One One One One

No, the repeat key did not get stuck on my computer.  This blog is about the number one.  This Saturday is 1/1/11, or one one one one.  This has made me think about a few one things, some are good, some are bad.

Being number one on the FBI most wanted list is bad.

Number one in home runs in 2011 would be good.

First person on the moon was great.

The first person to step in the quicksand is in deep trouble.

Now, let's try this for the glass industry.

If your company is the first name on the speed dial list of the biggest contractor in town, this is good.  OK, you get the idea.

You should try to be the best in one or two of the product categories that you sell in.  You can't be first in everything.  There is just not enough time to learn and implement all there is in our industry.When Oldcastle Glass bought Floral Glass they wanted to be the first in fabrication and phased out our distribution business.  They knew you can't serve too many masters. 

In your glass business decide what you want to be first in.  These one or two product areas should be ones you enjoy; ones that are above average in their profitability for your company, and ones that are in demand in your market area. 

In your relationships with vendors, pick the ones that are the tops in these two fields.  In your advertising, focus on these areas, while still saying that you are a full-service business.   Train your employees to be their best in these areas.  Be know as the company that can do anything in these two product lines and that your company will tackle the hardest and strangest jobs in your number one product.  When you do get one that strains you to the fullest, call your local paper's business editor and explain what was so special about this job and send in a picture.  It is amazing how easy it is to get good, free PR when you have done something unique!

Put your number one product on the sides of your trucks and on your uniform shirts.  Place it prominently on your business card.  The displays in your showroom/waiting area should feature this aspect of your business!

Being number one in a product category is a sure route to business success in your market area.   So, on one one one one decide which one will be your one.  If you understood this last sentence, you won!

A Glass Chimney Kit For The Santa In Your Family

Finally, the Christmas Gift that can be sold through glass shops.  Every handy-man will want one.  Kids love them because you can see Santa come down the chimney.  And, glass shops love them because you can make a small fortune selling them.

These kits, from the Bieber Blog Big Business Bureau, are only being sold to the glass industry.  This is our chance to become the Christmas store of choice for America.  Forget the big chains, forget the fancy on-line stores; sign up now to be the local distributor of the Glass Chimney Kit and be ready to start counting the dollars.

The kit comes in three sizes--12 feet, 16 feet and 20 feet tall.  Here is what you get in the standard 16 foot package:

• 8 pieces of 1/2 temp, polished edges, 36 x 96
• 4 special glass clamps, 2 red, 2 green
• 3 tubes of clear silicone
• detailed instructions on how to build your chimney, written in 4 different languages of your choice

For the extra large Santa in your life, for only 10% more, we will make the glass 48 x 96!

This kit only costs you, as a glass industry special, $19.00.  You can easily sell this for $39.00.  The bright red and green packaging, with a picture of Santa smiling will sell the chimney for you. 

Because this is such a super offer, we are limiting participation to the first 300 glass shops that place their orders.  The minimum order is only 100 kits, in assorted sizes.  All you have to do is send $1900, in unmarked hundred dollar bills.  The kits will be sent to you, freight prepaid, the next day.  The only job you have left is to set up your display and count your profits.

The Bieber Blog Big Business Bureau wishes you a very happy holiday. Be sure to send your $1900 via overnight mail so you can get your kits quickly.

WIKI Leaks Hits The Glass Industry

We got hacked.  Wiki leaks has emails from glass shops to their vendors.

They were sent to me for advance review, (like they sent the government leaks to the New York Times) and told me I can release them on Tuesday, which by sheer coincidence is the day I usually publish my blog.

Being the fine gentleman I am, the names have been changed to protect the industry.  I have kept the names in a secure mayonnaise jar on top of my computer.

Email exchange #1: Bill's Glass Shop and Paul's Tempered Glass

Bill's:  Hi Paul, on our order A5678 for a shower door enclosure, the customer has complained about a faint scratch in the bottom corner.  I went back and looked at it, and indeed, with the halogen lights at full brightness and the dog barking, I could see the scratch.  I kicked the dog and then couldn't see the scratch.  Why would this affect seeing the scratch?

Paul's:  What kind of dog was it?  Was it just a bark or a howl?

Bill's:  It was mutt, that looked like a cross between a golden retriever and a yellow lab.  A big dog.

Paul's:  That's it.  A big loud bark will make the glass vibrate and then the scratch will show up in the halogen lights.  Our warranty only covers dogs up to 35 pounds. Sorry, Bill.


Email exchange #2:  A conversation between Bill's Glass Service and  Molly at Acme Tempered Glass.

Bill:  Hi Molly, what is your tempered shower glass warranty on the size of the dog as far as seeing scratches.

Molly:  You are barking up the wrong tree.  We don't have a dog warranty on our tempered shower doors.

Bill:  Well, Paul's Tempered has a 35 pound limit in their warranty.  And I've got a scratch that shows up in halogen lights with the roar from a 70 pounder.

Molly:  Bill, you really do have to start drinking decaf.

Bill:  Honest, that is what Paul told me.  He won't make me a new door and the customer won't pay me.  What do I do?

Email exchange #3:  A conversation between Molly and Paul.

Molly:  Hi Paul.  Just went over a crazy set of emails from Bill's Glass about a dog warranty.  Am I missing something here that is new in the industry?

Paul:  Hi Molly, yes you are.  We found out that we can get out of half of our warranty claims by limiting the size of the dog in the house.  People with big dogs have the money to redo things on their own.  They don't need our free replacements.

Molly:  What do you do if they have cats?

Paul:  Cats go by quantity, not size.  Anyone with 3 or more cats doesn't get warranty service, because we say the cats scratched the glass, not us.  With all those sharp paws, the cats are easy to blame.

Molly:  This is amazing.  What does the government say about this warranty style? 

Paul:  They wanted us to raise the limits, and set up a chart to check on when they cats were last clipped at the vet, and to weight each dog in the house on a quarterly basis and send in a report of the weights of all of our customer's dogs to the census department who would cross-check that against dog licenses in every town and village in America.  We figured that if we did the report, it would still be cheaper than honoring our warranty claims.

Molly:  We don't do that here at Acme.  We just replace the glass when it is delivered with a scratch.

Paul:  You'll never make it kid.  It is a rough and tumble world and you need every advantage you can.  Here is one for you...limit your warranty to customers who have dogs over 35 pounds.  That way we can split up the market and make sure we don't have to ever give a replacement.  I'll show you how to handle the dog census report.

Molly:  That sounds like a great plan.  We have to make sure that no one reads these emails! 

Finally, Something The Glass Industry Can Do Together

News item: (From the AP) "Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane is putting his franchise up for sale.  The 74-year-old McLane said he's retained the New York investment firm Allen and Company to help him unload the team he purchased in November, 1992, for about $117 million."

The article went on to say that the winning bid for the Astros will be about $500 million.

Here is my plan:

About 1,000 people a week read my blog.  If  only half of my readers send in one million dollars, we will have bought ourselves a team.  Reach into that mattress, sell your boats and airplanes, give up buying lunch for a a couple of weeks and raising the money will be easy.

