It probably goes without saying that door and window manufacturers learned a lot in the past few years, as we dealt with the pandemic and its aftereffects. Supply chain issues, hot demand, sky-high lead times … you probably don’t need me to remind you. We worked through it together. And amidst these challenges, there was […]

As we start down the back half of the year (Where did the time go?), I always like to do a review of what went right, what went wrong, what we can do to improve, at the same time examining what the rest of the year might look like going forward. As far as the […]

A year or two ago, buying doors and windows was all about availability. Due to insane levels of marketplace demand coupled with supply chain issues, lead times were stretched out to six to 12 months. Selling fenestration products was all about availability. If your lead time was faster, you could easily prevail over your competition […]

With the supply chain interruptions that we have all experienced over the past two years, many of the smaller window shops and glass shops are now seeking to vertically integrate. Tired of long lead times, quality issues and cost increases associated with outsourcing windows and even insulating glass, these smaller businesses are looking into taking […]

Over the last few years, the pandemic has given our industry unprecedented growth. It also has led to many great opportunities for all of us. When business was growing at historic rates, experimentation with lead generation was plentiful and we were all still finding ways to get new customers. Whether on the retail side or […]

Many folks have called to check on me to see how I have fared since transitioning from running manufacturing and sales to retail selling. I enjoy these calls very much. It is always terrific catching up with folks in the industry and keeping a finger on the pulse of the window industry. In the retail […]

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 […]

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 […]

I just returned from the Glass Build Show. Attendance was light, but the attitude was not. Many of my customers who would have otherwise attended chose to stay home, mainly because they are just too busy. Those who decided to go, however, went with a mission in mind. You see, the window and door industry […]

It is forecasting time, and I am working on sales projections for 2022. So, I am visiting with customers and asking them what projections for next year may look like. Usually, I get fairly solid answers like, “this year we grew 10%, and we feel next year it may slow down a bit, but we […]