Welcome to another weekly installment where we look back and forward at some 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'll have it all covered.
Window and Door Magazine released this year’s winners for the 2022 Window + Door Awards. This contest, which runs annually, recognizes companies that “develop products that address customer needs around aesthetics, safety, performance, and more.”
Judges weighed entries in eight categories to determine which products best-exemplified innovation while contributing unique solutions to market demands.
The Most Innovative Door Component Winner was:
ODL's newest Blink Blinds + Glass combo. This product provides customers a clean glass with built-in cordles blinds for privacy.
Panda Window and Doors’ Voyage Select Pivot Door. These big, beautiful products allow homeowners to create openings up to nine feet wide and 18 feet high with a maximum weight of 750 pounds.
Integrated Automation System’s AutoRack 1. This product allows manufacturers to automate processes even more. The system can receive an integrated glass unit every 9.5 seconds and uprights it from the horizontal, then labels and racks the unit, all without any human hands touching them.
The REHAU Aspekt+ 1800. This new outswing casement window provides thermal, acoustic and structural performance designed meet Passive House requirements. The energy efficiency was quoted as being “absolutely fantastic.”
You can read about the rest of the winners by checking out the full announcement post.
Even though building materials have increased in price recently, builders continue to decrease prices.
The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) recently confirmed that builders are reducing prices and offering more sales incentives to compete with competitors in the current market.
In November 2022, The NAHB stated that 36% of single-family homebuilders reported price reductions while 59% offered sales incentives. The reductions are most likely coming as a response to the current recession.
The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) stated that the sales incentives don’t just include discounts. They can also come in the form of free upgrades, free additions, or other offers.
However, the proportion of homebuilders offering incentives has been steadily rising through the year, which tells of an increasingly competitive window and door landscape. In July 2022, 43% of homebuilders offered incentives, followed by 53% in September and 59% in November.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported an increase in glass prices in November 2022 compared to October 2022.
While glass and glazing manufacturing costs are rising, the industry isn’t singled out. Price increases have impacted the entire U.S. construction industry.
The BLS’s monthly reported building commodity prices increased by 1.5% from October to November. This marks a 12.3% increase since last year (from November 2021 to November 2022).
Over 50% of schools across the United States are 60 years old or older. While modern school designs are built with advanced safety and security features, older buildings need options too.
The answer has been to add more security windows. Architects and school boards are approving more glass openings because they let in more natural light and provide better outdoor surveillance. And with modern glazing and bulletproofing technology, school security can be enhanced to provide more protection for students and teachers.
So, what does this mean for the Window and Door industry?
Since nearly 50,000 American schools are 60 years or older and provide minimal security, this is an opportunity for window and door specialists to upgrade a large portion of American schools with bullet-resistant or laminated glass.
As we just mentioned, the window and door industry is becoming increasingly competitive. With product pricing up and vast numbers of builders offering sales incentives and discounts, it’s more important than ever to stay ahead of the competition.
While you can offer several sales incentives, there’s something even more important than a good deal: social proof.
Your reputation is everything. You could have the best offer, but if someone looks up your company only to find bad reviews, or even worse, no reviews at all, they’ll likely go with a trusted competitor.
As we prepare for the end of the year, you must ensure your window and door company is listed on various review sites. While there are dozens of sites you can list your site on, the three most important you should start with are Google Reviews, Houzz, and Facebook.
These three sites can be instrumental in bringing in new business to your company. They are a great way to build trust with interested prospects and an excellent way for more people to find you as they search for window and door companies online.
You can read our free guide to learn about why we recommend these review sites specifically for window and door installers.
That's all for this edition of This Week in Window & Door News. Be sure to check back next week for more news and growth strategies to scale your business.