Why All Buildings Need a Balanced Fire Protection Approach
May 17, 2021 / By Kevin Norcross
In 2019, the U.S. saw 3,074 fire-related deaths, a steady increase of this type of tragedy since 2012, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. That same year, fires accounted for $14.8 billion in damage, a 75% increase since 2010. While I dare say even one death is too many, these tragic trends are a powerful […]
View ArticleGrowing During the Pandemic
December 03, 2020 / By Kevin Norcross
Some might say that a global pandemic is not the best time to expand production facilities. I say those people aren’t paying attention. This month, Vetrotech’s North American headquarters consolidated our glass and framing production facilities into one shop, which effectively doubled the square footage of our site at 2108 B St. NW, Suite 110 […]
View ArticleBusiness as “Un-usual”
April 10, 2020 / By Kevin Norcross
As I sit in my home office working with Saint-Gobain internationally, Saint-Gobain North America and other Vetrotech manufacturing facilities around the world, “business as usual” is what all of us are trying to achieve. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. The fact is, it’s absolutely “business as un-usual.” As we keep our eyes on our No. […]
View ArticleHow Glass Can Help Keep Students Safe?
November 22, 2019 / By Kevin Norcross
School safety is certainly not a new worry, but the high-profile coverage of school shootings adds an extra layer of concern for students and parents alike. So far in 2019, there have been at least 64 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, including 11 deaths and 41 injuries. But shootings aren’t the only threat at […]
View ArticleWhy Glaziers Should Know LEED
July 19, 2019 / By Kevin Norcross
There’s an issue that not a lot of glazing contractors think about—but maybe they should. When we talk about environmental standards for the building industry, LEED is it. Since it was launched in 2010, commercial projects seeking LEED certification have grown by 107%, with changes and evolutions coming almost as fast as we can get […]
View ArticleBalanced Fire Protection
May 17, 2019 / By Kevin Norcross
Balanced fire protection is a critical topic for the building industry, especially as we head into 2020 and the revisions to the International Building Code. The importance of the topic—and the levels of nuance we’re dealing with—led me to have a conversation recently with Thom Zaremba, partner at Roetzel and Andress and the fenestration industry’s […]
View ArticleDesign-Assist Saves Money on Fire-Rated Projects
April 12, 2019 / By Kevin Norcross
If there are two words in fire-rated glazing that can save time and money on a project, it’s these: design assist. Specialty glazers like Vetrotech Saint-Gobain and others sit at a unique intersection: we’re often the connection point of what the owner wants to spend, the architect wants to design and what the code officials […]
View ArticleOn the Safe Side
March 08, 2019 / By Kevin Norcross
Early in January, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) released a report that many people in our industry are talking about: Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2018 Interim Report. The essence of the report was not a surprise. For every dollar invested in mitigation strategies around safety, loss prevention and disruption to everyday life, there’s […]
View ArticleKevin Norcross
