About Dad, One Last Time

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of sharing some stories about my Father with you, both in print and here on this blog. In fact, the two stories I wrote about his love of hockey ("Father Daughter Dance" and "Any Dream Will Do") remain among the most popular I've ever written. For the past few days, I have debated sharing this remembrance with you, because they are the words I wrote and read at his funeral last Friday. My father, Fred Kopf died suddenly while on a family vacation with us, 11 hours short of his 77th birthday and one day shy of his 53rd wedding anniversary. I decided to share it because a lot of people were kind enough to tell me it really captures who he was. Thank you for indulging me.

Words of Remembrance for Frederick Kopf (1933-2010)

Good morning. On behalf of my family, we thank you for being here today. It might have surprised my father that so many people cared about him because he was probably the least self-important person I know. He never sought to be the center of attention, and never expected anything to be about him. He was always the quiet force in the background. And, except for a weakness for really smart neckties, he had no vanity about himself.

So, in looking for how to describe who my father was and what his walk on earth meant to us, it became clear to me that there is only one way to do this right [puts on New York Rangers hat]. I hope Dad would have liked that.

What should I tell you about to explain my Dad? Should we talk about the things you might not know? Like how he majored in journalism in college and used to write beautiful stories before the press of married life and family led him to a more conventional career? Or about how he had the greatest sense of humor you could imagine? You might not have gotten to see it too much because he was so quiet, but I think it’s one of the most bountiful gifts he gave Patti, Freddie and me. Or how he was so electrically-challenged that every outdoor extension cord he ever used had tape all over it because he had cut through it in at least three places with the electric hedge clippers? And we won’t even talk about what happened when you put an unfamiliar TV remote in his hand?. Or how my sister says the only time we ever saw him cry (and they were tears of happiness) was when my brother was born?

Or, should I tell you how he was a deeply religious man whose faith came shining through his actions? Dad became Catholic right before he and Mom married so his family would be united in one faith. And the strong faith of both our parents was the other great gift we children and his grandchildren have received.

Or should I tell you about the time when I was twelve and he and I were home alone that he cut right through his hand (using those same dreaded hedge clippers, by the way) and he calmly told me to get in the car, and that he was going to drive to the hospital, but that if he happened to pass out, I should grab the wheel and aim for the curb and someone would probably show up to help us pretty quickly after that? Or how he recently told my mother he had four great days in his life—the days each of his children were born and their fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration that some of you were at three years ago? Or what delight he would always get in playing games with his great nieces and nephews or talking sports with his godsons? And how he treasured any time he had with his son and grandson? I can’t tell you how big a kick he had watching the NHL draft last summer with his grandson, Kevin—even if all the fanfare was about some Islander, of all things, named Tavares.

And we won’t even talk about things like the Carvel Fudgie the Whale cake, my Dad’s way to make anything better, or the infamous Cindy-Lou-Who bush or how sometimes he would just grab Mom and waltz her around the kitchen?

There are thousands of stories and a million examples of what made Dad Dad. He won everyone over without ever trying to. See, we have so many beautiful memories and examples that explain my father because he was solid. He was consistent. He had a set of rules, a strong faith, and he lived by them. And he was humble and without pretense.

I will give you just one story. When we were young, my Mom always made sure we had something different to do on the weekends, even if it was just taking a long ride out to the end of Long Island. This particular weekend, she and Dad decided to rent a tandem bike, a bicycle built for two, so we kids could ride around on it. Well, this was one of those seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time things, because it was a bit of a challenge to get the bike home, but we did. Then Dad got on to test it out. Why he decided to ride a bicycle built for two by himself, you would have to ask him. I don’t even know how he did it, but he managed to go about five feet and then to crash down in front us and land flat on his back sprawled out on the pavement, with the force hitting right on the back of his head—and this happened in the days before people wore helmets. It was a hard whack and I could tell he was seeing stars. We kids were screaming “Daddy, daddy, are you all right?” as he was trying to remember things like his name and who the president was. I am not sure if he heard us, but I know he never answered us. He just got up, steadied himself, rubbed his head, and got back on the bicycle again. This time he rode a big circle in the road all by himself perfectly and came back and stopped in front of us and said, “Okay, get on, we only have a three-hour rental.”

I mention this story because, in life, you meet a lot of people who tell you how to live. They tell to pick yourself up and get right back on there, but, as in everything my father did, he just showed you how to live by example.

So if I can leave you with one thing from my Dad, it would be his motto. It’s just three simple words, but he’s said them to us over and over again since the day we were old enough to understand them. Do Your Best. Do Your Best. You have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to ever apologize for, if you do your own best in any and everything you do. And, even if your best isn’t good enough, it doesn’t matter because you have done the best you could do.

My sister, brother and I would like thank you for coming today and for letting us share some more of our Father with you. We would also like to thank our Mom for being the amazing woman that she is and for all the loving, tenacious care she took of dad, giving him way more years with us than we would have otherwise had.

Frederick Martin Kopf Jr. was a wonderful, shining light who lived by example. If you could have seen him on his vacation last week, you would have seen him glowing in these last few days. It gives me comfort to think he was glowing because knew he was ready, in his heart, soul and body for his last trip to the best destination of all. Thank you.

