Leading News
MITER Brands Announces Florida Shake-Up
MITER Brands will close two of its manufacturing facilities in Florida. Operations are expected to end at the company’s plants in Medley and Hialeah, Florida, by the end of 2025 and in Q1 2026, respectively, with production relocating to other facilities. In September, the company also announced the divestiture of subsidiary NewSouth Windows to Window Nation, a Maryland-based dealer of replacement windows. The purchase marks another big move for Window Nation—a year after the company picked up Armorvue Window and Door. According to a company press release, both Armorvue and NewSouth will continue to operate under their current names and brands. MITER employees supporting the NewSouth brand will transition to Window Nation, Stephanie Cz, communications manager for MITER Brands, told [DWM].
Recent moves by MITER have been dubbed a “strategic realignment,” as the company plans to relocate production of “high-demand product lines,” while discontinuing two others. CGI Sparta and Scout, PGT Commercial, and select products from the Windoor Estate and Sentinel product lines will be relocated to the company’s Venice and Fort Myers manufacturing facilities in Florida, Stephanie Cz, communications manager for MITER Brands, told [DWM]. The remainder of Windoor Estate and Sentinel product lines will be discontinued, Cz said.
Meanwhile, the company is opening a new glass manufacturing plant in Pembroke Pines, Florida, in 2026, and has secured an extension of tax abatements for one of its subsidiaries, MI Windows and Doors, in Flower Mound, Texas, where, according to local news reports, town officials are hoping the company will maintain and grow operations.
Cz said the new glass plant in Pembroke Pines will produce laminated, impact-resistant glass.
“By retiring certain product lines, our team is able to concentrate our resources on the products and technologies that offer the greatest value to our partners,” said Brian Covey, vice president of sales for MITER Brands.
With the company’s long-standing presence and collaboration on building code development in Florida through the acquired PGT Innovations brand, “We have a deep understanding of the region’s design trends, code requirements, and ideal products for single-family and multi-family applications,” said Dean Ruark, senior vice president of engineering and product development for MITER Brands. “This new plant will enhance our ability to provide high-quality, impact-resistant solutions tailored to local needs.”
Closing One Door to Open Another
After acquiring PGT Innovations in March 2024, MITER Brands has since closed down one of PGT’s former glass facilities in Prince George, Virginia.
As MITER Brands opens a new glass manufacturing plant in Pembroke Pines, Florida, company officials have confirmed that the company closed another glass facility in Virginia.
Triple Diamond Glass (TDG) was originally established as a glass company by PGT Innovations to manufacture and supply thin-triple insulating glass units (IGUs) to regional door and window manufacturers. In February 2024, PGT Innovations unveiled a new facility in Prince George, Virginia, for the new venture, leasing the location for 10 years.
Since acquiring PGT Innovations in March 2024, MITER Brands has since “decided to pursue a different approach,” said Stephanie Cz, communications manager for MITER Brands. Consequently, the Triple Diamond Glass plant in Virginia has since been closed.
The company continues to invest in thin-triple technology, Cz said. The equipment from the Virginia plant has been moved to another facility.
Flower Mound, Texas, town council members voted unanimously to approve the extension of tax abatements for MITER subsidiary MI Windows and Doors through a Chapter 380 agreement, foregoing 50% of real and business personal property tax revenues. According to local news reports, the cut carries an estimated value of $1 million. At the time, MITER Brands was considering consolidating its operations in Florida, JR Minnich, vice president of operations, Northeast region, told Connor Pittman of the news outlet Community Impact. According to the Chapter 380 filing, the company has “maintained a significant presence in the town for nearly a decade and is expanding [its] operations with currently over 600 local employees.”
When [DWM] inquired about the facility, Cz was unable to comment. “However, I can confirm that we have no other planned consolidations or closures at other MITER facilities,” she said.
Consolidations in Florida follow a string of divestitures and layoffs for MITER Brands over the past year. In October 2024, the company announced the divestiture of its subsidiary, ECO Window Systems, to Eco’s original founders. In November 2024, MITER and its subsidiary, NewSouth Window Solutions, announced layoffs, cutting 225 employees. Around that same time, MITER Brands laid off employees at its facility in Venice, Florida.
