Clover Project Featured in Architects Newspaper

A sincere THANK YOU to Ellen Rogers of USGlass Magazine­­® for including us in her fantastic article on trends in the metals market in the latest USGlass Magazine. Our Tom O'Malley was one of the people quoted in the piece, which covered a wide range of insights, drivers, options, etc. Great read!! Check it out: 

The leading interior glass partition manufacturer PurOptima has chosen Clover Architectural Products as their partner for the midwest region. USGlass Magazine covered the story and provided additional details. 

Clover Architectural's Managing Partner Tom O’Malley and PurOptima’s Kevin Mayer appeared on the From the Fabricator podcast to talk about the new relationship between Clover and PurOptima, the growth of interior products, the advantages and benefits of working with Clover and PurOptima and much more. In addition, Clover was recognized for passing the 10th anniversary milestone. See the podcast HERE or Listen to it on your favorite podcast outlet by searching “From the Fabricator” and looking for the June 2024 episode.

My oldest daughter left for college this year and I have to tell you, this was like a punch in the gut for my wife and me. This person we have raised and loved was not going to be living with us. Our family was changing and this was not easy for us to accept. Saying goodbye is a hard thing to do. I have had many people in my professional career that I have also had to say goodbye to in one form or another. These people are important to me as they helped shape who I have become in my career. These are former coworkers, bosses, vendors and customers.  Some of these people have retired, left the industry, changed companies or are now a competitor. Regardless of the situation, they are not people I have as much reason to see or talk with as much. However, now more than ever, we should be keeping in touch and reaching out. KEEP IN TOUCH, IN-PERSON OR ONLINE I love when I get together with some of my old sales team from another life. They are all killing it and I am very proud of them. I sometimes feel like the head coach with the tree of assistants who are now head coaches themselves. We gather and reminisce about old times and have some great laughs and sometimes at my expense. Heck, I even buy some stuff from some of them and sometimes they bring me opportunities to collaborate. Maybe I wasn’t such a jerk as a boss... As I have said in my past blogs, I travel a good deal for my job. One of the benefits is I have the chance to meet up with some of my former classmates, coworkers and customers around the country. Perhaps we grab a quick coffee, beer or a bite to eat. No matter what it is or the amount of time we get together I always leave feeling better. Many of these people have offered up advice and counsel to me when things have come up for me, whether it be with work or family. They understand me and the business and it is invaluable to get their opinions and thoughts. There are so many ways to stay in touch now with social media and email/texts that there is no reason not to. Our industry can be very large and overwhelming, but it also can be small if you want it to. GO TO INDUSTRY EVENTS In our industry, going to events like golf outings, local glass shows/Glassbuild and BEC are the perfect way to keep in touch. These events are like Homecoming in school. What better opportunity to mingle and chat with so many people you haven’t seen in a while in a relaxed setting. Even if you may be competing for customers or projects with some of your old colleagues it doesn’t mean you cannot be friends. Make a point to tell an old boss what they meant to you and your development. Introduce a vendor you cannot use anymore to someone who they can help. Grab a bite to eat with someone who you interacted with that is now retired. Just because someone is out of sight does not mean they have to be out of mind. Saying goodbye is not forever unless you let it mean that. You will not grow in our industry without expanding your reach but always makes sure to remember the steps and people along the way. The old saying is “don’t forget what got you here” and you could substitute “don’t forget the people who got you there.” My other saying is to my freshman daughter and it’s “don’t forget mom and dad”...