Are We Going to Be Okay?

Early in the day on September 11, 2001, in the midst of all the chaos, I talked to a family member who happens to be a structural engineer. “Tell me those buildings aren’t going to come down,” I said in a voice that was more filled with question than command. But a declaration was what I got in reply. “I can’t tell you that,” was the quiet answer I received about 10 minutes before the first one fell. I went looking for reassurance and found that, sometimes, the truth doesn’t give you any.

Although this is in no way a proper analogy, nor is it an attempt to trivialize the events of September 11 in any way, I did feel the need to go looking for answers after Arch Aluminum filed for bankruptcy late last month. Up to that point, even amid the rumors that had been swirling about for months, I’d felt that our industry was in the midst of some very, very tough times but that we would emerge from them okay. The Arch reorganization—that of a long-time, large, primary source fabricator—was a tsunamic event felt around our industry. It was unsettling. If Arch could file for bankruptcy, the thought process went, then was anyone safe? Would our industry come crashing down around us?

“Are we going to be okay?’ was the question I asked to a few very learned, most highly-respected leaders—the structural engineers, if you will—in our industry. I went again seeking reassurance, but this time I got it.

The new year is often a toast to hindsight mixed with expectation, followed by a chaser of predictions. So here are my predictions, based both on my observations and (hopefully) educated guesses, along with the opinions of those I value. Watch for:

1. Consolidation at the primary manufacturer level. I would not be surprised if we have one less primary manufacturer in existence by the middle of next year than we do as I write this. This consolidation will be the result of merger;

2. Increased influence among manufacturers. Along with such a consolidation will come an increased influence by certain primary manufacturers and fabricators over what companies make it in the business and which ones do not. Since the number of companies at these two levels are relatively small, they will have more control over which companies in financial difficulty are allowed to exist and which are not;

3. Operators under the “commodity” model will dwindle. The days of being able to sell volume are gone, at any level. Primary manufacturers and fabricators must differentiate themselves through value-added and specialized product in order to survive long-term;

4. Capacity will decrease. In addition to the effect of consolidation, lines are down due to refurbishment and low demand. The eventual effect will be reduced capacity and, as a result, increased prices. Some leading experts also said a glass shortage would not be out of the question. That sounds counterintuitive on the surface, but when you analyze it, it’s not;

5. A healthier industry in the long run. Survival of the fittest is cruel in nature or in business, but it leads to stronger, more vital players.

This has been a tough year for our industry. I am glad I got to spend it with you. I am very thankful for the people I get to work with—and work for. Even in tough times, the glass industry will survive. Are we going to be okay? Yes.

Happy New Year. It is an honor for us to work for you.

The Good 'Ole American Way

What do glass block and accidental deaths of children have to do with it each other? A lot it turns out.

I began this morning by picking up a few consumer news items that might have implications for the industries we cover. The first was about the President's schedule for today. As I write this, President Obama has just finishing speaking at a nearby Home Depot about buying energy efficient building products. It's a pool feed so we are covering it as part of the pool, but it's still been interesting to see the President focus on energy efficient products. He even made an attempt at a joke at their expense, opining as to how press secretary Robert Gibbs might be able to find at Home Depot to plug leaks (not too many people in the audience got it though) .... anyway, it should be an interesting story for the readers of our USGlass, and DWM-SHELTER magazines.

The second story was one that has gotten a lot of consumer press this morning. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC of safety glazing fame) has issued a massive recall of blinds --50 million in fact -- because they constitute serious strangulation hazard for children and babies. The report on NBC's TODAY show showed the very serious danger.

"I know the blind thing is peripheral to DWM readers ..." I started to say when I walked in the office. "Yeah, I saw it too and I'm on it," DWM publisher Tara Taffera shot right back. "It might help some dealers or installers identify problems and alert homeowners, so I think we should cover it," Tara added. In fact, she'd already written a story about it.

About an hour later I checked my inbox and sure enough, it didn't take long for one glass block company to make a marketing opportunity out of it. I usually don't comment on such pieces, but this one just left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to share. Only in the good 'ole USA could someone hear a baby strangulation story and attempt to make a marketing opportunity. Here's the first paragraph:

Obscure Acrylic Block Windows Eliminate Need for
Corded Window Treatments
Massive Window Blind Recall Has No Effect on Hy-Lite/U S Block Windows
PENSACOLA, FLA. – Following the announcement of a massive industry recall of corded window treatments, the experts at Hy-Lite/U S Block Windows are offering a no-cord alternative to potentially hazardous blinds.
“Homeowners add blinds and corded window treatments to their windows to obtain privacy and style,” says Roger Murphy, president of U S Block Windows. “Using acrylic block windows and interior shutters is the obvious choice for obtaining those same privacy results in the home, but with no risk to children of potential strangulation.
“The obscure nature of durable acrylic block windows --- both in fixed and operable styles --- means that homeowners can gain privacy without the use of corded window treatments or blinds. And, for those homes that already have clear glass windows, interior acrylic block shutters can be added to a window in just 20 minutes. Both products provide style to the home as well as a safe, secure product around children.”

