The Boring Glass Industry

My main consulting business is within the glass industry. Occasionally I am recommended to a client in an unrelated field. Which is how I came to spend 5 days in Washington, DC, this past week. It doesn't hurt that both my children live here. Really, two days consulting and three wonderful days with the kids.

I couldn't help but hear and read the local news, which is all politics. After readings Sunday's paper, I realized we are boring. Follow me---

Mark Sandford, the Governor of South Carolina imports his girl friend from Argentina. The glass industry brings in sidelites for Chevys.

President Obama and the Senate argue about national health care. Our great debate is amount of argon left in a unit after ten years.

The world is trying to unite South and North Korea. We are happy that Sommer & Maca joined CRL.

The State Department is wondering if Iran has a plant that really can make nuclear weapons. We wonder if Oldcastle Glass will close another plant.

The national press wants to know if John Edwards fathered a baby with his girlfriend. Actually, so do we.

Congress spends billions of dollars on pork. Most glass shops can't afford to buy a pulled pork sandwich for the men out back.

The government is spending billions to create jobs. Most of these jobs in the glass industry will be installing Chinese glass.

Congress is concerned with the recall of millions of Toyotas. We are concerned with returning a shower door that is too warped.

The election of Senators and Congressmen is in the news. I think we vote for the NFRC members.

The Tea Party is in every conversation and newspaper story about the elections in November. We are anticipating baseball's opening day in April.

And so on....

The Glass Shop 2010 Olympics

It takes really hard work and extreme motivation to compete in Vancouver. When you hear the phrase "the best of the best", it applies to every athlete, from every country.

Well, almost.

The Olympic Organizing Committee is working on the events for the Glass Shop Olympics. Your ace-number one investigative reporter has found out the events that will be contested. Here, now, for the first time in print, are the medal opportunities for this year's Glass Shop Olympics.

• The customer who complains the loudest about a wrong-sized piece of glass, when they brought in the measurements.
• The estimator who miscounted the most openings in a building.
• The employee with the most time off, who still has a job.
• The auto glass installer with the dirtiest windshield on their personal car.
• The general contractor with the most confusing contract.
• The IG fabricator with most dirt inside a unit.
• The salesman with the most offensive joke.
• The structural engineer with the most math errors.
• The secretary who writes the most wrong numbers on phone messages.
• The architect who creates the most confusing plans.
• The tempering plant manager who ships the most warped shower door.
• The glazier who can work the most consecutive hours without a tape measure.
• The blogger who writes the most ridiculous blogs in the glass industry. (My dog, Mollie, woofed that I deserve this one!)

The Death Of A Friend

Irwin Hill, a dear friend for over thirty-five years, has passed on. He struggled mightily for the last couple of years with on-going health problems, never complaining, always with a joke and a kind word for a friend or a helping nurse.

Irwin was a salesman's salesman. His personality was so strong and so positive that he never missed talking with a customer. No one turned Irwin away saying he was too busy. And, while Irwin filled you in on the stories of his children and wife, his pen was busy writing down everything you needed in your shop. You didn't even realize you gave him an order, until, of course, he asked if it was OK with you to place this small order. You couldn't refuse Irwin. Ever.

Short, bald, wide, funny and caring. These were all Irwin. You never left Irwin's presence without a smile on your face. You appreciated the extra time he took to make sure you never ran out of anything, and were glad to give him the business.

Irwin could have sold snow to Eskimos. He started in the glass industry with CR Laurence, where he and I worked together. I learned from Irwin, more so than from any other salesman I ever worked with. When I had the opportunity to join Floral Glass on Long Island, Irwin came along, too. He sold glass better than anyone. He lit up the office with his smile, and nobody in the plant was ever too busy to answer his questions about when a customer would get his product. Irwin felt that the customers were HIS customers, and he cared for them like they were his children. No request was ever too trivial, no sample order ever refused, no orders ever left on a customer's desk.

Irwin taught me this: "Keep all of your customers in a buying situation." He worked hard to never let the credit department shut off his customer...he kept the money flowing so his customers could always buy from us.

But writing about the glass business doesn't tell all about Irwin. He has two great kids, Suzanne and Michael, and his wife, Sally. Irwin loved being Jewish. He was the President of his Synagogue for so long that no one remembers when he wasn't. He led services when the Rabbi was out, and cared for all his congregants in their times of need. He was proud of his faith and the traditions. Irwin loved his Synagogue and his ability to help people with the Synagogue's resources.

Irwin was a classic 'New Yorker'. Born and raised in New York City, moving to Long Island when Sally and he started their family, Irwin loved his bagels and lox, and most especially the hectic pace and style of New York. For the 99% of you who live away from here, you never had the chance to shake Irwin's hand. If you did, you would never forget Irwin. As we progress to electronic communications, Irwin's professional selling style of friendship and knowledge has lost it's lustre. Irwin was the best of the best--as a salesperson, and more importantly, as a man.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

We live in on the side of a mountain in New Hampshire. Both of my kids live in Washington DC, and they have had more snow there than Elaine, Mollie and I have here...What is wrong with this picture?

