GANAPerspectives

Something for Nothing?
GANA Provides Resources for All
by Ashley M. Charest

With the recent trend of stock market roller coaster rides, negative construction projections and daily challenges to running a business profitably and successfully, the average contract glazing firm has to wonder, “when will this even out? When will times go back to ‘normal?’ When will our industry resume being profitable with a calendar that is filled for next year and the year beyond?”

At the Glass Association of North America (GANA), our goal is to help your glazing firm succeed now and in the future. We understand your challenge of today’s economic climate being the worst than most have ever personally witnessed. Our question is: what can we do for you?

Something for Nothing?
Not a GANA member? Our organization is here to better the industry as a whole, which is the reason our members devote countless hours to creating technical and educational documents that address specific questions within our industry. With more than 30 complimentary glass informational bulletins available online and being used by tens of thousands of industry professionals, GANA has worked to address issues and concerns such as items commonly missing from fenestration system documents and bid considerations for contract glazing proposals. We also have started a series of white papers on LEED® and how glazing can help achieve valuable credits. Are you more of a visual person? Check out our complimentary online videos that show how glass products are made or visit our podcast section that discusses trends, issues and upcoming products.

"Our organization is here to better the industry as a whole, which is the reason our members devote countless hours to creating technical and educational documents that address specific questions within our industry.

Enhanced Learning
Already a GANA member? Fantastic, because the association offers you additional educational resources at significantly reduced prices. Do you have a new project manager or just want to standardize operations within your facility? Check out GANA’s Project Managers Reference Manual. This document provides procedural guide references that begin with the estimating and contract processes, the establishment of the project team, and continue through installation and project close-out. GANA’s Building Envelope Contractors (BEC) Division developed this manual based on many years of experience in the industry. Emphasis is placed on finishing a quality project that adheres to industry standards. Hiring new employees? Have them take a correspondence course on blueprint reading. GANA’s Blueprint Reading and Labor Estimating Course is designed for beginning estimators in the contract glazing business. It is intended to provide the beginner with many of the basic facts about the materials used as well as a basic systematic approach to estimating metal, glass and labor.

Where the Gold Is….
As with every profession, contract glaziers need to be in constant communication with architects, vendors and even each other. That helps your company find out about new projects, products and allows peers to interface with each other regarding common problems, new ideas and just the general sense of community. Each year GANA hosts the BEC Conference, which is a mixture of education, product information and, most importantly, networking. Next year the BEC Conference will be held March 18-20, 2012, in Las Vegas. We hope you will make time in your schedule to visit with peers and vendors to add another layer of information to cement your future success. You can learn more about the conference at www.becconference.com.

As we all know, the stock market will eventually correct its ups and downs, construction will turn around and your contract glazing businesses will continue to thrive and succeed. But as we hold on to those hopes, turn to GANA to assist you with the questions and concerns you have right now. Allow us to assist you during these difficult times and we know you’ll see that our something isn’t nothing.

Ashley Charest, CAE, is the account executive for GANA.

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