A new year is the ultimate exercise in reviews and previews. We publish a department of the same name in every issue that focuses on events. A new year’s review/preview, however, focuses on what we want to achieve (personally, professionally, etc.) and the weapons we are going to use to do so. Those weapons may be as simple as a basic resolution or as complex as a shift in how we do business.

This month, I’m focusing on the “review” part of the equation. I’ve spent the past eight weeks watching news and other organizations, both consumer and industry-based, weigh in with the top stories of the past year (you’ll find USGlass magazine’s top stories of 2025 here).

Such lists are usually developed using objective metrics, such as most viewed stories, etc. Mine is not; it’s based on 44 years of covering and studying the glass industry. If you asked me what the top stories of 2025 were, here’s what I’d say:

1. The pullback of federal grants. Certain federal grants awarded to glass industry groups were rescinded. These groups range from trade associations focused on energy to start-up companies involved in plant development. These changes sent proverbial shock waves through the industry, not to mention the private companies affected, and led to a change in attitude about the permanence and certainty of such funding.
2. Sand—is it or isn’t it? There’s a great debate going on about whether or not there is a worsening shortage in the supply of industrial sand. Bloomberg did an interesting article about it late last year. We have not run much about it because there is no consensus on whether or not there is a shortage. That’s unusual in itself. To me, the big story is the lack of clarity around the issue, and the need to watch it closely in the future.
3. VIG: Very Important Glass. Okay, that’s not what VIG stands for. It’s the acronym for vacuum insulating glass. Though the technology has been in existence for quite a while, it continues to gain acceptance, and manufacturers are increasing production capacities in a big way. Its growth in 2025 was an important story.
4. Tariffs. The threat of them, their imposition and the removal of some have required tough market navigation by suppliers. International politics will continue to affect our industry with an immediacy and effect we have not seen in the past.
5. The erosion of the traditional construction chain. As the digitization of most construction processes nears completion, the traditional chain continues to collapse. The biggest victim of this disintermediation thus far has been the general contractors, with developers emerging as direct buyers. How quickly this change is occurring is a big part of the story, too.

We will do a bit of predicting next month, but in the meantime, I wish you the happiest of New Years and a healthy, profitable and fulfilling 2026. It’s always an honor to work for you.