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October 1, 2009
After 80 years in business, specialty dealer transitions to a new supplier
Out-of-the Box
Excellence in Innovative Thinking
WindowPro
Cleveland, Ohio
The fifth generation of family leadership, Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro, recently guided the company through a transition to a new window supplier.
When you run an 80-year-old company, you think in terms of decades rather than years, says Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro. That long...
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June 3, 2009
Looking to push the envelope on performance, a committed CEO has emerged as the new face of the industry
Two years ago, not many people in the industry had even heard the name Serious Materials. Today, everybody’s talking about the company. Even President Barack Obama.
Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials, doesn't view his company as competing on the window and door demand curve—he sees it moving with the green building curve.
Earlier this year, workers at the former...
more »
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February 15, 2009
Despite market downturn, New England-based manufacturer/distributor has continued to expand
While many window and door companies have cut back on their operations in recent years, Harvey Building Products has bucked the trend. A long-time leader in the New England market, the regular Window & Door Top 100 manufacturer moved into a brand new window and door plant in New Hampshire in 2007 that was twice the size of its previous facility. It also branched out of its home territory,...
more »
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January 15, 2009
California replacement company finds success with new vinyl bi-fold system
Affluent homeowners, particularly those in coastal areas, are increasingly taking a pass on traditional French doors for flexible solutions that open their indoor living areas to outdoor spaces and make for a better view. While a variety of manufacturers have targeted this high-end segment of the market, it's not typically the realm of replacement window companies.
One that has entered this...
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October 20, 2008
Window & Door Honors Excellence in the Middle
Window & Door, the leading magazine serving the window and door industry, has announced its 2008 Dealers of the Year award winners. This year’s program honored two companies as the top Overall Excellence winners. In addition, it recognized six Focused Excellence category winners—window and door retailers and distributors that stand out in the areas of marketing, installation...
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September 1, 2008
Manufacturer launching new cellular product line targeting wood window buyers.
With the MIyota way, boards around the plant allow workers to track performance and look for improvement. Chris Rothermel, assistant manager at MI's Gratz plant, says employees now embrace the concept.
What does it take to be green? Like many other manufacturers, MI Windows & Doors has been working to answer that question. What it has discovered is that it had already taken some...
more »
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August 15, 2008
Canadian manufacturer looks to woo new customers with good talk, and a good walk
Window City is out on the dealer dating scene and ready to commit. Having served the greater Toronto area for more than 15 years, the Vaughan, Ontario-based window and door manufacturer has invested millions of dollars to automate its production facility, vertically-integrate its business strategy and take its image to the next level with an aggressive marketing initiative.
With nearly a...
more »
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August 15, 2008
In an online exclusive, a vinyl extrusion salesman shares how he learned his customer’s needs, first-hand.
Being in field sales your entire career, you sometimes lose sight of what is required by operations to provide the very products you’re out there peddling. I guess you could say that most salesmen think, “If I sell it, they will build it.” But from time to time, salesmen need a refresher course in operations to keep them sharp. In April, it was my time for that refresher. But...
more »
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August 15, 2008
Four Seasons expanding into window business
When thinking of window and door industry leading brands, Four Seasons Sunrooms may not come to mind immediately. The company’s name is well recognized, however, and it’s now getting ready to leverage that brand more—moving beyond the room addition and sunroom market to windows and more.
Recently, it began a “soft launch” of a new replacement window line it has...
more »
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June 1, 2008
Industry reputation and quality installs priority for Oregon retailer
Keith Strand is working to hand over qualified installers to his competition. This is not exactly typical behavior for a replacement window dealer, but he figures that helping his competitors means helping the window and door industry. "We should all be talking to each other," says the owner of Strand's Window & Door based in the Portland, Ore. area. "We don't have to give...
more »
June 3, 2009Looking to push the envelope on performance, a committed CEO has emerged as the new face of the industryTwo years ago, not many people in the industry had even heard the name Serious Materials. Today, everybody’s talking about the company. Even President Barack Obama. Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials, doesn't view his company as competing on the window and door demand curve—he sees it moving with the green building curve. Earlier this year, workers at the former... more »
February 15, 2009Despite market downturn, New England-based manufacturer/distributor has continued to expandWhile many window and door companies have cut back on their operations in recent years, Harvey Building Products has bucked the trend. A long-time leader in the New England market, the regular Window & Door Top 100 manufacturer moved into a brand new window and door plant in New Hampshire in 2007 that was twice the size of its previous facility. It also branched out of its home territory,... more »
September 1, 2008Manufacturer launching new cellular product line targeting wood window buyers.With the MIyota way, boards around the plant allow workers to track performance and look for improvement. Chris Rothermel, assistant manager at MI's Gratz plant, says employees now embrace the concept. What does it take to be green? Like many other manufacturers, MI Windows & Doors has been working to answer that question. What it has discovered is that it had already taken some... more »
August 15, 2008Canadian manufacturer looks to woo new customers with good talk, and a good walkWindow City is out on the dealer dating scene and ready to commit. Having served the greater Toronto area for more than 15 years, the Vaughan, Ontario-based window and door manufacturer has invested millions of dollars to automate its production facility, vertically-integrate its business strategy and take its image to the next level with an aggressive marketing initiative. With nearly a... more »
August 15, 2008In an online exclusive, a vinyl extrusion salesman shares how he learned his customer’s needs, first-hand.Being in field sales your entire career, you sometimes lose sight of what is required by operations to provide the very products you’re out there peddling. I guess you could say that most salesmen think, “If I sell it, they will build it.” But from time to time, salesmen need a refresher course in operations to keep them sharp. In April, it was my time for that refresher. But... more »
August 15, 2008Four Seasons expanding into window businessWhen thinking of window and door industry leading brands, Four Seasons Sunrooms may not come to mind immediately. The company’s name is well recognized, however, and it’s now getting ready to leverage that brand more—moving beyond the room addition and sunroom market to windows and more. Recently, it began a “soft launch” of a new replacement window line it has... more »
June 1, 2008Industry reputation and quality installs priority for Oregon retailerKeith Strand is working to hand over qualified installers to his competition. This is not exactly typical behavior for a replacement window dealer, but he figures that helping his competitors means helping the window and door industry. "We should all be talking to each other," says the owner of Strand's Window & Door based in the Portland, Ore. area. "We don't have to give... more »