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Bill O'Keeffe

About the Author: Bill O’Keeffe is the President and CEO of SAFTI FIRST Fire Rated Glazing Solutions, a leading USA-manufacturer of advanced fire rated glass and framing systems.  An industry veteran and innovator with over 45 years of experience in architectural glazing, he was first to introduce and manufacture clear, fire resistive glazing products in the US.  He is also a safety advocate who exposed the dangers of traditional wired glass, which lead to code changes and fire rated glass products that are safe, affordable and clear alternatives to traditional wired glass.  Today, Bill continues to develop building products that enable architects to create beautiful, safe and energy-efficient spaces with advanced glazing systems.

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SAFTI FIRST®’s IGCC Certification Provides More Innovative Fire Rated Glass Applications for Architects

Energy efficient, 2 hour, fire resistive exterior walls with SuperLite II-XLB 120 with Solarban 60 in GPX Architectural Series Framing by SAFTI FIRST. Project Name: The Warehouse...
Oct. 31, 2024
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SAFTI FIRST Architectural Glass Products Bring Exciting Innovations for the Architectural Community

With many years of experience, over sixty in the architectural glazing industry, we have learned that innovation is a necessity to growth and success both for our clients and ...
Jan. 26, 2022
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The Future is Bright

In my last blog, I expressed my optimism for the construction industry’s road to recovery.  The Architectural Billings Index is strong, and we are seeing a return to in-person...
Aug. 26, 2021
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Finally Turning A Corner?

In press release dated March 24, 2021, the AIA was pleased to announce that the Architecture Billings Index posted a score of 53.3 in February 2021 (according to the AIA,...
April 26, 2021
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Looking Back and Looking Forward… to GPD Finland!

One of the things that I find most valuable in our industry is the sharing of knowledge.  Whether it’s on new products, technologies, manufacturing, design trends, forecasts...
Feb. 9, 2021
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Going virtual

The fourth quarter of the year is usually the time when architects review how many CEU credits they have, and how many more they need to fulfill their requirements for the year...
Oct. 19, 2020
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Obsolete?

When ceramic glazing was introduced to the US market in the 1980s, they were touted by distributors as a wire-free clear alternative to the “wired look” of traditional wired ...
July 16, 2020
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At SAFTI FIRST, Safety is Our First Priority

As stay-at-home orders are lifted in parts of the country, some offices are starting to re-open. However, it will not be the same office that it was two months ago. Employees...
June 10, 2020