Installing Company Members Engage in NGA-hosted Peer Networking Event
NGA hosted a peer networking hour for member installing companies on Thursday, November 12.
"With the pause on in-person events this year, NGA wanted to offer an online space dedicated to our contract glazing and full-service glass company members to meet, share and compare challenges and solutions,” said Nicole Harris, NGA president & CEO. “The discussions were lively and productive, and the feedback points to hosting peer networking for members on an ongoing basis.”
Individuals distributed among three concurrent breakout groups held a variety of positions within their contract glazing and full-service glass companies, including president, vice president, business development, client relations, project managers and estimators, and ranged from long-time veterans to those new to the industry. Companies varied in size from 5 employees to over 500 employees.
In a pre-call survey, registrants identified two top-of-mind topics, labor and training, and the economic outlook.
Five Key Takeaways
- A higher priority on retaining quality employees and on developing employees, for which some incorporate in-house training programs supplemented by NGA’s MyGlassClass.com curriculum.
- A heightened focus on succession planning.
- Overall optimism on the flow of new work and new opportunities for diversification.
- Participants are seeing an active bidding environment, including an increase among general contractors.
- Companies are using history to project the future--we’ve been through a downturn before--to assess what lessons learned apply now and in the next two years.
Participant Brady Nails, Manager of Special Projects for Binswanger Glass, said at the close of his peer group session, “I really enjoyed it and hope there are more in the future.”
Fellow attendee Wes Rozzell, Vice President of Alexander Metals agreed, saying, “this was a good activity to still be able to share and a reminder to access one another, especially when we can’t get together in person.”
Interested in participating in future peer group sessions?
You must be employed by a current NGA member contract glazing or full-service glass company to participate. We look forward to your participation.