The latest From the Fabricator podcast features interviews with Tom and Kyle Nesbitt of United Architectural Metals and United Glass and Panel, along with a previously transcribed conversation with Omar Maalouf of Momentum Glass. The podcast also hit No. 1 on the Million Podcasts glass industry rankings, while industry news includes United Plate Glass celebrating 45 years, Marc Donahue returning to the Apogee Architectural Metals fold and Tom Herron joining Key Media and Research.
As façades grow more complex and glass units get larger, installation planning and specialized handling technology are becoming as critical as the engineering of the curtain wall system itself, as illustrated by a hurricane-rated curved glass project at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The author argues that installation questions belong in preconstruction, not the field, and that the next major curtain wall innovation may be the equipment and methodology that make ambitious designs practical to build.
Bird-friendly glass remains a niche product largely limited to high-profile commercial projects, but to meaningfully reduce the more than one billion annual bird deaths from glass collisions in the U.S., it must become a mainstream option across residential and smaller-scale commercial markets. Advances such as first-surface laser etching may offer the breakthrough the industry needs, delivering bird-deterrent patterns that are subtle to people, compatible with high-performance coatings and scalable within existing manufacturing workflows.
I believe leadership in our industry starts with building trust, open communication and genuine care — measuring performance by the quality of work, not the hours spent doing it. My goal is to create a culture where people take ownership, support one another and deliver great results, even when I’m not in the room.
Recent incidents involving a school shooting in Bend, Oregon, and a mass bird strike at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Global Hub highlight the consequences of partial adoption of security and bird-friendly glazing products, reinforcing the industry’s need to push harder on education and specification. Elsewhere, Salem acquired Matodi as its fifth operating company, and the latest podcast episode featuring LuxWall and 1st Choice Glass drew strong listener feedback.
The energy-efficient windows market worldwide is forecast to reach $31.4 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2025 to 2033, according to a recent market research report by Research Intelo.
Hospitality interiors are asked to feel calm while absorbing constant movement and shifting light. Textured glass, patterned glass, and antique mirror are increasingly specified to manage that tension, regulating glare and defining thresholds without heavier partitions.
Thrilled to have a new episode of the “From the Fabricator” podcast for you. This one lets us dive into hot companies and products while also addressing the industry’s needs.