applied over a clear glass substrate. Although this ritzy casino hotel may look like it features a curtainwall, it’s a regular floor-to-ceiling application, Greg says.

The bus next passed by New York, New York. Before Greg even spoke up attendees were commenting on the bright pink, green and purple glass surfaces on this striking building. When asked how those colors were made, one attendee had the answer: interlayers, not coatings.

A quick detour of the Strip drove us all to the Rio. For this stop, Greg asked his captive audience why we thought the bright building had never appeared in any advertisements, like nearly every other building in Las Vegas. Answer: two suppliers. Spectrum Glass Products started the job, but didn’t have the laminated capabilities necessary to finish, leaving Viracon to complete the task.

From bright purple it was back to gold, with a stop at Trump Tower. There Greg recounted a story about working on Trump International in New York. Mr. Trump had been looking for a gold “tribute” to New York City, and the glass fabricator was all ready to go—until architect Philip Johnson cautioned “consider your neighbors.” Johnson’s reason for that caution is obvious in the blinding glare partly captured in this photo.

Among those neighbors are the Wynn and the Encore, still under construction. The rich almost chocolate brown on those glass-clad buildings is unique to the strip—and, according to Ivan Zuniga of AGC, unique to Steve Wynn Co. It’s a proprietary color chosen by the company for this project, he explained.

As our tour went past the Circus Circus casino, the entire bus could tell what made the roof of the glass-domed big-top casino so pink—that interlayer once again.

Our next stop was to note some of the biggest trends going on in Las Vegas. First was one of the Sky Las Vegas condominiums. Condos are cropping up across the city. This one in particular had some exciting examples of glasswork. Versalux in deep blue covered the outer units, while PPG’s lighter Azuria was used on the units toward the middle of the building. Both products are spectrally selective, Greg noted, showing how more of the building in this city are taking advantage of glass products designed specifically for architectural applications rather than just for color.

Greg didn’t have details on the project next door, but it showed another trend. The lites going up appeared to be unitized (CLICK HERE for more information on that trend).

Our last stop was one most Vegas tourists are unlikely to make (I hope): the Las Vegas federal courthouse. As Greg noted, this GSA building was among the first to be produced to meet blast-resistant standards.

Just when I thought I was done playing tourist in Las Vegas, I have all sorts of new attractions to look out for!

Prepared For Anything

2008-04-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

I’ve started working on an article about glass and safety for the May issue of USGlass, and it got me reflecting on a “glass encounter” from my youth. I was playing at home with my brother and sister while my mom was out and our babysitter sat upstairs on the couch watching TV.

On what would be the last day this young lady would ever babysit us, my sister and I were antagonizing our little brother by playing school in our basement playroom and ignoring his repeated requests to come and play outside. We much preferred to sucker Rick into playing our games (even though he usually popped the heads off of our Barbies and ate the paper we used to play school) and, with the babysitter there, he couldn’t have one of his friends visit. So he stood angrily outside, watching us through the window and occasionally knocking on the glass just so we wouldn’t forget he was there.

Of course the more we ignored him, the harder Rick knocked on the window, until we were finally all shouting at each other through the glass and he was banging furiously. As I’m sure you can imagine, the glass was the first to break; I remember the jagged shards (obviously this was an older house we lived in) and a thunderous silence after all of our screaming. We stood staring at Rick and Rick stood staring at us, until somebody noticed the blood oozing from his wrist down the forearm that he stood grasping, and then the screaming began again. (Given our babysitter’s look when we found her upstairs, I’m sure that was the day she swore off children forever.)

Obviously we were stupid kids who had no business banging on the window. But does our foolish misuse of the product and overall lack of commonsense mean that the manufacturer should have had the forethought to protect us from the injury that occurred?

Maybe this is an extreme example, but it’s a question I’ve been considering as, every couple of weeks, we post another story on http://www.usgnn.com/ relating the latest fall through a skylight. Sometimes it’s kids who don’t know any better. Sometimes it’s roofers or other construction professionals lacking proper safety precautions. Either way, it’s an event that occurs frequently enough that ASTM is now working on a test method on the impact resistance of skylights.

According to task group E06.51.25 chairperson Nigel Ellis, president of Ellis Fall Safety Solutions, the group was convened “because the toll of occupational deaths is constant from year to year. And since the design of skylights is controllable by manufacturers it seems that all skylights should be tested with a uniform test method.”

Well, should it? Nigel told me during our discussion that the group is still looking from glass and skylight manufacturers as it examines this path. I’m also curious to hear what you think. How far can you go with designing to prevent injuries when the injuries that occur are due to a misuse of the product? Is it just a matter of reinforcing the need for proper fall protection equipment on a jobsite (or blocking the path to those commercial skylights and glass roofs that seems so tempting to teens)? Would labeling be helpful for manufacturers, reminding kids, maintenance staff, roofers, contractors and anyone else up on the roof that a lite of glass is not a seat? Or is this a problem that only the plastic skylight manufacturers should be considering?

