Residential door and window manufacturer MITER Brands recently announced that board member Rod Hershberger, co-founder of subsidiary PGT Custom Windows and Doors, was recently recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Argus Foundation.
The Argus Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Awards honor business professionals in Sarasota, Florida, who have made “valuable contributions to the community” throughout their lives. The award has been given for 23 years.
MITER Brands officials note that Hershberger has played an integral role in shaping and enriching Sarasota over the years. In 1980, he co-founded VinylTech, a vinyl porch enclosure manufacturing company, with Paul Hostetler. The duo began producing products in Venice, Florida, with just three employees. By 1987, Hershberger and Hostetler recognized the growing need within the Florida market for a reliable window supplier, and they established a new division, known as Progressive Glass Technology (PGT), to manufacture doors and windows.
After witnessing the devastation caused to homes by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hershberger and the PGT team set out to manufacture a window product that would be as strong as a block wall, which could be used to protect homes from catastrophic damage during such storms. Under Hershberger’s leadership, PGT became the first company to offer a full suite of impact-resistant products and is known today as one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of impact-resistant fenestration, according to company information.
After retiring from PGT in 2017, Hershberger served as the non-employee chair of the board for PGT Innovations, parent company of several brands, including PGT Custom Windows and Doors. Following MITER Brands’ acquisition of PGT in 2024, he was later appointed to MITER Brands’ board.
Outside of the company, Hershberger is a member and past chair of the Florida Building Commission and currently serves on several other boards in and around Venice, Florida, including the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, board member and past chair; Argus Foundation, board member and past chair; Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance, board member and past chair; and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, trustee.
He has supported numerous local causes, including Sarasota Christian School, Children’s First, Argus Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, FGIA and Bayside Church.
“Rod’s recognition with the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Argus Foundation is not only a testament to his remarkable career, but the meaningful ways he has helped shape the community,” said Matt DeSoto, CEO of MITER Brands. “His leadership, generosity, and steadfast commitment to his values are an inspiration to so many of us at MITER Brands and beyond.”