Blind Date With a Drafter: Meet Joe, a True Professional

Wanna know what kind of drafters are bidding on Drafting Marketplace? Join us on a quick blind date with Joe Schiavone, the Harley-loving owner of Paisano Drafting, and a true professional, to hear about how he got started, what he enjoys working on, and more.

Because Joe’s been in the glazing industry for so long, it would take forever to include all of his wonderful connections and experiences, but here are some of the highlights from our interview:

Beyond what’s in the video, here are a few other notes to help you get to know Joe better.

When starting a project, what is essential?

“A thorough scope of work.”

What makes the job easier for you?

“Time in the trade. It’s become second nature. I’ve been in the business long enough, I can tell if there’s going to be an issue… I know how I need to consult with the customer and guide them to the right way. I’ve found that a lot of the customers these days are young and inexperienced in the business. I sometimes have to say ‘Time out, let me tell you what’s going on here,’ and sometimes I save them a ton of money by doing some sort of value engineering on how they engineer or install a project… This comes from years in the business, years of actually being in the field installing and running a crew.”

How do you balance function and aesthetic?

“I go through checks and balances. I finish a project and Nina reviews it, and we standardize the details.”

What keeps you up to date in the industry? What are your top resources?

“I subscribe to all of the blogs and magazines and read them on a weekly basis, but the top three, I’d say are:

• Glass Magazine
• The Construction Specifier magazine
• Max Perilstein’s From The Fabricator podcast and YouTube show

It’s important for me to stay up-to-date on the new techniques, products, codes, and specifications because if I know it, then I can consult with my customer and say ‘hey this just came out and it applies to your project.’”

What would you tell someone who wants to get started with drafting?

“What business are you in now? I’m in the glass and glazing end of the business, which also includes metal panels, railings, skylights, and all that, but it would hard for me to go work for a mechanical, air conditioning, or plumbing company because I know none of the rules, regulations, lingo, or anything. It’s harder to teach the industry than it is the drafting part of it.”

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What’s left to say? Joe is a true professional and available to bid on projects on Drafting Marketplace. And he is just one of the great drafters on our platform, so if you haven’t already, post your project and put him to work.

Thanks a lot, Joe, for the interview! We’ll follow-up with more drafter blind dates soon.