Let us know what you think, because speaking out could mean determining the way skylights are tested and manufactured in the future.

Par for the Course …

2008-04-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Glass TEXpo™ ’08 is taking place in San Antonio at the end of this week—April 10-12, as a matter of fact—and the fact that this regional trade show is quickly approaching has led me to ponder once more a question that has long been on my mind: why is there always a golf tournament?

Seriously, folks. I’ve attended a fair number of conferences and written even more show previews, and it has never ceased to amaze me that there is almost always a golf outing on the agenda. For instance, the Texas Glass Association is hosting its four-person scramble on April 10 at the Pecan Valley Golf Club. (CLICK HERE for more information about the tournament.) This event seems to be a much-anticipated part of any conference and I’ll admit that perhaps some of my curiosity stems from the fact that I’ve only ever set foot on a golf course once.

… Ah yes, I remember the course well, with its lovely view of the Newport News landfill, the cement putting greens that made the ball bounce wildly, its complete and utter emptiness. If you’d ever seen my golf swing—which you probably won’t—you’d understand why it’s important that there’s no one around to witness it …

Anyway, since even with numerous trips to the range my golf game doesn’t seem to be much improving, I’ll just throw this wild suggestion out there: Putt Putt tournament anyone? In my experience, a couple of folks in business suits striving for the best angle to get their purple ball past the waterfall only gets giggles from a small number of passersby. Actually, only one individual so far has ever dared take me up on the challenge while on the road, my good friend and golf guru, Patrick … I don’t know, maybe there’s something I’m missing on this whole golf thing, but I still think Putt Putt is the way to go.

Hopefully some of you reading will make it to TEXpo this week. I’m sorry to say that I personally won’t be there. I don’t know that I’ve seen a lovelier sight than the San Antonio Riverwalk in April, and TEXpo is always a fun event. If you do make it, shoot me an email with your thoughts—I’d love to hear how it’s going.

Flipping Pages on My Computer Screen

2008-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-03-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-03-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Green Greetings from Chaos

2008-02-25T12:35:00.001-08:00

If you could see my desk this week you would begin to get some idea of just how much paper this publishing company can go through putting together a single issue of USGlass. In the four days that I’ve been back in the office since the end of Glass Week and the BEC Conference, I’ve managed to carpet my office and plaster my desk with discarded notes and edited papers, manila folders and silver paper clips camouflaged against the carpet. Folks, it is not a pretty sight.

As I’m more of a neat freak than this image conveys, my skin crawled for a minute this morning as I sunk into my chair (once I could find it), but within seconds I was caught up with the work at hand. It’s amazing how easy it is to spend the few minutes set aside for carting papers to the recycling center instead finishing one more email; to finally give in and replace the burnt bulb with a cheap light bulb in the storage closet rather than taking the time to pick out a few energy-efficient bulbs during the next lunch break.

I’ve always made an effort to reuse the manila folders until they disintegrate, and aim to print on both sides of each sheet of paper before discarding it, but up until a few weeks ago our office’s efforts at recycling wasn’t a priority. However, like many of the companies that we write about, Key Communications is pushing its employees to go greener. At a recent staff meeting, Key’s vice president of business development, Tara Taffera, put on another hat, that of Green Officer. Like many of us, Tara has gone green at home, but now she’s helping to remind us all of ways we can be more environmentally responsible at work as well—like taking those twice-used papers and sticking them in a box to be carted weekly to a nearby recycling drop-off location rather in than the conveniently located circular file.

Let’s face it, green is no longer a trend, it’s an economical approach to making the world a better place. It’s become not only an accepted way to do business but a priority for many companies—as was evident during the recent Glass Association of North America (GANA) sponsored events mentioned above.

For example, during the Glass Week Decorative Division meeting, GANA technical director Greg Carney encouraged all of the association’s divisions to focus on ways to contribute to green and LEED research. “If you have resources focused on this, share them,” he told the members. The decorative division agreed to form a task group on this topic.

The Building Envelope Contractors Division heard the plea. They agreed to develop a green construction task force as well.

“Daylighting is one of the biggest things out there and a lot of people don’t have a clue,” noted chairperson Max Perilstein.

Likewise, the Flat Glass Manufacturing Division explored the possibility of creating a climate change committee, a suggestion that grew into a green committee that would examine climate change among other factors.

As GANA executive vice president Bill Yanek pointed out during that division’s meeting, now is a prime time to start aiming to affect green legislation. “You’re going to have new administration, new Congress, new legislation,” Yanek said. “If you don’t act soon, you’re going to leave the playing field and you might have to live with what comes out of Washington.”

True enough. I’ve mentioned in this blog before the energy-related legislation coming out of Washington. Look out for the magazine’s March issue and its energy-focused article for more on that, and why what we now consider green may soon just be the way it is.

The Real Place to be in Las Vegas

2008-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

When you open your speech with the words “This isn’t going to end up on a blog somewhere is it?” you’re asking for trouble.

