Window and door manufacturers report broad-based growth in sales, production and innovation—while navigating tariffs, labor shortages and economic uncertainty.
The past five years have been a wild ride. Extreme demand, both waxing and waning, rocked the industry. Despite a predicted economic recession, residential fenestration companies predict stable sales and plan to invest in their businesses.
How a strong company culture and an open mind leads to growth and new opportunities. Quanex President and CEO George Wilson discusses rebranding, the company's focus on people, its goals going forward and the industry at large.
As the supply chain stabilizes, the single-family housing market slows. Nevertheless, the industry charges forward with new sales, product innovation and investments.
The annual Window + Door Industry Pulse survey had few surprises: the market is strong, business is booming and no aspect of the supply chain is exempt from the persistent supply and labor challenges.
The Top Manufacturers survey is opening soon, and it's going to look a little different. While previous Lists have organized companies by gross sales, this year we'll be putting a major focus on whether companies distribute nationally or regionally.
Bob Keller of Miter Brands, now combined with PGTI, sat down with Laurie Cowin to talk about how the companies are following best practices in merging their processes and products. The acquisition has also opened up new possibilities for product innovation, markets and further innovation.
GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo, will return Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 in its biggest edition yet with 500+ exhibitors. And that big size is appropriate to the new locale: Dallas, Texas.
Companies take a holistic approach to their business as they invest in processes, people and products while keeping an eye on a market challenged by inflation and affordability concerns.
Double-hung windows represent the lion’s share of the market. Tilt and turns gain more awareness. Manufacturing and product efficiencies remain top of mind.
The changing workforce prioritizes career development above nearly all else. Investing in your employees and implementing technology are two notable ways to give your business a competitive edge.
The labor challenge likely will continue for years to come, but once we get people truly invested in this industry and what we do, they’re our greatest spokespeople.
The past five years have been a wild ride. Extreme demand, both waxing and waning, rocked the industry. Supply chain complications strained companies as they raced to acquire enough materials in a timely manner, for which they often paid premium prices. Labor shortages continue to challenge…
At a tradeshow like GlassBuild America, there’s always something new to see and education opportunities abound. No matter what aspect of your business you’re looking to improve, GlassBuild America will have a solution.
When John Burns Research and Consulting approached Window + Door about partnering in a quarterly market study earlier this year, we jumped at the opportunity to provide even more relevant data to the industry. But here’s the catch: it won’t work without your participation.
Supply chain challenges eased significantly, while labor, inflation and rising costs put more strain on companies. Despite headwinds, the industry continues to invest in itself, grow and innovate.
The annual Industry Pulse survey and corresponding report is one of my favorite editorial projects of the year and this year’s report was especially interesting. Although the past several years have been characterized by overwhelming demand amid supply chain and material disruptions, the responses…
The Industry Pulse not only revealed information about the economic landscape, but also lent insights into the changing supply chain and material landscape, ongoing labor concerns, product trends and more. Read on for the top takeaways.
Jay Lund, former Andersen Corp. CEO and current board chair, retired from Andersen at the end of 2022 and took time to discuss his career and the challenges and successes he saw during his tenure.
High-speed machinery can allow product to move through a facility in an expedited manner, but companies need to consider more than speed before investing in this equipment.
As we discussed labor and supply challenges, product trends, manufacturing capabilities and more, I kept noticing the overriding theme of innovation. Innovation in how to mitigate labor and supply chain struggles, innovation in product development and innovation in manufacturing processes.
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance Hybrid Annual Conference Feb. 28-March 3 in Amelia Island, Florida, was a jam-packed week of education, networking and a healthy dose of vitamin D from the Florida sunshine.
Although some notable window and door manufacturers didn’t have a presence at the International Builders' Show this year, the show floor held no shortage of new products and ideas for residential fenestration professionals.
The industry prepares to enter another year rife with supply chain and labor concerns. Hardware supplier INOX shares its perspective about how companies can navigate this tricky time.
This year’s annual Industry Pulse survey takes stock of how the industry is responding to labor and supply chain challenges, as well as where companies are focusing on business and product growth.
WinTrax by GED Integrated Solutions was introduced in 2019 to track windows through the production facility, into finished goods inventory and throughout the supply chain.
Pella Corp.’s Easy-Slide Operator is designed to allow homeowners to easily slide the operator up to open and down to close casement and awning windows.
The Magic Window Wall is a modern adaptation of traditional folding doors that incorporates Parallex hardware, which rids the window wall of any hinges.
New to the market in September 2021, FlexScreen Lite is a more economical version of FlexScreen that is geared toward price-sensitive, large-volume, standard-size windows for new construction.
The Despiro aluminum door by Eko-Okna joins an aesthetic form with panel technology on both sides that is flush with the frame with a depth of 77mm. A fingerprint scanner and touch panel come standard with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. T
The INOX TL7 Magnetic Tubular Latch for interior doors uses magnetism to latch the door rather than an old-fashioned strike-plate lip that physically forces the latchbolt into the strike’s box.
