MarketScale Manufacturing

Over time, consumers become more familiar with the vast options for high-quality, sustainable building materials, but how is the conversation coming along on an industry-wide level? On this episode of the AEC podcast brought to you by Marketscale, host Tyler Kern sits down with Andrew Legge, founder of Havelock Wool, and Mike Horgan, design-builder and certified Passive House Consultant for a candid discussion about high-performance building materials.

Legge, the founder of Havelock Wool building material, says the conversation about high-quality, sustainable building materials is getting easier and more frequent, but there’s still a long way to go.

“The gap is still wide between what needs to get done and what’s actually getting done,” Horgan agrees. “There is still a large education gap, but it’s closing.”

Andrew Legge saysSpecifically, homeowners are helping narrow that education gap by asking more questions of architects and builders. They’re educating themselves about more environmentally sustainable building materials and perhaps most notably, they’re showing their willingness to pay more for these products.

“Homeowners want healthier homes,” Horgan says.

But the veteran design-builder offers an interesting piece of advice for architects and homeowners building a home: Specify what sustainable building material you want in your blueprints or risk leaving it up to a builder to choose the cheapest material.

“Architects and designers know these materials exist, but they’re not putting them in their drawings to spec them and detail them,” says Horgan. “So when the plans get out to the field, a builder may see ‘R20’ on the spec and throw in fiberglass there because it’s the cheapest.”

Sustainability continues to drive the future of AEC as regulations push for more ecologically conscious business practices and more consumers demand eco-responsibility from manufacturers and builders. But manufacturers of building materials are taking the cue as they, too, look for more eco-friendly methods of processing natural materials.

In this episode of the AEC Podcast, host Daniel Litwin sat down with William Paddock, co-founder & managing director of WAP Sustainability Consulting to discuss ways he’s seen, specifically, the tile industry shift its approach to sustainability.

From mining at the quarry to milling on the factory floor to extrusion, shaping, and pattern printing, a tile goes through many heavy-duty processes. With each of these come a layer of waste and impact on the environment.

“But the unique part is that tile performs and holds up for a long period of time,” Paddock said. “And so over the course of a lifetime, certainly there’s an environmental impact to produce that tile, but the longer that tile stays in play, the less that environmental burden comes on a year to year basis.”

One U.S. tile company, in particular, has made progress in tile manufacturing sustainability. Tennessee-based Crossville is following high standards for responsible sourcing, conservation, and the use of recycled tile content in their production.

Crossville is also leading the charge in sustainability certifications, both in products and the entire manufacturing process as well. The company was recently named as First Third Party Verified Red List Free Declare Label for the Tile Industry and First Tile Product to Achieve the Living Product Challenge Petal Certification, an industry-leading feat.

“It’s a true, very difficult to achieve, multi-attribute certification that Crossville should be very proud of,” Paddock said. And with similarities in manufacturing processes across different companies in tile, Paddock believes the entire industry should take note and take advantage of a certification like the Living Product Challenge, because tile manufacturers “naturally fit.”

In the world of social media influencers, the stakes are high and the territory confusing to maneuver. But it doesn’t have to be, said Elle H-Millard, interior designer and insider for the National Kitchen and Bath Association. In this episode of the AEC Podcast, host Shelby Skrhak sat down with H-Millard to sort through the truths and myths of working with social media influencers in design, and tips for becoming one too.

“Long gone are the days of print ads,” H-Millard said, remarking that even attention for digital ads is waning.

The social media influencer said it’s important to remember that quality is better than quantity when it comes to measuring an influencer’s social following. H-Millard explained in her case, when she posts about her favorite products or manufacturers such as HanStone, her followers‘ followers can make all the difference in influencing others in the industry.

This is especially true in design, where the industry runs on trusted word of mouth suggestions from other professionals, and influences are extremely visual.

For that reason, keeping your social media accounts updated and current with content posts and social interaction is imperative. But she acknowledges that’s no easy feat — posting interesting and relevant content to all your various social media accounts. Her advice: Do the best you can.

Have you heard of the concept of robot taxation? It’s an idea that pushes for more taxes on companies that use robots over human labor, and supporters have a fierce advocate in their corner: Bill Gates. But does it make sense in the modern world, one in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution and driven by data and automation? Dan Allford, President of ARC Specialties, a provider of welding automation technology, joined us today to give his perspective on robot taxation and why, after his experience in the field, he think it's a poor idea.

“I can only assume that Gates’ perspective on this is that it would save jobs. But automation has been part of manufacturing and other industries for a long time. Robots are just the newest form," Allford said. "Think back to when looms replaced weavers. There was a fear of technology, but this innovation is the reason you have a closet full of clothes.”

