Channels | Window & Door

January 25, 2010
Meetings & Events | Products, Channels, Markets & Trends

IBS Starts Year on Positive Note

Las Vegas—The International Builders’ Show, which concluded here last week, set the stage for a better year in 2010. As noted last week, a more upbeat mood prevailed as the event opened, with window and door industry exhibitors expressing more optimism for the year ahead, particularly on the remodeling and replacement side of the business.David Crowe, chief economist for the National ... more »

January 11, 2010
Meetings & Events | Channels

Builders' Show Looks to Recover Also

Expectations for a better year boost expectations for Las Vegas event

With the housing market expected to begin a tepid recovery in 2010, exhibitors and attendees alike will be looking for signs of life when they gather for the International Builders’ Show. The National Association of Home Builders' annual show runs January 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.Attendance itself will serve as a barometer. Last year’s event drew about 60,000 people, ... more »

January 10, 2010
FEATURE ARTICLE | Segments, Channels, Statistics, Markets & Trends

Road to Recovery Begins in 2010

Industry leaders see many challenges, but this may be the year we finally turn the corner

Everyone is cautious, but there are traces of optimism in the window and door market. While most industry representatives expect a challenging start to 2010, they are, generally speaking, anticipating a flattening out and perhaps a slight uptick in the back half of this year."While there are many indicators that the marketplace has hit bottom, market projections are for the recovery to be ... more »

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 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 ... 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 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 ... more »

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 & 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 ... more »

September 8, 2009
THE TALK... | Channels, Markets & Trends

Are Builders Looking at Windows and Doors to Increase Perceived Value?

According to the NAHB Research Center, two major trends have emerged in today's weak new construction market. Builders continue to strive to (1) reduce new home production costs and (2) increase value to homebuyers. Pointing to its 2009 Annual Builder Practices Survey, conducted early this year, the organization suggests that builders see bathrooms as one of the key areas to increase perceived ... more »

June 1, 2009
COLUMN : Research and Development | Channels

Satisfaction at Every Level

It wasn’t the main topic, but customer satisfaction was a recurring subject of discussion at a focus group of custom and semi-custom home builders I moderated recently. Held in Las Vegas at the same time as the International Builders Show, the session revealed a shift in builder reliance upon manufacturers for “customer satisfaction,” as opposed to dealers and distributors.The ... more »

March 15, 2009
FEATURE ARTICLE | Segments, Channels, Markets & Trends

(Almost) Business-as-Usual for Pre-hangers

Pre-recession trends continue to gain some momentum in pre-hanger channel

Some of the trends that were emerging or blossoming before the economy began to bottom out continue to define pre-hangers, even in the current economic environment. That’s not to say the economy isn’t having a big impact on this supply channel—it certainly is. But there are plenty of pre-hangers and millwork specialists that have adopted the attitude to keep on keepin’ ... more »

February 15, 2009
SPECIAL FEATURES | Channels, Markets & Trends

The Top 100 Manufacturers of 2009

Challenging times clearly reflected in annual look at North America's largest residential window and door manufacturers in North America

Challenging times clearly reflected in annual look at North America's largest residential window and door manufacturers in North America. See the Top 100 rankings, broken out into 10 sales range category, here. more »