Volume 8, Issue 11 - December 2007
Volume 8, Issue 11 - December 2007
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Toronto Time 2007 Show Brings New Products and Opportunities Win-door North America 2007 was held November 13-15 in Toronto at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre’s North Hall. The show garnered rave reviews from exhibitors who noted the quality of customers on-hand and gave many an opportunity to launch new products. Following is a wrap-up of the products on display at the show. In a Vinyl Jamb Accuwrap also has available custom profile wrapping, which it says enables a designer’s ability unlimited possibilities in matching panels to moulding. The wrapping resists warping and mineral staining, according to the company, and is available in the most popular American Renolit and Cova designs. www.accuwrap.com Like a Locca™? The ACCESS Remote Door Unlock is an ADA-approved remote designed for opening exterior entry doors with the push of a button. The system has an easy-to-push button and an easy-to-see light that indicates operation. It also comes with a neck lanyard and wrist strap and is programmable for up to 19 remotes. The MULTI Remote Door Unlock works similarly, but is programmable for up to 999 remotes. The CONNECTA system works in conjunction with the remote door unlock, but allows those wishing to enter the opportunity to speak on an intercom to the person without the house or place of business. Likewise, the remote control itself serves as an inter-house “phone” to call from room to room. Finally, the PROTECTA Smoke Detector is a smoke detector equipped with a remote control at eye level. The remote control can be used to mute the detector and provides a monthly reminder to test the button. While the above products are not necessarily standard for door and window manufacturers, Locca sales and marketing manager Amber Grayson notes they go perfectly with many products manufacturers are offering—and are a good add-on for a high-end door and window customer. www.amesburylocca.com New Vinyl Casement Hardware System from Ashland Ashland says the operator also incorporates a composite assembly that insulates the hardware and reduces the transfer of heat and cold. It also has a patented watertight O-ring seal that has been tested to withstand 11 inches of water.www.ashlandhardware.com ATechStop is Multi-Lingual and Automated The 260-pound unit comes either as 1-Phase 110V or 220V, and its packing dimensions are 94 by 27 by 22 inches. www.atechmachine.com ELCIA Makes Quoting Fast and Easy RapidStrength RGS7700 has the Fast Cure Norfield Adds Falcon Moulding the Future PH Tech says the system also will make it possible to change the glass in the window without breaking the glass or replacing parts and that it will fit all casement, fixed casement and panoramic windows in the System Boreal line, as well as all Primer line casement windows. The company says the real wood-PVC moulding system is designed for standard 7⁄8-inch glass and can be adapted easily to other glass thicknesses by modifying the upper moulding. www.phtech.ca Urban Offers Range of Machinery Another of Urban’s offerings, the AKS 1020 single-head welding machine, allows companies to weld vinyl window profiles in an angle from 30 to 180 degrees with a weld seam limitation of 2 mm. The system’s guide elements are made of structural grade steel and each of its parameters, including temperature, heating time, joining time, fusing pressure and joining pressure, can be adjusted individually. The AKS 1020’s two-hand control and automatic cut-off also encourage safety, according to the company. www.u-r-b-a-n.com Security Central Novatech also ended the three-day trade show by winning the “Best Booth Award” (see related story below). www.novatech-glass.com Venture Launches VF800
CWDMA Offers Economic Forecast; Slow Year Could be Ahead Despite recent concerns about the U.S. economy, Taylor had a favorable outlook. “We’ve actually seen some recent GDP [gross domestic product] economics numbers and they’ve been quite strong,” she said. However, she noted that consumers in the United States still appear concerned. “Consumer spending seems to be slipping a little in the [United States],” she said. For Canada, she noted that employment particularly is at a near-record high. “This is really boosting consumer confidence in our economy,” she said. She expects short-term interest rates also to remain stable in 2008—despite several recent changes in interest rates. While many have noted (particularly throughout the show) that Canada’s housing market has remained steady and has not seen the slowdown that the U.S. market has, she expects 2008 to be a different story. “We’re expecting starts to slow down next year,” Taylor said.
CWDMA Debates Next Year’s
Show CWDMA treasurer Tony Hall of Dashwood Industries Ltd. provided a positive review of the group’s financials. “The association is in excellent financial shape,” he said. “We’ve budgeted a break-even for the year.” He noted the financial committee is still in the process of completing the 2008 budget. Following, Michel Bastarache of Darce & Associates provided a technical update, noting that the group is working on reviewing the recommendations for the group’s latest Canadian Energy Star® proposal and a self-flashing sill issue in Alberta, Canada. Bob Latour provided an educational update, pointing out that with Win-door 2007 nearly over, the group’s focus would be moving toward the CWDMA’s spring meeting, which will be held at Le Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix, Quebec, May 29-31, 2008. Matt Kottke of Truth Hardware, chair of the Win-door committee, also discussed future plans for the show. “Win-door again is doing very well,” he said. He also has a good outlook for next year, noting that in years when GlassBuild America (GBA) is held on the WestCoast (this year it was in Atlanta, and next year it’s scheduled for Las Vegas), the show tends to be a bit busier—both with attendees and exhibitors. “[The Las Vegas location for GBA] will possibly encourage a few more machinery people [to exhibit at Win-door],” he said. Several in the audience offered suggestions, such as moving the show to another location, such as Montreal, Quebec, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Calgary, Alberta, or Vancouver, British Columbia. Kottke noted that research has shown that Calgary and Vancouver are quite expensive for shows, and that typically West Coast shows don’t fare very well. “Toronto is one of the best places to have a convention,” he said, noting that there are 60 million people in the Toronto area, and the convention center in the city actually provides the show with very economical, low rates for meeting there. As the show came to a close, CWDMA recognized Novatech with the James Parker Best Booth Award. The best booth award, which in the past has gone to companies such as Urban, Thermoplast, ODL and Resiver, is based on several elements of a booth, according to CWDMA committee member Henry Banman of All-Weather Windows, who presented the award. “First, there’s the ‘wow’ factor,” he said. “When you walk up to a booth, is it ‘wow, what a display’?” Likewise, openness and attraction of the booth come into play, along with signage and visible material to present the products on display. Use of space is also important, but the final factor—and most important—Banman noted was the people factor, including how welcoming and how helpful booth attendants were. Novatech won 23 out of 25 available points for its booth, which was filled with doors and a focus on the NovaSecure door. Banman noted that while Novatech came in first, he’d like to in the future offer an award for small booths and an award for larger booths, rather than having all the exhibiting companies compete in one contest. Likewise, he noted that had a second and third place been awarded, it would have been a multiple-way tie, as all were so close in the running.
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