Many of the window manufacturer and dealers I know are still holding their own despite the pandemic, except those of course that have been ordered to shut down. And then there is Zen Windows. My friend Dan Wolt, owner of Zen Windows, tells me that business is in fact trending upward and some locations are […]

One of the greatest things about this industry is the people. You really do form relationships that quickly turn into friendships, as many of you know. Yes, we are industry colleagues first, but sometimes the lines are quickly blurred and you can’t help but call a particular colleague a friend. They ask about your kids, […]

We are now heading into the New Year and this raises the question, “How will the business landscape change for the door and window industry, and what must we do to adapt to these changes?” The horizon looks quite different this year, so there are some things to keep in mind as you decide where […]

This week, I got a letter in the mail from Columbia Gas of Ohio with a very colorful chart which immediately caught my attention. It showed my home’s natural gas usage vs. similar homes in the area, as well as compared to efficient similar homes. The similar homes are defined as 100 nearby homes that […]

This week I’m in Vegas attending GlassBuild America. The show is just wrapping up. Many window manufacturers were here actively searching for new solutions that will take them into 2015 and poised for the new Energy Star requirements that will take effect in 2016. There is so much to see this year and window company […]

Now is the time of the year that we put the efficiency of our manufacturing operations to the true test. Orders are pouring in, and there are only so many hours in the day. One cannot afford to get too far behind and disappoint our customers, yet one also cannot afford to let quality slip […]

Last week I visited a major prospect to pitch a high-end composite window technology. When I entered their conference room, I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only guest. Our prospect had invited one of its major dealers to sit in on the presentation, so we were no longer presenting to just our […]

I guess I don’t understand the controversy surrounding the proposed 2014 Energy Star Version 6.0 requirements for Energy Star’s Northern Zone. Now, the whole concept of Energy Star out of the gate was to set energy-efficiency standards for window systems that set apart above average window systems and to educate consumers about window energy efficiency […]

Recent events are pushing door and window security features into the spotlight, and concern over security is definitely on the rise. First there was the recent school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which the gunman shot and broke through the glass of the front door to gain entry. This event brought renewed interest in increasing […]

Just about every manufacturer I talk to these days is scrambling feverishly to analyze the thermal performance ratings of their various window product lines to make sure they have the most cost-effective solution available to be in compliance with the upcoming Energy Star requirements. The approach I most often see is to rank proposed changes […]