In January 2025, the company announced an “organizational realignment,” including the elimination of certain roles across the business. The move was part of the company’s ongoing integration with PGT Innovations, officials said.
In March 2025, the company announced plans to close one of its manufacturing facilities for Milgard Windows & Doors in Simi Valley, California, then, in July 2025, announced the sale of its Eze-Breeze Porch Enclosures brand to Bob Keller, president of Eze-Breeze.
With the closure of the Medley and Hialeah facilities, MITER Brands aims to retain as many employees as possible through open positions at other facilities, officials said.
M&A
Pella Marks 100 Years With Major Acquisition
In March 2025, Pella Corp. celebrated its 100th year in business. Months later, the company gave itself a rather large gift: Weather Shield.
The Weather Shield brand will continue, Monica Clark, head of external media, employer brand and crisis communications for Pella Corp., told [DWM], and Weather Shield products and operations will remain the same. However, Pella plans to make investments “to deliver even greater value to their customers,” Clark said. Meanwhile, the company’s products are expected to bolster Pella’s strategy to grow in the premium segment of the market, she said.
Based in Medford, Wisconsin, Weather Shield was founded in 1955 by Edward “Lee” Schield. According to Key Media & Research’s latest estimates, the company has nearly 2,000 employees and over $300 million in annual revenues.
Up until the point of acquisition, Weather Shield remained family-owned, “with the family actively involved in the day-to-day operations,” the company’s website says.
Weather Shield’s owners, Mark and Kevin Schield, have retired, Clark told [DWM]. Bob Foote will continue to lead the Weather Shield business, remaining as president, while also serving as vice president, architectural business, for Pella.
Regarding Weather Shield’s locations and employees, “It’s business as usual,” Clark said.
Closings
More Industry Players Announce Facility Closures
Three door and window-related companies announced they will close facilities—all within weeks of one another.
Paint and stains manufacturer PPG Industries Inc. announced it will close one of its operations in Elverson, Pennsylvania. The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice for a facility in Chester County, where 82 workers will be affected. According to the WARN report, the closure process began August 18, 2025, lasting through December 31, 2026.
The Elverson location is listed as a Whitford Corp. facility. Whitford was acquired by PPG in March 2019. In April 2025, PPG reported net sales of $3.7 billion, a decrease of 4% over the prior year.
Meanwhile, Owens Corning is in the process of closing one of its door components facilities in Oregon, where the company is laying off 184 employees. Layoffs began August 25, 2025, with some employees remaining to help with “winding down the facility,” a WARN notice said. Remaining employees are now being released, with final separations occurring November 30, after which the closing is expected to be permanent.
According to local media, the plant, located at 1155 N. Main St. in Prineville, was formerly owned and operated by Contact Industries, and later acquired by Owens Corning through its acquisition of Masonite International Corp. Owens Corning purchased Masonite in May 2024, thereby entering the doors segment.
Lastly, Woodgrain permanently closed its Pilot Rock sawmill. The closure happened September 1, affecting 62 employees, including two benchmen, four certified graders and four chain pullers.
Woodgrain produces mouldings/millwork, doors and Windsor brand doors and windows. The company has been family-owned and operated for more than 65 years.
Three other companies announced facility closures since the beginning of the year, including Quanex, MITER Brands and Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope.
Legal
DOJ Weighs in on Jeld-Wen’s Appeal
After Jeld-Wen filed a Notice of Appeal, seeking to undo the results of a nearly decade-long legal battle, and Steves and Sons Inc. (Steves) and WG Towanda LLC/Woodgrain Inc. (Woodgrain) fired back with a response, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) weighed in.
A 2021 ruling required Jeld-Wen to divest a door skins plant in Towanda, Pennsylvania, to remedy harm to Steves, after a jury found that Jeld-Wen’s acquisition of the Towanda door skin plant violated Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act.
Jeld-Wen followed through on the divestiture in late 2024, when it sold the plant to Woodgrain. Now that Steves is building its own door skins plant in Athens, Georgia, the divestiture of the Towanda plant is “inequitable,” Jeld-Wen argues. The DOJ filed an amicus brief, participating as amicus curiae in the appeal, suggesting the court was right to uphold a ruling for divestiture. A second attempt by Jeld-Wen to reverse that ruling should also be denied, the DOJ argues, as the original order’s objectives haven’t been fully achieved, nor have public interests been met despite changes in market conditions, the brief said. The DOJ clarified government interests in enforcing federal antitrust laws, adding, “The United States also has a significant interest in ensuring the availability of effective remedies in private antitrust cases, including divestitures.”
