We All Need to Be Good Corporate Citizens

I talked to a customer last week who called me with some questions after a webinar I did on all-glass handrails. He appreciated the information we reviewed and commented on how important it is that the glass industry stays updated on codes and best practices. He went on to say that he sees many jobs in the field that don’t always pay attention to the details.

Over the years, we have always talked about being good corporate citizens at our company. This means different things to everyone. We are all responsible for the glass industry’s success, and your work can impact everyone.

When I started in the industry years ago, pop-up sunroofs were a popular product in the auto glass part of our business. In the 1980s, cars and trucks had large roof areas that were mostly flat with simple cloth headliners inside, making it easy to move a dome light. It seemed like anyone who could bend aluminum was making a sunroof, and quality was not always important to many of them.

Pop-up sunroofs started to get a reputation for leaking. Then cars started to change, with roof areas getting smaller and more compound curves added with less flat surfaces. The companies and installers that did not pay attention and adapt were hurting the industry with improper installations. This impacted the whole pop-up sunroof market, which eventually went the way of the dinosaur.

Whether you are a manufacturer, salesperson or installer, we all have a responsibility to train our people to keep up with innovations and changes in the market. Today, there are many products available from numerous manufacturers on the web. But be careful. Just because they look the same doesn’t mean you have a tested glass system that meets codes and specifications.

Whether it is a glass handrail, door or shower, you need to train your people correctly so they can support our industry by ensuring that the system is safe and meets industry standards and local codes. You want to work with other companies that care about keeping the glass industry strong by providing training, tested products and support.

Let’s all work to be good corporate citizens, keeping the glass industry safe and growing.