Just kidding, Max.

In truth, as entertaining as it was to see Max Perilstein, chair of the Glass Association of North America’s (GANA) Building Envelope Contractor’s (BEC) division hit the stage during this morning’s opening session of the BEC Conference with Ms. Rio in tow (headdress, sequins and all), it hasn’t been the (only) highlight of the conference thus far.

I’ve been here at the Rio in Las Vegas since Wednesday covering GANA’s Glass Week. While I learned a great deal following the technical discussions during the various division meetings, I was wowed during last night’s BEC opening reception when it seemed that all of the conference’s more than 700 registrants were in attendance.

Although my first BEC, I’ve been told that the large number of attendants is just a continuation of the tremendous growth this conference has seen. And last night it seemed fairly evident that the glazing contractors now here in Vegas know full well the important networking opportunities this event offers, as the conversations that began at the reception continued long into the night (or so I hear).

More impressive, it seems those same attendants are aware of the usefulness of today’s full schedule of seminars, as the room has been packed through this morning’s sessions (Check out http://www.usgnn.com/ to read more about those sessions).

Glass Week had its own definite networking opportunities. On Friday night that conference’s attendants came together for a formal dinner and the presentation of a number of awards. In particular, Stan Smith, GANA executive director, was called repeatedly to the stage in recognition of his upcoming retirement. While pulled in many directions during this busy week, Stan has agreed to spend a few minutes later this week sharing with us at USGNN.com a few reflections on his time at GANA and his plans for his retirement ahead.

Incoming executive director Bill Yanek was also honored—as much for the time he has devoted thus far to the association as for his birthday, which he was celebrating on Friday (Ms. Rio helped add to the festivities with a cake and candles while GANA members chipped in with a close-to-on-tune rendition of Happy Birthday).

Bill Coddington of W.S. Coddington Consulting was brought to the stage with a presentation of a GANA Honorary Membership due to his contributions to the industry and association (for more on Bill's contributions, CLICK HERE). After this week, with all that has been accomplished during Glass Week meetings (check out USGNN and the April issue of USGlass for full details about that) the value of this lifetime membership was clear.

I’ll be here in Vegas through tomorrow afternoon, so please stop by and say hello—or send me an email on how you can get more information about next year’s conference.

A Full Glass Week Approaches

2008-02-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

In addition to finishing up work on the March USGlass Book of Lists (email me here if you still need information on submitting a form), I’ve been working on another list of sorts: my packing list. As I’m sure many of you are as well, I’m eagerly heading toward warmer weather this week for the upcoming Glass Week and Building Envelope Contractors (BEC) conferences, February 13-19, sponsored by the Glass Association of North America (GANA).

It’s going to be a long, busy week out in Las Vegas. While this will be my first year in attendance at BEC—an event I’m much looking forward to, as I’ve been speaking with a number of glazing contractors lately regarding their spots in the Book of Lists—I have some experience regarding Glass Week. One thing I recall from last year’s event is that I wasn’t the only newcomer. Last year marked the first meeting of the Fire-Rated Glazing Council, chaired by Jerry Razwick of Technical Glass Products. The council had set its sights on becoming a forum for communications on fire-rated glazing issues; developing technical resources for industry and design professionals; supporting the development, enhancement and maintenance of product standards and codes; and providing consensus on industry positions on fire-rated glazing issues to improve the knowledge and effectiveness of organizations and agencies interested in fire-rated glazing and fire-rated glazing code provisions.

Last year was also a first meeting for the Decorative Glass Division under elected chair Kris Vockler of ICD High Performance Coatings.

As I recall, last year’s Glass Week featured a presentation from Rachel Long of Hospitality Design magazine on decorative trends regarding glass. Her slide presentation was filled with images demonstrating high contrast between materials, such as a mix of textures and colors; chameleon materials; and the trend toward building green, with examples of how glass can let natural light into a space. Now I’m sure we’ve all noticed by now that the green “trend” has hardly slowed this year, but I’ll be interested to learn what this GANA division has to say about decorative glass trends and how they’ve changed or picked up steam in the last year.

Now, with a year of work under their belts, I’m looking forward to hearing the updates from these two groups, in addition to the latest news from the more seasoned GANA divisions.

CLICK HERE to read more about last year’s Glass Week conference. Otherwise be sure to stay tuned to USGNN.com™ for daily updates from this year’s event—whether you make it to Las Vegas or not!

Sun and Sand or Desk and Mouse?

2008-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last Monday I traveled down to Sanibel Island, Fla., to report on the 8th annual conference of the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA). The weather on the 12-mile long island, famous for its beaches filled with unique shells, reached the low 80s before I left. Yes, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

I’m sure that the sunny shores of Florida (in January, no less) are a great temptation to members of any association—or the industry at large—to participate in industry meetings. But for those individuals who haven’t found an opportunity to get involved—why not?

