Latest Articles in Operations

  • feldcothumbnail.jpg
    October 1, 2009
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Sales & Marketing, Channels

    Feldco Focuses on Customer Service to Maintain Small Company Feel
    ERP system alone is not enough to ensure "customer delight"
    Going the Extra Mile Excellence in Customer Service Feldco Factory Direct Des 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... more »
  • October 1, 2009
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Marling Lumber Changes with the Times
    More than 100 years old, Marling continues to look for growth opportunities
    Overall Excellance LEADERSHIP 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,... more »
  • October 1, 2009
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Operations, Sales & Marketing, Close-Ups

    New York Sash Owners are the Face of the Company
    "The Home Improvement Couple" run their company on strong community, business principles
    Getting the Word Out Excellence in Marketing New York Sash Whitesboro, 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... more »
  • powerthumbnail.jpg
    October 1, 2009
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Operations, Channels, Close-Ups

    Replacement Dealer Powers Through Growing Pains
    Sticking to core values took discipline and a total company overhaul
    LEADERSHIP SERVING HOMEOWNERS   Power Windows & Siding Brookhaven, 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... more »
  • October 1, 2009
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Sales & Marketing, Close-Ups

    WindowPro Reinvents Itself for Future Growth
    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 a transition to a new window supplier. When you run an 80-year-old company, you think in terms of decades rather than years, says Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro. That long... more »
  • manufacturerslookingthumb.jpg
    June 3, 2009
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Operations

    Manufacturers Start to Look at Equipment Again
    Big investments are few, but companies are adapting to stringent performance criteria in the market, and thinking about even stronger requirements on the horizon
    Following a period of little investment in new plants and production lines, window and door manufacturers are beginning to look again. Some see signs that sales are creeping up, but the primary driver is the need to upgrade window and door lines to meet new, more stringent performance criteria, including the new 30/30 minimums set for new tax credits, revised Energy Star criteria set to go in... more »
  • June 1, 2009
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Operations

    Automated Scheduling Key to Better ROI
    Move to JIT manufacturing can shift costs elsewhere without an integrated strategy
    Today, many window and door manufacturers find themselves in survival mode. To combat a decrease in demand, some are frantically trying to increase their sales, while others are searching for ways to augment profitability. The most successful companies are not looking to boost sales alone, they are also investing in proven cost cutting methods. Reducing overhead is an obvious path toward... more »
  • May 6, 2009
    TIP OF THE WEEK | Operations

    Planning for Pandemic Influenza
    Businesses play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. To assist employers, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed a checklist of steps to take to prepare. It identifies important, specific activities... more »
  • April 29, 2009
    TIP OF THE WEEK | Operations

    Getting Started on Safety
    Many window and door companies, including retailers, distributors, and manufacturers, were among thousands of companies that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration recently contacted with letters suggesting that they need to do a better job.  The OSHA Web site provides information and many links to employers to help them comply with safety regulations.  Of particular... more »
  • edgetechthumb.jpg
    October 23, 2008
    FEATURE ARTICLE | Codes & Standards, Operations, Energy Efficiency

    A Manufacturer's Guide to IG Certification
    Getting ready for new NFRC and Energy Star mandates set to go into effect by 2010 is critical
    For certification, IG must pass accelerated weathering tests, which simulate weather cycling from -20 degrees F to 140 degrees F with high humidity and ultraviolet radiation exposure over a 63-day period. Based on the recommendation of the Insulating Glass Industry Durability Advisory Group, the U.S. Department of Energy plans to require insulating glass certification as a prerequisite... more »