Would you pay $100 Million for a glazier?

The Boston Red Sox just paid about $100,000,000 for a gentleman to throw a baseball for 5 years. They think it is a good investment, which will help in winning ball games, which in the long run will help turn a profit. (In my never ending quest to help others, I offered to do the job for only $50,000,000, but my offer must have been delayed by the holiday mail rush.) Their scouting reports said this guy was worth it, but he had to come to Boston to take a physical before the contract would be effective.

Do you do a lot of homework when you hire a glazier, or any other person in your company? All of us should. When you hire someone you are responsable for their actions. If you hire somewone with a drunk driving conviction on their license, put them in your truck, and the next day they have an accident, you better know the phone number of your lawyer.

Before you hire someone who will drive, tell them the job is conditional on their passing a driving review by your insurance company. Get a copy of the their driver's license, call your insurance agent and check their driving record. This is a courtesy that every agent should give you...if not...search for a new agent!

It's your name on the truck. You have the right and frankly the obligation to check on this part of someone's background. This will protect you in the long run.

If a $100,000,000 pitcher needs a physical to prove what he can do, you can do the same in running your business.

A quick trip to Home Depot

Over the weekend I did what we all do, went to Home Depot to get something I was requested to bring home. Now, anyone reading this blog sure is excited...arn't you...what did Paul buy that was worth writing a blog on?

And the answer is..it doesn't matter. But what I saw walking in the door should have an impact on all employers who read this note.

On the front door is a HELP WANTED sign, with a little tag line at the bottom: "We test all applicants for illegal drugs". So if you are taking an illegal drug, do you apply for a really good job at Home Depot? Or do you walk down the street to the next business that doesn't have this sign in the window.

Now, look at the front door of your Glass Shop, what does your help wanted sign say. If you don't drug test, you are getting all the people who don't go through the door at companies that do.

Think about it.

Drop me a note on the Glass Forum or as a post on the blog, and I'll give you details on how to set up an easy-to-administer drug testing program that will help your safety record and your whole company.

The $29.00 per Square Foot Low-e

Following my blog, you know we recently moved to our house in the mountains of New Hampshire. It is a 65 year old house that has the original wood windows. In keeping with the style of the house we wanted to put in new wooden windows. I called the local distributor of a major wood window manufacturer. A salesperson came to the house, measured and promised a quote. Since he didn't recognize me (obviously he hadn't read US Glass, shame on him), I didn't tell him about my knowledge of glass. The quote came in. To make a long story short, as a consumer I was quoted $29.00 a square foot add-on for hard-coat low-e with argon. Let's look for a new quote.

Now, why is this a story? At $250.00 a window, and thirty windows in the house, low-e with argon would never pay for itself. The glass industry should have a mission to install low-e in all new and total replacement jobs. Come on guys...sure I will get other quotes, but the average person would not order low-e, the invisible magic energy saver. Where are the floaters who sell this manufacturer directly? Don't they work with the distributors to encourage use of low-e? At $29, do they realize they are not selling low-e? Here's a tip for every float glass sales force...look at your customer's customer...see what low-e is selling for, and encourage your customers to make a fair profit, but we all know that $29 is just plain stupid.

Its coming right around the corner

In 114 Days and about 12 hours, the Met's will hear those great words--"Plaaay Baaaallll". Deb Levy, who after all is the boss, wants these blogs about glass. So, Deb, I will drink a glass of diet-coke while watching opening day for the Mets.

It is kinda of late tonight. Tomorrow there will actually be something on glass...probably low-e glass in my blog. For now, let's think about only 114 days away.

It snowed yesterday

I woke up yesterday morning and the mountain, normally visible from our house was gone...I went on line, and the world was still here, so it was easy to rule out some of the global problems. An hour later I looked again, and the mountain was back. What a relief. But something changed. It was now white. Moving from tropical Long Island to New Hampshire should have been my first clue. Everyone told me it would snow here, but I didn't believe. The glass companies were still busy and we all know glass fabricators slow down in the winter. The calendar said "its not winter yet", so how did I know?

I called a couple of friends in the glass business in New York, and they were really busy. It couldn't be winter. So, here's the early results from New Hampshire: Until the glass companies slow down, it is not winter, no matter what my eyes see on the mountain.

Health Insurance

Hello there in glassland,

I received an interesting wake-up call today as I was purchasing medical insurance for my wife and myself. I have been on COBRA, courtesy of Oldcastle Glass(by the way, a sincere thanks to Oldcastle Glass) since my retirement last year. The insurance agent was very gentle today, but I still left with a headache. Replacing the generous policy we had, on an individual basis, costs close to $17,000 per year. Individual insurance is always more expensive than group insurance, and yes, tax benefits help. The point of this is: If you own a business and give your employees health insurance, or even cover a part of it, be sure to tell you group what you really pay. It is probably the largest expense you have that you don't have the ability to control. If you are an employee who gets some or all of your health insurance, next time you see the boss, just say thanks.

The mail is slow in New Hampshire

Since we now live in New Hampshire, we have noticed changes from our hectic life living on Long Island. Our town has no red lights, only three stop signs, and if you look up 'peaceful' in the dictionary, you see a picture of our town center. There was more traffic on the Long Island Expressway in two minutes than in our town in one day. This is not a complaint, by the way...this is what we wanted.

But the only complaint must be the mail service. It has been two days now since Deb Levy had a few of us start the US Glass Blog program, and the book contracts have not yet arrived. The requests for autographed pictures must be in that same lost mail pouch. I know that thousands of glass shop owners and enthusiasts are reading these blogs, so maybe today's mail will be heavier.

On the other hand, please feel free to post to our sites with thoughts, comments, questions, or just venting about our wonderful glass industry.