Susan Marvin went into 2010 expecting it to be much like 2009: weak and difficult.

So when the president of the Minnesota manufacturing company Marvin Windows and Doors started to see orders pick up a bit in March, she was pleased but not overly confident.

“I would have to say there was a very tentative optimism,” she said.

So far, the growth in orders has continued. That’s allowed Marvin, whose company makes windows and patio doors for upscale customers, to increase hours for her manufacturing employees and reverse some of the pay cuts she instituted for her salaried employees. …

The article also reinforces the significance of the company’s no-layoffs strategy:

“Clearly we had more employees than we had work,” Marvin said.

But to Marvin, the cost to morale and productivity that would come from laying off workers was not worth the financial gain. Instead, she had employees spend time doing additional training and looking for ways to run the plant cheaper and more efficiently.

With orders up, Marvin said some of the company’s plants are back to 40-hour weeks, while others have gone up to 35 hours. Salaried employees also will soon see a 2 percent increase in their reduced pay, she said.

By avoiding layoffs, Marvin thinks her company was in a better competitive position to ramp up production when business began to improve.

Read the full story at MSNBC.com.

The Universal Design Living Laboratory, a home designed to demonstrate the power of universal design, is half-way to completion, the organization announced yesterday.

The home is the brainchild of Rosemarie Rossetti, whose lower body was paralyzed after an accident. According to the group’s statement:

Life in a wheelchair inspired her to build home based on the concept of universal design, which makes a facility’s level of livability beneficial to the widest possible range of people in the widest range of situations without special or separate design. The home will be able to accommodate people of all sizes, ages and abilities.

The demonstration home project includes windows donated by Marvin Windows and Doors. You can see photos of the project’s construction phase on the UDLL Web site.

Readers’ reactions to the story were overwhelmingly positive:

This is spot on. … Companies complain employees aren’t loyal to them, yet the companies aren’t loyal to their employees. I applaud Marvin Windows on thinking outside the standard response to an economic downturn.

Those of us who reside in NW MN and Eastern ND have grown accustomed to the generosity of the Marvin family. Their company (which they have shared with their employees) and its leaders have always been a class act, and they lead by example in the community in which they live and work.

This is a very compelling letter. Wish there were more companies like Marvin Windows.

Read the full article on startribune.com.

She explains:

Last year, I stood before more than 1,000 workers at our company’s flagship factory and told them we were reducing their weekly hours from 40 to 32.

They cheered.

Why? Because they were keeping their jobs. With the housing industry in the worst downturn of our lifetimes, our workers feared for their futures. They’d seen others in our business cut jobs and even close plants in response to the prolonged housing slump. When they learned we wouldn’t be following suit, it was an emotional moment.

Read the full piece at the Grand Forks Herald. The article also ran in the Fargo (N.D.) Forum.

The two also discussed how the recession has driven innovation within the window and door industry and how Marvin  is working through this economic downturn. The discussion ends with questions from the business faculty at the Carlson School of Management, co-presenter of this event.

You can watch the full interview — in its entirety or in edited segments — at TPT’s video vault.

Consider these findings from a recent study of older Americans (age 55 and up) by the Mature Market Institute:

• Nearly two-thirds (63%) plan to stay in their current home as long as they can. That number rises to 78 percent for those aged 75 and older
• Eight in 10 prefer a single-story home to a two-story or split-level, with 75 percent preferring to have the master bedroom on the main floor
• Windows that open easily rank among the top features that consumers said would help them remain in their homes longer, with 81 percent of consumers citing them as important. Other key desired features include a washer/dryer (90%), ample storage space (84%), and an easily operated thermostat (73%)
• Energy efficiency also ranked high on the list of desired features, with 73 percent of consumers saying that features such as windows with low-emissivity glass and EnergyStar-rated appliances are important to them

Those findings highlight why more than 80 percent of the builders surveyed in the same study indicated that they included Universal Design features in their 55+ community homes.

These features include:

• Wider doors and hallways
• Lever door handles
• Lower kitchen cabinets
• Larger medicine cabinets
• Attached garages with garage door openers
• Non-slip floors
• Larger medicine cabinets
• Easy opening windows

Recent census data shows that more than 29% of Americans aged 64 and over suffer some form of physical disability that makes it difficult for them to climb stairs, open doors and windows, or use a historically designed bathroom. That number reinforces the need for Universal Design when it comes to home building and remodeling for an aging – yet still independent – population.

