In this, my inaugural blog, I thought I would outline what readers can expect from my blogging in the future. As an investment banker focused on the door and window industry, much of my view of the industry is made up of a perspective from a capital markets standpoint—mergers, acquisitions and plant expansions. In that area, we’re currently seeing that transactions, which had continued at a reasonable pace in 2007, are on pace for a significant dip in 2008 versus the prior year. Plant expansions have plummeted and, if we tracked them on a net basis, there has been negative plant growth in the last 18 months or so.

Aside from that type of research, it’s my privilege to actively engage in conversations about navigating the current challenging market with a couple of hundred companies in the door and window industry and ancillary industries that supply it. Because I am a third party interested in the industry, and a definite non-competitor of the companies with whom I am in contact, I often become a sounding board for fascinating high-level decisions that companies make about their futures. In this way, and without violating the confidence of any of the companies, I’m able to conduct my work from a perspective that is tied very closely to the industry. (It had better be, since my perspective is shaped by industry participants themselves.) One of my goals in this blog will be to share with you what I’ve learned in the process of conducting my work.

Having said that, I won’t limit myself to financial or investment banking related topics alone. Rather, because I’m constantly talking to door and window companies, I’ll share my thoughts on any topic companies can utilize in running their businesses. As I encounter revenue generating or cost-cutting ideas of interest to industry participants, I’ll pass them along. I welcome having a forum where an idea doesn’t have to rise to the level of qualifying for a full article in Door and Window Manufacturer magazine in order for me to write about it. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you. In order to make this blog truly interactive, I hope to hear from you with any thoughts or questions you may have or topics you would like to have me address.