The glass industry will own the team.  If you haven't made up your mind yet, here is the clincher.  My daughter, Jessica, suggested our new name for the team.

The Houston Glasstros.

It is perfect.  What better use of your money could you find.  There is no work in the industry, so you don't have to buy inventory.  USGlass Magazine is free, so cut back on your subscriptions to every thing else.  Shop at WalMart instead of Nieman Marcus this holiday season, and you'll have your million. 

Each investor gets an autographed ball, two seats to a game of your choice, and in five years, when we sell the team to the Chinese government, you will double your money.

Drop me an email with your bank name and checking account number.  I will then create a withdrawal for your million.  If things are tight, you can request four payments, a week apart.

Yes, you have always wanted to own a big-league sports franchise, and now you can own one with all of your friends in the glass industry.

Play Ball!!!

A Conversation With A Wild Turkey

My blog readers know that Elaine and I live on the side of a mountain in rural New Hampshire.  On  Friday, I was leaving my driveway and ran into a major traffic jam.  There was a whole herd of wild turkeys crossing the road in front of our house.


At least twenty turkeys were in line.  Slowly walking across the street, one at a time.  There were small ones, big ones, and ugly ones.  Well, they were all ugly, but since they can't read this blog, I can say what I want.  They were also cute, in an ugly sort of way.


So, this big one, at least twenty-five pounds, walks to the side of my car and says to me, "What's your rush...the family will be out of your way in a couple of minutes."


Surprised was I. 


I told him I had never talked with a winged-turkey before.  (There are definitely some human ones that have been in my life)  He replied, "Usually, there is no reason for us to talk to humans, so we don't, but you look like you need someone to talk to."  Elaine had been away for a week visiting a friend, and he was right...I needed someone to talk to.


I asked him which of the twenty turkeys were from his family.  He replied, "They all were either his wives or his children."  I guess that makes up for being called ugly.


Then it hit me, Thanksgiving was only a couple of days away.  Now, we had seen packs of turkeys before, but they usually disappeared around this time of year.  I asked him if he had seen a calendar lately.  He responded, " Sure, you guys are having Thanksgiving soon, and I am taking the family to a secluded pond for the week.  We don't like to be around humans this week.  They always try to catch us, and I don't know what happens after that...no one from my family has ever come back to tell us."  I asked him why humans thought turkeys were so dumb, since obviously, he was very smart and could talk.


He replied, "We don't want humans to bother us, so we just pretend to be disinterested."  We talked about the Red Sox' chances for next year, and what the upcoming winter would be like.


As the last of his family crossed the road, he asked my what I did for a living.  I replied that I am a consultant in the glass industry, and that I write for US Glass Magazine and write a weekly blog.  He simply looked over his shoulder at me as he walked away and said.........


Ok readers, here is your chance...what did the turkey say to me...send your comments to me at paulbaseball@gmail.com and I will publish them next week.  Go ahead...take your best shot.  And have a great Thanksgiving.

Drugs For The Glass Industry

Here I was in Atlanta, having dinner with my best friend Chuck Kaplanek, and he asked me about the health of the glass business.  I told him that our industry is indeed sick and weak.  He off-handidly commented, "It's a shame we can't sell drugs to help the industry."

I remembered his comment and when I returned to my hotel, I did a computer search for drugs to help the glass industry.  Here is what I found....

• UValium---taken to calm down contract glaziers when an architect specifies soft-coat performance but prices the estimate at hard-coat pricing.
• Glassacillin---prescribed to prevent infection when your best customer puts a knife in your back.
• Glazierproxine---works on the stubborn heartburn you get when your lead glazier won't work overtime to finish a project.
• Lamitrine---a proven headache pain reducer that you often get when the bullet-resistant glass you ordered comes in one inch too large.
• Oshaphetamine---reduces rapid heart beat and excessive sweating condition after a shop worker gets a three-stitch cut and wants to call his lawyer and OSHA.
• Arefactorine---a very strong stress reliever that can be used after studying charts with very small print size and confusing directions on how to read the chart.
• Tempofane---reduces your back pain after installing an over sized light of tempered glass, only to have it shatter when you place the final stop.
• Floataproz---reduces high blood pressure when you receive the latest round of price increases.
• Fenestrataphine---cures blurry vision caused by looking at microscopic defects in glass on the third floor of a building that can only be seen on a sunny day around 4:00pm.
• Closercet---taken by door mechanics to alleviate the arthritis pain caused by adjusting the same closer three times a week for a fussy customer.
• Measureprostinate---glass shop owners take this medicine to prevent their hands from shaking and trembling when they find that their glaziers measured an opening with a worn out tape measure that is 1/4" short.
• Alumocodeine---an addictive pain medicine to be used when your shop crew cuts all the miters backwards on a big job.
• Driveroxorine---an over the counter drug, usually taken as a stress reliever by glass truck drivers given the wrong directions to a job site.
• Viagraset---relieves depression when failing to set an IG unit on the third floor of a building because your lift only goes to the second floor.
• Worldseriesium---taken once a year by over three million Chicago Cubs fans as an anxiety reliever.  Paid for by most insurance companies as a medical necessity.  Also desperately needed by New York Mets fans and available on the street in Times Square. 

You Will Increase Your Profit and Your Employee Moral By Reading This Blog

Yep, you will.

What, you want the details of this too-good-to-be-true offer?  Why, just a couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog that says don't believe anything that sounds too-good-to-be true. 

But you can trust me, can't you?

After all, I predicted the Mets would win the World Series this year (and last year).  You can believe me.

So here is the plan.  I am working on a new employee benefit package for one of my consulting clients and introduced the company to a Flexible Spending Account.  This is one of the greatest benefits that has ever been created by the US Congress. (What is the opposite of progress?....It is congress, yuk, yuk, yuk)

It is simple---your employees put aside a fixed amount of money, from $100 to $2500 annually, through payroll deduction.  This reduces their tax bite.  For instance, Gary Glazier puts in $100 a month, he saves roughly 20-25% (based on his individual tax status), or about $240-$300 per year.  He gets to spend the entire $1200 on prescriptions, doctor's co-pays, medical devices, and a whole list of eligible items from band-aids to eyeglasses.  (Google 'FSA Eligible Expenses' to see complete lists of allowed items)

Now it's your turn.  Because the employees reduce their taxable income, you reduce your tax bite as well.  You will save 7.65% on each dollar of payroll placed in the plan.  $76.50 for every thousand of payroll.  This is the FICA plus the medicare tax. 

You save, the employee saves and your employees are happy that you have created this plan for them.  It is a no-lose for all.  Except, there is some fine print.  You will incur a one-time set up fee and have a small monthly cost for the plan.  The company I just set up has twenty-two employees, incurred first year fees of $1800, and will continue to have fees of about $800 per year.  They will be saving about $4300 per year, and their employees think this is the greatest thing since peanut butter. 

