Marvin Window & Door Planning Centre

July 2007

WARROAD, Minn. – July 27, 2007 – On July 26, 2007, Wm. S. “Bill” Marvin was inducted into the 2007 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. The Minnesota Business Hall of Fame, presented by Twin Cities Business magazine, honors lifetime achievements by Minnesota business leaders. In addition to Bill Marvin, four other people were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“Dad is very proud to have received this honor,” said Jake Marvin, Chairman and CEO of Marvin Windows and Doors. “He has long held the belief that good business is not short-term gains that merely seek to increase profit, but rather long-term success that will ensure that our community will continue to thrive for generations to come.”
Bill Marvin was born in 1917 in the small town of Warroad, Minn. His father, George Marvin, had founded the Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company five years earlier. Most of Bill Marvin’s adult life has centered around Marvin Windows and Doors. As the company’s eighth employee, he joined Marvin Windows and Doors full-time in 1939.

Under his leadership, Marvin Windows and Doors grew from a small regional window manufacturer into the world’s largest made-to-order wood window and door manufacturer. Marvin also gained a reputation as an innovator, with several industry firsts: delivering products by company trucks, having the entire product line certified by the National Woodwork Manufacturing Association (now the Window and Door Manufacturers Association) and re-introducing Round Top windows to the market.

Bill Marvin’s hardworking nature and love of community was noted by Twin Cities Business magazine. After the Marvin Windows and Doors factory burned down in 1961, Bill Marvin chose to keep the plant in Warroad, rather than move it to other places where the company had been offered fully operational factories. As he explains, “It would have been easy to go. But we were committed to Warroad and to Minnesota. The company’s purpose from the beginning was to provide jobs to a community that otherwise wouldn’t have them.”

Now approaching 90-years-old, Marvin continues his role with the company as honorary chairman, allowing the next generations of the Marvin family to lead the company. Marvin Windows and Doors continues to thrive, basing its business practices on the vision that Bill Marvin had nearly 70 years ago: to be the leading manufacturer of wood and wood clad windows and to offer the best service and support to its customers.

WARROAD, Minn. – July 24, 2007 – Architects, builders and homeowners now have a new option for learning about customized window and door applications: www.MarvinSignature.com. The new site, launched on June 25, 2007, marks the first time that Marvin Windows and Doors’ Signature Products and Services division has showcased their unique, one-of-a-kind solutions.

Targeted towards high-end architects, builders and homeowners, MarvinSignature.com takes users through the products and options offered, as well as showing Signature’s capabilities through case studies and photo galleries. Marvin’s Signature capabilities and differentiating benefits are described in an interactive presentation, “Create Without Compromise.” And MarvinSignature.com makes it easy to find a nearby Signature Products and Services professional.

Signature Products and Services was launched in response to Marvin Windows and Doors’ customers seeking innovative solutions to problems that no other window or door manufacturer had tried to solve. Whether seeking historically accurate window and door applications or the latest advances, such as the bi-fold door, for today’s homes, MarvinSignature.com will delight and inform visitors.

“Signature has become a growing part of our business for years,” says Brenda Baumann, Director of Marketing—Marvin Windows and Doors. What we provide is so unique that it only makes sense to showcase Signature’s capabilities in its own Web site. We are thrilled to have a medium to educate more people about Signature Products and Services’ offerings.”

One of the areas where Marvin Signature Products and Services shines is in historical renovations. Architects and builders can often have difficulties with these projects due to unusual grille work not made any more and masonry openings that don’t fit with today’s standard sizes, necessitating every window being made a slightly different size. At the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, 440 uniquely-sized replacement windows were needed. Signature stepped up to the task and to ensure that every replacement window would not only fit perfectly but look great.

Replacing windows can mean the opportunity to trade old, drafty windows for new, energy efficient ones. Too often, the new windows may have all of the modern energy efficient features, but look terribly out of place in a historical building. Signature replicates the original window while adding in options such as modern glass for clear views, double-paning for protection against heat and cold and Low E II with argon gas to increase energy efficiency.

MarvinSignature.com not only shows visitors the beauty of their sophisticated designs, it also offers practical help to architects and builders by giving them product specifications and drawings. Signature Products and Services also has the same world-class service that Marvin Windows and Doors is known for.

Susan Marvin, President of Marvin Windows and Doors, says, “Everything starts with an idea. Instead of talking about why it can’t be done, we have experts saying, ‘How will be do this?’ When you bring tools to the table and creative problem solving there are no limitations. I believe we are better than other experts in the country, maybe even the world, at solving the most challenging problems or creating the most unique applications in the industry.”

Visit www.MarvinSignature.com to experience the beauty, high quality and uncompromising service and support of Marvin Signature Products and Services.

About Marvin Windows and Doors
Marvin Windows and Doors brings its Built Around YouTM philosophy to life with every customer and every solution. A premier manufacturer of made-to-order wood and clad wood windows and doors, Marvin offers the industry’s most extensive selection of shapes, styles, sizes and options to fit the diverse needs of builders and match the personalities of homeowners. Marvin’s tradition of delivering the finest craftsmanship in windows and doors began in Warroad, Minn., a small town just six miles from the Canadian border, where the privately-held, family-owned and operated company is still headquartered today.

Press Release Link:
http://www.marvin.com/default.aspx?page=press_release&pressid=198

FARGO, N.D. – July 25, 2007 – Of all the vinyl and composite windows on the market today, Integrity® from Marvin Windows and Doors is the best, according to Market Resource Associates, Inc. (MRA). MRA presented Integrity the Best In Class Award (BICA™) as the Top Overall Brand of vinyl and composite windows. Integrity had previously been honored with a BICA award for composite windows. Integrity windows and doors are made with Ultrex, a pultruded fiberglass material with a durable coating.

“We are thrilled to be a second-time BICA winner and especially happy to be the overall top rated non-wood window brand,” said Brett Boyum, director of marketing for Integrity. “Integrity’s durability, beauty, strength and energy efficiency make it the measuring stick for all other composite windows. We are honored that this award is based on responses from customers. We feel that we have the best product, quality, delivery and service in our class and it is wonderful to hear customers think that, too. Integrity windows and doors have always been Built to perform and coupled with our world-class service, we strive to offer the most value for our customers.”

The BICA was developed by MRA, a Minneapolis-based market research consultancy, to recognize outstanding performance in a study conducted by the firm. Winners were selected for consistently receiving high rankings and for providing remarkable customer service as voted by building trades professionals. These professionals included window distributors, home builders, remodeling contractors and building materials retailers.

BICA winners are chosen by a blind-format survey of 997 trade professionals. Only those individuals who have a direct responsibility for purchasing windows were interviewed. Twenty different attributes were tested on each brand mentioned by interviewees to select a winner.

Integrity® Windows and Doors is the world's largest manufacturer of windows and doors made with Ultrex® - a state-of-the-art pultruded fiberglass material. Based in Fargo, N.D., Integrity offers a comprehensive line of window and door products.