The IGMA Certification and Education committee asked a similar question during last week’s meeting. The group questioned how to best provide its educational seminars to individuals who haven’t yet taken part (CLICK HERE to read that story). Specifically, the committee considered whether it should offer its Preventing Insulating Glass Failure seminar (and an upcoming seminar on IG quality procedures) at industry trade shows in the future, or reserve it for online use where interested individuals could access it at their leisure.

Certainly the use of online webinars, and even “virtual expos,” are greatly increasing. These educational tools offer the benefit of being able to take part from the comfort of one’s own chair (many even feature virtual “hands” you can raise to ask questions during a presentation). I’ve listened in on many a webinar to bring an afternoon of education to our readers.

However, it can be argued that webinars are lacking in one important feature—networking opportunities such as those gained during coffee breaks, group dinners and the occasional volleyball tournament. Of course, in this day and age where individuals can search for their soul mate online, email networking isn’t entirely impossible …

Another possibility suggested by the committee was offering its seminars in those metropolitan areas where large numbers of the target audience reside. Again, it increases the convenience level, but it may leave out many other people who might still resist travel but are otherwise interested.

Both are good options sure to draw new participants, as we’ve learned here.

The USGlass/USGNN.com™ online message forum aims to build relationships and networking via the web. It’s one place where individuals in the industry can turn to ask questions as they arise, getting answers not only from our online editors but also from their colleagues in the industry.

If you are in fact looking for educational opportunities to come to you, and bringing the networking opportunities that entails, consider the regional Glass Expos sponsored by USGlass magazine. Our March issue will feature a preview of the upcoming Glass TEXpo™ ‘08 to be held April 10-12 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. More information about the upcoming expos can be found HERE.

Where do you turn for your continued education? Whatever method you choose, I hope USGlass plays a part.

Are You Ready For Some Curtainwall?

2008-01-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

First, let me just say that I am not a football fan. Yes, I’ll admit it: when watching the Super Bowl, I turn down the volume on the game and turn it up for halftime and commercials—if the game is turned on at all. But due to the fact that a new and significant person in my life lives, breathes and eats (almost) entirely for the Washington Redskins, I found myself in recent months putting down my book to high-five the aforementioned significant other when the team makes a touchdown, or gains yards or, occasionally, because the chili made for that week’s game was really, really good.

And, yes, I do have a maroon and gold tee-shirt that I have been required to wear for several games because the first time I wore it the ’Skins won (clearly, that tee has since been retired).

So as you can imagine, I held my breath when it slipped out over dinner one night that I was even considering profiling the new Dallas Cowboys football stadium due to its use of unitized curtainwall systems.

In a recent interview, Larry Long, president of Oldcastle Glass Engineered Walls in Dallas, told me that the company had supplied the curtainwall system for the new stadium.

“It’s all unitized—375,000 square feet of curtainwall,” Larry told me. “It’s just huge. It’s got 5,000 units on it.”

Oldcastle has been engineering the project for more than eight months now, and began shipping units in late December. Haley-Greer Inc., also of Dallas, is installing the glass for this project.

“It’s supposed to have the world’s largest retractable all-glass doors,” I related over dinner, trying to stress the unique use of glass and not my traitorous interest in the rival team’s project.

The boyfriend took this all relatively well. “Hm. Well. Are you writing anything about the Nationals’ new stadium? There’s supposed to be a lot of glass involved there.”

True, true. For now I’ll offer this link on the new baseball stadium in Washington, D.C., and its use of glass. But be prepared somewhere down the road for the sports issue of USGlass …

In the meantime, if you want to talk football, leave USGlass blogger Max Perilstein a comment here. If you want to talk about unitized curtainwall, send me an email at mheadley@glass.com!

Best and Worst

2008-01-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

I can still remember sitting in the back of the high school auditorium, legs propped up on the stiff back of the chair in front of me, bemusedly watching my high school classmates singing and acting silly for our class’ Senior Night. Being pretty shy, I had never really been one for after-school activities, but even I was touched by the thought of graduation being only days away and knowing I might never again see many of the characters I’d grown up with.

Following the concerts, standup and skits, the audience was entertained with a list of nominees for the class superlatives. I can hardly remember most of the categories or winners; I’m sure it was the usual—“Most Popular,” “Best Dressed,” “Class Clown,” “Most Likely to Go to Prison Instead of College,” etc.—that all high schools have. But you can only imagine my embarrassment when I heard the emcee call out the category “quietest,” followed by my name and a long pause; that’s right, I was the only nominee. Believe me, the last thing the shy kid wants is to be recognized for being so quiet!

So many years later, I’m now in the process of putting together my own list of “superlatives” of sorts. That is, USGlass is gearing up for its Fourth Annual Big Book of Lists, to be featured in the March 2008 issue. I’m planning to spare you, Readers, such categories as “Most Popular” and “Best Dressed” (unless those are the lists you’ve been anxiously awaiting—I’d like to see those nominations!). Instead, we’ll be ranking the glass industry’s top manufacturers, fabricators, distributors and retailers, organized by product type, revenue and even number of years in business.

