So what better way for us to get to know each other than for me to tell you a bit about myself. While I may be fairly new to window film, my ties to the glass industry go back ten years, as I’ve actually served previously as the editor of our sister magazine, USGlass, which some of you may also be familiar with. I also did a couple of articles for Window Film, but again, that was also going on ten years ago, so I’m a bit rusty on the subject.

While I am full of glass and glazing knowledge, I admit that my window film education has been somewhat limited. However, I am eager and ready to start learning all about this industry, and I’m hoping to talk to and meet as many readers as I can. While I’ve already had the chance to chat with a few folks over the phone, I am looking forward to meeting lots more in a couple of weeks at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. I have heard great things about this event and am excited to check it out first hand.

To those of you who are SEMA regulars, give it to me straight: what should I expect out of this monster of a show? Why do you attend and what do you take away? What’s the best part? The worst? Anything you think I need to know, I’d love to hear from you.

Perhaps in preparation for this, U.S. window film manufacturers have begun to unveil external products, which use pressure sensitive adhesives. Several industry officials sat down with WINDOW FILM magazine at last year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas to discuss the implications of glass technology and external films for the American market. Nearly a year later, as the U.S. Department of Energy spurring the glazing industry on toward higher efficiency, it appears the views of these industry officials have proven to be on par.

“In Europe, in cases where it’s even iffy, the installers will not take chances,” explained Yochi Solna, product and sales manager for Hanita Coatings. “They just started putting on exterior films to be sure. And that developed into a huge market.”

Solna said the concept took hold in Europe and he expected the same to hold true for the U.S., as glazing becomes increasingly advanced.

“I would speculate maybe 30 percent of the film that is installed in Europe is exterior film-all because the installer wants to be sure that glass breakage will not occur,” he said.

Hanita Coatings, the Israeli-based maker of HanitaTEK window films, has long offered external products. And Solna said external films are a sort of one-size-fits-all answer for glass breakage. “We have not had windows on which we have said, ‘you cannot apply exterior films,’” he explained.

Solna believes that U.S. manufacturers’ liberal policies regarding glass breakage and warranty claims kept the need for external films low in the U.S. But he also expected that to change.

“Some 20 years ago, in the United States, the manufacturers went into a sort of marketing war where they were trying to figure out what they could offer in order to outdo one another,” Solna said. “And they ended up creating these crazy warranty schemes. In the end, almost all films American manufacturers began offering a five year breakage warranty and a three year seal failure warranty; which was probably a good idea and a great marketing idea at the time. In the way windows have been developing into more and more double paned and low-E on one side etc, the issue of glass breakage becomes big.”

Solna said until glazing technology increases the threat of breakage, which is inevitable with triple-pane glazing, U.S. dealers will hold out.

“As long as the manufacturers are experiencing 1- or 2-percent warranty claims, and they’re just paying off the claims and not bothered with it, I think that exterior films will never really blossom in the U.S.,” Solna said. “Because, the installer is going to say, ‘Well, I’m just going to install it and not worry about it.’”

Commonwealth Laminating and coating, the Martinsville, Va.-based manufacturer of SunTek window films, recently introduced external products in the U.S. market as well. The company’s chief executive officer, Steve Phillips, said SunTek external films have long been used in overseas markets, but he expected the demand to increase in the U.S. with changes in glazing technologies. Europe, however, remains SunTek’s primary market.

“External films are becoming bigger and bigger in Europe,” Phillips said. “The biggest disadvantage is in the fact that they have to take the brunt of weather,” Phillips says.

This presents a potential upside to external films for U.S. dealers who make the leap, though the same could prove a disadvantage for consumers. While internally mounted films remain permanently out of the weather, external films must be designed to endure these elements, which typically gives them a shorter lifespan. That means more frequent replacement, which could mean increased sales and installation opportunities for dealers.

CLICK HERE to read more.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Because the building was constructed in the mid-1980s with single pane glass, it was going to be difficult to achieve any LEED certification without mitigating the glass-related energy loss … The solution to that challenge - use of a window film - came from an idea Kanoff presented to the architecture team.

CLICK HERE to read more.

If St. Petersburg used its additional utility tax and franchise fee money to create an additional layer of rebates, some of the less expensive upgrades such as window film, duct repair, additional insulation and energy-efficient lighting could be free or close to free.

CLICK HERE to read more.

