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January 29, 2013Sometimes, a taxi ride sums up the mood of a city, or even an industry event. Last week, I shared a cab from the International Builders' Show to the Las Vegas airport with Phil Melancon, owner of Great Wood Homes in Lafayette, Louisiana. In addition to being a custom homebuilder, Phil is a National Association of Home Builders board member. We agreed that the mood at this year’s show was... more »
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January 26, 2013Welcome to Window & Door's coontinuing coverage of the 2013 International Builders' Show. This section of our site provides an in-depth look at some of the windows, doors and skylights, as well as components and accessories showcased by industry exhibitors at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 22-24, 2013. Additional coverage includes: A report overviewing the event A... more » -
January 22, 2013Let me start off by saying I do not intend to have a conversation about gun control legislation. However, it’s pretty difficult to ignore the unfortunate series of events our country has experienced at the hands of misguided gunmen in the last several months—including an incident just yesterday at a Texas college. What I am interested to know is whether your workplace has security... more »
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January 15, 2013As the supply chain consolidates and customer loyalty wavers, manufacturers and dealers must adjust their business modelsFour key trends are affecting building material distribution: consolidation, market saturation, shifting customer priorities and communication. Together, these drivers create competitive pressures that continue to intensify for manufacturers and dealers alike. The Farnsworth Group, a market research firm specializing in the home improvement, construction and building supply... more »
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January 15, 2013Like most Americans, I spent part of the holidays following the news of the fiscal cliff negotiations. I was relieved when a deal was finally struck, thinking the stage is set for window and door industry growth in 2013, if only Washington can keep out of the way. With all the discussions focused on tax rates for upper income people and potential spending cuts, however, I didn't give much thought... more »
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January 15, 2013“This is going to be a big one,” the retired fire official from New Jersey said. “This thing is huge, and the states it’s going to hit aren’t used to being hit by this kind of storm.” He pointed to an image of the Hurricane Sandy weather system on his laptop screen, dubbed “Frankenstorm” due to the combination of storms that had spawned it and its... more »
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January 15, 2013An economic uptick might be on the horizon for the window and door industry, with many economists projecting positive growth for 2013 and beyond, as the 2012 election recedes into history. At least, as Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, says: “We can’t use the election excuse anymore for delaying decisions.” In general―barring the usual... more »
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January 8, 2013Survey reveals greater optimism among manufacturers, distributors and dealersThe window and door industry is regaining confidence, according to the 2013 Industry Pulse, Window & Door’s exclusive annual survey of industry executives. After heading into 2012 in a more cautious mood, North American window and door manufacturers and dealers are once again expressing some positive expectations for the economy as a whole, and window and door demand in general.... more »
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January 8, 2013We all know how critical field personnel are to the installation process, but what about the sales call? In the January/February 2013 issue of Window & Door, new columnist Jim Snyder discusses the importance of getting installers’ perspectives on a project before closing the sale. While the salesperson and client are focused on discussing the “before” and defining the... more »
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January 1, 2013More window and door companies continue to embrace social media, but mobile technologies might take longer to establish themselves among manufacturers, distributors and dealers than some expected. These findings are the result of a series of questions included as part of Window & Door's 2013 Industry Pulse study, asking about the electronic tools and media companies use to... more »