This year's list will also once again feature the list of top glazing contractors, with a description of each company in addition to information about locations and size. If you’re looking to see where you fall among your peers, look no further.

In addition, this year’s Book of Lists will be featuring such first-time categories as top minority-owned businesses; top women-owned businesses; top glass retailers; and top glass franchises.

Of course, this is all dependent upon the responses we receive from you, Readers. Luckily, becoming a part of the Book of Lists is simple; CLICK HERE to fill out a form. Please fill out the forms in their entirety to be considered. Forms are due by January 18, 2008.

If you have any questions—or suggestions for lists you would like to see—drop me a line or post a comment here. Or feel free to share the superlatives you received so many years ago—I know I’ve met a couple of Class Clowns and Most Likely to Succeeds out there!

No Assembly Required

2008-01-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

Although not a parent myself, I have enough friends and cousins in that boat to know that the holiday season brings out the handyman in parents rushing to assemble bike parts, dollhouses and race car tracks in the late night hours when Santa is supposed to be visiting.

Last year, my mom and stepdad bought themselves a fun toy (although addressed to my siblings and I) and spent their New Year’s Eve assembling a pool table from a box. This year it was my turn; my Dad bought me a terrific wine rack that can be made to fit into nearly any space available. The catch? It has to be assembled entirely from scratch (pegs and slats with pre-drilled holes provided) before it can hold a single bottle of Shiraz.

USGlass/USGNN.com web assistant Kim recalls the toy car wash/gas station she received for Christmas one year. She was old enough to know the sad truth about Santa, so spent Christmas day helping her parents with the assembly of the intricate little pieces.

Wendy, online reporter for USGNN.com, said that there was no way she would be staying up this Christmas Eve putting together toys; the Laugh & Learn learning home she bought for her young son came already (mostly) assembled. Even the big plastic toy, however, had its share of tiny screws that Wendy rushed to attach before her curious toddler found them.

Can you blame Wendy for wanting everything already assembled? Who wouldn’t want their bikes and dollhouses and pool tables to come ready to go?

Well, what about those glazing contractors who want their curtainwall to come already assembled? In the February USGlass we’ll be revisiting a topic touched on in our August 2006 issue (CLICK HERE to read “Short Cuts”), the use of unitized curtainwall products. Who wouldn’t want to use these largely preassembled systems? No, that’s not a rhetorical question. We’re looking for information about the benefits, as well as the drawbacks, of these systems and why you have, or have not, turned to using them in your projects. Post your comments here, or send me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com, to be included in this feature.

Or feel free to post here if you just want to share the fun no-assembly-required items you received this year for Christmas!

Senate Sets Timeline for Zero-Net-Energy

2007-12-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Last week the Senate passed H.R. 6, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (CLICK HERE for more information about the bill). While most news articles are focusing on how this bill will affect automobile fuel efficiency, the bill does have a provision that sets a timeline for creating zero-net-energy commercial buildings, which I’ve talked about in several earlier posts.

Section 422 of the bill requires that the appointed commercial director of the Office of High Performance Green Buildings (established by the bill) lead the zero-net-energy commercial building initiative to reduce the quantity of energy consumed by commercial buildings and achieve the development of zero-net-energy commercial buildings. The commercial director, working with the High-Performance Green Building Partnership Consortium (also created by the bill), will conduct research and benchmarking on design and materials; offer technical assistance activities to encourage adoption of technology and products; provide training for “building professionals and trades;” and support state and local code-setting organizations in developing minimum performance standards that “recognize the ready availability of many technologies utilized in high-performance energy-efficient buildings.” The bill would also develop separate incentive strategies for builders and purchasers, and landlords and tenants. The section authorizes set appropriations through 2018.

This bill, like H.R. 3221, sets a timeline; this one would require any new commercial buildings after 2030, fifty percent of commercial building stock after 2040 and all commercial buildings after 2050 be zero-net-energy.

H.R. 6 has been moved to the House, where it awaits another vote. If it, or another bill like it is passed, what will be the implications for the glass industry? What will be the biggest challenges toward going net-zero? Post your thoughts here.

A Time to Give

2007-12-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

As the holidays approach, it’s been getting festive here at our office. We recently took part in the tenth annual Festival of Trees, a local event that included a silent auction of decorated Christmas trees. Proceeds from the auction went toward the Hope House, which provides shelter for homeless women and children in the area.

Our office decorated a tree according to the theme “A Storybook Christmas.” Being a publishing company, it seemed only right to promote the wonderful books written about the holiday season. Our little tree was filled with familiar ornaments—Rudolph, Frosty and the Nutcracker, for example—and the referenced books were nestled among the branches. It turned out to be a fun way to get ready for the holidays, in addition to a great way to give back to the community.

