The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) credits demand for new homes, thanks to low existing inventory, for the increase in builder confidence in the month of July. The increase comes even as mortgage rates rise, construction costs remain elevated and limited lot availability haunts the industry. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) shows builder […]

With the insane levels of demand that we have experienced the last few years and an emphasis on non-contact sales, the door and window industry has drifted away from the use of showrooms to launch new and innovative designs and promotions. New business was coming in waves and it was all manufacturers could do to […]

High construction costs and elevated interest rates continue to hamper housing affordability, but March had builders showing a “cautious optimism,” as demand shifts to the new home market. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in March rose two points to 44, according to the most recent National Association of Home Builders […]

In November of last year, analysts at Dodge Construction Network predicted that the United States would “narrowly avoid recession,” alongside a slowdown in economic growth. While the firm holds true to that prediction in its new 2022 year-end report, analysts now say that those in the construction sector “can expect to feel elements of a […]

While most publicly traded door and window companies won’t announce fourth-quarter results until late February, a third-quarter report filed last week by NSG Group (parent company to Pilkington) shows what officials are calling a “remarkable” revenue increase from architectural glass for the period ending March 31, 2023. The news from NSG adds to another third-quarter […]

With things slowing down temporarily, door and window executives are finally able to catch their breath and refocus their companies’ plans for steady and sustained growth. In talking to the leaders of various companies, I have found there are three key areas that are being evaluated for possible change. Sourcing With the recent supply chain […]

Forecasts are tough. Don’t you just love it when the weatherman calls for a 50% chance of rain? How can he be right? How can he be wrong? So, let’s talk about the forecast for the door and window industry. Overall, 2022 proved to be a very good year with most door and window fabricators […]

Well, it is hard to believe that Christmas 2022 is almost here already. As the year winds down, it also appears that the insane demand for fenestration products is also normalizing. This will give us time to catch our breath, spend time with family, reflect upon our accomplishments, and prepare for what I believe will […]

Many window manufacturers are reporting that sales are slowing down. The last few years we really didn’t have to worry about demand. We had other things to deal with like supply chain. Now, many fabricators are finally seeing a slowdown and are feeling uncertain about 2023. Well, when it comes to demand, it would be […]

A new report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reports that demand for design services from U.S. architecture firms grew at an accelerated pace in August. The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for August 2022 increased to 53.3 from July’s score of 51.0, as firms report an increase in billings. Any score above 50 […]