Well the folks at Hylite get my dubious acheivement award for the week. Geez.

Date with a Hero

Last Wednesday was one of the most memorable days in my career as I got to spend a good portion of it with "Sully" -- Captain Chesley Sullenberger -- the U.S. Air pilot who, together with his crew, safety landed flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15th.

Sully was the keynote speaker at the fifith annual International Auto Glass Safety Conference, sponsored by the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council (the AGRSS Council) for which I serve as a volunteer leader this year. After a private breakfast with AGRSS-registered companies, Sully kept a crowd of about 4,000 glued to their seats and riveted by his recollection of his flight that day.

There's a lot parallels between the auto glass industry and the aviation industry, including the quest to reduce costs and the resulting ways this affects safety. (You can see one such example in the Daily Show http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-13-2009/chesley-sullenberger. I was struck by them as I read Sully's book. (You can read my opening at the Conference here.)

All industries, especially the glass industry, are under pressure to reduce costs. AGRSS-registered companies pledge safety as their paramount concern. And they not only pledge to do the job right, they allow independent, third party validators to come into their shops and audit that committment.

The Captain understood this. "The AGRSS Council must have felt like a tea bag in an ocean when it started," he said. "I applaud your efforts."

He also understood the importance of safety. "I will be known in my life for this one event but, in reality, that event was one I had trained for and had to anticipate for many years."

Sully is the living definition of hero. But he is also a regular guy--a reluctant celebrity who has had fame foisted upon him by one extraordinary action. It was an honor to meet him.

GlassBuild Days Two and Three

Day two was noticibly stronger than the first day. It seemed that many people came in the for the show on Wednesday and spent the better part of Thursday there. Reaction among exhibitors was more mixed than usual. I took an informal straw poll while walking the aisles and here are the results. When asked how the show was going for them:

About 40 percent said it was a good show, and that they were very pleased;


About 40 percent said that it had exceeded their expectations. Most were quick to add, however, that their expectations had been nil given the economy;


About ten percent said it was not good at all for them;


and the other ten percent said that it was really too soon to tell. With trade shows, the proof is in orders that come in from it.



As for traffic, it's difficult for our booth staff to adequately assess as, try as we might, our booth somehow always end up in the hinterlands of the show (three rows from the end this year), but our editorial staff reported brisk traffic most of Thursday in certain areas of the show. So I don't think we'd be the best judge of traffic because we didn't have much ourselves.



What Thursday gave our industry was .... hope. There was still some business to be done out there. And there was more than one occasion when customer and exhibitor embraced in a joyous "we are both still here" hug that let you know that was just what both of them were thinking.



Reviews of the seminars were mixed with high marks given to the Energy Session and the Solar Panel with a great video into by Russ Ebeid. Judging by that video he'll be joining the 60 Mintues team any day now. Our ediorial staff will be covering the important ones in more in depth in future issues.

Day three was painfully quiet with very little activity, leading some of the familiar comments I've heard over the years to resurface ... GBA should be a two day show ... GBA should be every other year. Ending shows on Friday is always tough because everyone wants to get out of town and it did seem a much lighter traffic day than the last day of the show in 2008, which was on a Thursday.

It's Show Time

The first thing I noticed about Atlanta today was that the weather was beautiful. I was expecting to see canoes in the streets and water half way up the streetlights. But that, according to the cab driver, was last week not this week. He showed me some pretty high-high water marks in downtown while mentioning that the rain was 150 year rain. The city did a good job of clean up because you can't even tell there was flooding. At behind all that bad weather came the beautiful day we had today.
Tomorrow starts the glass show. Some people think of New Year's day as the beginning of the year; for others, it's September when school starts. For me, for the last 28 years at least, this show has always represented a new beginning .... more tomorrow.

Our Condolences

Well, it wasn’t the flu, but I got hit with a pretty nasty cold earlier this week. So I found myself calling in sick for three days, something I have not done before. Problem was, it was such a wicked cold that it was hard to function even from home.

This is how I have come to find myself in the office on the most beautiful of Saturdays, catching up on what I should have been doing all week … so please forgive me for being a day or two late in talking about John De Gorter, who died on Wednesday in North Carolina at the age of 81.

John De Gorter’s roots were in the glass industry. His father, Daniel was one of the largest importers of glass and glass products in the United States. After his death, John expertly predicted that increased need for fabrication equipment in this country as a result of improved and float production in this country. John felt that glass fabricating equipment would be in greater demand in the future. So in 1969, De Gorter Inc. began devoting its efforts to the sale and service of glass processing equipment.

Long before it was commonplace for foreign machinery companies to have representation in the United States, John De Gorter saw the need and filled it. The list of machinery his company has sold into the United States is too long to include and he was known worldwide.

On my first trip to glasstec in 1984, I was excited to try and meet with as many equipment and machinery manufacturers as I could. In every single meeting, when it became apparent I was from the United States, the very next question, every time was either “Do you know De Gorter?” or “Can you introduce me to De Gorter?”

Condolences to his wife of 58 years, Denise, and their children Dan, Deborah and Peter.

More info is available here.