Talk to just about anyone in the industry and they'll tell you same thing about business: right now the commercial market is strong. And a booming market is good for everyone. You're staying busy, you're filling orders, making some money. What more could you ask?

Read the pages of USGlass and you can learn about what lots of companies are doing during these peak times ... how they are thriving and surviving; what they see as good and what they see as not so good. These big companies are great. They do the big stuff, the tough stuff, monumental jobs even. But think about this: what would your local grocery store, Target or Wal-Mart be without their storefronts and entrances? Those places need glass, too, right? And someone's got to install it, yes? And just who does those jobs? A lot of times it's smaller, locally owned glass shops and businesses that take on this work.

It's easy to get caught up in the fast-paced, excitement of top-of-line glazing installations, but local, small shops are important, too. And I'm not saying we all don't already know this, I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation and gratitude. For you see, I love to go shopping (as most women do) and I LOVE to go to Target. Honestly, I can't leave the store without spending $50 ... I don't know what it is (the catchy TV ads, I guess). Anyway, if my local Target didn't have a storefront, well then I would practically be shopping in an open-air market (not that I still couldn't do some serious monetary damage).

Our small glass shops do a great job taking care of local businesses. And while they may not be ones that go down in the glazing hall of fame, they are still important. After all, it is glass we're talking about here and it does break. And broken glass has to be replaced.