Nonresidential Glazing Activity Down in July

Nonresidential glass- and glazing-related construction spending was down again in July compared to a year ago. Activity fell by just over 6% year-over-year on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to Key Media & Research (KMR), a leading information provider to the glass industry.

KMR’s glass and glazing activity figures include proprietary and public data with weigh and models applied to industry-relevant subsectors. “Spending” and “activity” are used interchangeably and represent the value of ongoing glass-relevant construction during a particular time period.

Nonresidential construction spending declined in most major categories relevant to architectural glass.

Commercial glazing activity was down nearly 5% as hotel construction recorded another substantial decline of 30%, while the office category fell 7%. The “other” commercial category, however, saw an increase of over 3%.

The institutional segment of glass-related construction activity declined nearly 8% year-over-year.

The educational category was down by just under 9%, and healthcare building declined by nearly 2%. Public safety building also continued its recent pullback, falling nearly 39%.

Overall nonresidential glass and glazing activity was virtually unchanged from June 2021 to July 2021, indicating that the volume of work has remained steady in recent months despite being down compared to a year ago.

Nick St. Denis is the director of research for Key Media & Research, parent company of USGlass magazine and USGNN™. For more detailed insights, subscribe to his free quarterly glass and glazing update HERE.