Building a Culture of Innovation

Editor's Note: Views expressed are those of the columnist and do not represent the views of Window + Door or its parent association, National Glass Association

You’ll frequently hear the team at PGT Innovations say that we are more than a window and door manufacturing firm. At our core, we are an innovation company. Our mission is to constantly evolve and innovate, creating solutions that enhance people’s lives.

Everyday innovation

Innovation can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Our founders, Rod Hershberger and Paul Hostetler, had a simple idea that solved a need. They invented Eze-Breeze, a product that resonates with me because I’m from up north, and we had a screen room at the back of our house. Every October, my dad would hand me a stapler, and I would attach Visqueen plastic to the porch so we could use that room a little longer into the winter months. Rod and Paul’s idea was a much better system—a set of panels that could easily close in your space, resulting in a really neat product. That innovation founded the company and grew into a culture carried forward to this day by our current president and CEO, Jeff Jackson.

Fast forward to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. PGT Innovations had entered the window and door space, and—after seeing the decimation of South Florida—another innovative idea was born: to build a window as strong as concrete block that could save lives and property. Many people thought it couldn’t be done, but a few years later, PGT Innovations launched the first Miami-Dade County-approved impact-resistant glass window. Today, our team of professional engineers still inspect post-landfall damage firsthand to understand how our products and building codes are performing and identify where to invest our energy and efforts to create stronger and safer products.

Collaboration is essential

In the pure innovation space, we continue to look at consumer trends and customer preferences with a laser focus on glass technology. Whether we’re hosting day-long dealer partnership council meetings where we listen to customers and discover what’s working for them, or collaborating with companies like Corning Inc. to produce next-generation glass technology for the window industry, the underlying theme is innovation.

For example, one consistent message that has emerged from these conversations over the past several years is that thin, energy-efficient glass is the wave of the future. To save energy through better glazing and fenestration systems is a top priority, especially in cold climates with high heating bills. Energy Star version 7.0 requires new glass technology in northern climates, and our collaboration with Corning has had a significant focus on developing innovative thin triple-insulated glass units that provide compliance benefits with the new criteria.

Next-level technology

PGT Innovations continues to work on many other emerging technologies, one being vacuum-insulated glass. If you can create a vacuum within the air space of an insulated glass unit, you have zero convection, resulting in very high thermal performance out of a small insulated glass unit. The technology is still many years away from reaching commercial scale, but we continue working with partners on high-level pilots.

It’s tremendous to work for a firm that consistently leads the way and continues to be the nation’s leading impact-resistant window and door manufacturer while being acutely aware that innovative ideas come from all over. We have a team of curious engineers who understand the industry and spend a lot of time talking to customers. Our innovative ideas come from our team, industry channels and various other sources. Our innovation-based foundation is the very essence of PGT Innovations, and our team of talented professionals builds on that foundation and strengthens our culture when they bring those ideas to life.