I was visiting a customer yesterday discussing the upcoming revised Energy Star requirements that will go into effect sometime in mid-2023 (Energy Star 7.0). He felt confident that, utilizing triple-pane insulating glass (IG) configurations, the majority of his window designs would meet the new U-value criteria, even in the Northern climate zone. This led to […]

I landed upon this recent article by Nicole Spector and after reading it, it does appear that the jury is still out as to whether or not we are really in a recession. Some indicators seem to point toward a recession while others are suggesting the economy is still in good shape. Most of my […]

During customer visits in the last few weeks, the feedback I am getting is that a slowdown is indeed happening. Window fabricators may produce a steady number of units, but new orders do not match daily production levels. Backorders make up the difference. Lead times are coming back down and in some cases are returning […]

Well, here we are once again heading for a new version of Energy Star that will begin in 2023 with even tougher requirements. As I completed my travels during the first half of this year, I noticed an overall lack of concern regarding the upcoming Energy Star changes. My customers seemed focused on the present […]

During the last few weeks, I have visited customers, and the topic of Energy Star has come up. Everyone wonders if the EPA will stick with the stringent requirements outlined in drafts 1 and 2 of Version 7.0 or move to some halfway point. This would give window and door fabricators extra time to adjust […]

With inflation on the rise and high gasoline prices biting into the discretionary income of working Americans, employers are tasked with ensuring that their wage rates are optimized to attract and maintain a reliable workforce. I recently returned from a road trip and spent time on the manufacturing floors of some of my top customers. […]

Right now, window and door fabricators live in a world where creating demand for their products is no issue. The day-to-day challenges of their business are driven by supply chain issues, labor shortages and long lead times associated with new equipment. But with inflation on the rise, interest-rate hikes being doled out by the Fed […]

This is the third blog to complete the series entitled the three “M” s that Will Define Your Company’s Future. The final “M” and perhaps the most important is Manpower. Your company can have the greatest Marketing plan and invest in the most modern automated Machinery, but without this third M, Manpower, you will be […]

Earlier this month, I wrote about The Three “M”s that Will Define Your Company’s Future, with the first M being Marketing. The second M is Machinery. Never before has machinery been so important to the window and door industry. Machinery does three things. Number One: Machinery improves efficiency if used correctly. The operative words here […]

The first M is Marketing. Over the many years that I have been in the fenestration industry, I have seen a diminishing emphasis on marketing. When I first became involved in the late 80s, marketing was a big thing. A great deal of emphasis was placed on creating differentiation between a company’s product line vs […]