February opened on a week of mixed feelings for attendees of the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) International Builders Show (IBS). With more than 110,000 professionals cross pollenating between IBS and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, the scene was busy and jubilant—marking Design & Construction Week’s largest attendance ever. “I’ve been to more […]

I’ve never been one to sit around waiting for just the right time and circumstances—not once I’ve made my mind up about something, at least. These past few years have been no exception, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it has been difficult to do anything with a high level of certainty. […]

While inflation and associated market conditions have thrown a wrench into the company’s plan to purchase a building in Hopkinsville, Ky., Elevate Windows and Doors remains “100% committed” to entering the Kentucky-Tennessee corridor, says CEO James Gresham. Gresham says Elevate is currently pursuing other options, such as leasing space—a move that would still give the […]

In talking to my customers, business in November is just like any other November. In other words, it has been very busy up until Thanksgiving, but since the turkey was cooked it’s been more like “Tanksgiving.” During the past two years, business was not seeing the normal holiday slowdown as door and window manufacturers were […]

Can you afford to take time away to go to upcoming trade shows? Well, most of my customers are still as busy as ever, despite the slowdown in new construction and thanks to backorders. But unfortunately, due to inflation and higher interest rates, a slowdown is just on the horizon. Holiday spending will be more […]

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 […]

At a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week regarding the role of tax incentives in affordable housing, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress that the housing affordability crisis is far-reaching and will require action on several fronts, not just the tax arena. “The housing affordability crisis is the result of failing to […]

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 […]

Discussion of rising fuel and inflation prices made its way into the recent meeting of the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) as the industry continues to grapple with rising costs. Kathy Krafka Harkema, U.S. technical operations director, provided an overview of inflation and other obstacles, at FGIA’s 2022 Virtual Summer Conference the week of […]