Latest Articles in October/November 2012

  • October 24, 2012
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Strategies & Practices, Management

    Preparing for the Affordable Care Act
    Provisions in the law will be impacting both large and small employers moving forward
    After more than a year of negotiations and debate, President Obama signed the hotly-contested Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law in 2010. Finding someone in the United States who has never heard of the act or does not have an opinion about it would be difficult. At this point, however, only portions of the PPACA have taken effect. Other are still to come, with most coming into... more »
  • October 16, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Close-Ups

    Dealers of the Year 2012
    Window & Door honors excellence in the middle
      Window & Door is pleased to announce its 2012 Dealers of the Year. Honored for Overall Excellence this year are A.W. Hastings from Connecticut and Power Home Remodeling Group from Pennsylvania. The magazine has also recognized four Focused Excellence category winners—window and door retailers and distributors that stand out in the areas of marketing, customer... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Strategies & Practices, Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Back-to-Basics Marketing
    Universal Windows Direct connects with people "face-to-face"
        Getting the Word Out EXCELLENCE IN MARKETING   Universal Windows Direct Oakwood Village, Ohio Get the Universal Windows Direct team in front of some people and they will sell some windows and doors. A simple concept, perhaps, but one that has served founders William Barr and Mike Strmac for more than 10 years as they’ve grown their company year-over-year at... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    Meetings & Events | Products, Materials & Components, Segments

    Canadian Manufacturers to Gather at Win-Door
    More than 150 exhibitors expected at annual Toronto show
    Canadian window and door manufacturers will once gather for Win-Door North America, the annual trade show hosted by Fenestration Canada to be be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, November 6-8.  With more than 150 exhibitors signed up, the event will feature a mix of Canadian and U.S. industry suppliers.     Royal's multi-panel folding vinyl door attracted much... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Community Icon Leads in Time of Disaster
    Stan Greer Millwork put community ahead of company in time of need
        Giving Back EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE   Stan Greer Millwork Hereford, Ariz.   In the summer of 2011 in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and the surrounding southern Arizona communities, it took a village to fight a fire. And it also took a long-standing window and door distributor business to support that village. Stan Greer Millwork, a second-... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Redefining Its Category
    A.W. Hastings carves out its role with innovative services
        Overall Excellence LEADERSHIP IN THE PROFESSIONAL MARKET   A.W. Hastings & Co.  Enfield, Conn.   Throughout the window and door industry, there are a handful of companies that have truly defined their categories. In the case of this year’ Overall Excellence, Leadership Serving Professionals winner, A.W. Hastings & Co. is recognized... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Strategies & Practices, Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Serving Today’s Buyers with Yesterday’s Values
    Newman Replacement Windows makes service “king” to stand apart
        Going the Extra Mile EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE   Newman Replacement Windows Carlsbad, Calif. Being British gives Duncan Newman and his wife, Natalie, an interesting take on the American Dream. The couple views the 1950s as the heyday of customer service and aims for that wholesome feel of Americana in every aspect of their Southern California window... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    The New Face of SolarGlass
    Colorado dealer redefines its strategy in the face of diversity
        A Showroom that Sells EXCELLENCE IN RETAIL   SolarGlass Window & Door Boulder, Colo.   When Gwenael Hagan bought SolarGlass Window & Door nearly six years ago, the Boulder, Colo.-based dealer was facing the bankruptcy of the aluminum-clad manufacturer that made up 70 percent of its sales and the start of a deep and prolonged economic... more »
  • October 1, 2012
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    The Power to Manage Growth
    Investing in its people, Power Home Remodeling Group has its eye on the nationwide prize
        Overall Excellence LEADERSHIP IN THE HOMEOWNER MARKET   Power Home Remodeling Group Chester, Pa. Three years ago, Window & Door magazine recognized Power Windows & Siding with a Dealers of the Year award in the category of Leadership Serving Homeowners. At the time, the quickly-growing company had undergone a transformation of sorts, evaluating ways to get... more »
  • September 24, 2012
    COLUMN, COLUMN : Opening Remarks | Markets & Trends

    Picking Up the Pace
    Technology in the window and door industry generally advances in baby steps. Change—as we see in electronics or communications—generally isn’t radical. There’s not constant shifting we see in fashion or even food. I know the pace of change in our industry is sometimes frustrating to developers of new technologies who don’t understand why companies may be slow to... more »