Marvin Windows and Doors is responding to the growing need for Universal Design with products like:

• The Ultimate Casement line of windows, which swivel 140 degrees in “wash mode” to allow owners to wash the outside of the window from inside the house
• The Ultimate Push Out Casement, with wash mode plus the added ease of a simple push to open – no crank to turn
• The Low Profile, High Performance Sill – fits flush to the floor for easy access to patios and decks
• Unsurpassed hardware that makes opening even the largest windows a breeze

For more information on Universal Design, visit the Center for Universal Design

Check out these facts on U.S. energy use:

• Heating and cooling account for about half of home energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy
• 40 percent of residential energy use is from homes built before 1970, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
• Energy-efficient windows can save up to 25% on home heating and cooling costs, according to the Department of Energy

Energy-efficient windows are one of the smartest investments a homeowner can make. Not only will they save up to 25% on heating and cooling costs, but they’re one of the top five most cost-effective improvements, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual survey.

High-quality wood replacement windows typically return about 77 percent of their cost on resale, according to the survey.

And here’s another fascinating fact, from the DOE’s Home Energy Saver: When the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the inner glass surface of a single-pane window is about 15 degrees!

Replacing that old single-pane window with a typical double pane will raise the inner glass temperature to 45 degrees, while a high-efficiency window will yield an inner glass surface temperature of 60 degrees.

The federal government is offering a tax credit of up to $1,500 in 2010 for replacing old windows with new, energy-efficient windows from Marvin Windows and Doors. With ongoing savings on heating and cooling bills – as well as increased comfort and value for your home – it adds up to a compelling case for looking into replacement.

Marvin is offering a free, downloadable 20-page guide to replacement that will walk you through the process, from assessing your current windows to working with a contractor. This could be your window of opportunity for more economical, efficient, comfortable living.

Image courtesy of glenngold via flickr.

Five generations of the Marvin family have grown up in the beautiful north woods of Minnesota. Their close ties to the land are reflected in Marvin Windows and Doors’ leadership in environmentally responsible business practices.

Producing our windows from sustainably grown wood, using recycled metal and glass, even heating our plant with waste wood and sawdust — a cornerstone Marvin belief is being the greenest producer of windows and doors we can possibly be. We’re proud of the initiatives we’ve taken to achieve this goal.

• Purchasing our raw lumber from North American suppliers who subscribe to the Sustainable Forest Initiative promoting forest stewardship.  By purchasing our lumber from North American suppliers, we’re supporting an industry that is actually increasing forest coverage.

• Employing advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technology to ensure we use every scrap of the raw lumber possible, meaning fewer harvested trees are needed to run our operation.

• Using from 40 percent to 98 percent recycled aluminum in our clad wood windows

• Using from 15 percent to 33 percent crushed scrap glass in our glass batches

• Using almost 13,000 tons of packaging and production waste each year to heat our main manufacturing facility in Warroad, Minn.

• Actively participating in forest management education programs, including distributing more than 4,000 seedlings each year to employees and surrounding communities

Each year, our Warroad factory recycles:

• 350 tons of cardboard
• 90 tons of paper
• 120 tons of plastic
• 240 tons of scrap metal
• 816,000 soda cans from our thirsty employees

Marvin’s environmental efforts have been recognized with a host of awards from groups including:

• Minnesota Governor’s Office
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Waste Wise Minnesota
• North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Association

Photo credit: MGSpiller via flickr.com

In 2000, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, green construction starts were valued at approximately $200 million. In 2010, that number is projected to be $60 billion – a 300-fold increase.

Today’s benchmark for going green is LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), issued by the United States Green Building Council.

Marvin Windows and Doors is a member of the USGBC and supports the LEED program.

LEED guidelines have become a template for builders and designers not only in the United States, but around the world, with thousands of commercial and residential projects being certified each year.

A recent study by the CoStar group – an information provider to commercial realtors – indicates significant increases in value to LEED property owners, both renting and selling:

• 4% higher occupancy rates
• $11.33 more in per square foot rent premiums
• $171 more in per square foot resale prices

Criteria for LEED certification include:

• Sustainable Site Development
• Water Savings
• Energy Efficiency
• Materials
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Locations & Linkages
• Awareness & Education
• Innovation in Design

With flexible designs and thousands of customization options, Marvin’s long-lasting and energy-efficient windows and doors can be an integral part of any project’s LEED certification.

We make significant use of recycled glass and aluminum in our products and our recyclable packaging minimizes waste. We’re members of and support many major organizations devoted to sustainable building.

Marvin is dedicated to producing enduring, energy efficient products in ways that will support a greener future.

Image credit: Army Environmental Update via flickr.com

From the report:

Not surprisingly, many expect turnout for this year’s Builders’ show to be weak.

“A lot of builders had really hard times in 2009,” said John Kirchner, spokesman for Marvin Windows, an exhibitor at the show. “We’re anticipating turnout to be lighter this year than last year.” [...]

In the past, builders might have sent three to five employees to the show; many now are sending one or two, “and they are much more serious,” Kirchner said. Before, there was more of a social aspect to attending the show; “right now, they’re focused on the business. They’re going to the show looking for solutions and looking for partners.”

Read the full story here, and be sure to follow Marvin Windows on Twitter for more updates from the International Builders Show all this week.