If any employee spends their full amount before the end of the year, and leaves you, you will be on the hook for the difference, and if an employee doesn't spend their full amount, you gain the difference.  These are usually offsetting in most companies.

Here is the most important thing...talk to your insurance agent or your payroll company to set this up.  You can shop around on the net, but professional advice is best.  There are options that cover dependent care (like child care while you are working) or elder care, if you take care of your parents.  In these cases, the $2500 limit can be raised.  You can also set up a plan that pays employee commuting expenses, like bus, train or parking expenses.  Remember, each time the employee saves, you save too.  There are different ways for the employee to spend the money; look for one that gives each employee a debit card and requires no paperwork.  That will be the easiest for you to manage.

If you are providing a plan like this to your employees, you probably have not read this far.  So, if you are still reading, think about this for January first.  I guarantee that after your insurance agent describes it to your employees, they will love it.  Now is the time to set it up.

Keep Politics Out Of Your Company

Tea Party. Tax and Spend. Free Speech. Rallies in Washington. The Chamber of Commerce.  Freedom of Choice. The Budget.  The War. (Is there still a war?) Rush and Glenn.  Barak and Nancy.  Are you sick of it yet?  By the time you read this blog, the election will be over and as a country, we will move on to the new rules of the game.

Following politics is great fun along with serious thoughts.  If anyone chooses to ignore the current state of affairs, they are leaving their future to be decided by others.  OK, what the heck does this have to do with the glass business?

Nothing.

Yes, you business should have nothing to do with politics.  You should keep your personal opinions just that---personal.  If you like party A, promoting it at your workplace, and some of your employees like party B, they will realize that their hard work for your profits are going to support party A.  This will definitely impact some workers.

Don't spread your politics at work.  Don't put bumper stickers on your trucks.  Just about half of your customers will disagree with your politics.  When they go to the yellow pages or to the net looking up a glass company, and if they remember seeing your truck and its bumper sticker, you won't get a call.  This is absolutely true and will impact your business.

If you wear a campaign button on your jacket when you go on an estimate, half of your customers won't call you back.  If you see a lawn sign or a bumper sticker for your candidate, then certainly, discuss your common thoughts.  But, be careful, one spouse's opinion may be different than the other.  Tread lightly in this area.

If you make public donations to a candidate or a party, do it in your personal name and not in the name of your company.

Don't try to influence your employees to vote for A or B.  What you can do is encourage them to vote.  Give an extra half hour in the morning or evening, or at lunch for people to vote.  If you want to educate your employees, give out neutral literature from guaranteed neutral sites, like the League of Women Voters.

You might think there are causes that will help your business...like a bond issue to improve a downtown area.  You may want to work for its passage but don't do it where it will be visible to your staff.  If you can take time to work on an issue, why aren't you out there drumming up business that will bring in more work.  Most people will be upset rather than taking the long view that it will help your company in the long run.

Many companies will accept posters to go in their storefront windows.  Look carefully before you say OK.  Promoting a fund raiser at the local hospital is wonderful, putting an issue or a candidate's flyer up will raise eyebrows.

What can you do to have your business support the election of your candidate?  Take money out in your name, and then donate that money as an individual.  Donate your personal services for call-outs or take a day off and hand out flyers.  Discuss your candidates/issues with your friends and family, not your employees and customers.  Be sure to vote...it is the loudest voice you can have.

Is My Blog Too Good To Be True?

Yes, my blogs are great works of literature; yes I get paid $15,000 for each blog; yes, my blog is read by millions of people in seventy different languages; and yes, if you believe this you had better read on.


I received a wonderful brochure from the US Post Office the other day.  A simple one-page flyer on how to avoid being a victim of fraud. With thanks to the Post Office for putting this together, here are some of their thoughts along with mine.


Watch for these warning signs in letters and emails:

• Sounds too good to be true
• Pressures you to act NOW
• Success is guaranteed
• You will receive three times the standard return
• Requires an upfront payment--even to receive your free prize
• Buyers want to overpay you and then have you send them the difference
• Something doesn't feel right...trust your gut feeling
• Your bank will never email or call you for your account number
• Don't wire money to anyone you don't know, no matter what the reason
• Some work-at-home job offers are real, but most are schemes just to have you buy their product.  Be careful here
• Foreign lotteries are illegal in the US--you cannot win no matter what they say

What can you and your employees in the glass industry do to help themselves?

• The government requires that the three major credit bureaus give every person a free credit report once a year.  The site is: annualcreditreport.com.  This is completely free and safe.  All of the free credit report ads you see on TV or the Internet have a catch---you have to sign up for some other service that will cost you. 
• Don't open suspicious email.  Don't click on a link inside an email to visit a suspicious web site.  If you really want to go to the site, type the address into your browser separately.
• The best web site I have ever seen for fraud and rumor verification is snopes.com.  Their research base is huge and totally reliable.
• On your browser, set your security filter at a high level to block as many emails as you can.  Make sure your firewall and virus checker are updated at least weekly, and don't turn them off. 

How does fraud prevention impact the glass industry?

• Don't believe that someone from another country has chosen you to launder their money.  Wake up!
• Don't cut glass in advance for a shipment overseas until the deposit check, covering at least your costs, clears your bank.  Don't attempt to make the shipment until payment, in full, has cleared your bank.  I have heard from many people who have bitten on this one, and every single one was burned.  If you are not sure about a possible customer, ask for and follow-up on credit references.
• Don't ever pay anything in advance for an opportunity to do business unless you are 100% sure of the reliability of the customer.  The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) is a perfect site to check on  a business you don't know.
• Occasionally we all get a job that is clearly a home run.  You can make money in the glass business, but be careful and trust your gut feel more than the pull of your wallet.

And, in the operation of your business,

• Sign every check yourself.  If you can't, have two signatures on each check.  This will reduce your exposure by a huge margin.
• Watch your credit card refund slips.  Have each refund double- checked in your shop.
• If you have a bill from a vendor you don't know, learn who it is before you send the check.
• Check your weekly payroll logs from your payroll provider.  Investigate any names you don't personally know, and watch for any overtime that you did not authorize.
• You will always need some petty cash in the office.  Just keep an eye on it.
• Watch for supplies going out the door.  This usually means someone is moonlighting.

Now, send two ten-dollar bills to my home address.  You will receive a list of 5,000 top companies that will give you business, pay their bills in 10 days, and never, never, never give you a punch list or a charge back.

Will This Be My Last Blog For USGlass?

I have sent out my resume, followed up with a phone call, and any day now, I expect the call telling me the job is mine.  When that happens, regretfully, my blogging days will be over. A little history here will help.

Last week the Mets, my favorite baseball team, released their General Manager, Omar Minaya, and their Field Manager, Jerry Manuel.  I am not qualified to be the field manager, even though that is tough to admit.  But, there is no doubt in my mind I can do the General Manager's job.

Here is my list of qualifications that I sent to Fred Wilpon, the owner of the Mets.

