Nov/Dec 2008 - AGRR Magazine

ing demands of the industry,” says Mark Orcutt, PPG vicepresident of performance glazings. More specifically, Orcuttcites demand for specialized glass for the emerging solarmarket and energy-efficient glass to satisfy evolving buildingcodes fueled by the green building movement, which isdriving the commercial construction market.In addition, PPG announced that its third-quarter 2008financial results will be affected negatively by several nonrecurringitems, including impacts from weather-relatedevents, and by further deterioration in the automotive originalequipment manufacture market. The company saidthese items will likely affect its third-quarter after-tax earningsnegatively by between $35 million and $40 million, or20 cents and 25 cents per share.WEBSITESAGRR Magazine/glassBYTEs.comLaunches Free DOT Look-Up ServiceAGRR magazine/glassBYTEs.com has launched a searchengine for Department of Transportation (DOT) numbersfor automotive glass manufacturers. Located athttp://www.glassbytes.com/dot/index.php, the site allowsusers to search by DOT number for manufacturer, or viceversa. For example, one might select DOT No. 20 from thedropdown menu, to find that Asahi Glass holds this particularDOT number. When available, more information onthe company, such as location and website, are also available.Likewise, a user might choose Asahi from a dropdownmenu, to find that the company holds DOT No. 20, etc.“Our readers have advised us they often find themselveslooking for this crucial information, and we wanted to providea quick, easy source for them,” says AGRR magazine/glass-BYTEs.com publisher Debra Levy. “Not only does the site providea quick reference for DOT numbers—but it also providesa one-stop source for further information on manufacturers—from locations to websites. In many cases, this information isinvaluable and hard to locate.”Mitchell International, the parent company of National AutoGlass Specifications International, is sponsoring the site.“Mitchell Glass is proud to sponsor the DOT look-up site,”says James Patterson, director of glass product management,repair solutions, for Mitchell International. “As the publisher ofthe NAGS database, Mitchell Glass supports the creation of informationand technology tools that improve quality, safetyand consistency in the auto glass repair and replacement industry.As a member of the AGRSS Standards Committee,Mitchell believes this tool works side-by-side with the AGRSSrequirement that the DOT number be recorded for every replacement.The creation of this DOT number lookup site is a8It’s going to make doing business more efficient, morenimble and more profitable than ever.With Glas-Avenue Version 8.0, Mainstreet takesthe industry’s only truly integrated sales, accounting andinventory control software to a whole new level, withnew features like these and many more: follow-up letters Version 8Call 800-698-6246 now, or visit mainstreetcomp.com.welcome addition to the resources available to auto glassprofessionals.”■ A SPONSOR OF THE 2008 AUTO GLASS TECHNICIAN OLYMPICSINNOVATION AWARDwww.agrrmag.com November/December 2008 AGRR 21