Machinery isn’t exempt from the world’s shift to technology-based solutions. Ready or not, automation is the future of manufacturing. Companies today have no choice but to embrace Industry 4.0 in their manufacturing practices or run the risk of being left behind, according to leading industry…
Exhibiting companies have spent the previous year developing new product solutions to address their customers’ top concerns, and these innovations will take center stage at GlassBuild.
This year’s Top Manufacturers report revealed several key takeaways about the manufacturing and housing markets as a whole, and how residential fenestration manufacturers fit into it.
Dan Gray, director of sales, Roto North America, sat down with Window + Door in February to discuss current supply chain challenges, logistical considerations and how to work through them.
Although the skilled labor shortage is a long-discussed topic, it’s a conversation happening with renewed vigor, particularly as companies are experiencing record-high business and feeling the labor shortage more acutely as they struggle to keep up with demand.
At the Window & Door Manufacturers Association Spring Virtual Meeting and Legislative Conference in March, experts discussed what the next year might hold in regard to housing, labor, safety and health policy. Speakers agreed that COVID, climate and energy efficiency are most likely to…
Last week’s FGIA Virtual Annual Conference was packed with information for the fenestration and glazing industries, and covered everything from economics to safety to design to codes and regulations, and more. Read on for some of the key residential takeaways from the event.
Housing growth will continue for the next several years, but at lower growth rates than we saw last year, according to NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz during a press conference at the International Builders’ Show virtual experience on Feb. 9.
Despite challenges around COVID-19, the industry looks forward to a robust 2021 and beyond as demand is booming and residential construction posts historically strong numbers.
This year’s Window + Door Industry Pulse survey encompasses several themes, from labor and sales to technology to supply chain and product specifics. Overriding every conversation, however, was the COVID-19 pandemic and its marked impact on the residential fenestration industry throughout 2020 –…
Companies describe some of the best business conditions they’ve ever seen, period. In many cases, they have more than rebounded from unsettling and low times earlier this year. Although there doesn’t appear to be a shortage of work anytime soon, busy production lines paired with a shaky supply…
How fenestration companies have protected employees and customers, developed solutions for the industry, and given back to their communities during the pandemic.
During GlassBuild Connect in September, Jeff Inks, vice president, advocacy, and Kevin McKenney, director of government affairs, both with the Window and Door Manufacturers Association, examined key issues facing Washington and the industry as a whole.
With such a yo-yo year almost in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead with Window + Door’s annual Industry Pulse survey. The survey takes stock of the current marketplace and paints a picture of what’s to come for all areas of the supply chain.
Among the pandemic’s many consequences is the adoption of digital tools, including software that enhances work in the office, factory and selling. Today’s software often is designed to integrate with hardware and machinery with the intent to streamline automation and interconnectivity.
Hardware manufacturers in 2020 are experiencing burgeoning demand for technologically advanced and hands-free hardware both as the world moves toward more automation and as touch-free options become necessary safety components in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The shape of the macroeconomic rebound is coming into focus as 2020 nears its end, said Connor Lokar, ITR Economics, during the GlassBuild Connect presentation on Sept. 8. Housing remains a bright spot in the overall construction industry, which likely hasn’t experienced the full effects of the…
Hurricane season is upon us once again, which often spurs conversations around resilient design. GlassBuild Connect includes several impact-rated products and education sessions to help understand codes, installation challenges and plans.
An in-depth look at the equipment, technology and products that shape our industry. Join us online at GlassBuild.com beginning Sept. 1 to continue the conversation. Today’s machinery is reaching a new level of maturity to further address user needs such as automation, efficiency and labor…
Leading indicators of the health of the residential construction and remodeling market send mixed signals about the economic climate, but all agree that challenges exist as the economy emerges from the coronavirus-induced recession.
The National Glass Association’s Thirsty Thursday webinar on June 18, presented by Tom Culp, Birch Point Consulting and NGA technical codes consultant, dissected some of the upcoming energy code evolutions in 2020 on a national and regional level.
Component and end-product manufacturers in the residential fenestration industry all seem to agree on one thing: the coronavirus pandemic and its associated effects are unprecedented and have caused businesses to alter and re-think how they operate.
Confront the down cycle as an opportunity zone to re-evaluate and improve business with nine strategies for dealers to get ahead now in preparation for the years ahead.
Passive House is all about energy modeling and meeting comfort, air quality and hygiene requirements. Rather than using a prescriptive approach to get to the end goal, Passive House requires the finished building meets certain standards.
Marketers are tasked with finding new ways to get in front of potential customers and communicating messages that resonate. And, with people remaining home under coronavirus-induced shelter-in-place orders, organic reach is incredible right now. More people than ever are online and the time is ripe…
The coronavirus pandemic has caused many companies to shut their physical doors and move operations online where possible. Among the challenges some face is how to best communicate to maintain relationships with existing customers and partner companies and how to attract new business.
