American Architectural Manufacturers Association

April 30, 2013

AAMA's Day of Service at World Vision

Last week, the entire AAMA staff had the unique experience of participating in a day of service at World Vision's Chicago office. This team building event coincides with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of AAMA's Gold Label Certification Program. We were honored to share the occasion of this milestone with an organization that is also in the business of building—building a better world for children.

May 17, 2013

Leveraging Your AAMA Certification

Members who certify their window, door and skylight products through AAMA's Certification Program have the distinct advantage of access to program discounts and, even more importantly, participation in setting the standards on which the Certification Program and International Code Council (ICC) building codes are based. But, beyond that, there are a number of marketplace advantages to utilizing the AAMA Certification Program.

May 10, 2013

More Than a Gold Label

This year, AAMA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Gold Label Certification. Highly recognized, the Gold Label is a go-to resource for code enforcement, architects, builders, many manufacturers and even consumers. This simple, permanent label verifies performance requirements for the product and even provides manufacturer identification should parts or service be needed.

May 7, 2013

Six Apps and Sites for Digital Spring Cleaning

Let's face it; our digital lives can become just as cluttered as a kitchen junk drawer. Think of all the time we could save if we didn't have to sort through hundreds of emails looking for our credit card bill, or the work we could finish if our computers weren't bogged down by unnecessary files. Spring is the perfect time to clear out the clutter and develop a routine to help keep your digital life out of disarray.

May 3, 2013

Earth Day and Environmental Conversations Blossom through Twitter

On April 22, we celebrated the 43rd annual Earth Day. The founder of this event, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, struggled early in his political career to gain support for such health and environmental initiatives as conserving forested lands and banning DDT. After seeing devastation caused by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA, he sought a new method to inform the public about the dangers of water and air pollution.

April 30, 2013

Dick Kreidel, Door Council First Vice President, Gives Advice to Prospective AAMA Members

This month, I had the opportunity to speak with Dick Kreidel (ASSA ABLOY), Door Council First Vice President, about his industry experiences and the advice he would give to prospective AAMA members.

April 26, 2013

Certification and Standards Go Hand-in-Hand

"It’s a nontrivial process to supply certification…" - Larry Ellison (Oracle Corp.)

AAMA is much more than just a standards-writing organization; we put the standards we create to good use by utilizing them in the many different parts of the AAMA Certification Program. These programs encompass the following elements: fenestration manufacturing, components, profiles and labs.

April 9, 2013

Seven Lesser-Known YouTube Tricks

More than 4 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube, and nearly 72 hours of videos are uploaded every minute. With statistics like this, it's good to familiarize yourself with some of the YouTube tricks below to help you navigate some of the site's features.

April 5, 2013

Five Social Media Blogs You Should Read

In trying to come up with ideas for potential blog posts, I often find myself scouring the Internet for different social media blogs to see what everyone else is writing about. (After all, why reinvent the wheel?) I think it's important to seek out social media info from a variety of sources, so I thought I'd share my top five favorite social media blogs, so you can start following them today.

April 2, 2013

Six Ways to Like and Share AAMA's Scholarship Program on Facebook

Last week, AAMA launched a Facebook page for both our Scholarship Program and Partner Program. This page will be a resource for AAMA members and prospective applicants to receive exclusive information regarding both programs. AAMA members are encouraged to like our Facebook page and share our information on their companies' social media channels.

March 28, 2013

The Impact of ENERGY STAR Version 6.0

It's not news that the state of our economy and industry are fragile, as we continue a slow recovery from the global economic decline that began in 2007. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Great Recession ended in 2009, but we are still suffering from the aftershock nearly four years later.

March 28, 2013

Bob Simon, WCCMC First Vice President, Discusses His 14-Year Tenure with AAMA

Last year, Bob Simon, Wood and Cellulosic Composite Material Council First Vice President, celebrated his 50th anniversary at Gossen Corporation. I recently had the opportunity to discuss his accomplishments during his 14-year tenure with AAMA.

March 26, 2013

The Role of Private Equity in U.S. Growth

In the elections last fall, the perception of private equity funds took quite a beating in the minds of most Americans. Terms like "carried interest" were lobbed about as if they were an inherently negative thing, rather than simply the name for an agreed upon compensation structure for private equity funds. Private equity investors were portrayed as rich fat cats that become wealthy by exporting jobs to China and then hiding their funds in offshore accounts.

