Windows were supplied by manufacturers including Loewen, Inline Fiberglass, Milgard, Pella and Jeld-Wen. Glass suppliers were represented as well by companies including PPG, Innovative Glass and SageGlass. Other companies such as Velux Skylights and hardware companies including Truth Hardware and Hafele also were involved. 

The team from Santa Clara University took third place in the event, and their project included windows from Milgard: the 5320 Series Picture Windows, the 5421 Awning Window and the 5221 Casement Window. Jamb hinges on the latter allow the window to open outward for maximum ventilation and possible egress, according to the company. 

Santa Clara’s project also included EGlass from Innovative Glass Corp., which the company says eliminates the requirement for mechanical shades, blinds and other window coverings, and opens up many design possibilities, particularly for odd-shaped, hard-to-reach windows and skylights.

The sixth-place team (out of 20 total) was Georgia Institute of Technology. This home featured Solarban 70XL Glass by PPG Industries, and the windows were fabricated by OldCastle Glass. The glass was chosen to brighten the home while limiting the solar heat gain, according to PPG. Because of its transparent, proprietary coating, Solarban 70XL glass transmits 64 percent of the sun’s natural light while blocking more than 70 percent of its heat energy. Solarban glass also was used in the home created by Carnegie Mellon University, which finished number-14 in the standings. 

Georgia Tech’s energy-efficient house also features Kawneer’s 190 Standard Entrances, Trifab^® VersaGlaze^® 451 framing, Storefront GLASSvent™ windows and 1600 SS™ (Screw Spline) curtainwall. 

Frank Lowe Breaks Ground on New Facility
Construction crews have begun foundation work on Farmingdale, N.Y.-based Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Co. Inc.’s new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility approximately 20 miles east of its current location. The company plans to move into the new, 60,000-square-foot building by spring 2008, according to Frank Lowe president Ira M. Warren.

“This project has been in the works for over two years,” Warren said. “We made the decision to go forward with a new corporate facility that can double the size of our current 35,000-square-foot facility.”

The new plant provides the company with room to expand its operations, while it also brings its corporate offices and manufacturing facility under one roof.

Fibertec Window and Door Manufacturing Moves
Fibertec Window and Door Manufacturing in Concord, Ontario, has moved into a new facility, also in Ontario. The company says it has outgrown its previous facility, which was just two blocks east of the new location. The move was necessary due to the high demand for the company’s fiberglass doors and windows for both the remodeling and new construction markets.

With the recent move to the new facility, Fibertec will be adding another side slider to complement its existing product lines. The added space also will allow the company to automate more and set up a high-speed sealed unit glass line.

COMPANY NEWS
New Laminated Glass Company Begins Production
Northeast Laminated Glass Corp. officially began operations on October 2. The new company, based in Jessup, Pa., is owned by two former long-time AFG employees: Larry Tumminia and Tom Zaccone. 

Northeast will target a variety of groups including door and window manufacturers and distributors and fabricators and will offer products for the security, impact and flat automotive markets. According to Tumminia, he and Zaccone saw an opportunity in this market for several reasons including the increasing amount of building codes in the impact market. “Our mission is to be the most reliable supplier of flat laminated glass in North America,” he says. 

He adds that there is a definite need for an independent company offering all flat laminated products.

The company currently has 30 employees. 

Cambridge Door Sale Becomes Final
 Cambridge, Ontario-based Cambridge Door’s sale to general manager Mike Sloan and a private group of Canadian investors led by Robert Turk and David Turk of Toronto-based Gallery Specialty Hardware became final in early October. The new owners have announced that they will inject millions of dollars into equipment, inventory and more staff. 

Cambridge Door will remain at its 70,000-square-foot Savage Drive location and retain all 30 current employees. Robert Turk, who now serves as chief executive officer for Cambridge, says Gallery Specialty’s decision to invest in the company should be beneficial to Cambridge.

“Cambridge Door and Gallery are an ideal match,” says Robert Turk. “Cambridge Door will now be able to take advantage of Gallery’s strong sales force, extensive distribution network and over 300 clients.” Mike Sloan will serve as Cambridge’s new president.

Casement Provides Custom PVC Profiles
Casement Limited, an extrusion company in Toronto, says it will now provide custom PVC profiles, as well as a complete open window lineal system, to its customers.

