GEMS Wraps Up in Schaumburg, Ill.

Glass Expo Midwest™ (GEMS) wrapped up yesterday in Schaumburg, Ill., at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. The two-day event concluded with more seminars, including a keynote speech by industry veteran Jerry Wright of Fort Worth, Texas, a past president of the Texas Glass Association.

Wright's speech focused on "Why Leadership Matters today."

Jerry Wright spoke about "Why Leadership Matters Today."

"The keynote speaker really rejuvenated attendees," said Maura Crittendon of State Farm, who attended several auto glass sessions and the keynote presentation.

Master auto glass trainer Bob Beranek of Auto Glass Consultants provided a presentation on the ten toughest installs of 2009 and provided some technical tips for dealing with these, and also provided several installation demonstrations on a Kia Spectra on the trade show floor.

The trade show ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"It's always nice to go and look around and see what's going on," said Greg Geiman of Novus Auto Glass in Oak Lawn, Ill.

James Rackelin of Emergency Lock & Safe Inc. in Chicago Ridge, Ill., attended the event as a newcomer to the industry; he's currently in the process of purchasing his own glass shop.

"I was able to meet different people from different places in the industry and lots of suppliers, too," Rackelin said.

Another attendee, Dan Hanson of Val Pro Glass in Eagan, Minn., said the show was a valuable one for him to attend.

"The speakers were well-prepared and had good content," Hanson said.

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