Here is a special guest blog from Eugene Negrin. More on Eugene at the end of his blog.
Branding your Business---Quality makes a difference
The Glass Industry is a diverse, multifaceted and unique universe with significant opportunities for all market segments. In each category, there are a range of providers each known for a unique set of skills and features. From a marketing perspective, what we know and feel about these businesses is commonly referred to as their Brand.
In my view, when it comes to a competitive profile, the market can be divided into two main parts. The first category is the volume providers. What characterizes this group is volume capability, specific expertise and/or repetitive processes. Whether manufacturer or local glass shop, their sustainability depends on speed and efficiency. These innovators have developed processes for high efficiency, and an acceptable standard of quality for high volume production. Their Brand may be recognized for consistency and competitive prices as the result of particular skills of their workforce or proprietary factors inherent in their factory or shop.
The other part of the market, where my company earned its reputation, is in custom capability. It is challenging to play at this end (and, that is why I like it). Building your Brand here encompasses a host of different factors that requires special skills with every step.
Before entering our industry in 1974, I had the opportunity to study the glass business and determine my path. From day one, I was intrigued by how I might differentiate our company (which was then known as Galaxy Glass & Mirror) to make the business more attractive to my prospective customers.
In the ensuing years, we continually refined our focus, concerning ourselves with ways to blend our artistic creativity with market trends. We uncovered market niches, experimented with manufacturing techniques and identified shortcomings in ways that products were specified, manufactured, and installed.
These factors were significant in building the Galaxy® Brand and provided us with a strong product and service 'story' that made sense to our customers. But, that wasn’t always enough. Throughout the supply chain, there are points where the “copy-cats” try to emulate the leaders and negatively affect everyone. They may beat a price and win a job, but bring down the entire industry with poor quality products or shoddy installation. The one area that can’t be imitated is consistent quality.
Today our audience, the collective group of architects, designers, contractors and owners recognize that Galaxy quality has no equal. It’s a unique position and one that literally took over 30-years to establish. There is no shortcut to get there, but it is a journey worth pursuing in establishing your place in the minds of your prospects and customers.
For example, since we consistently create new designs and unique glass products, we are constantly communicating these new designs and materials to the architectural and design community. We assist in design development with a specialized sales team and follow through with products of impeccable finish in exact match to specification. There is much that goes into our products and some secrets that add to the mystery.
Whether your business is that of a volume provider or custom purveyor, we all must contend with 'Value Engineering'. This is a process that challenges all of us and often compromises quality. In the absence of discernable features, price becomes the great equalizer. This 'Brand' is one dimensional … low price!
And, it is not the result of innovation, skill or proprietary process.
Whatever ball park you play in, bringing value to your brand is an end-to-end process. It’s all about how you treat your customers from first contact to final invoice and beyond.
Paul's note: This is the first in a series of blog postings from Eugene Negrin, founder and President of Galaxy Glass & Stone® in Fairfield, NJ, an industry leader in Architectural Decorative Glass. Eugene is becoming a regular member of our US Glass News blogging community. I have known Eugene since about 1980 and have seen his firm grow from a small glass shop, to a leader in the design community within the New York marketplace. Then he expanded to sell products around the country. If you see a high-end, high quality job, you can be sure it is on Eugene's radar screen. Future blogs will chronicle Eugene's perspectives on a range of issues important to glass industry professionals, specifiers, owners and contractors. I am personnaly very proud to have Eugene join our family.
Eugene welcomes feedback on any issue from serious business challenges to fishing and food, for which he is also most passionate. Contact him at enegrin@galaxycustom.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
You Need To Know This to Survive In The Glass Industry, Starting Now
You have to know certain things to be in our industry: How to read a tape measure; the difference between silicone and putty, how to cut metal, wood and glass; how to talk to a customer and run a credit card charge; and so much more.
We have to add to this list. If you want to survive in the future, you must understand the energy values and measurements of glass. Well, actually, you don't have to, but then you must understand the values of your 401(k) and reverse mortgages to carry you through your retirement. Yes, it is this black and white...learn, understand and use glass as an energy savings product rather than an a product which is clear and keeps rain out, or get the rocking chair ready.
Let's start with some basic terms and give some examples of how the term is used.
SHADING COEFFICIENT. The ratio of the solar heat gain through a specific glass product to the solar heat gain through a lite of 1/8" (3mm) clear glass. 1/8" glass is given a value of 1.0. The reason to know this is that glass lets in heat through solar radiation, convection and conduction.(well explain those in a while) If a glass type lets in less heat than the standard 1/8", it has a better shading coefficient. A lower number, such as .5, is better. A lower shading coefficient reduces air conditioning load, which reduces energy costs and saves on construction expenses throughout a project or home.