Allford argued that automation improves people’s lives, and that robots haven't hurt peoples' jobs but rather empowered them. “Decades ago, 50% of all people were employed on the farm; now it’s only 2%. The result is we have plentiful, affordable food—not that jobs have been replaced,” he said.

“Look, robots have yet to take any fun jobs; they take the worst jobs. Jobs in dirty environments, hot environments, or even radioactive environments. So, it’s important for me to speak out on behalf of robots and automation,” Allford added.

Allford remembers, years ago, writing a paper on how the personal computer would wipe out typists. In this case, automation has affected the workforce. But he draws the connection between the end of the typist and Gates' push for this taxation; he's been one of the main catalysts for innovation in computer automation and automation in general.

"The truth is that placing a tax on a resurging market like manufacturing won’t save jobs. It will actually lead to more offshoring,” Allford said.

Is efficiency the key to innovation? It is certainly a topic for discussion, especially in the AEC industry. To talk about the connection between efficiency and innovation as well as efficiency and safety, we’re joined by Paul Guth, President of iQ Power Tools, manufacturers of dust collection power tools.

Paul has almost a lifetime of experience in the construction industry, as it was a family business. “We grew up on the job site. We soon learned that we got paid by the job, not the hour. So, this inspired innovation to get the work done faster and more efficiently,” Paul shared.

Paul noted that being more efficient on the job site is never about cutting corners. He said, “We knew that time was money, so the best way to look at it was to determine what was impacting efficiency. There was never any effect on quality. It was more looking at simple things like ensuring the trash pile on a job site was streamlined or having material delivered as close as possible to where it was to be installed.”

This drive for efficiency and innovation became even stronger when Paul and his brother began creating their own tools. “We started with a dry masonry saw that we received a patent for. Because it was dry, it could make cuts much closer to where the material was to be used. But then we ran into the challenge of dust, and that’s how we got into the dust collection business,” Paul said.

There wasn’t anything available to collect the dust, so they fabricated their own. Now they have a focus on solving challenges out in the field through simplification. He added, “Our philosophy is to take a problem and crunch it down to its simplest form, then master the process to solve it, and then become very efficient at it. Often with better efficiency comes better safety as well.”

Learn more about the innovative tools created by iQ Power Tools and how they are helping protect workers by listening to the podcast.

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. No one knows this better than today’s guest on the AEC Podcast, Ron Tamlyn, co-owner of worldwide building products supplier Tamlyn.

He joined us on the podcast to recount the story of Tamlyn, from its humble beginning, to its uncertain moments, to its prosperous now. Tamlyn's story is one of many for small business owners in this industry, but the expertise, determination, and business acumen that the Tamlyn team had are what set it apart from the beginning.

With $800 of borrowed seed money and a desire to provide for his family, Ron’s father, Ron Sr., launched the small company in 1971 in the modest garage of his 1,100-square-foot Bellaire, Texas home with his wife, Jean.

“He would go out and sell product, order it, and then go in the back room of our house to box it up and deliver it,” Ron said. “One day when I was 10 years old, he dumped a box of aluminum ply clips in my bedroom and said to count out 500 pieces. That was the beginning of Tamlyn.”

Ron Sr. was a Purple Heart recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima and parlayed a little bit of military wisdom into the company’s approach to keeping up with large competitors.

“Dad would say, ‘Once you’ve had bullets flying at you, nothing will scare you,’” Ron said. “We’ve taken that to mean that we don’t have to be afraid of the big boys. We can run faster than them, and make turns quicker than them in a lot of ways.”

Through the years, Tamlyn has built a loyal customer base that values the faith-driven principles of the company and its leadership. With his father’s wisdom in mind, Ron took the reins of Tamlyn to lead it into the next generation, understanding that business is a journey.

“My dad said, ‘Learn from your failures, move on, and hopefully not make the same mistakes,’” Ron said.

Give this podcast a listen to learn how one man and one company's journey reflects some of the hardest truths and most exciting opportunities within the AEC industry.

All areas of manufacturing are feeling the same strain. With an aging workforce and younger generations moving away from these types of jobs, there is a looming labor shortage that only looks like it could intensify. The industry is craving intelligent, motivated and skilled young professionals, but a lack of information on what careers are available and what a life in manufacturing feels like is keeping numbers low.

Today, Toqeer Kazmi, Group VP of HR for Power Solutions at NN Inc., a designer and manufacturer of high-precision metal and plastic components, joins the podcast to shed light on a position at NN meant to introduce young professionals to the excitement of the industry: Tool Maker Apprentice.

"This position is vital to what we do at NN Inc. Without the right tools, we can't manufacture the required components. This position is a great way to break into the market, and there are many possibilities from starting as an apprentice," Kazmi said.

Manufacturing has a lot of security as a career, and the projects that drive it forward are complex but rewarding. Because this position is an apprenticeship, mentorship is a critical element. "The role will learn from the best and have plenty of hands-on experience. We also support our employees with continuing education and are here to help them be successful," she said.