The company utilizes 10 extrusion lines as well as an in-house tool and die shop.“We can produce custom shapes for a wide range of applications in any industry, with our main focus being on the window and door manufacturing sector,” says sales manager Clive Edwards.

Door and Window Companies Rank on Inc. 5000 List
A number of door and window manufacturers and their suppliers ranked on Inc. magazine’s first-ever Inc. 5000 list—a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. Among those listed were as follows:

KUDOS
Strybuc Industries Celebrates 25 Years 
Strybuc Industries, based in Sharon Hill, Pa., is celebrating its 25th anniversary in business this year as a global supplier of door and window hardware.

“Twenty-five years means maintaining a strong presence in a fragmented and diverse industry, while simultaneously building lasting relationships with OEM suppliers/manufacturers,” says Strybuc president Rinaldo J. Pierangeli. “This gives us the advantage to service our customers efficiently and effectively each and every day.”

Strybuc was founded in 1968 by Bob Strybuc, but was acquired in 1982 by Pierangeli Group Inc. Originally the company was a local parts supplier only.

Pierangeli says the company has come a long way since that time. “What [Bob] was doing in a year’s period of time in sales, we’re doing in a month now.” He adds, “Twenty-five years means maintaining a strong presence in a fragmented and diverse industry, while simultaneously building lasting relationships with OEM suppliers/manufacturers. This gives us the advantage to service our customers efficiently and effectively each and every day.”

To celebrate its 25-year milestone, the company is preparing for new developments. 

“We’re coming up with a new comprehensive catalog and we’re going to feature that,” Pierangeli says. In addition, the company held a luncheon celebration for employees. 

“We reminisced about Bob [Strybuc] and how he started the business and how we got together with him,” Pierangeli says. The 25th anniversary isn’t just a milestone for the company, but also for nine employees who have been with Strybuc Industries since it opened its doors in 1982. 

“We’re pretty fortunate,” Pierangeli says. “I think we must be doing something right to retain that many people.”

FORTUNE Magazine Recognizes Pella
The Pella, Iowa-based Pella Corp. has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of “Global Top Companies for Leaders.” The list appeared in the October 1 issue of FORTUNE.

Those named to the list were reviewed and ranked by a panel of judges based on leadership practices, company reputation, leadership culture and values and business performance. Pella says it was selected because of the leadership opportunities, available training and the quality of the work environment it provides for its team members.

“We’re extremely proud of the leadership demonstrated daily by each of Pella’s 10,600 team members and the reputation they’ve earned for quality and innovation in satisfying our customers’ window and door needs,” says Mel Haught, president and chief executive officer for Pella. 

“We’re especially pleased that our customers and an objective third party like FORTUNE recognize the strength of our company and the collective talents of our team members.”

Pella has been ranked by FORTUNE before. In January, Pella was named to FORTUNE’s “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” list.

Northern Building Products Named to New Jersey List 
Northern Building Products (NBP) has recently been named as one of the Fifty Fastest Growing Companies in New Jersey. The New Jersey Finest Awards Program is run annually by NJBIZ , provider of business news, information and trends in New Jersey. The awards recognize and identify the state's most dynamic companies that have made significant contributions to the strength of the New Jersey economy.

Owner Robert Pecorella says he is thrilled with the recognition the company has received.

“It’s a way to demonstrate to all the people who are important to us–customers, suppliers, employees–what a good partnership we have,” he said. 

“We have always felt that we bring a great product to the marketplace and our solid and consistent growth is a clear acknowledgement to the value we create. We hope that our customers enjoy doing business with us as much as we appreciate serving them and their clients with safe, energy-efficient fenestration products,” he added. 

Rankings are determined by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, based upon revenue growth over a three-year period.

Consumer Reports Ranks Replacement Windows
Consumer Reports ranked replacement windows in its October 2007 issue. The consumer group based its ratings on wind and rain resistance, durability and convenience.

In addition to the above rankings, Andersen’s #400 Series Tilt Wash ranked as best overall, as Consumer Reports notes it is the only clad-wood window in the group available in custom sizes. Pella’s ProLine and its Impervia, along with Andersen’s 200 Series Tilt-Wash, also ranked best overall. Reliabilt’s 5600 and American Craftsman’s 9500 Series were both named “Best Buys.”