Sounds easy, make the glass dark and thick, (graylite 14, reflective) and you get a low shading coefficient. But make it too dark and you use more electricity to light the building. Too many electric lights means more heat and then more a/c. You need to strike a balance. A lot of light and a low shading coefficient are the goal.
So our next term is: VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE, which is simply the percentage of light that is transmitted through glass. The more light the better. People and plants respond to light. Everyone wants an office or a room with light. Put up a brick or spandrel wall and you don't have to worry about shading coefficient or visible light transmittance. You do have to worry that no one will want to live or work there. A higher VLT number is better. It is expressed as a percentage. A .6 or .7 number is really great.
If you are comparing two types of glass you can use the above two numbers to see which is more energy efficient.
Our last definition for today is the concept of how heat flows through glass. There are three ways: 1) RADIATION--the direct passage of solar light or heat through the glass. 2) CONDUCTION--the heat that enters the glass, or framing, and is then transferred to the room. U-value is the main measuring of this process, and we'll talk about that next week. 3) CONVECTION--the heat that enters your glass or IG unit, heats the airspace or the glass itself, and then radiates into the room. The newest cooking ovens have convection heating because they are the most efficient in cooking your turkey. So a window or store front unit with good convection that allows a lot of heat in and then sends that heat to the room is a no-no. Filling a unit with argon gas helps reduce the convection.
The new sputter coated low-e products have extremely good numbers in both of these categories. Talk with your fabricators, go on line to PPG or Guardian or Pilkington and you will learn more. Just don't think you are going to survive in our industry if you sell clear units.
The trend today is as much light as possible with the least amount of solar heat gain.
The next step is NOT to underestimate Joe and Molly Consumer. They know these numbers. They read about them in the Sunday newspaper, they watch shows on the Discovery Channel, their kids learn this in school, and they study on the Internet before they make a purchase. Joe wants to spend less on oil and Molly wants sunshine for her plants. You have to please both of them to make the sale.
If you can't speak the lingo, they will not have the confidence in you to do the install in their home when they replace all their windows.
We have to add to this list. If you want to survive in the future, you must understand the energy values and measurements of glass. Well, actually, you don't have to, but then you must understand the values of your 401(k) and reverse mortgages to carry you through your retirement. Yes, it is this black and white...learn, understand and use glass as an energy savings product rather than an a product which is clear and keeps rain out, or get the rocking chair ready.
Let's start with some basic terms and give some examples of how the term is used.
SHADING COEFFICIENT. The ratio of the solar heat gain through a specific glass product to the solar heat gain through a lite of 1/8" (3mm) clear glass. 1/8" glass is given a value of 1.0. The reason to know this is that glass lets in heat through solar radiation, convection and conduction.(well explain those in a while) If a glass type lets in less heat than the standard 1/8", it has a better shading coefficient. A lower number, such as .5, is better. A lower shading coefficient reduces air conditioning load, which reduces energy costs and saves on construction expenses throughout a project or home.
Sounds easy, make the glass dark and thick, (graylite 14, reflective) and you get a low shading coefficient. But make it too dark and you use more electricity to light the building. Too many electric lights means more heat and then more a/c. You need to strike a balance. A lot of light and a low shading coefficient are the goal.
So our next term is: VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE, which is simply the percentage of light that is transmitted through glass. The more light the better. People and plants respond to light. Everyone wants an office or a room with light. Put up a brick or spandrel wall and you don't have to worry about shading coefficient or visible light transmittance. You do have to worry that no one will want to live or work there. A higher VLT number is better. It is expressed as a percentage. A .6 or .7 number is really great.
If you are comparing two types of glass you can use the above two numbers to see which is more energy efficient.
Our last definition for today is the concept of how heat flows through glass. There are three ways: 1) RADIATION--the direct passage of solar light or heat through the glass. 2) CONDUCTION--the heat that enters the glass, or framing, and is then transferred to the room. U-value is the main measuring of this process, and we'll talk about that next week. 3) CONVECTION--the heat that enters your glass or IG unit, heats the airspace or the glass itself, and then radiates into the room. The newest cooking ovens have convection heating because they are the most efficient in cooking your turkey. So a window or store front unit with good convection that allows a lot of heat in and then sends that heat to the room is a no-no. Filling a unit with argon gas helps reduce the convection.
The new sputter coated low-e products have extremely good numbers in both of these categories. Talk with your fabricators, go on line to PPG or Guardian or Pilkington and you will learn more. Just don't think you are going to survive in our industry if you sell clear units.
The trend today is as much light as possible with the least amount of solar heat gain.
