It isn’t often that a construction or building materials company talks about culture as well as the product, but Windsor Windows does just that. The Des Moines, Iowa company started small in 1946, just after the end of the Second World War, and took pride in top-quality craftsmanship for fair prices that their customers could afford. Their reputation for good value spread not just to other trades, but to homeowners too.
Purchased by Woodgrain Millwork in 1987, Windsor ceased to be just a regional company. The largest molding and door manufacturer in the USA, the company now operates across 20 locations. However, the original Windsor ethos of not being a typical company persists – there is still a dedication to crafting not just the best windows and doors for the job, but the ones that meet the exact requirements of each individual customer. Custom builds that project both modern and traditional are not uncommon.
It’s unusual for any large manufacturing company not to have a corporate responsibility policy nowadays, but Windsor Windows have a dedicated green policy unlike most others. Not only is the life-cycle of the products they manufacture carefully considered to make them as long-lasting and energy efficient as possible, they also take into account how energy efficient they are in terms of saving customer resources too, in terms of fuel bills. In short, their products have a direct positive impact on the environment.
Making it easier for the trades is at the heart of their policy too. Knowing that the pressure is on for builders and contractors to go green as far as possible, they actively seek out and join organizations that have a similar commitment to doing the right thing by the environment, thus ensuring the joint contribution to a carbon footprint is as small as possible.
They also know claims aren’t enough; they not only recycle themselves, they make purchases where a significant percentage of the components are recycled. Additionally, the packaging materials can be recycled too. The manufacturing facilities also join the crusade, with heating and lighting options to minimize energy consumption throughout the working day and outside of working hours.
Over the course of a year, the Windsor Windows list of materials that are reused or recycled is an impressive read; there are the obvious recycling aims, such as cardboard, paper, and scrap metal, but batteries, light bulbs and even toner and ink cartridges are recycled too. If a company takes their membership of the United States Green Building Council this seriously, the customer knows that they can rest easy in terms of their own efforts to protect the environment.
The Windsor Windows brand has become synonymous not just with an environmental impact commitment, but with quality. The original ethos of quality and value has endured through seventy years of trading, and permeates every level of the company, from manufacture through to customer service.