• I love baseball and will never skip out of work.
• I met Fred Wilpon once, shook his hand, and he said it was an honor to meet me. I am sure he will remember that as our first interview.
• I ran the annual player draft at our youth baseball league for many years.  I learned how to qualify players skills and attitudes.  (Really, the main reason a kid was drafted was whose Mom made the best team snacks.)
• I have been to hundreds of Mets games, and still watch every game, even here in New Hampshire.
• I have actually thrown out a first pitch at Mets game, met all the players, and they showed me great respect.  It would be easy to pick up from that point.
• I collect baseball cards, so I know all the player's stats, and know who to trade for.
• Negotiating my salary will be easy...I will pay whatever Mr. Wilpon wants.

So that's my story.  This blog has been great fun and I will truly miss it.  The odds are in my favor to get this job, but if for some reason I don't, I'll be back with you next week.

Where There Is Smoke, There Is Money Burning

Whenever you see cigarette smoke in your glass shop, even your own smoke, money is going out the window.  Let's explore some of the ways that smoking affects your business...and your profits!

Before I continue, let me share my vice.  Chocolate.  It can be just as addicting, and does equal harm to the body.  But since this is my blog, I am allowed to be judgemental.  

It is easy for a non-smoker to spout the following facts and figures about smokers:

• A pack-a-day smoker, at age 30, who quites and invests the same amount of money in a conservative 401k, will, at age 70, have in excess of $250,000.  And probably more as cigarette prices go up.
• Throat and mouth cancer are 200% more prevalent in smokers.
• Life insurance costs about 100% more than for non-smokers.
• If you have individual health insurance, expect to pay 30% more.
• Most home insurance policies carry a 20% premium. (you are more likely to burn your house down!)
• The same for car insurance.
• Your dental care will be about twice as expensive over your life
• Your house will have a lower resale value because of the pervasive smell of the smoke.

Can you as an employer or manager make people stop smoking as a term of employment?  No.  Most states do not allow you to control some one's activities away from work.  You can't prohibit a Hershey bar away from work, nor can you stop employees from having a beer.  These are legal activities.

But you can, and in my opinion you should, regulate certain behaviors at your workplace during working hours. Why should you eliminate smoking at work?

• The productivity of your company will definitely go up.  That's a promise.
• Your health insurance costs will not increase as much, as your utilization rates will be lower.
• Your office, showroom or trucks won't stink.
• Your customers will linger longer in your showroom.

Many companies offer a smoking break for employees to smoke outside rather than inside.  Do you offer the same to non-smokers?  Can they stand around for five minutes and do nothing?  How many times a day do you allow this?  Why are you discriminating against the non-smokers?

Not one state makes you offer this very expensive benefit to less than 20% of the workforce.  

Can you hire non-smokers only?  Only in a couple of states, and those are being challenged.  You can make smoking prohibited in your building and anywhere on your property.  If you make this clear during the interview, you are fine.  Let the potential employee make the decision.

How do you implement a non-smoking policy when one of your key employees sets the all-time record for being a chimney?  Start by having a heart-to-heart with Molly Smoker.  Offer to pay for the stop-smoking medications that may not be covered under the insurance plan, or offer to pay the deductibles.  Support Molly in every way you can, showing understanding that for a month or two Molly may be a very uncomfortable person to be around.  Give Molly a bonus at the end of three months of non-smoking.  Have a chart in the office showing the non-smoking days for all employees and get the whole company to be a support group. 

You can also go with a two-tier program.  Employees hired after a certain date cannot take smoking breaks, while current employees are grandfathered under previous work rules.  This works in all fifty states.  

Some states allow you to ask if an applicant is a smoker.  Some do not.  Don't worry about it, just don't ask the question.  Simply state in your help wanted ad, or in the interview, that your business is a non-smoking location.  The heavy smokers will go somewhere else.  If someone is a three cigarette a day person, you should have no problem hiring them. 

Health insurance rates are set in two broad ways.  One is all companies of a certain size get the same rate.  The other is to look at the utilization rate.  This is the actual costs incurred by all members of a plan.  If the insurer lost money last year, this year's premium will go through the roof.  Smokers cost more in medical costs, that's a fact.  So fewer smokers can equal lower insurance costs for your medical plan.

The bottom line?  You can (and should) restrict smoking in your company and on your property.  You should encourage in all ways possible your current smokers to quit, and you can set a policy of new hires are not allowed to take smoking breaks.

I have to go now, I haven't had any chocolate in an hour, and I am due.

Mr. Trump, Can We Talk?

Dear Mr. Trump,

My name is Ace Glassman, suave and multi-talented investigative reporter for the glass industry.  I invite you to meet the United States Glass and Window Industry at the New York/Long Island glass industry trade show on March 17, 2011.  We will provide a limo to pick you up in Manhattan and bring you to the most important glass event in the New York region.

Here you will meet AMERICAN window manufacturers and installers.  Here you will meet real working Americans.   Sure, we like Chinese food, and we celebrate Chinese New Year.  But, we make windows here--in North America.

Between the US and Canada, we make the best windows in the world! 

Mr. Trump, we will treat you like a movie star, give you a private room to comb your hair before we interview you, and we will help you buy your next project with North American made windows. 

Our glass trade unions have plenty of apprentices for you to pick from.  Our aluminum extruders use energy produced in Niagara Falls.  Our glass comes from the sand of our country.

I, Ace Glassman, suave and multi-talented reporter, will be there to lead you through the trade show, introducing you to the right people.  I will stand in front of you so no one will throw rotten tomatoes at you.  What more could you ask for?

Mr. Trump, write me at aceglassman@msn.com.  When we tell everyone that you are coming to learn how to buy American, the country will be proud of you, your ratings will go up, your buildings will be more in demand.  Mr. Trump, I received over five emails last week regarding this issue.  This week, I expect eight! This is a growing grass-roots movement.  My readers won't be buying condos in your buildings if you don't show up.

Mr. Trump, thank you, I look forward to seeing you on St. Patrick's Day.

Ace Glassman
Suave and multi-talented investigative reporter.

Ace Glassman Takes Over The Trump Scandal Reporting

This is your hard-hitting, suave, multi-talented investigative reporter Ace Glassman reporting on the now infamous TRUMP TRUMPS NORTH AMERICAN WINDOW MANUFACTURERS scandal.


A quick review, last week Donald Trump, bragging on Fox News, that he had just ordered thousands of windows and they were made in Asia.  He went on to ask why aren't windows made in the US?


I, Ace Glassman, have taken this on as a personal crusade.  My network of industry sources is unparalleled.  I received reports from around the world.  Donald didn't mention which building he was referring to in his rant on Fox.  But we found out.  As a suave and multi-talented reporter I cannot reveal my sources.  Here is hint though, SM reported that the building is the Trump Tower in Toronto. 


Your suave, multi-talented reporter took it from there.  The Toronto Tower is part hotel and part condos, with the condo's starting at $2 Million.  To me that means one unit is two million, and the rest are a lot more.  Certainly Donald couldn't be penny-pinching on such a magnificent project.  Extensive and intense work revealed that Donald is only a minority owner of this property.  His name is on the building because The Donald is hot now.  He sells.  He sizzles.  And he does this at the expense of North American workers and companies.  Did the message come down from on high?  Cut every penny no matter who it hurts?  Did someone give someone an extra egg roll?  Would the man who made all his money in America suddenly turn his back on it?


