Good Vibrations at the CGA

For me, it was an adventure getting to and getting back (thank you worldwide computer outage,) but all- in-all the California Glass Association (CGA) event was awesome… so impressed with the passion and drive this group has and the potential is so clear and exciting. It was honor to attend and visit with so many great people, many of whom I hadn’t seen in years. In addition, it was amazing to run into former coworkers who continue to crush it day in and day out. Incredible people like Cathy and Mike Hartley, Wardi Bisharat, and Joe Carlos. Loved seeing you and catching up!

Plus, the event attracted major players in our world, the FHC gang was well represented and in particular I honored that Barry Sutherland and Paul Daniels made it to the event. I was stunned to see Randy Steinberg of Glasswerks and it was incredible to chat with him for a bit. Andrew Haring was there, and he kept me on my path which I am grateful for always. I love getting to see Shelly Farmer of Pellucere, Kendal Rowe of Rowe Fenestration, Carl Christ of DFI, and Kreg Hatfield of Guardian Glass as they always bring the energy. The Merv Campbell Omni Cubed experience was in full bloom and not only did he show some absolutely needed material handling products to the room, but he showed off those skills for his son.  Awesome. I owe Casey Weir of Rountree Glass a drink for forgoing plans to help my son and I get an easier ride back to the hotel versus an Uber. Thank you!

In addition, adding to the network and meeting people in person is clutch and at this one it was awesome to meet folks I have followed from afar like Vivian Hsieh, Rob Seils, Branden Anderson, and Tony Diponio.

Of course, the hosts, Gloria and Brian Hale of Hale Glass were tremendous as always and loved catching up with both.

A special thanks to the CGA leadership of Kristie Rehberger, Adam Posik, and Nathan Seaman (and Nathan’s awesome wife and loyal podcast listener Marie too!) for having me. It was an absolute thrill.

Elsewhere…

Retirement congratulations

One of the best people in our industry is Bill Sullivan of Brin Glass. Through and through a class act and wonderful leader and industry supporter. This past week it was announced that he’s calling it a career after 40+ years in the glass industry. As those of you who follow this spot know, Bill had been working towards this moment with changes in management at Brin, including bringing in Priscilla “PK” Koeckeritz as COO and then naming her President earlier this year. So, taking the next step in retiring is now in play and Bill will be missed. Bill was the industry MVP in 2019 and here’s what I wrote at the time that I think covers it well today:

I have known Bill for many years. And despite that he still answers my e-mails. LOL. Seriously though, Bill is a tremendous person, business leader and industry supporter. With his role in the Brin world, Bill touches so many aspects of our industry and he does it with care and class. He is always looking for ways to improve and innovate and then is not hesitant at all to share best practices with others. He volunteers a ton of time and allows and encourages his people to do the same. He brings a level-headed approach to every item he takes part in and is usually the voice of logic and reason, much appreciated qualities when you get a bunch of fired-up people in a room. Bill steps up again and again and I can’t stress the appreciation I have for that. In addition, thanks to Bill’s personality and drive, so many of his folks take on that same trait. Yes, part of it is the classic “Minnesota Nice” that exists, but whenever I am dealing with any of Bill’s folks, it’s always a fair and impressive experience even when I don’t get everything I ask for! End of the day, Bill fits the bill as the 2019 MVP because he does go above and beyond for his companies, his people and our industry. We are all better because of it.  So, congrats Bill and please keep up the great work!

Congrats Bill on an amazing career and best to you in retirement!

Switching things up

Another big player in our world made news last week and that was Syndi Sim leaving Diamon Fusion International (DFI) and going to Q-Railing. Syndi’s talent is off the charts, and now she moves to the red-hot railing industry and I am sure she’ll make an impact. Congrats to Syndi and the folks at Q that made an inspired move here. 

TV spotlight

It was super cool to see Casey Anderson of ICD featured on KOMO TV in Seattle. Casey came on for a segment on graffiti solutions. Now it’s not the traditional glass and glazing stuff but still adjacent to our industry and Casey and ICD have always been huge supporters of everything we do. So, kudos for Casey for boosting the ratings of KOMO TV to industry leader and educating on a tremendous product line!

Bird-friendly glass on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"

Last this week, we stay on TV but in a different way. Thanks to the eye of Matt Hanna of Glass Coatings and Concepts, he saw a question on the latest version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” that featured a question on what causes the most bird deaths. Flying into glass! (Cats, which is the only thing that kills more birds per year than glass, was not listed).  Yes, good ole bird friendly glass and in this case the lack thereof, made the show as the answer. This while a small piece in a big play was still huge in getting more awareness into the mainstream. As an industry we have so many options for bird friendly glazing that these death numbers should drop and there’s legitimately no excuse for the powers to be to NOT specify and utilize bird friendly glass! Thanks, Matt, for catching it and sharing it! (And also noting the work the NGA is doing!)