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Posted on October 9, 2023 by Joshua Huff Nearly 1,000 birds flew to their deaths this past Thursday in Chicago after crashing into a lakeside convention center. Approximately 961 birds were found dead outside the mostly glass-clad McCormick Place Lakeside Center. Reports indicate the deaths were likely a result of the convention center’s bright lights and poor weather. The combination of the two confused the birds, which flew into the facility’s nearly all-glass exterior. Studies show lights on buildings in migratory flight paths confuse birds’ navigation systems. As a result, birds will circle buildings repeatedly and die of exhaustion or collision. “I’ve been in Chicago for 40 years and bird-watch all the time, and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Douglas Stotz, senior conservation ecologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, told The New York Times. Stotz added the previous record death total at the convention center numbered 200. He said rain and warm weather stalled the birds’ migration south. When the weather cleared, they flew to the city in mass, leading to a perfect storm at McCormick Place. The convention center has long been known to be a death trap for birds. Since the early 1980s, more than 42,000 birds have been found dead after they collided with its windows. There have been discussions to retrofit the windows with patterned screening, but high costs have been a deterrent, reported the Chicago Sun Times in 2022. Annette Prince, director of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, told Insider that McCormick Place occasionally keeps its lights on throughout the evening, which drew in the birds. She said that given the center’s location off the lake, it’s “the first encounter on the lake that birds can run into.” McCormick Place issued a statement claiming its lights are turned off unless workers and visitors are onsite. However, there was an event during the week of the bird strikes, so the lights were sometimes on. McCormick Place stated it is “truly saddened by the incident” and does what it can to protect birds, including participating in the Lights Out Chicago program and maintaining a six-acre bird sanctuary. The Lights Out Chicago program, established in 1995, encourages occupants of tall buildings to turn off or dim their decorative lights. The goal is to reduce the total light emitted from the building from 11 p.m. until sunrise during migratory seasons (mid-March to early June and late August to mid-November). Illinois is well acquainted with bird deaths as a result of glass collisions. The state passed the Bird-Safe Buildings Act in 2021, which requires bird-friendly designs to be incorporated into the construction and renovation of state-owned buildings. The designs include screens and shutters to be incorporated into the building, along with various types of glass, including opaque, etched, stained, frosted, ultraviolet patterned or translucent glass. Chicago has held off on implementing a 2020 ordinance that would give greater weight to bird protection measures when evaluating whether new projects meet the city’s sustainable development requirements. More than eight million birds migrate through Chicago. Many birds killed by Chicago buildings are small migrants from the tropics–warblers, thrushes, and tanagers, among others. Reports indicate most of the birds killed on Thursday were tiny warblers. This article is from USGNN™, the daily e-newsletter that covers the latest glass industry news. Click HERE to sign up—there is no charge. Interested in a deeper dive? Free subscriptions to USGlass magazine in print or digital format are available. Subscribe at no charge Sign up today.

