Ensuring Satisfaction

Jul 12th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

It’s always interesting to look at the J.D. Power and Associates study regarding doors and windows to see who tops the list, and what makes builders and remodelers happy.
A few things came to mind after looking at this year’s results. When highlighting the top companies the study points out in which categories the top companies [...]



The Weather Song

Jun 14th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

I don’t know if the “Weather Song” is a universal one learned in kindergarten. But here in Virginia my two oldest girls both learned a little ditty that still sticks in my head, though they are now a few years past kindergarten. It goes a little like this: “What’s the weather, what’s the weather, what’s [...]



Who Knows About R-5?

May 16th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

If you are reading this and you are a window manufacturer, then you likely are familiar with the Department of Energy’s High-Performance Windows Volume Purchase Program, otherwise known as the R-5 program. As a manufacturer you have either decided to participate or opted not to do so.
If you are a dealer you may not know [...]



How Do You Track Consumer Feedback?

Apr 12th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

While traveling this past week for Fenestration Day I saw an interesting article in the American Airlines magazine regarding how hotel companies track customer feedback. You can imagine that hotels can sometimes make it or break it based on guest reactions. One bad review on the web and that may cause someone considering that hotel [...]



Are you Ready for the Ramp-Up?

Mar 29th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

Yes, it still may be a bit for the moulding and millwork and door and window markets to pick up, but the market will slowly increase. Will you be ready? This is a question that came up a few times during the meeting last week of the Moulding and Millwork Producers Association (MMPA). Many companies [...]



It is Tough Sometimes But Crucial to Stay Informed

Mar 8th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

I’m used to writing about the lead paint regulations, the CARB rules, the IECC, and a whole host of other acronyms, but when members of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) took all these regulations and more, and put them together during a slide presentation at their recent meeting, it really made me realize just [...]



It is Tough Sometimes But Crucial to Stay Informed

Mar 8th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

I’m used to writing about the lead paint regulations, the CARB rules, the IECC, and a whole host of other acronyms, but when members of the American Architectural Manufactures Association (AAMA) took all these regulations and more, and put them together during a slide presentation at their recent meeting, it really made me realize just [...]



Slugging Your Way to Success

Feb 1st, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

“It’s a slug-it-out kind of market. Even the ones that are doing it well are slugging it out.” These are the words of DWM columnist and blogger Michael Collins, vice president of the building products group at Jordan, Knauff and Co.
I was so interested by what he had to say when he addressed attendees of [...]



Not All the News at IBS is on Show Floor

Jan 13th, 2011| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

While at the International Builders’ Show this week I’m working hard with our fellow editors here to bring you the latest news quickly through out tweets on twitter and our daily videos. While much news at IBS does happen on the show floor, some of it does not. Deceuninck North America is not exhibiting this [...]



What’s Your Viagra?

Dec 14th, 2010| By| Category:Door and Window Musings

Last week I went to see the movie Love and Other Drugs (on a side note I wouldn’t waste your money on it), and the main character was a sales rep for drug giant Pfizer. He was just starting out and had to resort to sleezy tactics to sell Zoloft as most physicians at the [...]