As we head into the home stretch for 2021, door and window fabricators continue to be amazed at the unusually strong demand that doesn’t seem to be slowing at all. When demand is strong and business is good, fabricators are happy. But when demand is insane, material delays are a daily issue and labor is […]
I just returned from the Glass Build Show. Attendance was light, but the attitude was not. Many of my customers who would have otherwise attended chose to stay home, mainly because they are just too busy. Those who decided to go, however, went with a mission in mind. You see, the window and door industry […]
Well, the extra unemployment benefits provided by the CARES Act are due to expire on September 6 and Congress has no plans for renewing them. According to an article on CNBC’s Make It, once these benefits expire next week, most states have no intention of extending any additional benefits. So over 7.5 million workers will […]
“Well, it’s that time of year. GlassBuild America is less than four weeks away. Coming off a year that featured mostly Zoom meetings and virtual industry events, I have been checking with my customers and industry associates to see who is actually going to Atlanta and who is staying home. There does not seem to […]
It is forecasting time, and I am working on sales projections for 2022. So, I am visiting with customers and asking them what projections for next year may look like. Usually, I get fairly solid answers like, “this year we grew 10%, and we feel next year it may slow down a bit, but we […]
Door and window manufacturers are busier than ever right now. Many are experiencing a record number of orders and backorders. But in the heat of the battle, when the smoke clears and 2021 is over, the lay of the land will have changed. New Energy Star Requirements will be in place. I was in Sarasota […]
I called on a potential customer this week. I showed him the features of my product, a patio door screen, and he was impressed. I brought him a sample. He installed it into his patio door, and it worked great. I gave him the pricing. He approved. Then, I did what every good salesperson does: […]
As cost of materials, components, labor and transportation continue to rise, the inevitable result will be price increases for door and window products. Most manufacturers will hold off for as long as they can, fearing loss of customers and market share. Eventually, however, price increases will become necessary. So, when customers hear the news about […]
It is the peak of the busy season, and your production crew is only half through the daily production quota of 1,200 windows. All of the sudden, your glass cutter stops. The glass line supervisor calls the maintenance manager who is already tied up trying to figure out why the four-point welder has suddenly gone […]
We live in crazy times. First, we have the federal government passing legislation to aid workers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and now we have numerous states refusing to go along with the program. According to an article released by Forbes this week, governors of at least 21 states have announced […]