LT asked me if any North American companies bid on the project.  Your suave, multi-talented reporter, Ace Glassman, can't answer that question folks.  I need help.  Have you quoted or bid on any part of this job?  Did you loose the bid because you didn't send an order of fried rice along with the blueprints?


In my extensive industry knowledge, there are at least twenty companies in the US and Canada that could have bid on this job.  I found out that some are more expensive than others, but usually because of a higher quality standard.  Some manufacturers appeal to the budget apartment building owner, and there are definitely some that appeal to the Trump image.  (I found out that there is even one company that fired one of its apprentices.)


There is one documented time, in 1997 that the Donald was wrong on something. IT (another confidential source), told me, and she should know.  Could this be the next big error on Donald's part?  Do we have news here?


Send me all you know, Ace Glassman, your suave and multi-talented glass investigative reporter will never reveal a source.  Let's see what really happened here.


PS.  You can ignore that Bieber guy behind the keyboard.  I, Ace Glassman, your suave and multi-talented investigative reporter have my own email address: aceglassman@msn.com.  You can write to me anytime.

Stick It In Your Ear, Donald Trump

On September 16, 2010, Donald Trump, in a live interview on Fox News said, "I ordered windows, thousands of windows the other day, it's all made in China.  Does anybody make windows in this country?"


Hello...is anyone there?


Let's try in invent the scenarios how this happened.


1.  The Donald wanted Chinese windows in his building.  We can rule this out because in the the same interview he said we should tax the heck out of imports from China and that China wasn't being fair to us.


2.  The windows were cheaper from China, and Trump would rather save his money than spend it on on American made goods.  But then he can talk out of both sides of his mouth better than most.


I am not in this to knock Trump...I admire his gumption and think he has done a lot of things well for New York City.  But in this case, I hope he likes the taste of shoe leather, for he has really put his foot in his mouth.


There are great window manufacturers here.  I bet it is just that the price was undercut by the manufacturer with Chinese Government support.  The Chinese are certainly maneuvering their currency, the Yuan, to their benefit, at our expense.


Nonetheless, Trump should issue a 'Buy American' order to his staff.  He has made his fortune in the US.  He brags on TV's apprentice, he is among the rich and famous (or infamous) of the US, and he should be repaying America every day.


Did our US manufacturers even have a chance at the contract?  I don't know.  But I would be willing to bet they did, and I would be willing to bet that this was decided on price only.


If you have any info on this, and I don't even know the job name, drop me a note.  Let me know what you know, and maybe we can piece this together.


Larry Tuminnia, co-owner of Northeast Laminated, brought the original conversation to my attention.  Thanks Larry for keeping alert about our industry.


I am not saying we shouldn't import anything, I am just wondering if the US manufacturing companies had a real shot at this one.

The METS Season Is Over, But Yours Is Not

We don't have this luxury in the glass industry.  We can't stop for the winter, spend money on talent, and start over at spring training.  So, what are you going to do if your glass shop isn't in the playoffs?

Let's figure out why.  Actually, that is easy.  You didn't make enough profit.  Now, we ask why again.

Did you:

• Not sell enough?
• Sell at prices too low?
• Spend too much on materials?
• Spend too much on labor & benefits?
• Spend too much on overhead?

See, you only need to attack five areas.

How do you know which ones to attack?  Ask your accountant to tell you.  If he/she can't, you have a bookkeeper and not an accountant.  Spend the bucks, have your books reviewed each year by someone who will analyze your books, not just tell you what you have and how much taxes to pay.  A good accountant should also be a business advisor and should repay their costs many times over.

How do you find that accountant? Ask your friends who own a similar size business to yours. Go to aicpa.org to search for accountants in your area.   When you select an accountant, be clear on the scope of what you want done, and don't give open-ended assignments. Get a firm quote before you give a go-ahead on any project. Remember, you don't want a bookkeeper. There are enough basic computer programs, like Quicken, to run your business. You want help in analyzing the numbers that Quicken can give you.

I think we most often fall into the trap that says more sales will solve the problems. Not always so.  Sometimes, your sales are just right for your business, but your margins are too low.  Or your overhead is too high.  Just piling on sales is not often the answer.  More sales with a low margin actually creates more losses!
Be selective on your bids.  Bid the jobs where quality is as important as price.  When it is government work, and the lowest price wins, unless you know you are a low-cost provider, steer clear.  Bid the private work where relationships and open bidding will allow you to shine. 

I am sure that every business in America has picked the low-hanging fruits of simple cost reduction and employee count. But there is always more.  Look at every expenditure you make.  No exceptions.  Just because you have bought something in the past is no excuse to buy it now.  Make every dime going out of your checkbook valuable to the profitability of your business.  Sign each and every check yourself and ask, do I need this now?  Better yet, if you use a purchase order system, you should be the only one to authorize for a month.  There should be no such thing as an automatic or open ended purchase order.  Every single expense is controllable.  Some more easily than others, of course.

Are you paying rent on a signed lease?  Go back to your landlord and discuss the current market conditions.  Many landlords will be glad to reduce rents to current market prices based on a one or two year extension.  Try for five years at a reduced rate.  If you don't try, you won't get it.  I have a client that went back to his landlord and received a fifteen per cent reduction with a four year extension.  Huge dollars.

The headline on this blog mentions by beloved METS.  They fell apart again.  You can't blame your success, or lack of, on an injury or a key employee going into a slump.    As far as you are concerned, it is only the bottom of the third and you have to keep playing.

How I saved Jimmy's Career As A Glass Truck Driver

Jimmy was a driver for our glass fabricating company. (Actually his name is not Jimmy, but I won't use his real name).  He was due in at 8:00 daily, and just couldn't make it.  8:10, 8:21, 8:07 were on his time card daily.  And then I made it worse.  Our hours were 8:00 to 4:30 for our day shift of manufacturing and delivering.  In my first couple of months as manager of the company, I asked our customers what they wanted, and the most common request was earlier deliveries.

So, I met with the managers, and then the Union, and we all agreed to start at 7:00 am. 

The Union Business Agent and I knew we were going to have one problem.  Jimmy.  If he couldn't make 8:00, how in the world was he ever going to make 7:00?  He made it the first day, and was 7:02 the second day, and went downhill from there.  We had a progressive discipline system in place, and in coordination with the Business Agent, we wrote him, then wrote him up more sternly, then suspended him for a day, and then for three days.

A little background on Jimmy would help.  He was one of the 'good guys'.  When he was here, he was one of the best workers, the customers loved him, and he always made all his stops, even on the longest days.  The best part about Jimmy was his attitude.  He didn't complain and he loved doing the work.

But, and there is always a but, Jimmy still continued to come in late.  Our next step on the discipline ladder was termination, and that is the step that no one wanted to take.  But if we didn't, we were a paper tiger on our discipline program, and that spelled long-term trouble.

