Seaway Manufacturing, an Erie, Pa., based window manufacturer, reports it offered the EPA lead paint training classes to 36 installers from its dealer network in January, with 24 currently signed up for a February session. Other manufacturers, no doubt, have offered similar training programs. Many window and door dealers have pursued the soon-to-be-required training through other ...
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Because we didn't have enough to keep us on our toes next year, the window and door industry has yet another challenge on its hands. A challenge, I'm expecting, that may catch more than a few companies off guard. I'm talking about the lead paint handling rules slated to go into effect in April 2010 that would apply to all companies doing replacement projects in homes built before 1978. We report ...
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Training and certification on lead-safe practices will be required for work on pre-1978 homes
In April 2010, new Environmental Protection Agency rules go into effect requiring that contractors "take the proper precautions to work lead-safe, including minimizing the dust, containing the work area, and conducting a thorough cleanup to reduce the potential exposure associated with disturbing lead-based paint." The rules will affect companies doing window and door replacements, and ...
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Dealer finds customer satisfaction stems from setting homeowners' expectations
Plumb, Level & SquareExcellence in Installation Custom ExteriorsPleasantville, Calif.Custom Exteriors has always used the best processes and materials for its installation, but the dealer has found that setting homeowners' expectations is an important part of the sale.A good installation comes with good products, a well-trained team of installers and a management team that rewards ...
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Window & Door Honors Excellence in the Middle
Two companies honored for Overall Excellence winners, with six additional standouts named in arenas of marketing, installation, customer service, retail/showroom program, community service and innovative thinking.
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ERP system alone is not enough to ensure "customer delight"
Going the Extra MileExcellence in Customer ServiceFeldco Factory DirectDes Plaines, Ill. With additional locations, Feldco has invested in a customized ERP system to help manage the details, but the management team knows that true customer satisfaction comes from employees dedicated to promoting "customer delight."Feldco has figured out that the best cure for growing ...
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More than 100 years old, Marling continues to look for growth opportunities
Overall ExcellanceLEADERSHIP SERVING PROFESSIONALS Marling Lumber Co.Janesville, Wis.Business cycles don’t make the Marling Lumber leadership nervous. Now run by the fourth and fifth generation of the Marling family, the company has survived recessions and booms, expansions and even devastating fires. So while most of its competitors are struggling to keep the doors open, Marling ...
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"The Home Improvement Couple" run their company on strong community, business principles
Getting the Word OutExcellence in MarketingNew York SashWhitesboro, N.Y.Jill and Scot Hayes have branded themselves the "Home Improvement Couple," not only earning recognition for themselves in their community, but also creating a sense of trust in their company among homeowners.Jill and Scot Hayes get a lot more recognition than most window and door dealers. They get noticed at the ...
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Sticking to core values took discipline and a total company overhaul
LEADERSHIP SERVING HOMEOWNERS Power Windows & SidingBrookhaven, Pa.Like many companies, Power Windows & Siding started out small. Adam and Jeff Kaliner, cousins, started the company fresh out of the college scene, doing all of the marketing, estimating and sales calls out of a two-bedroom apartment. For 15 years, the company grew about 20 percent per year and continued to add ...
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After 80 years in business, specialty dealer transitions to a new supplier
Out-of-the Box
Excellence in Innovative Thinking
WindowPro
Cleveland, Ohio
The fifth generation of family leadership, Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro, recently guided the company through ...
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