Next week, in this space, I will announce the 2025 Glass Industry MVP Award winner, along with the runners-up. I started this program in 2013 to recognize folks/companies who go above and beyond for our space, and it’s been a great mix of people & companies from far and wide. Below is the list of past winners and past runners-up.
"Where do I find installers?" is a common question these days. As is the case for many industries, there's not one easy answer to this problem in the world of construction. A lot of people are nearing retirement and young people have been steered toward college and away from the trades for generations, so where do you find employees when the trades are on fewer and fewer peoples' minds?
To plan for the year ahead, find a comprehensive market outlook in our yearly economic forecast, plus other resources to stay on top of market, regulatory changes and other trends that could affect your business.
Hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed the holiday! Kicking it off this week, a few forecasts dropped while I was off. First, the latest Architectural Billings Index (ABI) came in slightly higher than last month, but it's still underwater. Up is up, though, and the key metric I always stare at is the inquiries, and that did gangbusters, clocking in with its best score dating back to February of 2024! Meanwhile, Dodge’s latest report showed Non-Residential starts up 17.9% from last month.
The latest edition of the “From the Fabricator” podcast is now live, and we go coast to coast with two tremendous guys. I start in Seattle with Joe Kaiser of Herzog Glass. Thoughtful and brilliant guy, and the chance to learn more about him and the world inside Herzog was fun. Plus more tidbits on glazing the Space Needle. Then to the East Coast in Pennsylvania with Michael Duncan of Viwinco Windows.
Aerial robots. Megatall skyscrapers. Custom, abstract façades. These were just some of the ideas presented at the Façade Tectonics Institute “Façades Forum,” held in mid-October at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
I’m completely beat… GlassBuild finally arrived, and the three days passed in a flash. So, it’s now time for my annual gigantic recap, including what I saw and heard at the show, and, of course, a lot of name drops. I was very lucky to run into many amazing people. So, settle in, this is traditionally my longest blog of the year…
Finally. GlassBuild America week! If you are at the show, please feel free to grab me to say hi. I often am in 1,000 different directions, and I miss seeing people… I look forward to it.
Most glass, window, and door companies think artificial intelligence, or AI, means million-dollar projects. That belief keeps them stuck doing nothing. The smart move is to start small with AI and visibility systems that deliver immediate ROI: content creation, research automation, voice agents for after-hours calls, and follow-up systems.