In the shower door business, we are constantly pushing the limits of what can be accomplished using less hardware, channel, and fasteners. Of course, we have to draw the line at what is safe. Read on for product examples that are pushing the envelope of materials, structure and style.
We begin this week with another economic focus, with the release of the American Institute of Architects Consensus Forecast. AIA’s consensus for 2020 is showing the nonresidential world slightly up for the year.
As a business owner or manager, what opportunities do you see in 2020 and beyond for your company and employees? Have you thought how new workers/markets/procedures, or new/updated technology, including machines and software, can help your company meet your 2020 and beyond goals? Have you thought how the Internet of Things, labor shortage, new regulations, trade wars, technological advancements, and Industry 4.0 will enable your business to grow or provide new opportunities?
How cool would it be if our industry, our little world, had the honor of having a year named for it? Well, if we all can come together and push, maybe 2022 will be known as the International Year of Glass by the U.N.
Before we blink and another year is over, now would be an appropriate time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we will be heading. Capital is moving, companies continue to invest, and it appears opportunity will continue to knock on our industry’s door.
We’ve reviewed past predictions and now it’s time to break out the trusty crystal ball and look at what I see ahead in the next 11 1/2 months of 2020. I am pretty confident about this grouping, and ready to go five for five when I review at the start of next year.
In the context of a modern, globalized and highly digitalized world, the success of glass processing plants to a great extent depends upon how well they embrace the latest IoT-based technologies. The amount of automation and smart data enabled by IoT are two primary factors that define a company’s efficiency, operating speed, and ultimately, competitiveness. No wonder the most progressive glass processors are looking for ways to tap into this particular niche.
Before we can look forward into 2020, time for one more look back at 2019 and specifically at my predictions for the industry posted one year ago. Let’s see how I did!