We’re also preparing for our annual Secret Santa gift exchange next week. I’m not sure if it’s like this in other offices, but there’s always a group here that will analyze each detail of every present, from when and how it is delivered to the type of packaging used, to try and guess the Secret Santa of every individual in the office. It’s amazing how the holidays can bring out the competitive side of people!

How does your office celebrate the holidays? Do you decorate and exchange gifts? Do you give back to the community? Do you get together for a special meal? Please share your stories by sending me an email or commenting here. (Our social committee will appreciate any ideas you can send their way!)

Also be sure to let the staff of USGNN know if you are planning to close for the holidays. An announcement will be run on the daily newsletter next week—yes, next week is already the week before Christmas!—to let your customers and colleagues know when your office will be closed. You can reach the survey HERE to respond.

My Net-Zero Reading List

2007-12-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

I’ve been doing a little reading this last week about net-zero energy buildings. USGNN.com ran a story on August 14 about the pending legislation that would require net-zero energy commercial buildings by 2050 (the House has passed this bill and now it sits waiting for the Senate) – you can see that story HERE. The term net-zero energy is used because it isn’t that these buildings don’t use any energy at all, they just don’t use more energy than they’re able to produce. What I’ve found so exciting is that in every article about this that I’ve read, glass and window performance is featured prominently.

The technology needed to create these net-zero buildings doesn’t just involve ways of creating energy, such as through solar power. It also involves limiting the amount of energy that is used. It’s the same emphasis on energy efficiency but to a whole new level.

I asked in an earlier post if you think net-zero energy buildings are really attainable. But it seems like many people out there do in fact think this is possible – the designers of Integrated Design Associates’ (IDeAs) new corporate headquarters, for instance. Check out the IDeAs Z2 Design Facility, a very real net-zero building, HERE and notice how prominently daylighting and “advanced glazing” are featured on the website.

One of many interesting facts about this building is that it was actually a remodel—so individuals who believe that net-zero energy may be attainable in new construction but not retrofits may lose some of their argument after reading about this project.

Kim Swanson with EHDD Architecture, the firm that helped to design the remodel, explained to me during a recent conversation that the building started out as a concrete block that had few to no windows. “Part of getting the zero-energy is getting some daylight,” Swanson said. So the first step for EHDD was cutting into the concrete on the south façade to create room for a full wall of sliding glass doors.

The building also now sports a number of skylights. “We cut a dozen or so skylights into the existing roof also … so we could rely on daylight as much as possible,” Swanson said.

In addition to high performance glass throughout, the building also features electrochromic glass on its East façade.

Daylighting and electrochromic – those words pop up frequently in articles about net-zero energy buildings. But in what other ways can the glass industry contribute to these requirements and make net-zero energy a reality? Post your comments on this blog or feel free to drop me a line at mheadley@glass.com. Or share what you’re reading these days and see if that makes it into next week’s blog!

Glass Tourism

2007-11-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

While I’m sure the thousand+ employees of Owatonna, Minn.-based Viracon enjoy their respective jobs, I imagine it’s been awhile since someone has been so excited about stepping foot into that facility as I was when I visited the company earlier this month. (Want to know what spurred that visit? Then be sure to look for the December issue of USGlass!) While I’ve been working with USGlass magazine on and off for nearly four years now, I hadn’t previously had the opportunity to visit a glass fabrication facility, so the tour I got made me as happy as a two-year-old given free rein in Toys R Us.

Up to this point, trade shows have been the big highlight for me as they have provided an opportunity to go out and see up close the equipment I spend so much time writing about. But it was a greater thrill to see the equipment dirty and in use, and working in such easy coordination with multiple other pieces. Some of the lines, altogether, seemed longer than my apartment. And just watching the big lites of glass moving up and over the floor to where they needed to be was amazing.

I mean, it’s one thing to get a sample of a spacer product in the mail, and another thing altogether to take in the sight of spacer frames hanging ready for application, practiced technicians putting them into place, the machinery running over the spacer and trapezoidal lites—somehow making the whole sandwich line up just right—with the sticky silicone being slapped into place. So that’s how it all works! The silkscreening process was another delight to watch. I’ve helped silkscreen tee shirts in the past; how neat to see that the process isn’t that much different with glass—even if the similarities are only there on a very basic level. That is, the screen and roller I saw putting patterns on glass at Viracon were just a bit bigger than what I used in my mom’s garage. And don’t even get me started on the peek I got at the coating line and the brilliant colors within.

I’m sure there are a few chuckles out there, since I know this is old hat for most of you. But hopefully you can appreciate that for somebody relatively new to the industry—still a bit of an outsider looking in—your business is really quite exciting.

I’ve already received a couple of invitations to visit additional companies, and many thanks in advance. As I’m sure you can all imagine, frequent deadlines keep me on my toes, but as I travel for meetings I’d be happy to extend a trip a day to take in the exciting sights like a true glass industry tourist. (Now there’s a coffee table book idea my dear friend and USG contributor Brigid O’Leary and I have yet to discuss … photos of glass shops around the country. Hmm, why hasn’t the travel channel thought of that …?)

