Look Back/Look Forward Pod & Blog

Once again, a natural disaster is wreaking havoc, and my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by Hurricane Milton. This has been a brutally awful few weeks, weather-wise. I'm hoping for the best for all and indeed praying for this to be the last storm for a while. Hang in there, everyone.

It's tough to switch gears, but for some, this distraction of reading the blog or catching a podcast hits it. So here we go.

Fresh off the show, I wanted a podcast that hit on the next show (glasstec) and a highlight from GlassBuild. First up… Jason Isackson from Sentinel Facades joined me. Jason and Sentinel burst onto the scene at GlassBuild and made an impact with custom hockey jerseys and a coffee bar. Their product line also caught some attention because of the system approach, and Jason broke that whole thing down. Fun to get to know him a bit. Then, I go to a pair that I have known for a long time and have immense respect for. Michael and Carolyn Spellman of IGE Glass Technologies joined me, and we covered a ton of items- from equipment to VIG and all in between. Lots to catch up on, and the best part of this pair is that they work so splendidly together and are 100% genuine. Both have massive strengths, and what they have brought and continue to bring to the industry is absolutely crucial. Thank you for checking it all out. 

Watch on YouTube, or listen here, as well as by searching “From the Fabricator” on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

And as I teased at the end of the podcast, I have lined up the next 3 months, and it’s a really diverse range of people in our space, with a few I barely know but am pumped to interview.  Thank you for your support!

Elsewhere…

GlassBuild highlights

As I noted last week, I was saving a few items from Dallas for this post. Leading off was my time at the FHC booth and the chance to visit with Mr. Friese. To be able to sit down with him and chat for a bit was an incredible honor and something I will always appreciate. His impact on our industry- past, present, and future is off the charts. I am grateful I got a few minutes. In addition, spending some time with the brain trust there- from Chris Hanstad, to DJ Friese, to Barry Sutherland, to Paul Daniels and so on- it was awesome. And of course, somehow shoehorning me in for a few minutes, getting valuable moments with Andrew Haring is always something I will cherish. Lots of good stuff happening there and I was glad to get up to speed overall.

I mentioned briefly about Connor Lokar’s talk during the show, and in the last week, there’s been more time to think through it and also continue to take in the latest forecasting. So, boiling it down some. We’ve got the slow/soft points continuing for a bit, with some breakthroughs coming sometime in 2025 for those areas affected. 26 and 27 have some upward potential, which many folks were excited to hear. However, my big takeaway is “strategy” and how crucial that is. Connor talked about making purchases in the near term (next 2-4 quarters) and we saw a lot of action behind that on the show floor. But where strategy comes in is- what are you buying and how is it helping you?  Are you buying to diversify your products, producing them more efficiently, and keeping your labor healthy? Then you’re doing it right. You have to consider all of those factors along the way…. And many were doing that on the floor.

Big kudos to the gang at Isoclima/Global Security on the successful launch of their new Armorgard Ultimate product. This group has led the way with various protective products and it’s happening again. Lance Cotton doesn’t make it on those “most influential” lists for nothing, right? Congrats to them for the innovations and their support of our space!

NAGMA webinar

Another webinar for you to consider checking out. The one and only Jeff Dalaba will be featured on an upcoming National Architectural Glass and Metal Association (NAGMA) event to talk about certification. You know I am HUGE into this and its importance. If you are an installer and have looked into NACC, this is a great webinar to learn more and why you should think on it. The free webinar is on October 17th at 2PM. It will be worth your time!

glasstec upcoming

Last this week… as mentioned above in the podcast section, glasstec is coming up quick. Way too quick, actually. As in, I leave next weekend for Germany. I’ll talk more next week on that show and my expectations but if you are going to glasstec please hit me up. I’d love to see familiar faces there and if it is your first time attending, feel free to reach out and I can give some highlights to expect too.