How green is your company? It's an issue it seems as though everyone, everywhere is talking about--the green scene, green buildings, green design--how green are you?
For the glass industry especially we here talk about it almost daily. Just scroll through the stories and articles on www.usgnn.com and you're likely to see at least a couple of related stories each week. Attend an industry conference and you'll hear a presentation that talks about green buildings and design. Walk the aisles of a trade show, such as the AIA show that will be happening this May in San Antonio, and you will find hundreds of products for reducing heating and cooling costs.
Not too long ago "green building" was classified as an industry trend. As the victim of some seriously bad hair and fashion crimes of the 1980s, I can say this--I know what a trend is. It's something that's really hot and exciting and within a year or so it fades away. Green building, however, seems to have some staying power (at least that's what I hear).
And for the glass industry, their are so many opportunities. The question, though, is how do we get more glass products in buildings? I've heard companies say before that they are not competing so much with others in this industry, but with other building products--other building products that may be classified as more energy efficient, perhaps? Maybe even better for the environment? I would be interested in hearing what you do to keep your company and your products ahead in the architectural market--ahead of wood, concrete, etc. What can the industry do to keep glass on the cutting edge? Post your comments or email me at egiard@glass.com.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Yesterday on www.usgnn.com we ran a news link about how a 10-foot lite of glass plummeted from the 24th floor of a Miami building. Luckily, no one was injured. While no one yet knows what caused the glass to fall, similar situations are not uncommon. Every few months, it seems, we hear stories of glass falling from windows, and, sadly, often there are injuries or even death.
While in yesterday's case there was no one was actively involved in the accident, sometimes these situations do happen as a result of human contact. This made me think about how important it is that safety be everyone's top priority when it comes to working with glass, whether inside the plant or on a job site.
The thing is, even though glass is a product that offers many, many benefits to end users, it's still glass--it breaks, it has sharp edges and it can hurt. Who hasn't, at some point, been cut by glass? Maybe you stepped on a broken piece of glass with your barefoot or broke a glass in the kitchen then sliced your hand while picking up the pieces. It happens. But regardless of the situation, we can all be more careful when working with glass.
With that said, I would like to share a story with you about my younger brother. A few years ago, while he was till in his early 20s, like many young men in their early 20s, he was more concerned about going out and having a good time than he was with his school work. Typical, right? Anyway, he was out with his friends one night and they had been having a really good time, if you know what I mean. My brother find that he has locked himself out his house. So what does he do? He wraps his hand in a towel and well, need I say it? You know what he did--he slammed his hand through the glass so he can reach through to unlock the door. Clearly, he had been watching way to many action movies, because while he did unlock the door, he also wound up with a good number of stitches. Luckily, my baby brother has grown up and matured--but we still like to laugh about the crazy things he used to do.
While in yesterday's case there was no one was actively involved in the accident, sometimes these situations do happen as a result of human contact. This made me think about how important it is that safety be everyone's top priority when it comes to working with glass, whether inside the plant or on a job site.
The thing is, even though glass is a product that offers many, many benefits to end users, it's still glass--it breaks, it has sharp edges and it can hurt. Who hasn't, at some point, been cut by glass? Maybe you stepped on a broken piece of glass with your barefoot or broke a glass in the kitchen then sliced your hand while picking up the pieces. It happens. But regardless of the situation, we can all be more careful when working with glass.
With that said, I would like to share a story with you about my younger brother. A few years ago, while he was till in his early 20s, like many young men in their early 20s, he was more concerned about going out and having a good time than he was with his school work. Typical, right? Anyway, he was out with his friends one night and they had been having a really good time, if you know what I mean. My brother find that he has locked himself out his house. So what does he do? He wraps his hand in a towel and well, need I say it? You know what he did--he slammed his hand through the glass so he can reach through to unlock the door. Clearly, he had been watching way to many action movies, because while he did unlock the door, he also wound up with a good number of stitches. Luckily, my baby brother has grown up and matured--but we still like to laugh about the crazy things he used to do.
Friday, February 9, 2007
What If ...
A little more than one year ago I attended the Annual Meeting of the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance, which took place in Palm Springs. Jeff Tobe, the Coloring Outside the Lines Guy, was the keynote speaker. In his presentation Tobe challenges his audience to find ways to be more creative at work and to also look for ways to do things differently than they've done in the past ... to be able to give customers something they cannot find anywhere else.
Well, I was so impressed with Tobe's presentation I bought his book, "Coloring Outside the Lines," and also an audio presentation, as well.
This past week at work I started thinking about what drives me to be creative at my job ... what keeps me motivated. So while driving home I decided to listen to that audio presentation (it just happened to be in my car, you know). And while it was not exactly the same presentation from that meeting a year ago, much of it was. I listened again as Tobe posed the challenges to everyone listening to color outside the lines ... to push the limits a bit, if you will, but always with the caution: Color outside the lines, but don't fall of the page. In other words, know what your limits are as well as those of your customers.
The glass industry is constantly evolving. Thanks to technology, products have been created that not only look nice, but also "do" things: they can mitigate against impact, keep rooms cool or warm, change from clear to opaque, even clean itself. With all of these innovations, I started to think about about how creative companies in the glass industry can be. Think about it--at one time glass was just glass, and now look at what we have. According to Tobe, many great ideas come from two little words: what if? When I look at some of these glazing products, I like to think that, perhaps, many came to be while a group of people working together looked at glass and asked the question: What if? What if glass could clean itself? What if glass could go from clear to opaque? What if ... the list goes on.
At first glance, and to those who do not work in it, the glass industry may seem (dare I say it) boring. I disagree. I think it's exciting. I am constantly amazed at the developments that unfold, and these creations help me, too, to stay creative at what I do. I look at these products and at our industry and say "What if ..."
Well, I was so impressed with Tobe's presentation I bought his book, "Coloring Outside the Lines," and also an audio presentation, as well.
This past week at work I started thinking about what drives me to be creative at my job ... what keeps me motivated. So while driving home I decided to listen to that audio presentation (it just happened to be in my car, you know). And while it was not exactly the same presentation from that meeting a year ago, much of it was. I listened again as Tobe posed the challenges to everyone listening to color outside the lines ... to push the limits a bit, if you will, but always with the caution: Color outside the lines, but don't fall of the page. In other words, know what your limits are as well as those of your customers.
The glass industry is constantly evolving. Thanks to technology, products have been created that not only look nice, but also "do" things: they can mitigate against impact, keep rooms cool or warm, change from clear to opaque, even clean itself. With all of these innovations, I started to think about about how creative companies in the glass industry can be. Think about it--at one time glass was just glass, and now look at what we have. According to Tobe, many great ideas come from two little words: what if? When I look at some of these glazing products, I like to think that, perhaps, many came to be while a group of people working together looked at glass and asked the question: What if? What if glass could clean itself? What if glass could go from clear to opaque? What if ... the list goes on.
At first glance, and to those who do not work in it, the glass industry may seem (dare I say it) boring. I disagree. I think it's exciting. I am constantly amazed at the developments that unfold, and these creations help me, too, to stay creative at what I do. I look at these products and at our industry and say "What if ..."
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