Latest Articles in Strategies & Practices

  • DOY_2009logo_web.jpg
    October 1, 2009
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Operations, Close-Ups

    Dealers of the Year 2009
    Window & Door Honors Excellence in the Middle
    Window & Door, the leading magazine serving the window and door industry, has announced its 2009 Dealers of the Year award winners. This year’s program honored two companies as the top Overall Excellence winners. In addition, it recognized six Focused Excellence category winners—window and door retailers and distributors that stand out in the areas of marketing, installation... more »
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    October 1, 2009
    SPECIAL FEATURES | Sales & Marketing, Close-Ups

    FAS Windows Makes Showrooms its Centerpiece
    Retail professionalism makes for a lasting impression
    A Showroom that Sells Excellence in Retail FAS Windows Winter Park, Fla. FAS Windows believes less is more when it comes to showroom displays. Too many products in a limited space takes away from a minimalist, upper-end feel. In an economy where homeowners are skittish and looking for ways to get the most value for their purchases, a showroom does more than allow potential... more »
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    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
    COLUMN : Legal | Management

    How Long Will Your Product Maintain 30/30 Performance?
    It is unusual for the fenestration industry to fall within the scope of presidential action. It happened in February 2009 with President Obama’s signing of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus package. The law was designed to boost sales of energy efficient building envelope components, including windows and doors. The idea was to create jobs and reduce... 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 »
  • October 1, 2009
    COLUMN : Dealer Perspectives | Sales & Marketing

    Planning Market Research for the Coming Year
    It is now planning time for many fenestration companies. Most successful firms do annual planning for the entire company.  Many of these firms typically include marketing planning or research and development fiscal planning for new products in this process.  But few companies actually do market research planning. Yes, they may have a lump sum ready to be used for the annual customer... more »
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    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 | Sales & Marketing, Close-Ups

    Superior Forges Relationships with Community Service
    Charitable events create a lasting bond between the dealer and its customers, suppliers, employees
    Giving Back Excellence in Community Service Superior Products Home Improvement Denver, Colo. When his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Tom Higgins founded Superior Products to be able to control his schedule through her recovery. For many companies, community service efforts are a bit of an afterthought. But at Superior Products Home Improvement, the company might not... 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 »