Glass manufacturers are laying off and closing. Yet, every thing I read says that energy savings windows and doors should be in every home and office. What's wrong with this picture?

Glass shops have laid off just about everyone they can, yet it is still hard to find good workers. Did we have that many bad workers on our books?

McDonald's sales are up because of their low-priced 'Dollar Menu'...Float glass costs about a dollar...why aren't glass sales up?

The glass for the World Trade Center tower came from China. Maybe buying from the cheapest is not the best idea?

Solutia took two years to clear its bankruptcy, Arch took two months.

Tiger Wood's endorsement fees are very low now...most glass shops can afford him for a Saturday afternoon autograph session.

The auto glass business is consolidating out every local auto glass installer.

Pretty soon we will have to consult a computer modeling program to replace the glass in an 8 x 10 picture frame.

We have 40,000,000 people without medical insurance. Isn't that more important than anything?

If we can't play well in the Washington sandbox, how can we expect our kids to play well in the backyard sandbox?

Yes, energy efficiency is important, but don't 'they' realize that a well designed glass building is beautiful as well as efficient?

There is no inheritance tax in 2010. If you are planning to die, and you want your spouse to get your money...do it now.

Why is Glass Week only five days?

How come the carpenters swear the walls are always straight, but the shower door is out of square?

Why does it cost more than a glazier makes in a week to take his family to a football game?

Can a whole glass shop take steroids to get larger during the recession?

Over 15,000 people died directly from drunk driving automobile accidents in 2007. Around six died from falling into annealed table tops. Where are our priorities?

If the glass shop nearest you only hires drivers after a drug and alcohol test, and you don't test, think about which applicants come to your door.

When glass breaks two years after it is installed, why is it the glass shop's fault?

If ten contractors bid on a building, why is one always 20% cheaper?

Why have you read this blog all the way to here? Don't you have something better to do?

An Interview With Chuck

Barbara Walters has called three times. Each time he said "No". He didn't even take Geraldo's calls. The Today Show was turned down twice. Chuck Kaplanek, the owner and President of The Floral Glass Group of companies had preferred his privacy. He also felt a strong obligation to Oldcastle Glass to not interfere in their operations of the companies he sold to them in 2004.

Now, I am a very cunning glass blogger. I called up Chuck, pretending to be his friend, after all, we worked together for over twenty years. I said, "Let's get together for a weekend in Florida at your place, reminisce about the old days, and have some fun.

He fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Sure, we had a great time in sunny Florida, where it was seventy-five degrees, and my wife at home was walking Mollie the Dog in minus-five weather. We ate out, and cruised down to the Keys. It was all in the guise of getting this interview with 'The Floral Glass Man'

Paul: Do you miss the days of running a major company?

Chuck: There are times that I do and times that I don't. When I see many of today's exceptional difficulties, I'm happy I don't have those responsibilities any more.

Paul: Which difficulties are those?

Chuck: The unprecedented financial and economic downturn.

Paul: Do you ever see yourself going back to the glass industry?

Chuck: It would take a very unique circumstance and special people to tweak my interest. Ask me again in a year.

Paul: Your sons were all involved in the business in one way or the other. What are your three boys doing now?

Chuck: Each of my sons have a uniquely different personality and each are following his special goals---none of which are in the glass industry. Cory is in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, working on solar power projects. Chris is now a fully-licensed EMT and working full-time as an ambulance driver. He is also in school to become a paramedic. He loves the excitement and the fact he is helping people. Carey is finishing his degree in finance at Baruch College in New York City.

Paul: The industry has changed a lot in the last eighteen months. What changes do you see still coming?

Chuck: Prior to five years ago, at which time I left he industry, I had already sensed the rapid changes of not only the glass industry, but also the entire social fabric of our nation. As early as I thought I understood the upcoming changes, what has taken place in the last five years, and especially the last eighteen months was even beyond my vision. The ability to change almost instantly based on not long-term, or mid-term, or even short-term conditions, but the ability to change on an almost daily basis is mandatory. The industry must change in the short and perhaps mid-term future due to lack of demand. Those who can shrink efficiently and still survive will emerge as leaders later.

Paul: You owned and ran the most successful glass fab business in the Northeast--Any words of wisdom for the trade?

Chuck: Hail Mary, full of grace..., No, wait, let's get serious. Stay focused on remaining within your means. Stay focused on maintaining solid customer and supplier relationships based on service and honesty. Don't 'over-panic' when time get temporarily tough or different.

Paul: What do you think about the Chinese stealing the contract on the World Trade Center Liberty Tower?

Chuck: My heart goes out to PPG for all of the well-minded and quality efforts on their part prior to the commencement of the project. Our country needs to create the 'Third Great Industrial Revolution' based on hi-tech capabilities and produce these products on our home soil. I think this should be the energy based aspects of our glass products, generating solar power and improving heat and cold transfer from the environment.

Paul: You left five years ago, at the right time. For what other parts of our industry is it the right time for change?

Chuck: The right time for change is everyday---the right time for mergers is when you are certain it is beneficial for your company to no longer go it alone. It is time when you can gain from the possibility of pooling skills, knowledge and resources.

Paul: Thanks, Chuck. Now, why don't we have a drink.