Following is a listing of how the windows rated stacked up.

RESEARCH
Updated Building Codes Could Reduce Hurricane Damage in Alabama, Study Reports
 Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Hurricane Center conducted a study recently, sponsored by St. Louis-based Solutia Inc., to study the effects of incorporating three wind-resistant features into residential buildings in Alabama. The features reviewed in the study, which would bring houses into compliance with the International Residential Code (IRC) for wind resistance, were the required use of shutters or impact-resistant windows to reduce structural and building damages, required use of fasteners to keep roof attached to buildings and the required installation of metal hurricane clips or straps to prevent catastrophic roof uplift failures.

The study, conducted by the center’s director, Marc Levitan, Ph.D., used FEMA’s HAZUS-MH Hurricane Wind Model to analyze losses from a Category-3 hurricane simulated to strike Alabama’s coast. The model was run two ways: once using residential building inventory from the 2000 census, and once assuming buildings were built to the 2003 IRC building standards.

The chart below  illustrates the differences shown by the study between the two building methods: “The study clearly shows that thousands of Alabama homes are at risk of being severely damaged due to a lack of a statewide mandatory minimum building code requiring strong wind protection,” says Nanette Lockwood, director of legislative affairs for Solutia. 

“The study showed that the incorporation of just three wind-resistant features could reduce the number of homes destroyed or severely damaged by as much as 87 percent. This could lower economic losses, such as damage to buildings and contents, by more than 70 percent.” www.solutia.com 

COMPANIES
Bystronic Glass Inc. to Move Headquarters to Colorado
Bystronic Glass Inc., which currently is located in Hauppauge, N.Y., has announced that it has opened a new location in Aurora, Colo., and has plans to move its headquarters there.

According to company president Claus Rieger, Aurora was selected partly because of its ideal central location as it offers great access to Western markets.

“We feel that the area will help us further develop many important market regions while simultaneously enabling us to provide fast service and excellent customer support,” Rieger says.

Amesbury Expands Textile Division
The Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Amesbury Group/Sealing Solutions has announced that it is expanding its textile division in Statesville, N.C. The company plans to add 36 jobs as it expands its local operation with a $4.5-million plant and equipment expansion to its existing facility. 

Rich Gustin, general manager of the textile plant, says a dedicated workforce is what drove the Statesville expansion. 

“Through their efforts, we have earned this opportunity for growth,” he says. 

“I am proud of our people and our accomplishments and am excited about the bright future this growth will present to us.”

The Statesville plant, part of the company’s textile division, makes door and window weatherstripping, and currently employs 90 people. Amesbury Group is a division of Lupus Capital plc of London.

Edge Seal Technologies Re-Named “INTIGRAL Inc.”
INTIGRAL Inc. is the new name for Edge Seal Technologies in Walton Hills, Ohio. The change took effect on September 20.The company says the new name captures the flexible and tightly integrated relationships the company now forms with customers.

“For many door and window makers, in-house IG fabrication is a drag on resources, marketing and management focus,” says company president Tom Bradley. “INTIGRAL customers, on the other hand, can align their IG unit configuration and supply chain flow with their business needs. It becomes an agile asset that helps them establish and maintain market differentiation.”

The company is owned by Dick Dietrich and Edmund Leopold, but has been managed by Bradley for the last three years, with the assistance of Philip Marcantonio, vice president of finance, Joe Hudson, vice president of marketing and sales, Deanna Negron, vice president of customer service and systems, and Jamey Beard, vice president of operations.

“Pronounced just like integral,” Bradley says, “INTIGRAL captures the closely linked working relationships we form with customers and focuses attention on the heart of our business—commitment to IG.”

briefly

HAECO has added three new sales agencies to represent its product line: Stern & Co. in Cleveland, Ohio, RCL Sales Inc. in Rockwall, Texas, and Bob Moyers Sales in Mechanicsville, Va. The Loveland, Ohio-based company says each agency was selected based on its operational integrity, excellent business ethics, strong market penetration, depth of knowledge and a longstanding tenure in the industry. 

DWM
© Copyright 2007 Key Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
No reproduction of any type without expressed written permission.