The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance held its 2025 Fall Conference from Oct. 6-9 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The theme for this year's event was "Showcasing excellence, celebrating speed," a nod to Indianapolis' famous motor speedway.
Supply chain issues
One of the panels at the conference was "Innovative Strategies to Mitigate Impacts from Supply Chain Distributors" hosted by Vice President of Reseller Partners, a member of the Association for Supply Chain Management, Mark Imfeld, Chief Legal Officer for Quaker Windows Chip Gentry and Director of Sales North American Building Division for Intertek Jose Colon. This discussion focused on strategies for managing supply chain disruptions, emphasizing the shift from efficiency to resiliency in recent years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Gentry, two driving factors that are causing the "perfect storm" of supply chain disruptions are economic uncertainty and long-term order cycles.
Colon says that in a world where the supply chain landscape is changing hourly, business need to operate with confidence and make sure to partner with people and businesses that they trust.
Gentry adds that if a company doesn't have an inside team of legal experts, then an outside team in necessary. When it comes to issues with the supply chain, "it's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when,'" says Gentry, which is why it's necessary to have experts on your side who can figure out who is responsible for logistical costs, disruptions, damage, labor costs, etc.
"If you have the right team, either in-house or not, you can contractually mitigate the exposure your company has," says Gentry. "Get on the phone and vet people who are upstream of your supplies. Are they the kind of people that, when it hits the fan, will they stand with you and negotiate in good faith?"
Imfeld says it's important to "look at your supply chain professionals as a strategic investment." A highly skilled workforce in your supply chain is a strategic driver. Imfeld says that in today's climate, it can make or break an organization.
Sustainability in glazing and fenestration
Another panel at the conference was "Why Sustainability Matters Today: A Look at How Leading Companies Approach Sustainability," hosted by Vice President of Sustainability, Technical Services & Government Affairs at Vitro Paul Bush, Vice President of Sustainability at National Green Building Standard/Home Innovation Research Labs Michelle Foster and Director of Global Product Management at Kawneer Chris Giovannielli.
"Sustainability matters because codes and regulations continue to tighten. They're becoming stricter. They’re not going to stop or reverse," says Foster. Foster adds that fenestration can be key to meeting those needs and that resiliency is something clients are increasingly looking into, i.e. how are buildings resilient? Can they protect against extreme weather and moisture? Was there a quality assurance process with this building?
Giovannielli says "defining sustainability is like defining happiness, it's different for everyone." It is up to individuals to know what certifications are required when it comes to certain products or projects. Giovannielli adds that it can help companies to reach sustainability goals by bringing it down to shop floor. Creating tools that can reduce energy or optimization in the facilities can bring it down to the employee level.
Foster says there's been an increase in "designing for circularity" when it comes to being more sustainable. Designing for circularity means that, rather than building a whole new building, building conversions, renovations or additions can be a more green option, particularly when it comes to historical properties. "Surely the buildings we're certifying that are new construction, meet the codes and are high-performing and sustainable, but if you look at the number of horribly built, older existing buildings, the opportunity to make a difference there is so much greater," says Foster.
Bush highly suggests the use of Environmental Product Declarations, saying "you'll learn a lot about your products through the process."
Logistics and networking opportunities
Also at the FGIA Fall Conference was the usual regulatory and legislative report, as well as the codes report, given by U.S. Technical Operations Director Kathy Krafka Harkema and Canadian Codes & Advocacy Director Amy Roberts. The government shutdown currently happening in the U.S. was a major topic for the U.S. report. As a result of the shutdown, Energy Star employees are furloughed, meaning they are not working. During a poll given to attendees at the session, the vast majority of people polled said they believe Energy Star should remain part of the Environmental Protection Agency, rather than being privatized or handed over to the Department of Energy, which are both possibilities as the future of the program remains uncertain.
Other topics during the regulatory and legislative report included that the federal government is moving away from brutalist architecture in favor of more traditional architectural styles. This could mean more project opportunities that companies can keep an eye out for. Harkema also said that homeowners are increasingly interested in energy efficiency, which can be a good opportunity for the window and door residential market.
The conference also hosted a welcome reception and tabletop showcase, where the National Glass Association spoke with attendees about GlassBuild America, being held Nov. 4-6 in Orlando, Florida. On the final night of the conference, attendees were able to tour the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and network with one another.
