Fenestration Conversations

A Window Wise trainer walks into a bar and sits down next to the old window dealer. He says "Hey, want to get your crews certified as Window Wise installation professionals?" The old dealer scoffs. "Oh sure. What if I train them and then they just leave the company?"The Window Wise trainer replies, "OK. But what if you don't train them and they stay?"Greg Schirk is a trainer for SAWDAC's Window Wise program. In 30 years in the window industry, he's seen most of it. He joins the Conversation to explain why getting your crew trained is more important now than ever.

Canadian jurisdictions treat skylights as holes in the roof, unless there are engineering papers showing otherwise. Workers and property owners going on the roof are expected to act as if there's nothing preventing them from falling through, and to take appropriate fall arrest precautions. But U.S. safety authorities are now saying this isn't enough and calling for skylights to be able to take the impact of 400 pounds being dropped on them. OHSA standards sometimes cross borders, and Canadian skylight exporters of course need to pay attention. Veteran skylight manufacturer, John Westerfield of Crystalite, joins the podcast to explain it all and outline his attempts to get an industry standard for skylight fall protection.

SPIL Glass Software makes software for glass and fenestration manufacturing companies, and Janith and Odara know a thing or two about how manufacturing processes can run better with advanced controls. They join Fenestration Conversations to share their insights, gained from optimizing many plants in Asia and Australia, into what kinds of important information manufacturers tend to leave on the shop floor. And they have concrete tips for how to collect the right data to leverage AI and find efficiencies in your process. We all know we're supposed to be collecting lots of data. Janith and Odara are here to tell you what to do with it.

Much has been said about the promise of AI and its possible threat to jobs. But how might this powerful new technology affect an old concern: your company's data security? David Mill, CEO and founder of Scelta, a Windsor, Ont., construction software provider, joins Fenestration Conversations to talk about the ways AI might empower bad actors to produce better scams, steal data from your systems, spoof your reviews and even damage your processes if allowed inside. We also discuss how AI-powered security might thwart these threats and allow you to operate with less worries about the old challenges.

Tune in for some high-level thinking about how to make your business run better. Paul Amato is a business and management consultant with Tallinn Advisory and has spent over 30 years in the fenestration and construction industries. He's developed key insights around the concept of "alignment" – getting the different people and departments in organizations to have common goals and the same understanding of how they contribute to them. He joins Conversations to share his tips on how to get aligned and discuss other key factors for success such as finding salespeople with the right mindset; setting up a service-first structure; and creating a strong company culture through communication.

When Vasilisa Lave reached out to tell us what she and her classmates at Bramalea Secondary in Brampton, Ont., are doing, we knew we had to get her on the podcast right away to get everyone in the area involved. Lave has started an initiative called Re:Build where she helps construction contractors and subtrades to support high school trades programs by dropping off their site waste at schools instead of throwing it in a landfill. The woefully underfunded trades programs get the materials they need to help build the next generation of skilled workers. Contractors save tipping fees and get to see the smiles on young peoples' faces. It's a huge win all around. Lave will even contact other high school programs to find the one closest to your job site. Listen to her explain Re:Build, then reach out to her today via email [email protected] or on Instagram @re_bu1ld to plan your next delivery.

Contractors work in a high-stress jobs for sure, where frustration, time pressure, conflict and long hours can grind us down. We view workplace stress as part of the lifestyle, but Sandra Primiano from online mental health services provider, Dialogue, says it has very real and measurable effects on productivity and quality. Those effects can include workplace accidents and addiction problems, so it's something we need to pay attention to. Primiano joins The Conversation to explain how job stress leads to decreased performance; what signs might point to a co-worker who is struggling; and some practical tips for mitigating issues when they arise.

We're all looking for top engineering talent and the fenestration and glass industry has a lot to offer any technical person who enjoys innovation and experimentation. But our companies just aren't on most engineers' radar screens, making it important for us to be proactive in attracting and retaining talent. Eddy Atausi has made the unusual choice to learn as much as he can about fenestration and glass so he can bring his talent recruitment and development skills to us. He joins Pat Flannery to talk about what works in our market when it comes to getting the best people to make our products and processes.

On his podcast Better Buildings for Humans, Joe Menchefski explores ways to make our built spaces healthier and more liveable with top building science experts from around the world. As part of the team at Advanced Glazings, a Nova Scotia fabricator specializing in aerogel products, Menchefski has deep knowledge of innovative energy-efficient technologies. Who better to ask about the state of sustainable building today and what to expect in the years ahead? Tune in to hear two professional talkers go at it in this episode of Fenestration Conversations.

Skip Maclean has retired from ODL, his last stop on a 53-year journey through the Canadian window and door manufacturing industry. Along the way he rose to the top, chairing innumerable committees, serving as president of Fenestration Canada and being honoured with its 2019 C.P. Loewen award. He did it with humour, humility and intelligence, and counts many of today’s industry leaders as his proteges. Maclean joins the Conversation to share his memories and accumulated wisdom.