Jimmy cost me sleep...I was the new manager and this was a crisis that had to be solved.  I asked Jimmy to stop at my desk the next afternoon to discuss options.  At 2:00 am that morning, the light bulb went on over my head.  I had it.

On my way to work I stopped at a local store, made a purchase and went to work with a smile.  I played back all the conversations in my head that we had with Jimmy.  He loved his job, he didn't want to loose his job, but he just had trouble waking up every morning, no matter what motivation we had given him.

At the meeting that afternoon, I gave Jimmy the "Super-Loud" alarm clock that I had bought that day.  It cost me about $8.  Jimmy was never late again!

We hadn't listened.  He kept saying he had a hard time waking up.  It wasn't that he went to sleep too late, or was drunk, or anything.  He needed to be really jolted out of his very deep sleep.  And my new friend, Mr. Super-Loud, did the trick.  I learned a great lesson.  Listen to the problem, and then the cause of the problem and try to make the solution work on both parts.

This wasn't a disciplinary situation, or a motivational situation, but simply a stupid logistical thing that saved Jimmy, who went on to be one of the best employees we ever had.

My Mother-In-Law Is Sending Me On A One Way Trip

And there are days I would like to take it. But, I am holding out for the full round trip.

Elaine's Mom moved into an assisted living facility about a year ago.  We handle her finances for her.  I negotiated a deal with the home to pay using a credit card at the same rate as sending a monthly check.  So by this time next year I will have enough travel points for Elaine and I to take a long Caribbean cruise, or travel to Europe.

Now, we would rather have her living on her own and healthy, but this is what life has brought to the table at this point.  So, we will accumulate the points and at some future date, we will be able to travel.

Many  of you are saying so what.  Anyone can do this.  You're right.  But very few of you do this within the glass industry!

When I was in business, we had about 2500 active accounts, and I could count on two hands the customers that regularly used their credit card.  In the years since I left, it is not much different

I've heard all the excuses--I don't have enough credit line, I'm afraid of incurring finance charges, I don't have a corporate or business credit card, and ten more.

Some need the extended credit terms afforded by many fabricators.  I understand that.  But many of you do pay your bills promptly, or pay on the 10th of each month.  So use your credit card to pay Molly's Glass Fabricator and then the next week pay your credit card bill.  If you don't have a high enough credit line, pay the credit card bill on the 8th of the month, and then tell Molly to put through your charge on the 10th, and you credit card will go through! 

Get a credit card where you can set the billing date.  Most cards will let you do this.  Set the date for the 5th of the month.  Pay all your vendors on the 10th of the month, and you get 25 free days of float.  And the points. 

You are not locked into giving your vendors a credit card payment.  If you are working a large job and don't have the cash flow until you are paid, then just pay what you can on the card and let the rest wait.  Get all the points you can now.

Credit card companies are looking for new customers every day.  Get a card in your business name now.  Even if it has a low credit line, by using it monthly up to the line, your credit line will grow.  Some accountants will be upset with your using your personal card to pay business expenses.  This does create one more level of accounting transactions, but it is not complicated.  Your accountant should gladly show you how to create this.

I hope there are a couple of glass shop families on the cruise with me.

14%--Are You Kidding Me?

Yep, 14% on clear glass and 8% on just about everything else.  Now, raise your hand if you think that this price increase will stick.  My special 'blogovision' computer let's me see how many have raised their hands, and it looks like most of my readers. 

For the last generation we have all complained that prices in the industry are so low that no one is making real money.  Whose fault is that?  To paraphrase Pogo, "I have met the enemy and it is us."  We are all guilty; we buy on price more than quality and service.  So, what's a boy to do?  I think this price increase will help, not hurt our industry.  Most glass fabricators and shops raise their prices only when the floaters do.  But the electricity goes up, wages are slightly up, and insurance is through the roof.  I am not condoning or encouraging price collusion, but I sure do hope that most people do raise their prices as well.  With better operating margins, you can offer the best service, you can stand behind your promise of top-notch quality.

During this pricing transition you can adopt a few of the following strategies to help you through this increase. 

• Call all of the customers with pending quotes and advise them of a price increase coming in a couple of weeks.  Tell them that if they give you a letter of intent now, with a firm schedule, you will honor their old numbers.  This will get some people to commit an order to you now.
• Contact your fabricators and distributors and find our their policy about jobs in progress.  A progressive fabricator should honor jobs for three months at the current prices provided you give them a letter of intent.  If the job is large enough, the floaters will generally give the fabricators this lock-in and your fabricator should pass it on to you.
• If you have storage space and funds, fill your racks as full as you can.  And, then sell at the new pricing.  That is a 14% return on your money.  I would do that every day.
• Don't sell your current stock at the old prices unless you have a firm purchase order.  Many glass shop owners feel that the price increase should be passed through after they receive new stock.  Don't wait.  Raise your prices now.
• When you raise your prices, take the time to make them logical and profitable to you.  It is easy to just change every price across the board.  But if you find yourself selling something for $11.02, it sounds better to your customer at $10.99.  Now, you think this only works at Wal-Mart, but believe me, it works everywhere, in any financial transaction.
• Most vendors will give you a buy-in for a limited amount of time, usually between thirty and ninety days.  But, you have to ask for and earn this kind of treatment.  Do you pay your bills on time?  Do you create tons of charge backs?  Do you treat your vendor like a partner?  If you do, a good vendor will return that in spades, and during pricing upticks, it is your time to insist on special treatment
• If you are in the middle of an ongoing job, you may have to purchase the balance of your needed stock to hold to your contracted price.  Discuss this with your fabricator, and ask for 90 or 120 day terms on these purchases.  If you have a good credit history, your fabricator should work this out for you.

What do you do with the one-year contract you just signed to do ongoing work at the local apartment complex?  If you wrote the contract without an escalator clause, you can only beg for an increase in pricing.

I recommend that you include an escalator in year-long maintenance type contracts, based on a market basket of three vendors that you use.  You agree to show your customer the price increase letters you receive and agree to raise your prices by the average of the three.  The customer has the right to cancel the contract, but you do not.  If you can put this clause in your contracts, it is worth it to give a point or two as a discount for the clause.  Make that extra point a larger discount if they pay within your terms!

This price increase should stick.  We need it to improve the general health of our industry.  I hope it works.

The Year Is 1977 and The Place Is Boston

I joined the CR Laurence team in 1976, hired by one of the great men of our industry, Phil Saitta.  I covered Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and boy, could I sell razor blades.  I began to learn quite a bit about the glass industry spending time in about sixteen glass shops daily, talking with the owners.  Each one taught me something.

There was one special shop in Brighton, Mass., a section of Boston with a lot of college kids and old-time residents who had lived there for decades.