Economic indicators give a clearer picture as to the state of the housing industry as governors commence conversations about re-opening parts of the economy
As people continue to shelter in place and want to explore home improvement projects, fenestration companies adapt and take measures to keep employees and customers safe.
March data paints a grim picture that caused several industry economists to declare the U.S. is in a recession. “We are in recession, full-stop, no question about it,” says Richard Branch, chief economist, Dodge Data & Analytics.
As has been the case since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the duration of the virus’s sweep across the country will determine if the economy rebounds quickly or if it’s in for a longer recession, said Ali Wolf, chief economist of Meyers Research, in an economic update webinar on April 1.
Whether construction is considered to be an “essential” business and allowed to continue amidst the COVID-19 pandemic varies state by state. In the Associated General Contractors’ “Navigating the Outbreak” webinar series, panelists discussed best practices for maintaining project continuity in the…
The current approach for handling employees’ confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases is “better safe than sorry,” according to Howard Mavity, partner at Fisher Phillips law firm.
Policymakers are acting fast to keep the economy as stable as possible and reduce the duration of an inevitable recession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Ali Wolf, chief economist of Meyers Research, in a webinar on March 25.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is slated to take effect no later than April 2 and is set to last until the end of 2020. Per the act’s stipulations, employers are required to provide some paid relief for employees, but employers may apply for tax credits on a quarterly basis that…
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing with it global uncertainty, fueled by unknowns as to long-term impacts, duration and economic implications. “It’s a given we will have an adverse economic impact in the first and second quarters of 2020,” said Ali Wolf, chief economist of Meyers Research, during a…
Bigger openings, more glass, larger panels and narrower frames dominate the multi-panel door market today. All of these attributes fulfill what customers seem to want most: a connection with the outdoors and prolific natural light.
Overall project considerations, functionality, performance, aesthetics, available wall space, desired purpose and interaction, and budget all determine which type of multi-panel door is appropriate for a given project, including multi-slide, bifold and lift-and-slide…
With hurricanes predicted to worsen in the coming years, according to a study by Yale University, the resiliency conversation is more important to the building products industry than ever. Certainly, smart building practices and materials are paramount to the conversation, but even the strongest of…
Automated machinery is moving into the front lines of the factory floor as demand for windows and doors remains strong and companies continue to struggle to find workers to produce the products. Manufacturers are responding with suitable products for all clients—those just entering the automated…
Innovative. Forward-thinking. Transformative. Truly unique. These terms, among others, are those judges used to describe the winners of this year’s Window + Door Awards (formerly, the Crystal Achievement Awards).
Window + Door's annual Industry Pulse report reflects on 2019 and lays expectations for 2020, including insights on product, sales and employment trends. The report also frames how the greater economic landscape affects fenestration, and sheds light on how technology is increasingly changing the…
For several years, I worked in an interior office with nothing but a buzzing fluorescent light to illuminate my space. After buckling down on a project for hours, I was always surprised when I emerged, looked out someone else’s window and saw it was snowing. Or storming.
Little did I know when I started at Window & Door that the Pittsburgh area is jam-packed with manufacturers in the fenestration industry. In April, I was welcomed to two local-to-me plants. I visited Thermal Windows & Doors in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, which introduced vinyl windows to the…
Last week, I attended Glass Processing Automation Days in San Antonio. Organized by FeneTech and supported by the National Glass Association, the event is focused on the glass side of our world. But there was still a ton of great information about integrating automation that applies directly to our…
As the housing market crashed in 2008, I was in the early days of my career in construction-related publishing. Despite entering the workforce—and the construction-related workforce at that—at arguably one of the most tumultuous times possible, I somehow weathered the Great Recession with my job…
This week is the National Association of Women in Construction’s Women in Construction Week, an annual event the first week of March that aims to promote women as a viable component of the industry. Although women comprise about 47 percent of the total U.S. workforce, construction is made up of…
Worldwide spending on augmented and virtual reality could reach $160 billion by 2023—more than nine times the $16.8 billion figure forecast for 2019, according to a study by the International Data Corporation. Fenestration is exploring these alternate realities and using them to boost…
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As technology infiltrates more areas of life, data breaches rise. Nearly 9,000 reported data breaches occurred between January 2005 and April 18, 2018, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. IoT attacks rose by 600 percent in 2017, according to…
Inox’s CeraMax Rainbeaux ceramic-coated, hand-finished door hardware is designed to resist deterioration from salt spray, oxidation, humidity and UV light.
Hardware manufacturers today are tasked with making products that not only appeal to myriad aesthetic styles, but also that function for the…
Europe generally is more advanced than the Americas in the building products field and technology, and the same holds true with machinery. Tony Mehringer, vice president of sales and marketing, Sturtz Machinery, recalls being “blown away” as far back as the early 1990s by how much more open Europe…
Women are vastly underrepresented in construction. Although women comprise 47 percent of the total U.S. workforce, they represent only 9 percent of the construction workforce. With construction experiencing such an intense labor shortage, opportunities for women abound.
