As 2025 draws to a close, the staff at [DWM] magazine looks back at the biggest stories of the year. What makes a story worthy of being a top 10? That’s up to readers, who vote by clicking and reading. Whether discovered through [DWM]’s newsletter, shared by friends or found on social media, following are the 10 most read stories of the year.
1. Window World Sued for Wrongful Death (April 2025)
A house in Ohio exploded in October 2024, killing four people. Now, the families of those four people are suing Window World and its local franchise, Window World Pennohio, DBA Window World of Youngstown, for wrongful death. The executors of the estates allege that in the course of replacement work, actions of the Window World employees damaged the property of Jeffery and Joann Kocanyar, ultimately leading to the death of the couple, along with their daughter Julie Kocanyar Lubic and her husband, Adam Lubic.
Read the Original Here
2. Florida Door and Window Dealer Arrested for “Misappropriation of Funds” (April 2025)
It wasn’t an April Fool’s prank when the police showed up, though one Florida man may have wished it was. Jeremy Franklyn Demers, owner of Gulf View Windows and Doors was arrested on Tuesday, April 1, by the Bradenton Police Department.
Read the Original Here
3. Door and Window Companies Named in Wrongful Death Lawsuit (April 2025)
Separate from the Window World story above, Crown Window Corp. and Crystal Window & Door Systems were named as parties in a wrongful death lawsuit, stemming from an incident in July 2024 that resulted in the death of a three-year-old child. On July 29, 2024, Tidus Bass fell from the bedroom window of his family’s ninth-story apartment in Independence Towers Apartments in Independence, Missouri. His parents, Destiny Randle and Moses Bass, were later indicted by a Jackson County grand jury, each for “first-degree child endangerment resulting in death,” local media outlets report. Now the couple has filed a petition in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, at Independence, bringing a suit against six companies whose actions—or lack thereof—they allege contributed to their son’s death.
Read the Original Here
4. Ohio Pella Facility Facing Discrimination Lawsuit (March 2025)
While Pella Corp. celebrates 100 years in business, the company’s Troy, Ohio, manufacturing facility faces allegations of discrimination from an employee who worked for the company in 2024. Over the course of his three-month employment at Pella Windows and Doors, Rasheik Cannon alleges he was a victim of racial discrimination, age discrimination, and disability discrimination. He filed a legal complaint on February 27, 2025, asking for a jury trial.
Read the Original Here
5. Pella Marks 100 Years With a Major Acquisition. But What Happens With the Weather Shield Brand? (July 2025)
Months after centennial celebrations, Pella gave itself a rather large gift: Weather Shield. Company officials dubbed it a strategic move that “brings together two industry leaders with complementary capabilities and a shared commitment to innovation, craftsmanship, and exceptional customer experience.” They said the mashup positions both companies for accelerated growth and expanded capabilities. As part of Pella Corp., Weather Shield “gains expanded resources and capabilities that will accelerate innovation and further enhance the customer experience,” officials for Weather Shield said.
Read the Original Here
6. Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope to Close Two Additional Glass Facilities in August (June 2025)
Weeks removed from the news that Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope Inc. (OBE) will close its glass facility in Hauppauge, New York, in August 2025, the company notified employees that it intended to shutter two more facilities. In a letter to employees, officials said OBE would close its Midwest Glass Fabricators facilities in Highland, Michigan, and Louisville, effective Aug. 11, 2025. Officials described the move as an effort to optimize operations.
Read the Original Here
7. What Does the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Mean for the Door and Window Market? (July 2025)
A proposed budget reconciliation bill—dubbed the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Act—moved swiftly through Congress, having passed the Senate, then sitting before the House of Representatives. Pundits on both sides of the political aisle had much to say about the bill, including how it would affect different groups nationwide. Some of the anticipated effects reached the door and window industries.
Read the Original Here
8. Key Executives Resign from Cornerstone Building Brands (April 2025)
Cornerstone Building Brands CEO Rose Lee resigned in March, according to the company’s March 17 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lee had served as CEO of the company since September 2021, following the retirement of James S. Metcalf. With Lee’s departure, John Krenicki, chairperson of the company’s board of directors, was appointed to serve as interim president and CEO, while the board of directors, in conjunction with a “nationally recognized firm,” searched for a new, permanent CEO.
Read the Original Here
9. Tariff Tensions Rise as Canada and China Retaliate and U.S. Trade Costs Climb (March 2025)
The previously paused tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico went into effect, triggering retaliatory effects from Canada and China. The current administration announced that, effective Tuesday, March 4, it would leverage 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico. The administration also raised the tariff on imports from China from 10% to 20%.
Read the Original Here
10. Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Defective Ply Gem Windows in South Carolina Neighborhood (August 2025)
Ply Gem Specialty Products LLC and its parent company, Cornerstone Building Brands Inc., are facing a class action lawsuit over allegedly defective windows. In a complaint filed June 26, 2025, plaintiffs William G. Jameson and Bill Lane, on behalf of themselves and others, alleged that the Ply Gem brand windows provided for homes in a residential neighborhood of Lancaster County, South Carolina, lack essential components, like desiccants, and feature faulty seals and weep systems. As a result, the windows have suffered from water intrusion and fogging, also causing property damage, they alleged. They’re seeking damages for negligence, breach of warranty and product liability, alleging that the defects were known to the defendants and that the replacement windows provided were similarly flawed.
Read the Original Here
And that’s the top 10 for 2025. Thank you for reading and we hope to see you back in 2026. Happy New Year!