As much as the last year or so has been a complete disaster as far as everyone’s sanity is concerned, it has also been a blessing in some ways.  After dealing with some crazy long hours the last couple of years it is somewhat refreshing to come home and spend time with my family and not just reopen the laptop for a few hours. Now my family may feel differently, and I often find them opening my laptop for me… BIDDING AND SUPPLY CHAIN UNCERTAINTY What a strange time we are in. From everyone I have spoken with, the bidding is off the charts but no one knows if these are jobs that will move forward. It feels like we are bidding the same jobs multiple times that it is almost like a hamster on the wheel scenario. Feels like we are not going anywhere. In the mean-time, everything is going up in price and lead times are getting longer and longer. Heck, even my weight and hair are going in the wrong direction, but many people would remind me that was happening long before Covid. What I take some solace in is that everyone I am talking with are all basically in the same position. The old misery loves company scenario. SEEING THE SILVER LINING What we cannot always see is there are always some silver linings that can come from anything that is not ideal. Having been someone who would take 20-25 trips a year it was nice to slow down a bit and spend time with my kids as they are all getting older. One is heading off to college, another is going to be a junior in high school, and the caboose will be in eight grade. This extra time will never be forgotten. Life was moving too fast at times, and the time with them made me realize what was important. RETURNING TO THE ROAD I have been someone who has always traveled for work. I have had the pleasure and the misfortune to travel. When I was young the excitement for each trip was off the chart. As I have grown older that excitement is not always as strong. I have begun to travel again as I feel it is a necessity. Honestly, when my family started to book trips for me, I knew it was time to give them the space they were so used to. I believe in the face-to-face interaction. I cherish the friendships I have built across the country. I am blessed to be able to walk into many offices without an appointment or on short notice. I have “grown up” with many of these fine people and we have been there for each other and each other’s companies. I hope this facet is not lost in the future. I hope we do not turn into a Zoom industry or an as needed appointment scenario. RETURNING TO THE OFFICE I hope people return to their offices at least on somewhat of a regular basis. There is so much you learn from an office environment. You learn from someone who has been a veteran and they often learn from the new people themselves. You meet vendors and get educated on what they offer and what is new. You become a family and are there for each other. Often you build a network for yourself for when it is needed. On the flip side we can learn that there can be some flexibility and we can work remotely when needed. It can be a nice perk and offer some family flexibility. It opens your pool of employees as they do not have to work in your city. We need to find a happy medium for the office time, it is good for employee and employer. LEARNING PATIENCE I know I also learned to try and be more patient through all of this. Patience is not my strong point, but I am trying. It was a tough year as many of our suppliers struggled with getting people to work, had people that needed to quarantine or stay home and watch their kids. It caused some delays for us, and in return, for our customers. I learned that when you communicate this news, if you do it promptly and express everything you are trying to do people understand. Rarely did I get a nasty remark back and usually received a thank you for the update and to keep them abreast of what is happening. In return I tried to do the same. I knew the people telling me the bad news didn’t want to give it to me and could have avoided it or dodged our calls and emails. I could hear it in their voice or words the stress they were under. We tried to take the approach of we are in it together and lets’ get a gameplan. I grew to learn when it was a real Covid issue and when Covid was just an easy excuse. What I also learned is we are an industry of resilient people. We are hardworking, creative, and smart people. I learned that both at home and at work we can get through anything together. Even though my family’s idea of together is with me traveling more.

Clover Architectural Products is part of this great project with The Cheviot Corporation . Clover is supplying sleek radiused sunshades to fit the rounded contour of the facade. Clover is also fabricating custom glass display cases for both the exterior and interior of the building. @ Pei Cobb Freed & Partners has designed a beautiful building! For more... http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2018/08/ceremony_marks_one_dalton_tower_milestone#.W3RF9CINQIQ.linkedin

Clover Architectural Products recently completed a very cool facade element at Harper College. The vertical perforated panels were finished in (4) colors including (3) vibrant shades of blue. CANNON DESIGN was the architect and LAKE SHORE GLASS & MIRROR INC the installer. Spectrum Metal Finishing did a great job on the paint. https://www.cloverarchitecturalproducts.com/harper-college

Though currently little more than a deep pit next to the Chicago River, the high-rise development known as Wolf Point East is ready to begin its 660-foot skyward climb. A rendering of Wolf Point East [right] Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects A full building permit issued on Tuesday granted crews permission to move beyond foundation work, which has been underway since mid 2017 . The latest permit estimates the scope of work to cost $350 million. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, the glassy River North tower will top-out at 60 stories and feature 698 rental apartments, a landscaped riverwalk, six levels of underground parking, and tenant amenity spaces on floors 2, 3, and 40. Wolf Point East will join the 48-story, 509-unit Wolf Point West apartment tower that opened in 2016. The newer tower is expected to welcome its first renters in late 2019. Looking further to the future, a third and final phase of the Wolf Point mega-development is slated to fill the gap between the two apartment buildings. Dubbed Wolf Point South , it will be the tallest of the three—rising at least 950 feet.