I saw Leo, the owner, about every six weeks, and I always looked forward to his shop.  Leo was probably 75 years old.  He repaired picture frames and windows.  He didn't understand what this new-fangled "tempered" glass was all about.  He was comfortable selling single and double thick, and repairing screens.  Leo was a class act; always neat and presentable to his customers, who were mainly the 'senior citizens' of the area.  College kids didn't have any use for glass shops.  Leo wasn't the busiest guy in the world, so he always had a minute to talk to me, and never let me leave without an order, even if it was only for $10.

One day I am talking with Leo and this little old lady comes in.  (I know this sounds trite, but it is true).  She had a picture frame and a small piece of glass, wrapped in newspaper with her.  Leo greeted her like an old friend.  She said, (as roughly as my memory remembers), "Leo, you sold me this glass for my grandson's picture, but I told you the wrong size.  I asked you for a three inch by five inch, and look, my picture frame is four inches by six." 

She went on, "How much would it cost to put this in your glass stretcher machine?  I don't know if I can afford to buy a whole new piece."  Back in the day, twenty-four inches of single might have cost Leo two cents and he would have sold it for a quarter.

Leo looked at her, and with a big smile, told her that he was having a special on glass stretching and it wouldn't cost her a penny.  Her smile could have lit up a dark night.  Leo took the small piece and he and I went into the back of his shop.  He turned on his belt grinder, turned on a bench grinder and a drill press.  He banged some tools together and rattled around his steel garbage cans.  He took out a cutoff of single, and quickly cut the new piece.  Leo turned off all the machines and we went back to the lady.  Leo quickly apologized for all of the noise, saying his glass stretcher was old and needed some repair work.

The lady was so happy.  She showed Leo the picture of her grandchildren and Leo helped her put the glass in the frame. That day, Leo taught me that getting a smile and a thank you was more valuable than a quarter.

I continued to call on Leo, even thought he would never be a large customer.  No sales training I ever received was more potent than that day with Leo.  

Last week I received a letter from Mr. Ken Gamble of North Alabama Glass Company in Huntsville, Alabama, commenting on my blog.  He reminded me of the times when tempered glass was just being phased in to our industry, which prompted my memory of Leo.  Thanks, Ken.

If you have a memory of something special in the glass industry, drop me a note.  We'll work it into a future blog.

The $25 Baggage Fee And The Glass Energy Surcharge

Quick, tell me what is the worst thing you can do to a loyal customer? If you said create new fees and charges that confuse the customer, breed mistrust and cynicism, and make you feel stupid trying to figure them out, then you are right-on.

Last year, US airlines grossed $7.8 BILLION in extra fees. That is Billion, with a 'B'. Do you think they are going to give that up when fuel costs go down? Do you believe in the tooth fairy? Now there are fees for sitting in aisle seats, window seats, exit row seats and front row seats. Pretty soon there will be surcharges if the flight lands on time. I understand the security fees and agree with them, but still, this trend is out of hand.

On my home phone bill, taxes and fees added 24.5% to my basic cost. Since when do we pay fees? It is just a price increase. We all pay fees to the government. You pay a fee to register your trucks. Can you add a fee to every bill you send your customers for truck registration?

Shipping and handling are another sore point. Yes, we are all used to paying shipping charges on something we buy. But what is a handling fee but another revenue stream that kicks up the cost of an item. Handling is part of overhead, we all have it. All it does it lets the seller advertise at a lower price and then hit you in the end with a higher price. But in our industry we can't charge a handling fee.

Just about the only fee a glass shops can get away with is a minimum for a service call. Fabricators and wholesalers pass through the energy surcharge and usually a delivery fee. Glass retailers have a hard time with trying to pass this through, and it just becomes another overhead item.

Our industry isn't the only one that has an energy surcharge. The steel industry has a whopper of a charge. Even delivery companies, like Fedex, have charged an energy surcharge. But, in our industry, it was never handled well. It has seemed like the entire profit structure of floaters and fabricators was based on the surcharge.

There is no easy way for a glass shop to pass the energy surcharge through. It means making a conditional statement with every quote, and that is a tough way to sell a job to the average customer.

All I know is that I think the $25 baggage charge is a rip-off, and yet, I pay it, knowing that I have no other choice.

What do you do, as a glazing contractor or a glass shop? Are there any good ways for you to handle this? Please drop me a note at paulbaseball@msn.com to let me know how you handle the energy surcharge in your shop. I'll pass along all the ideas in a future blog.

Next week some tips to handle the recent price increase started by Pittsburgh.

There Is No Such Thing As A 'Free Phone'

"Buy one, get the second one free."

"Every two years, come back and get a free phone!"

You know, I believed the advertising. My wife and I have one of the major national carriers that actually has service on my mountain in New Hampshire. Our phones were a couple of years old, and I got an email saying we qualified for the free phones. Elaine and I discussed what kind of phones we wanted--Internet or not, touch screen, video or regular camera.

We both said, "keep it simple".

So, I went to the store today to pick up my free phones. You know, I should have known better. In fact I knew better, but somehow got lulled into thinking it wouldn't happen. I am not naive; I just should have known better.

Yes, my carrier had over thirty phones on display, and two of them would have been free. They had no features, transmitted weakly (according to Molly, the sales clerk), and had many reported instances of going in for warranty work.

For only $50.00 a phone, I could get two phones that would fit our needs.

And our current car chargers don't fit. Two new chargers were $30.00 each. Of course you need a new case for $30.00. And since the phones have easy to use keyboards, and we will do more texting, only a $20.00 monthly increase to our service plan to have unlimited texting.

It's a good thing there is no sales tax in New Hampshire.

I am sure that right now you are saying, this is common place, and that there is no way around it. You're right.

Let's think about this. Most of the people who read my blog are decision-makers in the glass industry. So, when you write an ad for the local paper or put up a sign in your window, and you offer a deal--Make It Real!

No asterisks and no small print. Treat your customers like real people, and give an offer that can stand up to inspection by fussy consumers. To me at least, I would rather see a 10% off sale that is a real 10% than a 15% off sale on just part of an order. I hate the ads that say "New Windows only $50.00." No one will buy those today.

Haven't you walked into a store to buy something on a really good sale, only to be disappointed when you find it is out of stock, or not at all like the description on line or in an ad? Do you want to shop there again?

Do you want your customers to feel the same way about your glass shop, or your business?

Life Is NOT Fair

This blog is a complaint blog. If you don't want to read my whining, click out now.

Anyone who know me or reads my blogs knows that I enjoy baseball. Over my life, I have been to probably eight or nine hundred major league games, hundreds more in minor leagues, and little league games in the thousands.

In the thousand or so professional games I have never caught a fair home run or a foul ball, during a game or during batting practice. (If you don't go for batting practice before the game, you are not a fan.) I have been tossed balls by players when hanging over the fence. Maybe a hundred or so. It helps to have a young and cute kid with you. But never, have I caught a ball directly off a bat. Never. I still bring my glove to games. You never know when you are in the perfect seat.

I have been near balls, but never near enough. Once I was at a game with my friend Chuck Kaplanek and our kids. His son, Chris, who was at his second or third game of his life at about 8 years old, caught a home run ball, two seats over from me. We were thrilled for him. The next day Chuck told that Chris threw the ball down a sewer in the street. I cried. That was the closest I have been.