Kazmi noted that the ideal candidate will be curious, creative, and responsible with a sense of urgency. "I say these attributes because we need someone who will look at the unsolvable and find a solution. The sense of urgency means that we're in an industry that changes quickly, and we have to be able to respond to that. This helps differentiate us from our competitors," she said.

Give this Careers Podcast a listen to learn more about the role, what makes it perfect BBQ talk with the family, and why Kazmi calls it a hybrid of MacGyver and Q from the James Bond universe. To apply, click here.

The AEC industry, though at its core very unified, has so many niche markets and skill-sets that often times each of those sects has trouble fully understanding the breadth of work of their AEC peers. One such market is the world of glass installation. In the midst of an aesthetic era that values the sleekness, sustainability and transparency of glass, the manufacturing processes behind glass installation have had to become more flexible and more refined. On today’s episode of the AEC Podcast, Ergo Robotic's Alan Nudi, Director of Sales and Marketing for the company, explains the what it's like to evolve in the world of glass installation.

“Small scale glass may be installed by hand or by small lifts, but at some point, it becomes unsafe and infeasible to use this approach. Our machines enable construction companies to install glass in excess of 5,000 pounds, creating a solution for the problem at hand," Nudi said.

The equipment is designed and manufactured at the company’s facility in upstate New York and typically consists of an arrangement of suction cups to hold the glass along with hydraulics to lift and place.

“Many factors impact exactly how the machine will be built. There are weight and size considerations. Then you have to consider how far up the glass is going as well as if it will be installed via the interior or exterior. Is it curved or textured, and so on,” Nudi said.

With all these different elements to consider, most of the machines built by Ergo are custom to each client and project. “We meet with clients who have a problem but aren’t usually experts in glass lifting equipment. We ask a lot of questions and educate them on what will be the best solution. Probably over half of the machinery we build is custom because glass installation, for sure, is not a one size fits all.”

Discover more about this unique corner of the AEC industry and how Ergo solves problems for builders by giving the podcast a listen.

Today's residential and commercial architectural projects are increasingly looking at sustainable building materials as both an environmentally-responsible option and an appealing aesthetic for design. Bamboo, a sleek, sustainable and durable material, is making waves in the AEC community; to discuss the popularity of bamboo-based building materials, host Tyler Kern sat down with Jeran Hammann, Executive Vice President and Co-developer of Illinois-based Lamboo Technologies.

Lamboo's engineered bamboo is being used as an alternative to typical lumbers in structural applications such as large laminated beams, window and door applications, and commercial storefront curtain walls. Hammann said its unique aesthetic qualities mean it can be used for interior and exterior applications that expose the raw material.

"Lamboo, whose technology was developed here in the U.S., takes this product from a commodity into a high-end architectural application," he said. "Other building materials are often meant to be covered over with other materials, but the beautiful thing is that this product is meant to be seen."

While Lamboo costs more than traditional wood materials, it is on par with exotic woods from Central and South America that are often sought out for high-end architectural applications, Hammann pointed out. Plus, bamboo is more sustainable and ecologically friendly because it renews much more rapidly than more obscurely-found woods. In fact, bamboo is one of the most rapidly renewable resources on the planet.

On today's episode of the AEC Podcast, we were joined by Rachel Street, host of the DIY Network’s Philly Revival. who pulls from her experiences as a design professional to explain what it takes to flip homes and why the Philadelphia real estate market is so unique.

Street's career path has been pretty unconventional. Her dream was to be an opera singer, but in her youth, she had her first brush with construction working on carpentry projects with her dad. After a career as an opera singer in Italy, she came back to Philadelphia and jumped into real estate.

"I came into the real estate industry doing underwriting for commercial properties, but I had a real interest in residential. So, I became a residential broker and got started renovating houses as a contractor," Street said.

While she was busy starting her business renovating and selling homes, she learned a lot about what works. “Most renovators think that neutral is the best way to go and that everything should be cookie-cutter. I think the opposite. I am focused on design-driven renovations. I look for personality and charm in houses and try to bring that out,” Street said.

After building a successful career, the opportunity to host a DIY show came, and she was excited to share her vision with others. She also found that other women were working in construction, and needed media that represented their work authentically. “Before the show, I hadn’t met many women in the field. Now, I’ve been able to grow a community of women who have the same love for renovating that I do,” she said.

Street also loves working in Philadelphia because of its culture and history. “There are so many unique neighborhoods and older homes to renovate, which I love. I want to honor the history but also add in some modern elements."

Give this podcast a listen for inspiring ideas on the trends Street is seeing in home design, how sleek materials like quartz (from companies like HanStone Quartz) are powering the design-driven renovation mentality, and why she thinks color is critical to a successful flip.