Dear USG

Shame and Blame

Dear USGlass:
I read your article in the April 2009 issue concerning the whining over the Freedom Tower glass buy-out (see April 2009 USGlass, page 30) and offer the following comments.

With regard to the persons and companies that committed their research and development cost to the project, one word comes to mind: “suckers.”

There is no point in trying to assist architects and public agencies in solving their budget and constructability issues on projects that ultimately will be awarded based on low price. Were these people born yesterday? Even if they were paid for their services, it does not solve the dilemma. Our investment of key resources is only benefited when we can manufacture a product in the end. Any company in the USA that has a factory surely can identify with this.

As far as outsourcing to foreign companies go, we have the power to change this, but greed continually prohibits this from happening. There always is a glazing contractor or erector willing to offer savings back to an owner while taking on a risk they don’t even understand in order to sell some contract work.

Glazing contractors that offer installation of foreign products are the problem here. Public agencies such as the Port Authority are not to blame for their low-bid procurement practices. Everyone out there that offers foreign products on a building is either giving the savings back to the owner or pocketing some portion (if they’re even smart enough) but still are not recognizing the risk they’re accepting that the owner is not taking on.

Stop offering foreign products and there will be no more crying over it.  Hear that, Zetian?

John D’Amario
Vice President - Sales
Architectural Glass & Aluminum Co.

Don’t Stop Pursuing 

Dear USGlass:
In your article regarding the Freedom Tower (see April 2009 USGlass, page 30), the real issues are the underhanded dealings between the Authority and the Chinese. This, in my opinion, is what needs to be exposed … along with the larger issue of to what testing the Chinese must submit their products before it is ever installed in a building. A very good example of “ooops, it’s too late now,” is the horrible Chinese drywall debacle in Florida. This country has got to stop permitting untested products from China to be shipped into the United States … period. 

Please don’t stop pursuing the issue. It has wide future ramifications for every citizen in the United States. 

Bob Lang 
Billco Manufacturing

USG
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