It isn’t surprising that a recent survey of homebuyers found that energy efficiency is a major driver for decision making. Energy-efficient products, from washers and dryers to kitchen stoves and ranges, save consumers money and cut back on energy use. In a survey done by the National Association of Home Builders, homebuyers ranked the types […]

I recently replaced some windows facing my back yard and one of the things I noticed after the installation is how much quieter it is in that room. The new windows are doing a better job of blocking out unwanted noise such as lawnmowers, barking dogs and even planes taking off or landing at the […]

As the midterm elections came to a close, I received countless direct mail pieces from various candidates. Because of my background in sales and marketing, I’ll admit, I looked at these campaign advertisements more closely than the “average” person. In the process, I noticed that many times I received the same piece more than once […]

Our parent company (Key Media and Research) recently hired someone to provide training for those of us who do on-screen video work. Her name is Andrea McCarren, by the way, and she’s excellent if you ever need someone—especially for those of us who could use … well … a little extra assistance. As part of […]

Washington, D.C., might soon embark on the nation’s most aggressive renewable energy target: 100 percent by 2032. The CleanEnergy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 passed a city council vote in November and has since become a topic of great debate. As a result, I find myself asking: Has the quest for energy efficiency gone […]

In a previous blog, I mentioned three factors to watch in the year ahead: rising component costs, labor shortages and rising interest rates. The first two spell rising costs for window manufacturers, while the third influences consumers’ costs for buying fenestration products. So, will these three factors become the “perfect storm” that reduces demand for […]

What happens if your organization fails to innovate? As you can imagine, it’s not good. Let’s look at a few examples from just 2018. The companies under Sears Holdings were successful for 120 years and everyone had some buying connection to them. Sears retail was originally famous for its mail order catalog, which advertised thousands of items […]

We’ve reached the end of our brief series on creating a home improvement marketing plan and—just like Santa—it’s time to deliver the goods. We’ve determined that equating planning to “knowing your numbers,” is basically flying by the seat of your pants. Then, we talked about the right elements of an effective plan from a 30,000 […]

When you have the opportunity to talk with someone who’s been in the glass business for 43 years—who, along with his company, has survived and thrived after the most recent recession? Well, you take it. Jordan Scott, assistant editor for DWM’s sister publication, USGlass, had such an opportunity, when she interviewed Richard Beuke, president of […]

Year after year, I find the Dodge Data and Analytics World Green Building Trends report to be a fascinating read. We’ve watched green building steadily climb over the years, and this year we’re seeing some of the largest growth projections yet: Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents reported that the majority of the projects they […]