Several of the largest, publicly traded companies from the door and window industry have filed annual and fourth-quarter reports, the results of which point to a year filled with recalibration. Annual reports from Fortune Brands Innovations, Jeld-Wen Holding and Builders FirstSource—along with recent quarterly results from Quanex—reveal impacts from elevated interest rates, affordability constraints for housing and a contraction in single-family starts.
Fortune Brands Innovations reported 2025 net sales of $4.46 billion, a 3.2% decline from the previous year. The company’s outdoors segment, which includes the Therma-Tru and Larson brands, saw a 2% dip in sales, alongside $50.1 million in asset impairment charges and costs related to a manufacturing facility fire. Fortune Brands is currently in the midst of a major organizational shift, reports show, including consolidating regional offices into the company’s headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. Officials say that’s expected to fuel long-term innovation and digital solutions.
Jeld-Wen faced a more turbulent year, with net revenues falling 14.9% to $3.21 billion. The company reported a net loss tied to a $334.6 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge, reflecting what officials described as a significant deterioration in market demand and the impact of prolonged elevated interest rates on future growth expectations. In addition to market pressures, Jeld-Wen also completed the court-ordered divestiture of its Towanda, Pennsylvania, facility in early 2025 to Woodgrain Inc., a move necessitated by antitrust litigation.
As the largest of the three, Builders FirstSource (BFS) saw its net sales drop 7.4% to $15.2 billion. The company’s “Windows, Doors and Millwork” category fell by 9.5% to $435.2 million in income. BFS continued an aggressive acquisition strategy, spending $1.1 billion in 2025 to acquire eight businesses, including millwork and prefabricated component specialists such as Alpine Lumber and Truckee Tahoe Lumber.
Recent results from Quanex reinforce many of the same issues, while offering a more current snapshot of how they impact 2026. The company reported $409.1 million in quarterly revenue, alongside a $4.1 million net loss and negative free cash flow, even as adjusted EBITDA reached $27.4 million. CEO George Wilson cited “inflationary pressures, high interest rates, tariff uncertainty, housing affordability issues and geopolitical tensions” as factors weakening consumer confidence and demand.
At the same time, Quanex’s hardware solutions segment posted a 2.4% increase in net sales, driven by pricing actions and foreign exchange impacts, while extruded solutions remained flat due to lower volumes, officials said. Custom solutions delivered the strongest growth, with a 4.8% increase tied to higher volumes and improved pricing.
Quanex entered fiscal 2026 with what officials described as a “cautious outlook,” though they expect demand to improve as consumer confidence recovers.
The common denominator among all four companies is the impact of macroeconomic pressure. Each report cites high mortgage rates, affordability challenges and declining single-family starts as primary detractors. Fortune Brands estimated a contraction at 6%, while Quanex pointed more broadly to softness in global demand tied to economic uncertainty.
BFS is consolidating through M&A. Fortune Brands is focused on brand alignment and “business simplification” through the headquarters consolidation. Jeld-Wen finds itself in the deepest transformation, closing multiple facilities to restore profitability. Quanex, meanwhile, is leaning on pricing discipline and segment diversification, reporting shows.
At the same time, long-term outlooks across all four companies remain cautiously optimistic, with expectations that demand will improve.