Sustainable manufacturing and construction - Cascadia Windows & Doors, Canada
15 years ago, Kevin Ganzert decided to manufacture high-quality energy efficient windows with fiberglass profiles in Langley (British Columbia, Canada). Mike Battistel has also been with Cascadia since the company was founded and was appointed President in 2015. He is convinced: “We have gained expertise in energy efficient fenestration products that gives us an enormous advantage in the North American market.”
Cascadia is often involved in the development of energy efficient buildings, such as the CMHC “Harmony House Project”, the first net-zero house on the west coast of North America. Numerous certificates and awards attest to the contribution of Cascadia’s construction elements to the thermal protection of the buildings. Developers and decision makers from the private and public sectors trust Cascadia and are taking advantage of the comprehensive advice provided by the company’s experts.
Roto’s window and door hardware matches Cascadia’s quality standards, says Mike Battistel. High reliability and corrosion-resistant surfaces form the foundation for window, swing door, and sliding systems that reduce heat loss and are safe to operate. Cascadia develops window, swing door and sliding systems with an excellent ecological footprit, lowering energy demands while protecting people from the consequences of climate change, such as strong winds and large temperature fluctuations. Roto Inside spoke to Mike Battistel about sustainability in the North American construction industry.
Roto Inside: Mike, Cascadia was founded to help North American architects and Developers build energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. Has this founding idea come to fruition?
Mike Battistel: Absolutely. Cascadia entered the market when experts began to focus on Energy efficient buildings. We were talking about sustainability in construction at a time when not everyone thought it was a key issue. Therefore, Cascadia was one of the pioneers of an ecological movement in the construction industry. This enabled us to develop an enormous advantage. The qualifications of Cascadia’s 120 employees continue to impress even established customers. We adapt our products to each project. We also share our knowledge of designing façades and windows from fiberglass profiles with the architectural community through educational initiatives.
Roto Inside: Cascadia’s manufacturing capacities have been expanded in the past months, most recently with a new CNC-controlled machining center. Is the demand for your products stable?
Mike Battistel: In fact, despite higher mortgage rates, the demand is not only stable but continues to grow steadily. The construction industry in North America is focusing more on climate protection and sustainability. The higher the testing requirements for the air tightness of new buildings, the more enticing our elements become for architects and developers. Incidentally, Roto understands us and our products very well. We are therefore working together to improve the performance of our systems and Roto’s input and advice on product selection has always been instrumental to it. In my opinion, Roto manufactures some of the best window and door hardware on the market today and provides reliable service and delivery. Cascadia windows, sliding and swing doors are always fitted with multi-point locking hardware. With these products, we have some of the highest tested air leakage resistance ratings in the industry.
Roto Inside: How do you secure Cascadia’s future success?
Mike Battistel: We’re building upon the great culture created at Cascadia. Everyone in our team makes an important contribution to our success every day. The senior management team regularly encourages everyone to share ideas that help shape the company.
Cascadia has an excellent culture in which quality management plays a central role; everyone in the team is committed to creating the highest quality product possible. To ensure this, we implemented quality inspections upon receiving, at various stages throughout the manufacturing process, and a final test at our test wall. To confirm the products pass our standards, a quality assurance report is completed upon project completion.
Roto Inside: Cascadia also strives for the most environmentally friendly production possible. What measures are implemented to achieve this?
Mike Battistel: Cascadia works in accordance with the guidelines of the “Living Building & Product Challenge”. This requires us to ensure that various parts and materials required to manufacture them do not contain anything classified as harmful to humans or the environment. Our products have been listed within the Living Building & Product Challenge guidelines. This is verified by independent third parties. We also look for ways to minimize the impact of our work on the environment.
Roto Inside: If you could wish for something for the future, what would it be?
Mike Battistel: The chance to continue doing what has been important to us since the Company was founded, for as long as possible. It makes us all happy to see that the vision of better, more sustainable buildings and construction elements is becoming reality through our work.
This article was published in Roto Inside 55.