For a safe home
In many regions of the world, people depend on buildings to provide them with reliable protection even during severe storms and hurricanes. The professionals at PGT Innovations know this. That’s why they produce impact-resistant windows and doors in a wide variety of styles through their family of brands.
The company’s headquarters are located in N. Venice, Florida. Casey Pope, Global Product Director, arrived here in 2019 with many years of industry experience under his belt. He chose to join PGT Innovations (PGTI) because of the company’s “incredibly attractive culture.” PGTI is the largest producer of impact-resistant windows and doors in the United States and has an atmosphere that inspires innovation and customer focus, he says.
Quality-tested Impact-resistant windows
The organization includes eight brands that all enjoy an excellent reputation among architects, contractors, and homeowners. In North America, as well as in the Caribbean, people value PGTI’s expertise and breadth of product from their industry-leading brands. “Safety and good design don’t have to get in the way of each other,” Casey Pope emphasizes. The company’s windows are the best proof of that. Whether it’s a single-family home or an apartment building, an office, or a public facility - PGTI’s brands offer an optimal solution for every building and every room. Their products are designed to meet some of the most stringent performance standards including hurricane impact requirements of the “Miami-Dade NOA”, i.e. the highest requirements for impact-resistant windows in the USA, while also maintaining a clean, contemporary aesthetic.
Sensitive to their own responsibility
PGTI prides itself on being a long-standing leader in providing quality, innovative products to the market,” explains Casey Pope. That’s why great emphasis is placed on initial employee training and ongoing communication, he says: “All of our team members who build our impact-resistant products know that we have a great responsibility. We take great pride and care in the manufacturing process, understanding that this product is going into someone’s home. We have to work together to deliver on the promise that our products provide protection.” Awareness of this responsibility and a strong commitment to the team and their common goal are therefore a priority throughout the company, he said. In addition to the exceptionally broad product portfolio of the eight brands, the attitude of the people towards their work at PGTI is a foundational pillar of the company’s culture, he said.
Demand continues to grow
Production processes at PGTI’s plants are regularly optimized, as the company continuously prepares for growth, Pope continues. Our commitment around quality product, on time delivery, and innovation to the marketplace is one we take very seriously. We continue to invest in growth and seek out vendor partners to help honor those commitments. Like other manufacturers, we have seen some procurement issues in the North American industry in general that have impacted our production, he said. “Roto North America has been able to help us a lot in these challenging situations and we appreciate that greatly.”
Research and grow together
Casey Pope has encountered Roto a few times in his many years working in the industry. He told Roto Inside in a short interview his experiences with the brand and the people in Roto North America’s team.
Casey, what fascinates you about the industry, about your work?
Casey Pope: The most interesting part tome about working with PGT Innovations in thefenestration industry is our ability to have a lastingimpact on a homeowner’s life in their dayto day, while also being able to help add valueat many different levels of the business cycle.Our goals here at PGT Innovations are to helpdrive innovation, provide quality of lifestylesolutions for property owners, and developthe next generation of PGTI product families.
What do you like about working with Roto?
Casey Pope:Roto North America operates on similar principles as we do at PGTI. At Roto, you can feel the passion for making things work well and constantly improving products, services, and business relationships. This is probably why PGTI and Roto have been working together since 2014. Since then, we’ve collaborated with Roto on a manufacturing project to create a Sash Lock that incorporated the PGTI logo. The quality of service at Roto has never wavered over the years. If we need technical support, it is available immediately, and we can grow together as partners. Personally, I also think you can see a little bit of the European inspiration in Roto’s products, and I like that. Also, our products are heavier than standard windows and doors and, as a result, require certain hardware that is capable of supporting the weight. Additionally, our brand reputation requires that our products meet a certain level of quality and longevity. Roto’s Sweep Lock hardware meets these goals perfectly and works trouble-free despite the heavy weight of our impact-resistant windows.
What makes for successful product development?
Casey Pope:You have to be very close tothe customer so that you can identify theirwishes and requirements. Only then can a market-shaping product innovation be achieved and be successful, like our hung window Sweep Locks. This is because Roto, like us, takes pride in delivering consistently high product quality. Quality is a central feature of this product and the brand promise of all our PGTI brands.
How important is the hardware to the quality of a window?
Casey Pope: I think hardware plays a very important role for the buyer, although the might not know it. The hardware is a significant point of contact between the user and the window. Good hardware is hardly noticed because it works beautifully and is integrated into the design of the window. If the hardwareis too difficult to operate, it is perceived as poor quality and the window as a whole is rated worse. The hardware must be intuitive to operate and give the user the feeling that it is robust, functional, and reliable. To achieve this, the surface must also be durable and aesthetically pleasing. The actual quality of the hardware can have a big impact on the end user’s perceived quality of a window, and its ease of installation and operation can have a big impact on installer satisfaction.
What makes RNA different from other hardware manufacturers?
Casey Pope: I think what makes Roto standout from other hardware manufactures is thethoughtful design that the company brings with some European influence. There’s a sense of continuous improvement that Roto brings to a somewhat stagnant field, but the thing that stands out the most are the partnership qualities that Roto displays and its business practices. My expectation of a hardware manufacturer is simple in the transactional sense – just to manufacture quality product and deliver what’s ordered. My expectation of a partner, however, includes collaboration on unique or innovative designs and sharing resources where trend data, analytics, and usage is concerned. It involves investing together for the advancement of both business and we’ve done that with Roto. The team at Roto is helpful when it comes to tackling technical issues, thoughtful and engaging when it comes to new design, and has demonstrated top level consistency as a supplier. Their checks all the boxes in terms of overall premium aesthetic, smooth operation, and long-term quality and durability.
This article was published in Roto Inside 51.