The next step is NOT to underestimate Joe and Molly Consumer. They know these numbers. They read about them in the Sunday newspaper, they watch shows on the Discovery Channel, their kids learn this in school, and they study on the Internet before they make a purchase. Joe wants to spend less on oil and Molly wants sunshine for her plants. You have to please both of them to make the sale.
If you can't speak the lingo, they will not have the confidence in you to do the install in their home when they replace all their windows.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Inflation In The Razor Blade Industry, and What This Can Teach The Glass Industry
Roughly fifteen to twenty years ago I bought my last package of razor blades. I don't shave too often, maybe once every other week, and then just at the edge of my face. I have had a full beard for over 30 years. I trim the beard and keep it neat, but that doesn't wear out razor blades. The last time I bought the blades, there were two blades on each cartridge, and there were ten cartridges on the cardboard packaging. The price was still there on the sticker, very faded, but readable at $2.19 for ten blades. Twenty two cents each.
Yesterday I bought a new razor and razor blades. Talk about sticker shock. I could understand the new razor handle. But the blades were now on a four-pack card for $17.99. $4.50 a blade. There were now five blades on the cartridge and a gel strip that promised I would love my shave. Twenty times more expensive than before. When I shaved, it felt OK, but twenty times better than when I shaved last month? After the shave there were no Victoria Secret Models running their hands over my smooth cheeks and I still couldn't throw a curve ball. Twenty times more?
I guess when Proctor & Gamble bought Gillette for $57 Billion in 2005 they knew they had a winner.
If we all say let's double our prices tomorrow, that would be illegal. But we are selling glass cheaper today than we did fifteen years ago. Why? Because supply exceeds demand. Because we don't fully promote the benefits of our new glass products. Glass today is different than fifteen years ago, but we don't tell this to our customers.
OK glass industry...read up. We have to continue to improve what we do. We can't fight technology and change. We can't do things like it is a two-blade world when five blades rule the roost. We have to accept that coated glass, hard or soft-coat is the future. We have to accept that industry and/or government standards will apply to all windows and glazing. We have to accept looking through a window is not as important as the heat and light flow through that window.
If you are not able to tell a customer about 'U' values and solar transmission, you have two choices--learn or plan your retirement.
Fortunately for you, I know a little bit about both. Over the next couple of weeks I will write some posts about both of these topics. I used to know all about glass, and I now know about retirement. Both have valuable lessons.
Stay tuned.
Yesterday I bought a new razor and razor blades. Talk about sticker shock. I could understand the new razor handle. But the blades were now on a four-pack card for $17.99. $4.50 a blade. There were now five blades on the cartridge and a gel strip that promised I would love my shave. Twenty times more expensive than before. When I shaved, it felt OK, but twenty times better than when I shaved last month? After the shave there were no Victoria Secret Models running their hands over my smooth cheeks and I still couldn't throw a curve ball. Twenty times more?
I guess when Proctor & Gamble bought Gillette for $57 Billion in 2005 they knew they had a winner.
If we all say let's double our prices tomorrow, that would be illegal. But we are selling glass cheaper today than we did fifteen years ago. Why? Because supply exceeds demand. Because we don't fully promote the benefits of our new glass products. Glass today is different than fifteen years ago, but we don't tell this to our customers.
OK glass industry...read up. We have to continue to improve what we do. We can't fight technology and change. We can't do things like it is a two-blade world when five blades rule the roost. We have to accept that coated glass, hard or soft-coat is the future. We have to accept that industry and/or government standards will apply to all windows and glazing. We have to accept looking through a window is not as important as the heat and light flow through that window.
If you are not able to tell a customer about 'U' values and solar transmission, you have two choices--learn or plan your retirement.
Fortunately for you, I know a little bit about both. Over the next couple of weeks I will write some posts about both of these topics. I used to know all about glass, and I now know about retirement. Both have valuable lessons.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Blog from 9306 Miles Away
If this headline doesn't pique your interest, you need to spend more time unwinding...and cut down on your caffeine. Read on. A couple of weeks back I asked for volunteer bloggers to send me a column. I have received many. The following blog is from Ian Barker of Christchurch, New Zealand. I will tell you more about Ian and his connection to our glass industry after you read his column. I know you will put this one up on your bulletin board.
A few weeks ago I was fortunate to do my first ever skydiving jump with my brother. Its a sport where you are dependent on others for your safety, and trust is paramount.