Case Study San Angelo lies smack in the middle of West Texas ranching country, about a three-hour drive northwest of Austin. The city prides itself on its historic buildings, a Civil War-era landmark military fort, and a thriving river walk along the Concho River. San Angelo is also the proud home of WBF Tinting … Under the Son, owned by the wife and husband team of Cynthia and Mike Mitchell. The Mitchells started their business in 2018. Mike brought 20 years of window film experience, working first in Maryland, then at a local shop in San Angelo. Cynthia didn’t initially have a window film background, but she started to pick up the skill while working part time at the same shop as Mike around the time they started dating. Entrepreneurs who “walk by faith” Shortly after Mike’s father passed away, the couple opened WBF Tinting. Leaving a steady job to work for oneself is a daunting decision for any entrepreneur — and the Mitchells were both about to take that leap. But they put their trust in their strong Christian faith. “We actually asked our pastor to pray over our business on Sunday because we were going to open our doors Monday,” says Cynthia. “And after the congregation prayed over us, a young woman came up to us and said, ‘Hey, I work for Jim Bass Ford (a local dealership), and we just lost our tinter. Do you guys think you’d want to tint for the dealership?” Their first contract in hand, the Mitchells started to grow their business in San Angelo. A few months later, the pair was introduced to their Avery Dennison representative, Brian Bangalan, at a window film tint-off competition. Brian, in turn, invited them to a reception after the competition. Cynthia and Mike met other window film installers who graciously gave them tips on growing their business. Brian also sent them home with Avery Dennison display boards, a shop banner, and other materials. “My purpose in this business, and as a member of the Avery Dennison team, is to provide more than just product for shops like Mike and Cynthia’s.” -Brian Bangalan, Avery Dennison Representative “I remember when we hung the banner in the shop,” recalls Cynthia. “Mike said to me, ‘I feel so legit.’” A relationship that’s grown with the business That was just the start of WBF’s close relationship with Brian and Avery Dennison. It’s a relationship that’s grown with the Mitchell’s business, including its expansion into architectural window film and vehicle wrapping. “We’ve just felt so blessed to be with Avery Dennison,” says Cynthia. “Anytime we’ve called customer service, everyone has been so helpful and has made things happen. I remember once, one of our orders got lost in shipping. It was one of our first big architectural jobs, and we didn’t want to cancel on the customer. So I called Avery Dennison, and they rushed us our film. We were trying to figure out what happened to the delivery, but in the meantime they rushed the film to us overnight.” The relationship Brian has with WBF Tinting is just as important for him, both personally and professionally. “My purpose in this business, and as a member of the Avery Dennison team, is to provide more than just product for shops like Mike and Cynthia’s,” says Brian. “As an organization, we help owners and shops envision the opportunities available for the continued growth of their business.” Using the NR Nano Ceramic IR and NR Pro Series Films Today, WBF Tinting’s automotive window film of choice is the Avery Dennison® NR Nano Ceramic IR. Cynthia and Mike believe it’s a superior product due to its application ease, and heat and light reflective properties – something that’s critical in a part of the country where summer temperatures routinely hit triple digits. They also offer the Avery Dennison® NR Pro Series to customers looking for a more affordable option. Both products are available with seven levels of visible light transmitted (VLT). NR Nano Ceramic IR ranges from 6% to 48%, while the NR Pro Series ranges from 6% to 52%. Mike explains how he demonstrates the products to customers: “We have a heat lamp in our shop, and we compare the carbon and the ceramic on glass slides. And every time we show the customer the carbon they say, ‘Oh, okay, that’s really good.’ And then we show them the ceramic and they say, ‘I’ll pay the extra for the ceramic.’ The heat rejection is just awesome.” “We also like that the ceramic has a 30% VLT, so it’s well within Texas laws,” he adds. “And yet it reflects better than some of the products available with a 35% VLT.” New opportunities As WBF Tinting has grown, so have the Mitchell’s opportunities. Today, the company does about 50% of its business in automotive window film, another 35% percent in architectural window film, and the remainder in vehicle wrapping. The pair relies on a range of products, including DR OptiTune, NT PerLite, and R Silver for architectural applications, and Avery Dennison® MPI 1105 and Supreme Wrapping TM Film for vehicle wrapping. Cynthia and Mike have also completed Avery Dennison’s vehicle wraps training program, and are planning to take the company’s Certified Wrap Installer (CWI) certification exam. “It goes back to the quality we deliver,” says Cynthia. “We want to be able to say, ‘Hey, you’re bringing your car, it’s your investment. You’re going to spend a lot of money on a wrap. And we want you to know that we’re capable and knowledgeable.” “Honestly, it was as much a blessing to meet Cynthia and Mike when I did, as it was for them to meet me,” adds Brian. “I always say, ‘If you want to grow, call me. I have just as much faith in you, as you do in me and we want to work together to identify the ways Avery Dennison can support you.’”

Case Study Rockville, Maryland USA | iHeartRadio building Project Task Kate Layman, Senior Property Manager of the six-story iHeartRadio building in Rockville, Maryland, initially set out to solve solar heat gain issues in the building. Things took an interesting turn when she realized that one solar window film could serve two purposes: taking care of the energy bills and transforming the dated copper exterior of the building, all in one fell swoop. Description Commercial Building Film Type R Silver 20X™ Size of Job 28,500 ft2/ 8686.8 m2 Installer Xlnt Tint of Mid Atlantic Inc Window Film iHeartRadio Building The Solution The original brief was to install an interior film, however R Silver 20X™ by Avery Dennison® offered the best results on both fronts - a stunning appearance, together with exceptional energy savings. In fact, energy modeling estimates forecasted savings of over 14% on cooling costs. Outcome The results were outstanding. The building was completely transformed, inside and out. With over 80% of solar energy being rejected, the R Silver 20X™ film dramatically reduced interior temperatures, and together with excellent rebates, led to higher energy savings than the client had anticipated. This assured that the film would pay for itself within a few short years. And of course, the building has received a magnificent facelift, to the full satisfaction of management, occupants and neighbors. Testimonial “Amazing transformation! Energy savings, mega rebate, and awesome look on the building!” — Kate Layman, Senior Property Manager 04/2020