March 22, 2013

One Vote at a Time

As a consensus organization, one of the founding principles AAMA believes in is making sure that all of our documents are processed through the correct channels and that all of our members (and outside public) have a chance to participate in the creation of said documents. One key step is balloting.

March 19, 2013

When Traveling, Don't Forget to Pack These Apps

For those of you who are constantly on the go, whether it's to AAMA conferences, meeting with customers or just personal travel, it can sometimes be unnecessarily stressful: What time is my flight? Should I rent a car or take a cab? Where is my hotel located? These are all questions that have us scrambling for our printed itineraries or searching through our junk mail. But it doesn't have to be this way. Here are five apps you should download to help make life a little easier.

March 15, 2013

Supporting Education through Scholarship Awards

In 2001, AAMA announced the launch of our annual Scholarship Program in support of education to create a strong candidate pool of future fenestration industry employees. The program offers a $2,000 one-time award and is available to children of member company employees in good standing. Scholarship applicants are required to be high school or current college students planning to pursue studies in engineering or a technical degree field.

March 12, 2013

Facebook's New Look for News Feed

Last week, Facebook announced its first major News Feed overhaul since the feature launched seven years ago. The overhaul includes three major updates: the option of more customizable feeds, larger photos and mobile consistency. Although I'm currently on the "waitlist" for the Facebook's updated News Feed, I've detailed the changes, and why I think they are a good move for the social networking site.

March 11, 2013

The Repercussions of Overspending

Seventy-nine. That's the number of times Congress has acted to either raise, extend or alter the definition of the U.S. debit limit since 1960--the most recent occurring in August 2011. As an attempt to resolve yet another debt-ceiling crisis, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which increased the debt limit to more than $16 trillion. But this was merely a Band-Aid on a serious wound.

March 1, 2013

The Importance of Networking Both On and Offline

Yahoo's recent decision to get rid of working from home got me thinking about the balance between in-person and digital communication. As you would assume, I'm a huge proponent of all things digital, and I am infamous for ignoring phone calls from friends just so I can respond back to them via text message. Clearly, this isn't a best practice for establishing professional contacts.

February 28, 2013

Paul Bush, GMC First Vice President, Discusses His Proudest Accomplishments as an AAMA Member

Glass Material Council First Vice President, Paul Bush (PPG Industries), has been in the fenestration industry for the last 27 years. He recently spoke with me about his accomplishments within AAMA, as well as his predictions for the future of our industry.

February 28, 2013

AAMA Members Focus on Collaboration and Innovation

Thank you to our members and guests who joined us in commemorating our 76th anniversary at the Annual Conference in Tucson, AZ. Every year, this conference allows us to honor our members' contributions and commitment to the success of the industry.

February 22, 2013

Five or More Heads Are Better Than One

February is always a fun time of year for me as an AAMA staffer. Not only is this the month where I "celebrate" turning one year older, but it's the month when AAMA staff gets to take a break from the slush, gray sky and 15 degree weather that is the Chicago winter, and head to somewhere that combines the sun with great discussion about standards, codes and the fenestration industry.

February 22, 2013

AAMA Annual Conference Preview

The AAMA 76th Annual Conference is right around the corner (February 24-27) and offers members who attend an excellent forum for networking with peers, customers and suppliers, as well as for learning about new developments within the industry and AAMA. Like all AAMA national conferences (of which there are three every year), this one will deliver a great line-up of sessions and social events.

February 19, 2013

How to Use Twitter Lists

Connecting with someone on Twitter is literally as easy as clicking a button (which means you should be following AAMA--no excuses), but with more than 500 million Twitter accounts, you run the risk of actually following too many people. Twitter lists are an easy way to group your followers so you never miss a tweet.

February 15, 2013

Kevin Seiling, VMC First Vice President Shares his Accomplishments as an AAMA Member

In February, I talked with Kevin Seiling (VEKA), VMC First Vice President. He discussed with me his proudest accomplishments as an AAMA member, as well as his experience in the fenestration industry.

February 12, 2013

Five Ways to Ward off Social Media Hackers

At the beginning of the month, I offered suggestions on how to wade through a social network's privacy policy to become aware of your rights as a social media user. Unfortunately, this isn't the only necessary step in maintaining the ownership and safety of your accounts.

