As I write this column, I'm roughly three weeks away from the arrival of my first child. While I'm so excited for that moment, I'm secretly hoping that the little one won't come too early. I'm trusting she'll allow me to give birth of another sort before her arrival: that she'll allow me to get the premier issue of Door & Window Maker magazine off to press before she makes her entry into the world.

While I anticipate that the premier of Door & Window Maker may pale slightly in comparison to the delivery of my daughter, I have put a great deal of effort into this magazine and thus will feel relieved to see the first issue through to completion.

The magazine you have in your hands is the premier of Door & Window Maker. It was mailed as a supplement to all readers of USGlass, as well as those who have already eagerly signed up for this new publication. The magazine will begin as a regularly scheduled quarterly publication in the winter of 2001.

You may be wondering what you can expect from this magazine and why the industry needs another fenestration publication.

First, let me respond to the second question. Door & Window Maker is exclusively targeted toward manufacturers of windows, doors and other fenestration products. While other industry publications do report on some issues of relevance to this group, they also concentrate heavily on topics affecting window and door dealers. While the dealer/installer is vital to the fenestration community, we decided to create a publication to which the manufacturer can turn for articles directly relating to him or her.

From the time we first conceived the thought of Door & Window Maker, we knew it would be different from the rest. Now it’s time to prove that difference. I firmly believe that the issue you hold in your hands is a testament to that goal.

Now, back to the first question: what type of articles can you expect to see in Door & Window Maker? First, we have gathered representatives from the leading window and door companies and associations to contribute regular columns. While these authors will tackle a variety of topics, we do expect some of them to spark a bit of debate within the industry. For example, on pages 54 through 61 you’ll find three different columns, each making its case for the benefits of aluminum, vinyl and wood windows, respectively. While some readers may disagree with some of the suggested points, we hope these columns will serve to educate everyone in the industry of the benefits each product may offer.

Concerning the feature articles found in the pages of Door & Window Maker, we will always strive to offer content that is both informative and thought-provoking. On page 38, you will see a feature detailing a window manufacturing plant, its equipment and how plant managers solve problems—information other plant managers can learn from. Titled, “Inside the Manufacturing Plant,” this will appear as a regular feature.

I hope by now you’ve realized that Door & Window Maker is a distinct publication worth reading. Be sure to fill out the free subscription form to ensure you don’t miss a single issue.