BACK It is our ongoing commitment to provide all SunTek® customers with the best product quality available, along with the highest degree of installation knowledge, service, and support. The SunTek team is always prepared to provide knowledgeable assistance with product selection, installation methods, and technical challenges. SunTek automotive and architectural window film products are internationally sold and installed to help reduce energy costs while helping to improve personal comfort, privacy, and safety. Our paint protection film products provide innovative, self-healing protective benefits for vehicles of all styles and scales.

Ultra-VisionDS Ultra-VisionDS, a high-end, spectrally selective window film, is the premier product in SunTek’s Architectural window film line. - Spectrally Selective Download the Ultra-VisionDS Sell Sheet SymphonyDS™ SymphonyDS, an extremely popular dual-reflective window film, is an excellent choice for both Residential and Commercial applications. - Warm Grey Hue Download the SymphonyDS™ Sell Sheet Dual-ReflectiveDS™ Dual-ReflectiveDS is an alternative to the SymphonyDS line and offers a different “look” to consumers. - Warm Brown Hue "Interior" SPECIALTY - DRMDS (One Way Mirror) - Water Activated Install. DRMPS (One Way Mirror) Pressure Sensitive Install LRDS - Low Interior / Exterior Reflectivity Download the Dual-ReflectiveDS™ Sell Sheet InfinityDS™ The InfinityDS line is a sputtered film that offers a natural, elegant appearance. This product line will blend easily with any décor. - Neutral Download the InfinityDS™ Sell Sheet SilverDS™ SunTek’s SilverDS Series is a line of highly reflective window film products that provide both quality and value. These products are a leading choice for commercial applications where cost is a key consideration. - Reflective Download the SilverDS™ Sell Sheet Black Out SunTek Black Out specialty film is a fully opaque black film suitable for areas large and small that need to be shielded from view. Use it for dramatic effect in a studio, on glass cabinets and more. Download the BLACKOUT Sell Sheet White Out This specialty film effectively alters the transparency of glass with an opaque, bright white treatment that blocks views completely. It won't darken a room and is a practical solution for disguising clutter or private areas. Download the WHITEOUT Sell Sheet 2M White Matte SunTek’s 2M White Matte specialty film is ideal for decorative effects on doors, windows and interior glass surfaces. Its matte finish transforms bright light into a soft, almost heavenly glow. Download the 2M WHITE MATTE Sell Sheet BACK The SunTek product line offers dealers a wide array of competitive prices to meet consumers’ architectural window film needs. For downloadable data sheets, head on over to our dealer resource center. Resource Center ULTRA-VISION BEFORE ULTRA-VISION AFTER

BACK Safety & Security SunTek Safety & Security Window Films provide protection for Residential, Commercial, and Government buildings. By reducing ultraviolet (UV) rays, helping to deter smash-and-grab robberies, and helping to prevent flying glass shards, SunTek Safety and Security Window Films offer increased protection from a variety of dangers. Click to download the Suntek Safety and Security data specifications Clear SunTek Window Films offer a complete line of clear window films. Ultra-Vision™ Ultra-Vision, a high-end, spectrally selective window film, is the premier product in SunTek’s Safety & Security window film line. It offers a layer of protection in the event of natural disasters, terrorism, and industrial accidents, and helps to deter theft. Symphony™ The Symphony Series of Safety & Security Window Films is a dual-reflective product that offers both security and solar performance. It is an excellent choice for Residential, Commercial, and Government projects. Silver™ The Silver Series is a highly reflective line that provides both quality and value. These products are a leading choice for Commercial and Government applications where cost is a key consideration. Anti-Graffiti SunTek’s Anti-Graffiti Series is a surface protection system that helps protect glass from damage caused by vandalism. For downloadable data sheets, head on over to our dealer resource center. Resource Center