February 8, 2013

Prepare for the Regulatory Firestorm

In my blog post last month, I discussed the continuous growth of the housing market, despite the 112th Congress being the least productive since 1948, enacting the fewest laws, considering the fewest bills and holding the lowest number of formal negotiations. But heading into the next few years, government inaction may be the least of our worries.

February 5, 2013

Five Blogging Tips for Every User

Whether you're new to the game or you're a Wordpress extraordinaire, there are five simple blogging tips every user should consider.

February 1, 2013

Protecting Your Privacy on Social Media

In mid-December, Instagram, an online photo-sharing and social media service, released new Terms of Service that sent users into an uproar. The company's Terms of Service (which has since be re-released) included language that insinuated Instagram owned the rights to their users' photos, thus giving them permission to use photos in advertisements without obtaining permission from the owner.

January 29, 2013

How to Talk the Talk

There is no doubt that both the Internet and social media have changed the way we communicate. Instead of snail mail, we email. Instead of phone calls, we Skype call. We text, follow, friend, poke, Gchat, BBM, iMessage, favorite, like, connect and subscribe--all as a means of communicating. Digesting social media lingo is arguably one of the hardest tasks for a social media beginner, and if you can't understand the dialogue, then how can you join in the conversation?

January 25, 2013

Chris Habegger, WIC First Vice President, Predicts Growth and Improved Productivity for Industry

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Chris Habegger (Gaska Tape), WIC First Vice President, about his industry experiences, the future of the fenestration industry and his work as an AAMA member.

January 22, 2013

10 Social Media Apps for Mobile Devices

Is managing your social media accounts overwhelming? Do you not have time for social networking because you're always on the go? Well, there's an app for that. Here are 10 (free!) social media applications that can make your social media life a little easier.

January 18, 2013

The Value of an AAMA Membership

The beginning of a new year is a natural time for some retrospective evaluation. As the economy continues to make its slow recovery, many fenestration companies are faced every day with decisions about cutting costs. It is especially at times like this that it's important to be reminded of the value of the membership dues paid every year to maintain participation in AAMA.

January 15, 2013

The Do's and Don'ts of Selecting a Profile Picture

Selecting appropriate profile pictures for your social media accounts can be difficult, especially for those of us who are camera shy. Even though we may be our own worst critics, the following tips should help you select a photo that's applicable across all social media platforms.

January 11, 2013

Despite Congressional Inaction, Housing Growth Stays Its Course

After more than a year of congressional stalemate, and a day late, lawmakers passed legislation to push us back from the edge of the fiscal cliff on January 1, a plummet that would have severely limited manufacturers' abilities to grow their businesses, hire and innovate.

January 8, 2013

Five Tips on Using Twitter Hashtags

Just in 2012, 175 million tweets were sent from Twitter every day. Now that's quite a bit of information to sift through, let alone digest. To help us filter information that we deem most important, Twitter (along with Google+, Instagram and Pinterest) makes use of hashtags. Using the "#" sign before a word transforms it into an easily searchable topic within the Twittersphere. Below are five must-knows about using Twitter hashtags.

January 4, 2013

LinkedIn Gets a Facelift

You may have noticed recently that your LinkedIn profile looks slightly different, as the company began rolling out, what they are calling, their next generation profile in mid October.

December 21, 2012

Kathy Krafka Harkema, FMC Marketing Committee Chair, Discusses Her Involvement in AAMA

In December, I talked with Kathy Krafka Harkema (Pella), Chair of the FMC Marketing Committee, to learn about her work experience and get her take on the future of the fenestration industry.

December 14, 2012

The Importance of Vacation

Because no one wants to feel like they are working for the weekend, vacation time, whether you stay close to home or visit your favorite hiking destinations, is essential to our overall well-being and helps us rekindle our passion for what we do in our professional lives.

December 14, 2012

Social Media Year in Review

In 2012, AAMA has made strides to enhance our online communications, cultivate stronger relationships with our members and expand our reach across the industry, all by the way of social media.

December 14, 2012

Val Brushaber, Door Council Second Vice President, Gives Advice on Membership

I recently had the chance to speak with Val Brushaber (Hurd Windows & Doors), Door Council Second Vice President. With 32 years in the fenestration industry and 17 years as an AAMA member, Val provides insight on the future of the door market, as well as valuable advice to potential AAMA members.