Andrew Haring, NGA vice president of business development, recently visited a number of Florida glass & glazing industry companies and shared the following insights, fun and photos from his road trip adventure.
Fresh off a couple of days at the IBS show in Orlando, I hitched a ride with my #1 Max Perilstein for a long overdue NGA glass road trip through central Florida. Here's what we found: phenomenal leaders, chief troublemakers, industry legends. A Glass Nerd Mecca. Check out the highlights.
Faour Glass
First stop, Faour Glass Technologies. Ever seen an all-glass frameless entrance system that is impact rated? Well, I did, in person. Unbelievable. Faour Glass Technologies' Slimpact system is stunning. And so is Rene Valdes, who was gracious enough to take us on a tour of Faour's impressive facility.
Rhyno Glass
Next up, we cruised over to see the incredibly smart (and giant) and soon-to-be MyGlassClass University Graduate Wyatt Castellvi with Rhyno Glass. They’re crushing it in the southeast. And bringing in the additional edge of MyGlassClass.com courses and training—well, the folks at Rhyno Glass GET IT.
Tab Glass & Window
Day two had us hanging with Kristin Thomas and her crew at Tab Glass & Window Corp. The company culture there is inspiring. If they’re not on your radar, they should be. Keep an eye out for big growth announcements. Their sights are set on Florida domination. And my money is on her.
Heritage Glass
On to a new friend and NGA member Ebbie Mogford at Heritage Glass. Another workhorse that doesn’t aim for flashy—just quality product on time (which is what everyone wants). He’s a 3rd generation glazier that still gets his hands dirty in all aspects of the company, something he learned from his dad (who was also working in the shop). In fact, we almost missed him because he was out delivering glass! A cool aside is that Heritage regularly hires local homeless people and even fabricates “shark tooth baskets” to support their own enterprises. I also learned what a shark tooth basket is. Class act.
Privacy Glass Solutions
Next stop, Privacy Glass Solutions, Powered by Vistamatic. This stop really emphasizes the point that I am still learning. I thought they just made blinds for glass. They do that, and do it insanely well. They also do incredible stuff in decorative and switchable technology… all the stuff that most people don’t know glass can do. Congrats and good luck to COO Jamie Clingan, I’m sure Kevin Roth will keep you on your toes.
MY Shower Door/D3 Glass
And then… it finally happened. Made my way down and over to the Daubmann family to see what was actually up at MY Shower Door, MY Architectural Glass and D3 Glass LLC with Keith Daubmann, Bill Daubmann and Donna Daubmann.
Keith talks a big game, loudly and consistently in the best possible way… but good golly do they back it up! I’ve seen my fair share of fabrication plants, but this was an eye opener. It is not only meticulous, clean and calculated, it also houses a roster of all-star equipment, best in breed from the best in the biz. Kudos to Bryce Holbert for the workflow design and stellar lineup of machines... it's a trophy room. They are running a well-oiled machine and look incredibly polished... something every customer would want to see when qualifying/purchasing a premium product.
They certainly earned their Glass Nerd hat anointment, and I’m excited to be working with them and Jessica Russell to incorporate MyGlassClass.com into their training program for their installers. Glazier education is critical.
AK Glazing
On day three I met Ashley Klein with AK Glazing Contractors. We chatted a ton and saw some really cool glass stuff. She invited Max and I to the topping out party at Icon Marina Village which was a phenomenal opportunity. I was giddy when they told me I could sign the beam! Beautiful project, and thank you Related Group, Balfour Beatty US, and Arquitectonica for the hospitality.
Ashley and I then road-tripped it through Fort Lauderdale and saw some spectacular projects and products, including a capless impact railing system from ES Windows/Tecnoglass that is gorgeous and performs like a tank. She took me around town then finished off with an obligatory stop at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood to see the guitar building everyone is raving about. The glass work from NR WINDOWS doesn’t disappoint, and the interior hospitality and retail scopes are stunning, too. And like my man Wyatt, Ashley GETS IT and will be joining the MyGlassClass.com dean’s list and running her crew through some of the 60 Spanish courses.
This trip to Florida did wonders for my general impression of the state. The further I got away from the tourist traps I met good people and good companies. Stay tuned for more Andrew and Max NGA road trip adventures.
Florida Road Trip Gallery