At the after function I met one of my brothers friends, a 28 year old women who recently competed in a four way team (4 skydivers) at the nationals. Just prior to the event she hurt her right shoulder so badly she was unable to pull her parachute ripcord. Her gear was changed to a left hand ripcord pull and they continued their training and entered the tournament. During the tournament she hurt her left shoulder in a similar way which meant she was unable to pull her parachute ripcord with either hand. Not wanting to let the team down, she agreed to do the 4 way jumps, complete all the formational work, then wait for one of her team mates to pull her ripcord for her.
How's that for trust and team work!
I'm fortunate that I get to see how a lot of different glass companies operate. The glass companies with the best teams tend to be the most successful. The companies with employees who show a "skydiving" commitment to support their work team and get the job done are few and far between, and mostly the business owners.
Why is it that most young people are more committed to their sport, friends, families and personal interests than they are to the companies which employ them? As a young employee 20 years ago I was as passionate and proud of my employers results as I was of my own results within the company. I worked extra hard for the good of the company, and if I needed to, I would take risks. I trusted my team mates to pull my work ripcord, just as they did of me. Together we celebrated some wonderful successes.
Now as a father I see my kids and their friends becoming increasingly self obsessed, less trustful of their friends, and being less "team" oriented than I was at their age. Young glass industry employees often have these same traits.
Looking forward I wonder with some concern who the glass industry leaders will be in the years ahead. In my generation there is a glut of us all fighting for the roles and success. Today’s youngsters with that same fighting spirit may find the path an easier walk, to the detriment of their personal development and the economy. Talks with youngsters about these issues fall on deaf ears.
One ray of hope is a young man who has befriended me. He can see and appreciate the bonds I have with some close friends and work colleagues and wants this for his life. I've unwittingly become a role model. Perhaps some of the issues of the younger generation can be linked to the inability of my generation to sell ourselves as role models for the youngsters.
So, the challenge I put to you is to find a keen youngster and instill in them the virtues that my generation has learnt but poorly passed on. Those of team work, trust, and the pleasure that can come from a motivated work team. Tell the skydiving story and offer to pull the youngsters work ripcord for them. See where that leads you .....
Great thoughts, thank you Ian.
Ian works as a Director of The Glass Racking Company, www.theglassrackingcompany.com, a manufacturer of handling and processing equipment for the glass industry. Check out their web site. It's cool.
A few weeks ago I was fortunate to do my first ever skydiving jump with my brother. Its a sport where you are dependent on others for your safety, and trust is paramount.
At the after function I met one of my brothers friends, a 28 year old women who recently competed in a four way team (4 skydivers) at the nationals. Just prior to the event she hurt her right shoulder so badly she was unable to pull her parachute ripcord. Her gear was changed to a left hand ripcord pull and they continued their training and entered the tournament. During the tournament she hurt her left shoulder in a similar way which meant she was unable to pull her parachute ripcord with either hand. Not wanting to let the team down, she agreed to do the 4 way jumps, complete all the formational work, then wait for one of her team mates to pull her ripcord for her.
How's that for trust and team work!
I'm fortunate that I get to see how a lot of different glass companies operate. The glass companies with the best teams tend to be the most successful. The companies with employees who show a "skydiving" commitment to support their work team and get the job done are few and far between, and mostly the business owners.
Why is it that most young people are more committed to their sport, friends, families and personal interests than they are to the companies which employ them? As a young employee 20 years ago I was as passionate and proud of my employers results as I was of my own results within the company. I worked extra hard for the good of the company, and if I needed to, I would take risks. I trusted my team mates to pull my work ripcord, just as they did of me. Together we celebrated some wonderful successes.
Now as a father I see my kids and their friends becoming increasingly self obsessed, less trustful of their friends, and being less "team" oriented than I was at their age. Young glass industry employees often have these same traits.
Looking forward I wonder with some concern who the glass industry leaders will be in the years ahead. In my generation there is a glut of us all fighting for the roles and success. Today’s youngsters with that same fighting spirit may find the path an easier walk, to the detriment of their personal development and the economy. Talks with youngsters about these issues fall on deaf ears.
One ray of hope is a young man who has befriended me. He can see and appreciate the bonds I have with some close friends and work colleagues and wants this for his life. I've unwittingly become a role model. Perhaps some of the issues of the younger generation can be linked to the inability of my generation to sell ourselves as role models for the youngsters.
So, the challenge I put to you is to find a keen youngster and instill in them the virtues that my generation has learnt but poorly passed on. Those of team work, trust, and the pleasure that can come from a motivated work team. Tell the skydiving story and offer to pull the youngsters work ripcord for them. See where that leads you .....
Great thoughts, thank you Ian.
Ian works as a Director of The Glass Racking Company, www.theglassrackingcompany.com, a manufacturer of handling and processing equipment for the glass industry. Check out their web site. It's cool.
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