Pod, BEC, Bubba and More

The latest From the Fabricator podcast is now up! This month we kick it off with the awesome Katy Devlin of Glass Magazine and NGA. Katy is so smart and so cool, and her insights are spot on. Was fun to chop it up.  

Then on to three people really working hard to help their region. Kristie Rehberger of A Glasco, Nathan Seaman of Architectural Grilles and Sunshades and Adam Posik of Pacific Coast Glazing join me to talk about the formation of the California Glass Association. What the process and plans are and why it’s important to the industry in California. Volunteering like that is a huge thing, all working for the good of the market/industry which I appreciate.  

We end this month with a check in from Nick St. Denis of KMR-Key Media & Research and we jump into what his expert eye sees in the upcoming forecast and much more. Great mix of people and insights and grateful to have them on the podcast! Thank you in advance for checking it out! You can watch it on YouTube or listen on Apple, Spotify, and more. 

Elsewhere...

BEC coming up

BEC is coming up on a month away! My gosh time is flying. First things first, get registered now since early bird pricing is ending soon. Next, I am so excited that we are celebrating the 25th edition of this event and bringing back the past chairs to help with the program and those chairs will be awarding some very cool prizes to lucky audience members. Last, the final agenda is coming soon, but I can tell you now the committee and the team at NGA has been blessed with some awesome people committing to present. You’ll see those names and subjects soon. So don’t delay, register today!

Award congratulations

Massive congrats an old friend and co-worker, Tim Moore of WA Wilson for being awarded the annual C. Gregory Carney Award for Volunteer of the Year in the industry. This is highest award that the National Glass Association gives, and Tim is seriously deserving. My visionary brother Steve, had the brains to hire Tim many years ago and he knew that in the right setting Tim would be crucially important to the success of our company and the industry.  Tim has absolutely done that again and again and we should all be grateful. I am that is for sure. So, I am thrilled Tim, also known as “Bubba” to many, got this honor and it was an honor as well to be able to work and learn from Tim over the years!

Virginia Glass Products and Virginia Mirror Co.

Virginia Glass Products and Virginia Mirror made quite a bit of news this past week. First the great James Wright continued to build a strong staff with the hiring of Jessica Brooks. That looks to be a great match on both sides. 

Then at the end of the week news broke that Virginia had connected with Gemini Investors in a strategic acquisition. So some new blood now in the space and it’ll be interesting since Virginia, at 110 years old has a very storied and special culture and they also have a sterling reputation. Hopefully the new influence will just maximize what made Virginia strong and also not walk away from the industry support. I say that every time a new player comes in, supporting the industry and being active is a must! Congrats to all involved.

Latest forecasts

The latest forecasts are out, and they went as expected. The Architectural Billings Index (ABI) was down again and the Dodge Momentum Index still up. So the trend of a solid 2023 and slower 2024 still tracks. The nice thing about the ABI was that new project inquiries continue to be positive, so that is a plus. For more forecast insight though make sure you listen to the podcast linked above as Nick does take some good dives into the data and delivers solid intel!

2023 housing markets 

Last this week… Builders Online had a story on the ten most interesting housing markets for 2023. You know I love these things and this was great read. Check it out at builderonline.com. But you know I have to comment on the markets they called out so here goes:

- Atlanta, GA- Surprising. 

- Austin, TX- Not at all surprising- bonkers there right now

- Baltimore, MD- Shocking- must be everyone wanting live near Matt Verderamo

- Cincinnati, OH- I can see this one for sure.

- Houston, TX- A bit of a baffler for me given so many other Texas locations, but I do love the great state of Texas.

- Louisville, KY- A hidden gem for sure

- Miami, FL- Interesting yes.  Would I live there or could afford to live there?  Nope.

- Richmond, VA – Been a few times- interesting to see them on the “interesting” list

- San Diego, CA- Same answer as Miami except my end answer would be YES YES YES

- Tampa, FL- Better than Miami, Florida is a great state, and I like Tampa, but I am loyal to the Space Coast, so I’d rather be over there.

LINKS OF THE WEEK