Collins, the Trend Tracker

BTR Might Not Mean Better for Door and Window Market

Nov 20th, 2019

The fast-growing build-to-rent market could alter your sales Just as a duck’s gentle crossing of a pond hides the intense paddling going on beneath, the placid glide in total new home starts conceals significant churn in how those numbers add up. In housing’s case, the unseen propellant is single family homes built with renting in […]

Take Heed of the Newly Updated Overtime Rule

Sep 30th, 2019

The Trump Administration’s version of the newly updated overtime rule is less onerous than Obama’s, but it still will have an impact. Door and window manufacturers likely will feel a sting, but not searing pain, as a result of the U.S. Labor Department’s recent final rule raising the threshold at which a worker’s salary still […]

Some Teachable Moments Are Tough to Swallow

May 14th, 2019

Big fires are big news … and an opportunity to later show how doors and windows can help reduce potential losses. One of the pieces of good news to come out of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was that the majestic rose windows, which date from the 13th century, all survived—intact. So […]

Younger Workers at Flattened Organizations Need High-Level Perspective

Mar 22nd, 2019

Meet Daniel Descalso. Descalso plays baseball for my hometown Chicago Cubs, but he’s also an example of the type of player that a lot of door and window manufacturers want to have on their team. He’s a utility man. What do I mean by “utility?” While with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, Descalso played 52 […]

As New Homes Slow, Expect More Remodeling

Feb 19th, 2019

We may live in an age where banners for “Breaking News” seem to permanently occupy a spot on our TV screens, but those headlines often matter less over the long run than deeper, more subtle truths. This is something door and window manufacturers need to keep in mind as they decide where and how to […]

Survey Says: Many Factors Go Into Your Product’s Perceived Value

Jan 31st, 2019

The just-released 2019 edition of a popular guide for remodeling projects shows how both raw materials and Realtors can both influence whether a door or window replacement job is regarded as a good value for the money. Aside from the fact that both costs and perceived values rose, results varied across the five door and […]

Two Events Share One Message: Prepare for New Construction’s Evolution

Oct 31st, 2018

Seeds planted at a pair of late October meetings in Virginia and Massachusetts promise to blossom into the construction industry’s next big markets. Door and window manufacturers selling into the new construction space are well advised to pay attention, as these trends unfold. In Richmond, Va., the International Code Council (ICC) gave preliminary approvalto a […]

Big Bets at GlassBuild

Sep 10th, 2018

GlassBuild is upon us and, in preparing for the show, we wanted to take a look at the companies making big financial bets on the largest booths.  Such large booths carry with them a total investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not a million or somewhat more.  With a few exceptions, the companies […]

Winning Sales from Aging in Place

Jun 29th, 2018

A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders confirms that remodeling trends that allow homeowners to age in place are on the rise The survey centered on responses from remodelers, since they have the most knowledge of the “last mile” to the actual consumer of the doors, windows and other products homeowners are […]

Solving the Labor Shortage from Within

Mar 29th, 2018

The labor shortage is no secret, and it affects the door and window industry along the entire spectrum. We saw firsthand on a recent company visit a possibly overlooked way to address it from inside a company. The labor shortage is no secret and affects the door and window industry along the entire spectrum. Suppliers […]

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