Welcome to the weekly recap of the biggest news stories affecting the window and door installation, glazing, and fenestration industries. Whether it's a new product line, a significant industry shift, or a major upcoming event, we have it all covered.

The Big Story

1) New Fenestration Safety Resources Are Available from the FGIA

The FGIA recently announced the launch of a brand new set of safety resources for FGIA members titled “The Safety Library.”

The FGIA Safety Library includes a variety of resources for those in the window and door industry who are committed to following best practices regarding fenestration safety. The Safety Library features resources on topics like:

• The benefits of trauma response training
• The use of cut-resistant work apparel
• The impacts of mental health and substance use in the window and door industry

The Safety Library also includes frequent updates like new safety presentations, safety resources, links to online tools, information on skylight fall prevention, do’s and don’ts of glass safety, window safety for consumers, and more.

Other Industry News

1) Roto Just Launched a Collection of “SOLID” Door Hinges

Located in Chester, Connecticut, Roto Frank of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Roto AG (headquartered in Germany). Roto is a long-serving manufacturer of window and door hardware. In 1935, Roto was initially a hardware manufacturer for tilt and turn windows. Fast-forward to 2023, and they’re one of the top producers of window and door hardware for residential and commercial applications in America.

Roto’s latest hinges collection is called “Solid”. The Solid S range of door hinges includes screw-on devices for any frame materials and requirements. The solid B two and three-part butt hinges work with vinyl doors, while the two and three-part clam hinges work with aluminum doors.

On all the butt hinges, the adjustment mechanisms fully integrate into the door’s hinge roller, which means there’s no gap between the leaf hinge and frame hinge during adjustments. 

The Roto Solid door hinges come with a 10-year performance warranty.

2) Simpson Door Company Just Released Its First Dog Door Collection

Located in McCleary, Washington, Simpson Door Company is a long-serving manufacturer of doors in Washington State. Founded in 1912, Simpson produces both interior and exterior doors ranging in a variety of styles like decorative entry doors, French doors, panel doors, and more. 

Now, Simpson Door Company has crafted a brand new door to serve not just humans but their furry counterparts. Combining their love for homes and pets, Simpson recently introduced their first dog door collection. The dog doors are integrated directly into regular Simpson doors for a  precise, airtight fit. Simpson’s custom-made pet-door solution works for any doorway and any dog, regardless of size, all while maintaining an aesthetic design that fits with the rest of the house.

Simpson is offering three doors in their dog collection: Medium (for dogs up to 40 pounds), Large (for dogs up to 100 pounds), and Extra Large (for dogs up to 220 pounds). Customers can choose from white, bronze, and silver finishes.

3) The U.S. Department of Energy Is Offering $22 Million Dollars in Cash Prizes for Green Building Upgrades

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy within the U.S. The Department of Energy recently announced a new cash incentive program for building upgrades in the United States.

Buildings UP is a new program created to accelerate U.S. buildings into energy-efficient homes and commercial spaces in 2023. Incentives included over $22 million dollars in cash prizes that will be granted to teams across the U.S. who present building upgrade ideas to accelerate equitable energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in buildings. Teams will also be given technical assistance as needed to complete the projects.

Alejandro Moreno, the Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy mentioned:

“Transforming existing buildings is a complex task. Each building has its own set of needs related to size, use, age, location, and more—there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Buildings UP is designed to build capacity within multi-stakeholder teams to develop a variety of solutions and drive the implementation of effective building upgrade initiatives across the country.”

In Phase 1, teams can submit concepts to increase building energy upgrades to low and moderate-income homes, smaller, disadvantaged businesses, and other buildings for up to $400,000 in cash prizes.

The deadline for Phase 1 submissions is July 18, 2023.

Growing Your Window and Door Business

1) Get Started With Video Marketing NOW and Grow Faster!

If you want to find new opportunities for lead generation in your window and door business, then look no further than video marketing. Every year, video is becoming more and more dominant in the online world. And it’s not set to slow down anytime soon.

According to recent data from HubSpot, over 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.

As a window and door business, you can and should leverage video to take your business to the next level this year. Creating video content in your business is a great way to build up your expertise and authority in your space, increase your reach, and drive new business.

One type of video format that’s working really well in 2023 is short-form video. Any time you open up a social media platform like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and of course, Tiktok—short-form video leads the way. These quick, 60-second videos are an engaging way of digesting content, especially on mobile devices.

As a business owner, short-form videos are one of the easiest ways you can get in front of potential leads and show off your window and door expertise. If you’re nervous about getting in front of a camera or you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. We just created a brand new FREE resource for window and door companies looking to get started with short-form videos.

Our free, downloadable resource includes a variety of easy 60-second video scripts you can use to market your services right from your smartphone.

Download our free guide today!

Check Our Full Show for More Window & Door Growth Strategies

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Don’t stop - keep growing, everyone. We’ll see you next week!