Articles, Ads, Reports, Pods, & More
No matter how much great content is out there online (and I’ll be mentioning a few below) nothing can replace my monthly dose of insight from Glass Magazine. With that said, it is time to review the latest from the “glass and glazing authority” and their special GlassBuild issue does not disappoint.
Starting with the cover featuring an incredible eye-catching shot of vacuum portion of a CNC machine from Salem Fabrication Technologies. I think that’s the second cover this year for those folks, so congrats on that! Inside the magazine it’s heavy on GlassBuild content which is tremendous, whether you attend or not. Seeing a ton of products and services that will make your life and business better is a great thing for sure. Also the latest Glass Information Bulletin (GIB) is in there and great to be up to speed on.
Ad of the month is a bear to choose because this being the GlassBuild issue everyone rolled out the best they could muster. Great work. But my winner this month is goes to SoftSolution North America with the cat eyes staring at you. Gets me every time. Great ad! And I have to give a quick nod though to the FeneTech testimonial ad―I always like seeing good people and Mike and Joyce Cully of United Plate are amongst the best around. Seeing them brought a smile to my face. Kudos to SoftSolution, FeneTech and all the advertisers this month―super work!
Elsewhere…
Architectural Billings Index Strong Again
The latest Architectural Billings Index was strong yet again but did show some slippage from last month. Possibly some of the uneven aspects of our economy is starting to catch up? The score of 54.6, down from 57.1, is still excellent but does show there’s some leveling off and the new inquiries came down as well from its insane record high from last month. This index may be settling down, and as long as it stays in the positive, all good.
Glass Canada Glass Talk Podcast
Some podcast notes. I was lucky and honored to be a guest on Patrick Flannery’s “Glass Canada Glass Talk” podcast recently and we covered a ton of ground, some of which probably got me in trouble in some parts of the U.S. Was a fun one. Here it is.
On his newest episode Patrick talks to Ryan Spurgeon of Antamex―that one should be very good as Ryan is a very impressive guy with a laser focus. I am excited to hear what he says, and I’ll be checking that one out this week. Listen to the podcast.
The Façade Pod
Next, I was very pumped about the launch of “The Façade Pod” with Mitch Hawkins and Matt Krier. These guys have a great plan on the podcast front and have lined up fantastic guests to talk facades and glass. The quick preview is out, so check it here and get ready for their first season debut later this week. Both of these guys are young stars in our universe, Matt at Viracon and Mitch at Martineau and Co., and I think these will be a great one to add to your podcast rotation!
Ubiquitous Energy Install at Michigan State University
Great news this week from the team at Ubiquitous Energy with an initial breakthrough install at Michigan State University. The school did a fabulous write up of the project and this is one to watch as this space will continue to grow as Ubiquitous marches forward. I am typically more of a University of Michigan fan but after seeing this, I am all for MSU―“Go Green!”―which is both part of the MSU cheer, and a great move here too!
Glazier Nation at GlassBuild
Last this week, a lot has me excited about GlassBuild but I have to admit waiting to see the special stuff Glazier Nation has been teasing is leading in the clubhouse. Matt Day and company have been building the anticipation for a while with their various trips around the U.S. and as we get closer to the show, I have become all in. I am pretty sure we are going to see something that is going to be big time game changing. Can’t wait!