I guess now when I’m on the interstate in the morning and I see the occasional glass carrier, I won’t just wonder where they’re going—I’ll wonder now where they’ve been!

The Light Bulb Goes On

2007-11-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well I don’t know about you, but my big plans this weekend involved buying new energy-efficient light bulbs. It’s always the same—you sit in a cold, dark room for several hours listening to incredibly inspiring speeches about the very real ways we can all improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and in general leave less of an impact on our planet while saving money, and you walk out wanting to change the world. That is to say, I was lucky enough to attend the first inaugural Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition (EE Global) in Washington, D.C., last week (You can read more about the event at http://www.usgnn.com/ and in the December issue of USGlass).

Ok, maybe buying light bulbs isn’t a huge step. But that’s one of the points RK Stewart, president of the American Institute of Architects, seemed to make during his presentation, “What Kind of Ancestors Will We Be?” According to Stewart, we can start right now to reduce energy consumption—at no cost—by using the systems we have available smartly. Little steps from architects, like reconsidering window size and orientation can make the most of available sunlight, Stewart said.

One of the points I found most interesting, that was stressed again and again by speakers on all topics, was how big increases in energy efficiency can be attained through very little cost. Scot Horst, chairperson of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Steering Committee, showed real examples of buildings where energy efficiency was increased—with great financial savings—simply by looking at buildings holistically. Horst put graphs up on the screen showing the cost of investments in daylighting and IG units in a school in New Jersey. The cost savings seemed to support his point. But then Horst flipped to the next slide and explained that because the IG units led to reductions in the amount of heat pumps needed to warm the building, fewer (very pricey) holes had to be dug for the heat pumps and suddenly the cost savings were astronomical. Not only were many of these solutions cost-effective, but many relied on our industry.

The solutions presented during EE Global all made good sense to me. But then sitting and listening to Representatives promote their books about the environment and energy efficiency “idea” people talk about how easy it could be to make these changes isn’t the same as listening to product engineers and curtainwall consultants talk about the very concrete things that need to be done to make buildings more energy efficiency. So you tell me, you’re the experts—is improved energy efficiency really about changing our mindset to look for the available opportunities? Is it as cost-effective as the idea folk would have us believe? And while we’re on the topic of improving energy efficiency, do you think net-zero energy buildings are really attainable? What do you think?

One more important point. I’d like to encourage all of you meeting organizers out there to consider the value of an ice cream sundae bar at your next event. Don’t underestimate the power of chocolate and vanilla covered with m&m’s, sprinkles, whipped cream and cherries at provoking networking.

Speechless

2007-11-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

I’m sure that those of you who helped to vote for the Key Communications’ employee with the best Halloween costume at www.glass.com/halloween know that a picture is worth a thousand words. (I know, I didn’t dress up this year—let’s just say I’m already planning something elaborate for this time next year!) When advertising coordinator Erin Harris, winner of this year’s contest, was describing to me her plan to dress up as a rabbit in a magician’s hat, I couldn’t have pictured the top hat the one-time set designer ultimately put together as part of her costume. If you missed the chance to vote on USGNN.com, you should check out the link above for a good giggle.

Yup, sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. That’s how I felt when I saw Erin’s costume. That’s how I felt when Don Kelly of Midwest Curtainwall sent me the photos of the glass installation for the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge (featured on the cover of the October issue of USGlass). Many times I’ve driven over the bridge that crosses the Potomac River, and can see the finished product anytime. But for me, seeing those photos of the glaziers in action was a fascinating glimpse of a challenging job. To read (and write) about the difficulties faced on this job was quite a learning experience, but the photos offered a different perspective.

I sure do appreciate the beautiful building photos that get sent my way, and that are often featured on our covers. What better way to celebrate the end of a tough project than by showing your peers the end result. But don’t forget that those photos of works-in-progress have great value too. How about sending them into USGlass for a chance to have them published in a future issue? That’s right, we’re looking for photos of your most unique jobs, your most challenging jobs, you or your employees hard at work on the job, the most unusual problem you’ve run across on the job and any of the other fantastic photos you look forward to sharing with your peers. Here’s the chance to show off the innovative ways that you get to your end result.

You can email photos to me at mheadley@glass.com. For a chance to be featured in a future issue, please make sure your PC formatted TIF or JPG files have a resolution of 300 dpi or higher. I look forward to hearing from—I mean, seeing—you down the road!

If Only …

2007-10-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Bill Bryson, author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and A Walk in the Woods, once wrote: “Among the many thousands of things that I have never been able to understand, one in particular stands out. That is the question of who was the first person who stood by a pile of sand and said, ‘You know, I bet if we took some of this and mixed it with a little potash and heated it, we could make a material that would be solid and yet transparent. We could call it glass.’ Call me obtuse, but you could stand me on a beach till the end of time and never would it occur to me to try to make it into windows.”