At the 2000 World Series between the Yanks and the Mets, my daughter, about 14 at the time, had a ball fall in front of her. This gnarly old lady pushed her down, twisted her hands and arm to the point of Jessica screaming, and tore the ball from her hands. I guess she really wanted it. I told Jessica I would get her another. That was 12 years ago and she is still waiting.

So here is my complaint about life. Last week, Mr. Adam Koltun, at a game in Miami, caught two foul balls, on two successive pitches. He was a gentleman and give one of the balls to a young boy seating near him. That is classy.

But NOT fair.

I have been to a Marlins game in Miami and didn't catch even one.

So, Adam, what is your secret. What did you have for breakfast that day? What clothes were you wearing? Had you just helped a little old lady cross the street? Did you say a prayer? Did you remember your mother-in-laws birthday? Come on, what did you do that can be copied by a guy like me?

In my home office, just off the kitchen, I have over two hundred baseballs on shelves around the room. Many from great little league games, some purchased, some given as gifts, some tossed to me by big-leaguers. None caught. I am just about out of space, but have reserved one spot for 'the' ball. I am expecting it at the very next game I go to.

You Can Learn From Bill's Mistake

It sure would tick me off. I was talking with a glazier who did some repairs at a small condominium complex on a regular basis. Homeowners would call him for breaks and seal failures. He knew the condo's management, and he never missed a job call. One day he was driving by the complex and he saw a Brand X Window Company truck offloading pallets of new windows and doors for the condos.

Let's call my friend Bill. Bill went into the condo office, with a head of steam and asked what the heck was going on. Calmly, the manager explained that Brand X had been working the Association for six months on a program to install new windows that were extremely energy-efficient. With the tax rebates, and the projected energy savings, they had a four year payback on this purchase. Bill asked, "Why didn't you ask me about the windows?" The manager said that Bill was a great repairer of windows, but didn't know Bill could make or install new windows.

Well, Bill left there, proceeded to stop at Molly's Bar and Grill, have a few cold ones, and that evening he called me. Where did he go wrong? Here is what I told him.

"Bill," I said, "You are a great glass man, you can fix anything with glass in it, making it look better than new. You never miss an appointment, and are always fair in your pricing. But, Bill, the glass market is changing all around us, everyday. Customers aren't buying new windows for decorative purposes; energy-savings is the key to everything in the glass business today. Look at your business cards, it has 'Bill Repairs Breaks' in bold letters and so does your yellow pages ad. You talk about your great service in your ads, and when people need service they call you.

"But, in this case, a sales team came into the association, and with graphs and charts, they sold the Association on new windows. I'll bet you never discussed new windows with the manager, did you?"

"Never did," he replied. "Never thought they needed them, as I kept fixing them up all the time."

"Bill, you didn't see the big sale right in front of your face. Service such as yours is the most important thing for a break shop, but you can be more than that. You have the relationship with the Condo manager. You could have made an appointment to meet him and present an alternate energy savings window. You just didn't see it right in front of your face."

Bill asked, "I don't know much about low-e and all the tax stuff, so how could I compete?"

"Bill, you have the most valuable part of the equation. You are trusted by the condo manager. Here is what you do for the other condos you work on. Start out by working with two or three window manufacturers. One, aluminum, one vinyl or fiberglass, and one wood. Have their regional reps call on you and set up an operating plan like this. You will set up the meeting with your friends and the window manufacturer's rep will give the presentation. You work together on the pricing of the windows, and you do the install."

"It's a no-brainer. If the condo or apartment trusts you, your recommendation goes a long way and is transferred to the window provider.

"Change your business card, update your yellow pages ad, hire your ten-year old nephew to build a web site highlighting window energy conservation. Put a sign on your truck, and a flyer in every invoice and statement you send out. If you pick up one or two jobs per year, you are a hero! And by the way, when you sit through the presentations, you will be learning all about energy savings and glass. Believe me Bill, this is the most important aspect of our industry in the future."

Paul's Note: Yes, this is totally made up, but it sounds a lot better this way than if I just threw a sermon at you about energy-savings!

A Question From The West Side

Brad Cook, the President and Co-owner of ARC Glass in Brook Park, Ohio sent in a great question. Before I answer Brad's question, a little geography and history lesson is in order. I was born and raised in Cleveland, which is probably the least appreciated city in the US. I lived for baseball season as a kid and followed the Cleveland Indians, as they became the Gods of my youth. Rocky Colavito was my hero. Herb Score was a Cleveland pitcher until he got hit in the face by a line drive, breaking his eye socket and cutting his career short. I remember crying that night like no other night up to then in my life.


On the other hand, when I went to college in Boston, I never went back to Cleveland. I found out that Cleveland was in a different time zone than Boston, about three years behind.


The geography lesson is this. Brook Park is on the west side of Cleveland, near Hopkins Airport. I grew up on the east side. Crossing from one to the other was like going to another world. The Cleveland Zoo was on the West Side, like the Airport, and those were the only two places I ever went on the west side. So, when I received Brad's note, from a west sider, it proved that times have improved. Although, Brad probably didn't know I am an east sider.

So, thanks Brad for this question and thanks for triggering some memories of growing up. Here's Brad's question:


"Initially we were told by our IG supplier that they could not obtain low-e stock that met the government's requirements for the tax credit. At a later date, they expanded on their incapacity saying the low-e coating that met the aforementioned requirements was too soft be produced on their equipment.


"Can you offer any insight? Thank you for your time.


Here we go Brad. Your supplier needs to update his equipment, or you need to get a different supplier for these type of jobs.


There are two broad categories of low-e glass: hard coat and soft coat. Hard coat has the low-e manufactured into the glass as it comes out of melting furnace at 2300 degrees. After cooling it is easy to handle. You can temper, drill, laminate or anything else you can do with regular float. The downside is that it is not the most efficient product. Soft coat is more efficient, and meets the criteria for energy star windows for the tax credit (see the website at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfmc=windows_doors.pr_anat_window for technical info), but it needs specialized manufacturing equipment to make IG units correctly. Without the right equipment the coating will scratch and blotch in the washing machine. Also, finger prints are in the coating forever. Cutting oil leaves a residue. All said, it is tougher to manufacture the units with soft coat.


If your vendor doesn't have the right equipment, they are smart not to attempt to use the soft coat products. Nonetheless, this is the future of our industry. Hard coat has many good uses in commercial, large size units. For residential, though, soft coat will rule the roost.


As for you, Brad, you do need to have another source of IG. Ask local fabricators if they do soft coat. Any soft coat will meet the energy-star standards and you will be able to fill your customer's needs. Soft coat units are more expensive. Usually 20-30% more. You will have no handling problems. The coating is to the inside of the unit, you'll install just like any other unit. Also, there are many different soft coats out there. Unless you know the exact product used in the initial install, you will have a tough time matching on any replacement job. If you are building from scratch, make sure you and your customer keep a record of the products being used.

Brad, give my regards to Cleveland...go Indians.