Glass Cast

Planning Your Exit: REAG CEO, Scott Mashuda on Why Glass Fabricators Can't Afford to Wait

Thank you REAG for sponsoring this episode of Glass Cast! Scott Mashuda, founder and CEO of REAG, joins NGA Chief Content Officer Katy Devlin to talk about the state of mergers and acquisitions in the glass fabrication industry. With more than two decades of experience helping lower middle market business owners navigate ownership transitions, Scott breaks down the market forces shaping M&A right now, why unsolicited offers deserve more than an emotional reaction, and what owners get wrong when they wait too long to plan their exit. He also explains why value isn't always about the dollar amount and shares one of the most important things a fabricator can do in the next 30 days to set themselves up for a successful transition. Recorded as part of the NGA Glass Fabricator (GFAB) Conference in Chicago, June 14–17. Explore more from NGA, GlassBuild America, Glass Magazine, and Window + Door Magazine: NGA Website: https://www.glass.org/ GlassBuild America Website: https://www.glassbuildamerica.com/ Glass Magazine Website: https://www.glassmagazine.com/ Window + Door Website: https://www.windowanddoor.com/ Explore NGA & GlassBuild Socials: NGA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-glass-association/ NGA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGlassAssociation/ NGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalglassassociation/ GlassBuild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glassbuild GlassBuild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassbuildamerica/

AI Meets the Factory Floor: Josh Rudd on A+W Software's Vision for Smarter Glass Fabrication

Thank you A+W Software for sponsoring this episode of Glass Cast!Josh Rudd, sales and marketing manager for A+W Software North America, joins NGA Chief Content Officer Katy Devlin and NGA Director of Membership Sarah Neiswanger to break down what AI actually means for a glass fabrication business. Josh walks through how A+W's new AI order entry agent, Mira, reads inbound emails and purchase orders to eliminate manual data entry errors, explains what a true pull-system smart factory looks like in practice, and shares how A+W is using AI internally to accelerate coding and testing. He also looks further ahead at dynamic capacity planning, the potential for humanoid robots on the shop floor, and why GFAB is the right place for fabricators to connect and learn. Recorded as part of the NGA Glass Fabricator (GFAB) Conference in Chicago, June 14–17. Learn more about GFAB & Register: https://www.glass.org/GFAB Subscribe to NGA's YouTube Channel for more podcast episodes of Glass Cast and Window Cast: https://www.youtube.com/@NationalGlassAssociation Explore more from NGA, GlassBuild America, Glass Magazine, and Window + Door Magazine:NGA Website: https://www.glass.org/GlassBuild America Website: https://www.glassbuildamerica.com/Glass Magazine Website: https://www.glassmagazine.com/Window + Door Website: https://www.windowanddoor.com/Explore NGA & GlassBuild Socials:NGA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-glass-association/NGA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGlassAssociation/NGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalglassassociation/GlassBuild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glassbuildGlassBuild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassbuildamerica/

From Yellow Notepads to Digital Threads: Cyncly's Don Busiek on the Future of Glass Ordering

Thank you Cyncly for sponsoring this episode of Glass Cast! Don Busiek, strategic business and technology leader for Cyncly, joins NGA Chief Content Officer Katy Devlin and NGA Director of Membership Sarah Neiswanger to break down Cyncly's recent acquisition of Smart Glazer and what it means for glass fabricators, installers and homeowners. Don explains the concept of a digital thread connecting every step from order entry to delivery, why manual data reentry is one of the most expensive hidden costs in glass fabrication, and how companies that embrace digital transformation will leapfrog the competition. He also shares early beta feedback from fabricators and makes the case for why GFAB is a must-attend event. Recorded as part of the NGA Glass Fabricator (GFAB) Conference in Chicago, June 14–17. Learn more about GFAB & Register: https://www.glass.org/GFAB Subscribe to NGA's YouTube Channel for more podcast episodes of Glass Cast and Window Cast. https://www.youtube.com/@NationalGlassAssociation Explore more from NGA, GlassBuild America, Glass Magazine, and Window + Door Magazine: NGA Website: https://www.glass.org/ GlassBuild America Website: https://www.glassbuildamerica.com/ Glass Magazine Website: https://www.glassmagazine.com/ Window + Door Website: https://www.windowanddoor.com/ Explore NGA & GlassBuild Socials: NGA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-glass-association/ NGA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGlassAssociation/ NGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalglassassociation/ GlassBuild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glassbuild GlassBuild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassbuildamerica/

Does This Make My Glass Look Flat? The Evolution of Glass Inspection with Nate Huffman of LiteSentry-Softsolution-Strainoptics | Glass Cast

Thank you LiteSentry-Softsolution-Strainoptics for sponsoring this episode of Glass Cast! Nate Huffman of LiteSentry, Softsolution and Strainoptics joins NGA Chief Content Officer Katy Devlin and NGA Director of Membership Sarah Neiswanger, to trace the evolution of glass inspection from manual zebra boards and handheld gauges to fully automated, real-time measurement systems. Nate explains what millidiopters are and why they matter, why the absence of customer complaints doesn't mean the absence of quality issues, and how inspection data is becoming both a process control tool and a competitive differentiator for fabricators. He also looks ahead to the future of smart furnaces and real-time feedback loops between inspection systems and tempering equipment. Recorded as part of the NGA Glass Fabricator (GFAB) Conference in Chicago, June 14–17. Learn more about GFAB & Register: https://www.glass.org/ GFABSubscribe to NGA's YouTube Channel for more podcast episodes of Glass Cast and Window Cast: https://www.youtube.com/@NationalGlassAssociation Explore more from NGA, GlassBuild America, Glass Magazine, and Window + Door Magazine: NGA Website: https://www.glass.org/ GlassBuild America Website: https://www.glassbuildamerica.com/ Glass Magazine Website: https://www.glassmagazine.com/ Window + Door Website: https://www.windowanddoor.com/ Explore NGA & GlassBuild Socials: NGA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-glass-association/ NGA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGlassAssociation/ NGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalglassassociation/ GlassBuild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glassbuild GlassBuild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassbuildamerica/

Flow, Safety & ROI: The Future of Glass Fabrication, with IGE Founder Michael Spellman

Thank you IGE Glass Technologies for sponsoring this episode of Glass Cast! Learn more about GFAB & Register: https://www.glass.org/GFAB Michael Spellman, founder and CEO of IGE Glass, joins NGA Chief Content Officer Katy Devlin and NGA Director of Membership Sarah Neiswanger to discuss what the modern glass fabrication plant looks like and where it's headed. Drawing on more than 40 years of hands-on industry experience, Michael explains why he's shifted from chasing individual bottlenecks to thinking in systems, how smart automation naturally improves safety and flow, and why return on investment has to drive every equipment decision on the factory floor. He also shares IGE's legacy of bringing new technology to the industry and makes the case for why every fabricator should be at GFAB this June. Recorded as part of the NGA Glass Fabricator (GFAB) Conference in Chicago, June 14–17. Explore more episodes of Glass Cast & NGA video content: https://www.youtube.com/@NationalGlassAssociation Explore more from NGA, GlassBuild America, and Glass Magazine: NGA Website: https://www.glass.org/ GlassBuild America Website: https://www.glassbuildamerica.com/ Glass Magazine Website: https://www.glassmagazine.com/ Explore NGA & GlassBuild Socials: NGA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-glass-association/ NGA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGlassAssociation/ NGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalglassassociation/ GlassBuild Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glassbuild GlassBuild Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassbuildamerica/