Strategic planning is a critical organizational management practice that allows leadership to set goals and priorities and allocate time and resources to meeting those benchmarks. It provides a clear roadmap that keeps teams focused on the most impactful and important initiatives. In this time of workforce challenges and lean resources, few things are more important than working efficiently on targeted objectives to advance your business.Once you have a strategic plan, it is important to then update all stakeholders and constituents about progress, delivering metrics to...

Will you be at GlassBuild America, taking place September 30-October 2 in Dallas, TX? If so, stop by the Industry Pavilion in booth 17009 to say hello to FGIA staff, and to hear about our latest education offerings, including the new à la carte NAFS and Insulating Glass courses which will also be offered through the FenestrationMasters v3.0 curriculum targeted for release later this year. Plus, once again, FGIA will be appearing on the Main Stage at GlassBuild during the trade show.The GlassBuild Main Stage...

At the Annual Conference of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) held earlier this month, I attended an interesting session on customer experience, or CX. The overarching theme was about making decisions that benefit customers, employees and the bottom line. Customer experience professionals believe customers form their opinions by the entirety of their interaction with an organization, meaning it is formed over time and can adapt. Ultimately, customer experience is a continual cycle of collaboration, listening, designing, delivering and then monitoring and measuring. This...

A lot is happening in the industry right now, particularly when it comes to sustainability, codes and regulations. The changes are happening quickly, which is why FGIA is giving these important topics the spotlight during the FGIA Fall Conference, taking place September 16-19 in Minneapolis, MN. The setting of this conference is fitting, because Minnesota is home to some of the earliest developments happening nationally when it comes to matters like PFAS and commercial energy codes and other geographies are watching to possibly adopt similar...

In early July, FGIA is hosting all our staff, including both Chicagoland area employees and remote workers in the U.S. and Canada, for a fun week of events at our Schaumburg, IL headquarters. While we are a relatively small company of just under 30 people, opportunities for all of us to be together in person can be hard to come by. But I know the importance of workplace recognition and ensuring our employees know they and the work they do are valuable and contribute in...

Every two years, FGIA is proud to release the full version of the FGIA Study of the U.S. Market for Windows, Doors and Skylights. The 2024 report is available now.This bi-annual report delivers timely information on residential and non-residential market trends and product shipment data for fenestration products used in both of these construction markets. Residential product data offers breakdowns of windows, doors and skylights by replacement versus new construction units as well as different framing materials. Non-residential product data includes a breakdown of product...

The 2024 FGIA Summer Conference is approaching, and now is the time to get the best rate for attending this must-see experience in beautiful Montreal. The event is taking place at Le Westin Montreal from June 3-6 and we are excited to share what we have planned! The preliminary conference schedule is packed with a blend of technical content and unique networking in an engaging format.Content highlights include sessions addressing embodied carbon, plastics regulations, natural disaster standards and testing, and our always popular codes and...

Last month, I wrote about the value of industry collaboration and how multiple industry associations can work together to achieve a common goal for their memberships. I am proud to announce an even more recent example of this, thanks to the shared commitment of FGIA and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association to window safety.A new technical bulletin about window opening control devices (WOCDs) was published, just in time for Window Safety Week, taking place April 7-13! This important technical bulletin, AAMA/WDMA TB-24-01, clarifies the...

Industry association membership and involvement has its advantages, many of which we discuss over at the Member Edge blog. Still, there is additional value added when multiple associations work together to achieve a common goal for their memberships. A recent example of this is when FGIA and WDMA, the Window and Door Manufacturers Association, teamed up to help members with the process of reporting unit shipment data to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in compliance with the ENERGY STAR program.EPA changed their ENERGY STAR Residential...

The theme of the upcoming 2024 FGIA Annual Conference, to be held February 19-22 in Amelia Island, is a special one. Throughout the event, we will be paying tribute to the one and only Rich Walker, the former President and CEO of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and an industry figure of momentous proportions who passed away earlier this year. That’s why, throughout the conference, you will see signs of the theme, “Celebrating Rich Walker: A Legacy of Leadership and Laughter.”The tables at the...