The Building Envelope Contractors (BEC) Conference, held early last week, will prove to be one of its most memorable editions. The 24-year old conference departed Vegas and landed in Music City USA for the first time. Its notable debut there was peppered with increasing concern about the spreading coronavirus, which kept some attendees from shaking hands or standing too close to each other. And then there was the nearby tornado that jolted attendees awake and out of their hotel rooms early Tuesday morning. I recognize that it may seem trivial to focus on the conference when 24 people lost their lives in the tornado Tuesday morning and that there are… Read More »
Well, alas, our look back at the last decade—the 10s— is coming to an end. So far we’ve tackled the top glass business stories of the decade and the top contract glazing stories of the same. It’s been a bit of pressure, a bit of fun and a bit of nostalgia to look back and choose among all the changes that took place during the past ten years. Just a reminder that these stories are my take on the biggest ones, pulled from my memory, our archives and statistics. Though they represent my opinion only, they are built from a lifetime in the glass information business. The Top Glass Industry… Read More »
Last week, we took a look at the biggest business stories in the glass and metal industry in the past decade. This week, let’s take a look at the biggest contract glazing stories of the 2010s. Before we go there, just a reminder that these stories are my take on the biggest ones, pulled from my memory, our archives and statistics. Though they represent my opinion only, they are built from a lifetime in the glass information business. Here they are: “Top Five Contract Glazing Stories of the Decade 2010-2019.” The Internationalization of the Contract Glazing Business 2010-2019 The Great Recession that seeped into the beginning of the decade made… Read More »
This month is not only the start of a new year, but a new decade. It’s come upon us before we have even figured out what to name the last one—the tens? The teens? The Roaring Twenties are about to be replaced by a whole new set of 2020s. As 2019 ended, many people and organizations (including ours) focused on the biggest stories of the year. So I thought, instead, I would reflect upon the biggest stories of the last decade. I had quite a cadre of events to pick from as I searched my memory, our archives and statistics to come up with the top five. The picks represent… Read More »
The new year is around the corner and with the year’s end comes a look back at it. 2019 was a mixed bag, notable because its news did not include the major bombshells (think CRL to CRH) of the past few years but memorable because its news has major implications for years to come. So here’s my top five stories of the year, not necessarily the most widely read, but the ones I think will prove the most significant over time. The Sale of Erie Architectural Products to YKK AP North America—This sale gives YKK a strong presence in the unitized arena and adds to its expertise—a very strategic move… Read More »
A couple of thoughts for a cold winter’s day here in the East (colder still in the Midwest I know): 1. The News Today, Oh Boy: The news this morning that the Erie Architectural Products Group had been acquired was stunning—not so much for that fact, as for who the buyer was. Erie has long been known as a well-run, forward thinking company and rumors of suitors have been in abundance for months. It would have been an excellent strategic fit for a number of companies focused on the future. The fact that YKK AP America made it its first acquisition here in the States is significant was well. YKK… Read More »
Glass Expo West ‘19 is just around the corner and for me that means heading west this week. But before the big trip, I wanted to share a few items of interest that have come up in the past few weeks. (And, if you are in the San Diego area, here’s a free pass to the event.) Each reflects subtle changes with implications for our industry: AIA has updated a number of key construction documents including a new one that specifically addresses construction managers as advisors (CMa’s) and constructors (CMc’s). The AIA document also incorporates changes made in 2017 to the A201 General Conditions. What’s especially interesting to me is… Read More »
By the title, you might think I am going to talk about Thanksgiving. Well, maybe I will, but just a little bit. Mostly, though, I don’t want to talk about turkey; I want to talk turkey about contract glaziers. KMR Research, a division of our parent company Key Media & Research, provides an interesting annual look at the shifts in the contract glazing business. First, the good news: the 2018 market still grew, up 11.4 percent from 2017: And the total value of contracts was more than double what it was in the depths of Great Recession”: Looks good right? Well, not if you’re one of the top five firms…. Read More »
Forgive me in advance. I just can’t help myself. I am so excited that I can’t stand it and had to sit down. Here’s why. I know, I know, it’s not really about the glass industry … But then again, maybe it is. You see, baring a calamity of some type, I am going to get to cross one off the bucket list. In fact, it probably was the first item ever on my bucket list, which I began before I even knew what a bucket list was. Even at the ripe old age of ten I knew it was a wish I wanted to come true someday and it… Read More »
For many years, it was hailed as the best new way to do business, a method that benefitted owner, contractor and contract glazing. Yet, as the practice continues to grow, a number of contractors, glazing and otherwise, are saying “no more.” Once hailed as the ultimate quid pro quo, fixed price contracts have come into sharper focus in the last few months with many of those engaged in them opting out of the practice. Fixed-price contracting is a practice through which the general contractor and the contract glazier (the GC—the buyer—and the CG—the seller) agree to a certain price (or a not-to-exceed price) for a job. General contractors also engage… Read More »
