The Glassbuild show is rapidly approaching and I have been calling all of my customers and potential customers to see who is going and who is not. Some are saying that they are staying home this year because the economy is still bad, and they simply cannot see spending the money to travel to Atlanta. Yet, others are citing the poor state of the economy as the single biggest reason for them going to the show this year! “I am usually too busy this time of year to get away to the show, but this year I think it is essential that I go!”

How fascinating I find these two opposing points of view! The people staying home say that they cannot afford to go. The people going say that they cannot afford to stay home! The first group is saving some money. But they will miss a once in a year opportunity to get away to see what is new. They will miss an opportunity to meet with others that are in the same boat as them; to share ideas and swap different points of view not only about how to survive in this economy but also how to capitalize upon all of the changes that the economy and recent legislation is bringing about in our industry. What will the future hold? What leading economic indicators should we be looking at? What new technologies are emerging that will help us meet thermal performance requirements that continue to get tougher every few years? What testing do I have to do to meet evolving industry certification requirements? What is the time frame for completion and where do I start? How does my product line fit in with the ever-increasing emphasis on saving the environment? What new equipment is out there that may help propel my manufacturing efficiencies ahead of my competition? What new financing options are available to help my company actually buy this equipment?

Simple answers to these important questions will not be simply waiting for you in Atlanta. But going to Glassbuild is essential to the thought process! The answers will then be formulated over the next few months as we turn the page toward a new year and away from what has been the worst one most of us have ever seen in our industry. The economists are saying that the recession is technically over. But for many it doesn’t feel that way. So, what will 2010 bring?

Well, the answer is not simply to sit back to wait and see. Yes, to a large extent, we cannot control what will happen. But we can control how we position our business strategies to take full advantage of the opportunities that do exist, and that means fully understanding our market environment, the changes that are taking place, and then deciding what we will do to focus in on the areas that will benefit our companies the most!

The strategic process cannot bear fruit by staying in the office! So, don’t forget to pre-register by September 24th, book a flight and we’ll see you in Atlanta. You simply cannot afford to stay home!