Well, Bryson, my amazement doesn’t stop there. With the wide variety of glass products now available, it’s amazing to think that product engineers are able to look at a perfectly useful window and say to themselves, “Sure, this is great, but what if it were also able to—” thus inspiring a future winner of the USGlass Product of the Year award.

Just this weekend I was discussing the wild options available for residential windows. My mom mentioned during a phone call that she would be replacing the windows in her living room. The room has a shaded view of Hampton Creek and while during the summertime the river breeze cools most of the house, the winter heating bills can be painful. We discussed some of the options that are now available to help keep the heat in and the frosty weather out.

“Now if only I could find a window that would clean itself,” my mom sighed before we said goodbye.

“Actually,” I couldn’t help but add, “there are self-cleaning glass products now on the market.”

Maybe this option isn’t right for my mom now, but it might be someday. And surely you engineers out there who work on a somewhat larger scope than my Mom’s ranch house also begin your designs for the next breakthrough in glass products with the simple words “if only.”

You can think of our Product of the Year awards as a tribute to the ingenuity that follows those words, “if only.” This spotlight isn’t just a tribute to the exciting advances in our industry over the course of the last year, but also an indication of the direction new products in the year ahead may take us. So keep an eye on your inbox for our upcoming survey for the 2007 Product of the Year, and be sure to cast your vote.

How Do You Say That Again?

2007-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

I knew there would be perks when I became the editor of USGlass. After all, what’s more glamorous than the world of glass? OK, maybe I anticipated more hard work than I did fun and excitement, but I was recently lucky enough to combine the two. The 15th Vitrum equipment and machinery trade show held in early October in Milan was my first international trade show.

I’d been overseas a few times in the past, and I was prepared for the usual hardships: not recognizing anything on the menus (or on the plates); perfecting Charades when communicating with shop owners; trying to remember what size shoe I wear in European sizes … But I wasn’t sure what to expect on the trade show floor, so I had plenty of questions. Would my boss really send me to a show where I couldn’t read the brochures or talk to the people in the booths? Would anyone have time to talk to a lowly editor from the USA? Would the Italian women scoff at my comfortable shoes? Would my brother’s Italian roommate get sick of me asking for translations?

My anxiety vanished, even before the jet lag subsided, once I reached the beautiful FieraMilano exhibition center in Rho. It was true, there were a small number of booths at the trade show where I could only exchange a smile and a shrug with the person pacing within. For the most part, however, it was fascinating to speak to people—even people I’d spoken to at recent American shows—about their products within the context of an international setting. I hadn’t thought before about the increasing popularity of solar glass in Europe, where astronomical fuel prices put our record highs to shame. Or considered how a piece of equipment designed for shower door notching could be adapted for more utilitarian functions (am I the only person who has never seen a shower door, much less a shower curtain, in Europe?).

And I couldn’t help but marvel at the size of the booths. To answer my earlier question – due to the large size of the booths, I was perfectly content with my ugly, yet comfortable, walking shoes. The mammoth pieces of equipment made the big booth sizes mandatory, of course. But for someone who has yet to step into a manufacturing facility, it was fascinating to wander within the confines of a company’s booth and watch one individual and then another set a line of equipment in action.

As I became used to the large booths, I started noticing other details—like the food. In the past I’ve appreciated the bowls of Snicker bars and the like often on display at trade shows in the States. But I’ve never been to a show where the wine comes out first thing in the morning alongside the plates of cheese, meat, olives, sculpted confectionaries and other amazing sights. As these goodies might suggest, even when company executives didn’t have a moment to spare for questions, this sense of hospitality kept attendees content to wait and socialize with their peers until a free moment arose.

Another of the many important details I took away from my trip was that the pocket-size Italian-to-English dictionaries leave out some critical translations. Luckily, I have a plan to fix that. I’m hoping to get your help in preparing for the next Vitrum, October 28-31, 2009, with my very own Glass Industry Italian to English Dictionary. It will be filled with such useful words and phrases as:

Vetro = Glass
Stato dell’arte = State-of-the-art
Fotovoltaico = Photovoltaic
Padiglione = Pavilion
Uscita = Exit
Permesso = You’re walking too slowly on the moving walkway
Espresso = My tongue doesn’t feel hairy this morning, do you have anything to drink?

And many more. For our overseas readers, please leave me a comment with the useful words and phrases you wish these slow Americans visitors would finally learn (or a comment defending your espresso). For my North American friends (and I saw at least a handful of you at the show), what invaluable words did you pick up on the trade show floor? Send in your suggestions - and just wait and see if they don’t show up in our Vitrum 2009 Preview.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the November 2007 USGlass and the (more technical) review of this year’s show.

Oops, one last thing. As you might expect, I did make the most of every available sightseeing opportunity while in Milan. But even when wandering through the city, I couldn’t help but think about Italian glass. Check out this captivating view of the famous Galleria shopping mall in Milan: