1935 Minnesota High School Football Champions Were Window Industry Champs Too

I remember when I was a little kid digging through the attic at my home. I found this gold football and a picture of the 1935 Stillwater Ponies State Championship Football team. There were just a handful of players, maybe 15 or so. I realize now that three of these guys were champions of the window industry too. Another was just a beloved champion of life and an entrepreneur but not in windows.

The three guys in that picture jumped out at me because I was working for Andersen Windows at the time and they were all still there too. Arvid Wellman, Bill Hering, and Bob Ludwig made up about twenty-five percent of that team but each of them contributed heavily to the success of Andersen Windows.

Arvid Wellman was the CEO of Andersen Corporation. Everyone in the factory new Arvid and I'd dare say he knew every one of us. He had a tremendous vision for the company and lead us into unprecedented success during the 1980's.

Bill Hering, who happens to be my father, was a great leader too. He was much lower key than Arvid but well respected. He was Production Control Manager which, at the time, was a very hard job. There were no computers so he had to calculate everything by hand. Every part and every component was calculated by Dad and his department. He knew everyone who worked there too.

Bob Ludwig was a Production Supervisor and a real character. People loved working for Bob because he was supportive, fun, and knew how to treat people. Working for Bob was being part of a team. Bob knew every job and never asked anyone to do what he woudln't do, just like the other great leaders at Andersen.

There weren't many window companies back then. The foundation for ongoing success was laid by Fred Andersen and guys like those three. Is it any wonder they were state champions in football? They knew how to lead and they new how to give of themselves. They knew everything there was to know about windows and could do every job in the factory.

That fourth character I mentioned was an affable guy named Bob Utecht. Bob was very successful in his own right. He started Let's Play Hockey Magazine and was the arena announcer for the Minnesota North Stars. He played a role with the famous 1980 Olympic hockey team and was a close personal friend of Herb Brooks, Lou Nanne, and many other Minnesota hockey figures. Bob gave of himself. He too was one of the Stillwater, more specifically Bayport, characters of all time.

I was thinking of those guys this morning and a thought struck me. The top people at my company are just like them - throwbacks to a better time. They give of themselves and they care at the same time they are leading the company.

In a recent meeting Doyle Land, our CEO asked the question "What do successful people have in common?" The answer was "they gave" in every way. "Successful people all give in many ways."

In that instant I understood what I was feeling. It was leadership at its finest. I realized how happy and content I was there. At the same time I realized how lucky I am not to be working at Andersen Windows anymore! To Fred Andersen, Arvid, Bob, and Dad I say thank you for showing us how. I deeply apologize for not being able to continue what you guys started there. I'm okay though, these Land brothers are the real deal!

New Window Nearly Triples Energy Efficiency - New Twin Cities Dealer Named

Preservation Window Company, a subsidiary of American Materials, Inc., has developed the most energy efficient window on the market today. The change in energy efficiency is not incremental, it is a huge leap. The documentation given is remarkable.

The main reason for the huge change is a break-through in glass technology. Preservation's EnergyMaxx 10 glass is the first of its kind in the marketplace. It combines the properties of the SST Spacer system, triple-pane glass, new Low E coating technology, and the use of krypton gas between the panes of glass.

In 2006 sixty million window units with metal spacer systems and argon gas were sold in the United States. Those windows were state-of-the-art at the time but two years later they will be rendered obsolete in terms of energy efficiency. In fact, the Energy Star Program has set new minimum standards for windows manufactured in 2015. None of the aforementioned sixty million window units would be a certified product at that point. Preservation Windows with EnergyMaxx 10 glass already meets the 2015 standard.

The Preservation brand is distributed by a group of dealers considered to be the elite among home improvement contractors around the United States. Today it was announced that Northland Home Exteriors from Forest Lake and Oakdale, Minnesota has become the "Dealer of Distinction" for the Twin Cities area. They are the 22nd such dealer in the country.

According to Doyle Land, owner of Northland Home Exteriors, "This window is not only exciting for us, it's exciting for the whole northern region of the country." He goes on to say "Preservation is the only window I know of that will absolutely guarantee a 33% decrease in the homeowner's fuel consumption. It's in writing and it's a money-back guarantee."

Northland Home Exteriors begins distribution Monday, January 10.

Having an energy efficiency improvement like this doesn't happen every day. It is a much larger jump than we've been used to.

Understanding Full Frame Replacement Windows

Many replacement window companies don't even evaluate whether or not your window replacement should be an insert or full frame type. After all, insert replacement is cheaper and easier to sell. The question is whether or not it's the best thing for the home.

Particularly in older homes the windows are usually wood. Even if they are clad they are more than likely caulked around the outside of the window unit. The cracks between the jamb and the house frame may be insulated but probably not.

What's happening when the caulk fails? Worse yet, what if it was never fully sealed. In twenty years of my experience I've never seen a home more than five years old that didn't have water damage around the windows - outside for sure, often inside the walls too. It's not always severe but it is there. If every homeowner could see what's behind the siding or inside the wall they'd choose full frame replacement every time. In my opinion it is needed every time.

Insert replacements leave the old window frame in the home. The rot, mold, and insects that are in there remain.

According to the most recent report from the Joint Center For Housing, 84% of all homeowners say their number one consideration is energy efficiency. Insert replacement doesn't insulate the open areas that have developed around the old window frame. That area can't be treated during the process of insert replacement.

The bottom line is that a real replacement window company will point this out and give you the choice. If they only try to sell the insert replacement what is their number one concern, your home or their commission?

Energy Efficiency Is #1 Issue For Consumers

Every year the Joint Center for Housing Survey comes out and every year it looks like last year's report. Surprise, not this year.

84% of the people surveyed chose energy efficiency as their first concern when considering new windows and siding. Not very long ago energy efficiency wasn't that big of a concern to most people, leaving me to ask "What changed"?

I have to believe that the awareness of the general public about the energy efficiency of windows is really what has changed. Concern for the environment and energy use can also be seen in the "green" movement".

The real test will happen when there is a choice to make. If the total replacement window package is $4,000 more for windows that are twice as energy efficient which window will be chosen? The ROI on double the energy efficiency more than pays the difference in cost in less than six years but how many people really think like that?

It will be interesting to see if energy efficiency and long-term thinking prevail over immediate cash outlay. Stay tuned!