Industry Insiders Discuss Glass

Glass industry insiders talk glass in these excerpts about fire rated glass products and services most in demand in the commercial, retail and fabrication markets.

G3: Industry insiders talk glass

What products and services have been most in demand at your company over the past six months?

Commercial

Diana San Diego, Director of marketing, Safti First Fire Rated Glazing Solutions, San Francisco

We’ve seen dramatic growth in sales of our SuperLite II-XL-45 because it offers both value and performance. Given an atmosphere of tightening budgets, especially on school and health care projects, architects, specifiers and contract glaziers are realizing that they need to expand their project dollars while still meeting design and code requirements. Demand and use of SuperLite II-XL 45 has grown, because if offers radiant heat protection, sound attenuation impact safety, hose stream compliance, optical clarity and other performance characteristics at a better value than any ceramic or wired glass product.

Retail

Thad Ziegler, Chief operations officer, Thad Ziegler Glass Ltd., San Antonio

Over the [last] six months, the demand for installing heavy frameless shower enclosures has stayed strong. With the current economy, it seems people are updating their homes rather than purchasing new ones. Installing a beautiful heavy frameless shower enclosure is a cost-effective way to help upgrade the bathroom and hopefully increase the resale value of the house once the economy strengthens again.

Fabrication

Bill Marchitello, Director of sales and marketing, Prelco Inc., Montreal

Prelco’s product that is in most demand is certainly ceramic frit painted glass. Architects, engineers and designers have grown this market to where we see this decorative type of glass on a high percentage of buildings, in the interior, and now on the exterior. Various colors and custom patterns are continuously being specified on large number of jobs, not only because of the decorative reasons but because of the improved performance data. You can increase the shading coefficient substantially by combining patterns and color.

Source: Glass Magazine, February 2010