“Shaver has a strong working knowledge of the window film industry,” says Debra Levy, president of Key Communications, Window Film’s parent company. “Les has garnered high marks from everyone in the film industry during all his time with the publication.”

In addition, Levy anounced the appointment of Ellen Giard Rogers as daily editor.

“Window Film magazine continues to grow with the industry. Ellen brings additional editorial resources to both our print publication and semi-weekly e-newsletter.

“Rogers, too, is a seasoned professional who served as WINDOW FILM editor a number of years ago as well,” adds Levy. Both Shaver and Rogers will be at the SEMA show, so please stop by booth 11351 to say hello.

News and product releases may be e-mailed to Ellen at erogers@glass.com or you can call her at 540/720-5584 x 118.

Les may be reached at lshaver@glass.com.

On Monday, Martinsville, Va.-based CP Films announced that it is moving members of its customer service and credit organization out of its Southern Virginia headquarters and into the home office of its parent company, St. Louis based Solutia.

The move will involve 30 employees in the company’s customer service department from around the country and another six in credit reporting.

“We’re taking the customer service representatives in different locations in North America and consolidating them in one location,” says spokesperson Melissa Hammonds. “The majority will come from Martinsville.”

In an exclusive interview with Window Film magazine, CP Film’s President Ray Kollar says that locating all customer service employees in St. Louis maximizes efficiencies and improves process standardization, which will help him grow the business. “Solutia put me in this role to grow the business,” he says.

Those employees will have the option of moving to St. Louis. If they don’t want to move they’ll be given severance packages and job search assistance. The transition should be complete by the end of the year. Other customer service representatives could also be coming to St. Louis in the not-so-distant future.

“We’re looking at different world regions and deciding if there’s an opportunity for consolidation,” Hammonds says.

While Kollar acknowledges that the positions of those customer service representatives who stay in Martinsville may not be filled, he doesn’t think CP’s customers will notice a difference. For instance, the same number they’ve called in the past will be forwarded to St. Louis and they should get similar information. “They may hear a different voice on the end of the line,” Kollar says.

After the transition, CP Film’s Martinsville operation will be focused on manufacturing, research, development, and technology for the company’s global film business.. There will be new faces coming in though. After hiring 24 people in manufacturing earlier this year, Kollar says the company will be adding an additional eight manufacturing employees. Driving this increased manufacturing capacity will be the energy savings initiatives from both the U.S government and around the world that should lead to increased demand for film.

“We have several programs in place to capture the energy savings movement,” he says.

The additional manpower will help the manufacturer meet that demand. “In terms of manufacturing, it allows us to respond to the market quicker,” Kollar says.

Kollar adds that the move will help the company reach his target goal of doubling its sales within five years. It took steps toward that two months ago by creating an in-house sales specialist team to help find and win retail and commercial architectural projects.

With the economy struggling Kollar thinks building owners and managers who may not have considered window film in the past are not ripe for installation. That prompted the creation of the in-house sales team to reach these executives that regular film dealers may not have the time or resources to court. Kollar says that team is mobilized and in the process of doing a “first-class” energy analysis. It’s also developing a pipeline of new business. And there may be even more strategic moves coming soon.

“I would expect you see more announcements [soon],” Kollar says.

“Ron’s presentations both amaze and frighten people because most companies have no idea how easy it is to fall prey to several types of electronic surveillance and espionage,” says Brian Pitman, director of marketing and communications for PGC. “His presentation will certainly enlighten and provide solutions for a swift growing threat to companies around the globe.”

Waranowski’s presentation will take place at noon EST, September 25. To learn more and register, CLICK HERE.

Solar Gard PV T backsheets are designed to insulate electronics and protect photovoltaic cells from the environment; they provide an excellent moisture barrier, solar resistance and dielectric strength. For ease of manufacturing, Solar Gard PV backsheets are available in roll form that fits a wide range of photovoltaic panel sizes and configurations, according to the company.

“Our products play an increasing role in the renewable energy market,” said Christophe Fremont, president of Bekaert Specialty Films. “As a leader in specialized industrial films, our entry into this sector raises the competitive bar and brings module manufacturers a choice of suppliers. Our commitment to environmental stewardship, which includes a published carbon footprint, accolades from the California Climate Action Registry and ISO 14001:2004 certification, makes us an ideal partner for manufacturers and assemblers of solar cells.”