As we approach the peak selling months in the fenestration industry, now is the time to analyze long term equipment needs and begin making decisions regarding equipment investments for 2020-21. As orders approach peak levels, the next few months will reveal to door and window manufacturers which areas in their manufacturing processes we need to […]
Well, if someone would have told me a year ago that I would not be attending GlassBuild America in Vegas in 2020, I would have told them they were crazy. After all, I have gone to every single GlassBuild America show since its inception in 2002. Well, here we are in 2020, and I am […]
With the industry currently experiencing a sharp uptick, one of the challenges that has recently presented itself is raw material shortages. With the onset of the pandemic, some raw material and component suppliers were too quick to cut staff only to realize 60 days later that the fenestration industry is somehow benefitting from the stay […]
I just spent a week in Tulsa, Okla., visiting my stepson, as he begins training for a new job as a window installer. Alex took the technical route through high school and learned construction technology. He spent his first year after graduation working for a company that remodels banks. Now he wants to learn a […]
Well, from what I can tell, the busy season is coming early this year. Door and window sales usually take a dip in July and August, as the summer season and vacation plans take hold. But this year is different. It appears that many people have cancelled or downsized their summer vacation plans due to […]
Well the amusement parks have remained closed due to the pandemic but for those missing the thrill of the roller coaster, look no further than the door and window industry. After starting out really fast in the early part of the year, business took a dive in the spring due to stay-at- home orders, plant […]
I am pleased to learn that [DWM] is working on an upcoming article on the topic of making versus outsourcing insulating glass units (IGUs). This is an extremely important decision on the part of window manufacturers. After all, what part of a window gets more use than the IGU? It gets direct use by providing […]
So, with all of the recent events surrounding the state of civil unrest, violence and lootings, I finally find myself writing back-to-back blogs that are unrelated to COVID-19. What else is there to write about? How about laminated glass? Windows are wonderful, as they let us look out into the world around us. The downside […]
Given the current situation in the door and window market, one would not expect the price of Krypton gas to be rising. After all, with windows representing the largest percentage of Krypton usage and window production being down, this price jump is catching many window fabricators off guard. Well after talking to Adam Seymour of […]
As governments begin the process of reopening the economy, it almost feels like the aftermath of a tornado. Just when everything was going so well, an unexpected storm comes out of nowhere and now we are standing—dazed and confused—simply wondering how long until things get back to normal. Well, Campbell Harvey, a professor with Duke […]
