Manufacturers boost production to meet demand for vinyl windows, frames

VINYL NEWS SERVICE - ARLINGTON, Va. – Two of the nation’s leading window manufacturers – Andersen and Pella – announced that they are boosting production of vinyl windows to meet increasing public demand.

“This is another important example of how manufacturers can contribute to green building and the environment by using efficient, affordable vinyl building products,” said Tim Burns, president of the Arlington, VA-based Vinyl Institute. He noted that vinyl windows now account for nearly 60 percent of the market.

“Homeowners are demanding vinyl windows and window frames because they save energy through better insulation, they are low maintenance, and they are extremely durable. They make economic sense as well as environmental sense.”

Last month, Pella Corporation announced it would dedicate its Story City, Iowa, plant exclusively to vinyl windows. The company explained that the shift is a response to market demand for vinyl windows in home improvement projects and in new housing, including upscale homes. The Story City operation will focus on the ThermaStar by Pella vinyl product line, which is sold through Lowe’s Home Improvement retailers.

The 104-year-old Andersen Corporation entered the market last year, when it bought New Jersey-based Silver Line Building Products Corporation, one of the country’s largest makers of vinyl windows. Andersen, based in Minnesota, is the world’s largest manufacturer of wood windows, patio doors, and storm doors. A company spokesperson explained that it bought Silver Line because vinyl is now growing at a faster pace than wood, aluminum or clad.

The Vinyl Institute reports that the use of vinyl over less energy-efficient alternative window frames saves the United States nearly two trillion BTUs of energy a year – enough to meet the annual electrical needs of 20,000 single family homes.

For more information, go to www.vinylnewsservice.com or www.vinylindesign.com.