The DOJ justified its opinion by suggesting that the divestiture order’s objectives have not been fully achieved. The divestiture continues to serve both the plaintiff’s relief and the public interest, the brief said.
In its brief, the DOJ urged the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision to uphold the divestiture order.
Woodgrain Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
Seven former employees have filed suit against Woodgrain, alleging racial discrimination at its Aurora, Colorado, production facility. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado, claims the workers were dismissed just weeks after signing a petition detailing alleged discriminatory pay, hiring and promotion practices affecting Black and Hispanic employees.
The petition, signed by 21 workers, alleged that Black and Brown employees were paid less and overlooked for advancement while inexperienced white workers were hired into identical roles at higher wages. Plaintiffs say management ignored complaints about a white supervisor’s “blatantly racist” remarks, with the facility’s general manager defending the supervisor and describing his words as a “poor choice.”
According to the complaint, after the petition was submitted, Woodgrain’s human resources director allegedly warned employees not to spread “gossip” and later told the group the company would not tolerate further “drama.” Within weeks, all seven plaintiffs were terminated, some allegedly under pretexts such as budget cuts or underperformance. One plaintiff, with a decade of tenure, says he was told simply, “We’re not going to need your help anymore.” Another described being dismissed after accusations of visiting an unsanctioned location, which he denies.
The plaintiffs filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in April; the EEOC later issued Notices of Right to Sue. They seek damages for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages and attorney’s fees, as well as injunctive relief.
Woodgrain strongly denies the allegations. The company acknowledges efforts to “improve workplace culture” through a company-wide program but disputes that this meant replacing minority workers with white employees. Officials deny that new hires were paid more, that supervisors’ statements carried racial animus, or that HR failed to investigate complaints. The company also refutes claims that armed guards were present when workers were terminated.
Both sides have requested a jury trial.
Court Rejects Actress’ Claim of UV Harm from Condo Windows
A New York judge has tossed out a lawsuit from actress Jennifer Yen and her partner, Jeffery Peyton Worley, who claimed their Manhattan condo’s floor-to-ceiling windows exposed them to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
The couple bought a unit in the 42-story tower at 685 First Ave., where they say they were repeatedly assured the glass offered “100% UV protection.” That protection was vital for Yen, who has a history of melanoma. But after more than two years in the apartment, they noticed fading carpets, artwork and furniture. Yen also developed facial lesions she linked to sunlight entering her home office. She underwent treatment, which she said left her with stitches, follow-up care and emotional distress.
The couple’s 26-page complaint accused the developer, Soloviev Group, of deceptive practices, alleging that the company’s marketing materials described the AGC Interpane glass used in the building as capable of blocking all UV rays. With those alleged assurances, the couple said they didn’t bother adding protection, but later used a handheld tester to measure UV inside the condo.
Judge James d’Auguste of the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the claims, noting their purchase contract barred reliance on promotional statements. He also ruled the allegations were insufficient to support claims of negligence or emotional distress.
Marvin Opens New Kansas City Facility
Marvin has opened its newest manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kansas. The 400,000-square-foot facility on Leavenworth Road will be an “important hub” for manufacturing, fabrication and assembly of the company’s fiberglass door and window products, company officials said.
Since beginning construction on the facility last spring, Marvin has hired 70 full-time team members in Kansas City, with hiring to continue in the months ahead, officials added.
The company anticipates a 600-person workforce.
Chelsea Acquires Greenville Facility
Chelsea Building Products has announced the acquisition of a Greenville, Texas, facility and surrounding property. The company has been occupying and leasing the 120,000-square-foot building since 2018.
“With the acquisition of the building, along with approximately 19 acres of surrounding property, we now have room for expansion and the confidence to make necessary infrastructural investments in the facility,” states Peter Dewil, president and CEO of Chelsea Building Products.
The company plans to invest in additional extrusion and lamination capacity and add a railroad connection to eventually allow for blending capabilities, officials said.
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