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June 11, 2013"Finally seeing a nice uptick in business!!!!" That was the sign-off on an email I received this week from an industry supplier, and it was just the kind of nugget I needed to feel better about the next few months. Despite improving economic data–and construction and remodeling industry data suggesting that window and door sales are on the upswing–I continue to hear... more »
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June 5, 2013I know without a doubt that we are a different industry today than we were just six or seven years ago. When I started with the magazine a decade ago, I remember thinking how impressive the really good salespeople were. There was so much information to learn, so many products to embrace and so many different types of customers to approach. These window and door warriors had challenges to combat,... more »
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June 5, 2013New report sees demand building through 2015A rebound in new home construction has helped residential window and door sales get back on the road to recovery, according to a new report from the American Architectural Manufacturers Association and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association. Prepared by Ducker Worldwide, the AAMA/WDMA 2012/2013 U.S. Industry Statistical Review and Forecast now sees even bigger gains for residential... more »
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May 28, 2013May is National Home Remodeling Month, and to mark the occasion, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association is urging homeowners to trust their window and door replacement to professional installers. As we all know, qualified installers not only help homeowners avoid the pitfalls associated with DIY installations, they make the window and door replacement process significantly smoother... more »
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May 22, 2013Guess what, my window and door manufacturer friends—we are now, apparently, cool. According to a recent article in the Crain’s Cleveland Business publication, manufacturing is now “in” among some pockets of teenagers, and it’s not just boys who are looking at what has increasingly become a high-tech segment of our economy. “Modern manufacturing is high-tech,... more »
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May 20, 2013A recent survey from the National Association of Home Builders found that one of the top factors home buyers look for in a home is energy efficiency. While that might not be a surprise to those of us in the remodeling industry, it certainly reinforces what our customers have been telling us for the past 20 years. With the subject of climate change and green living top of mind, and as some states... more »
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May 15, 2013More product options propel systems beyond the warm-weather, million-dollar home marketMulti-panel sliding and folding doors that open up virtually the entire wall of a room to the outside are going more mainstream after years of being a product geared largely toward million-dollar homes. The drivers: more homeowner interest, an expansion of sales beyond warm-weather climates, and the entry into the market of large door and window manufacturers. LaCantina Doors... more » -
May 9, 2013This week, Marvin Windows is highlighting the fact that it offers windows meeting passive building standards that are "made in the USA," offering customers faster turnaround and design flexibility, it states. The Earthwise Group of vinyl window manufacturers was also honored as the "Made in the USA Certified " company of the year. And, "Made in the USA" was an... more »
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May 8, 2013It seems as though cloud-based computing is picking up steam in the manufacturing sector. "The best manufacturers I’ve visited this year all share a common attribute," writes Louis Columbus, a Forbes contributor in a recent column. "They are obsessed with making themselves as easy as possible to work with from a supply chain, distribution and services standpoint.... more »
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May 7, 2013The 2013 International Code Council Group B Code Development Hearings recently took place in Dallas, where code officials reviewed numerous proposals for changes to the 2015 International Residential Code, 2015 International Energy Conservation Code and 2015 International Existing Building Code, among others. Following is a report on the more significant results of these hearings, with... more »