Volume 9, Issue 11 - December 2008
Volume 9, Issue 11 - December 2008
|
Feature-Plant Tour In
Control Many door and window manufacturers are at the mercy of their suppliers (say, the laminated glass supplier) and there aren’t many manufacturers who make these products in-house. But Viwinco of Morgantown, Pa., does. “Whenever we can we try to control the source,” says Viwinco president David Barnes. “If you can control the source the better off you are.” Another thing you don’t see in the majority of door and window plants is an abundance of the latest automated machines. But Viwinco is different. Walk through their plant and you’ll see the newest machines from companies like GED and Joseph and some from these suppliers that were designed just for them. And the company does this all so it can serve the customer in the shortest time possible, says Barnes. “We’re not afraid to borrow $1 to 2 million dollars to mass-produce our orders in the fastest lead time with consistent quality,” he says. The company is being affected by the housing market like many others, with the number of units it produces being downsized from the numbers of a few years back. But that hasn’t stopped Barnes from purchasing equipment. In fact, he jokes that he won’t be able to retire as he has to keep working to pay for all his machinery purchases. Winning with Vinyl “Remodelers were starting to sell vinyl siding more than aluminum siding and my dad thought a vinyl replacement window would be a good fit without having to keep a finished window inventory,” says Barnes. Today the company ships as far West as St. Louis, as far North as the Canadian border and as far South as Charleston, S.C. It sells through wholesale distributors who then sell to the professional dealer and remodeler. Viwinco offers a variety of vinyl windows in many styles such as bay and bow, picture windows as well as patio doors. It also produces impact-resistant windows, which are a big part of the company’s business. Employee Longevity “We were unable to call anyone back because of the severe economic crisis,” said Barnes. “We did not pick up the volume we were hoping to gain this fall. While most company presidents will tell you how they struggle daily to find and retain good employees, Barnes says he doesn’t have that problem. In fact at the time of the visit approximately 30 people were getting ready to receive awards for service ranging from 5 to 25 years. Mike Duncan, vice president, was the first official employee, and he and Barnes value all employees. “You have to care about your employees,” says Barnes. “I’ve always said that the janitors are as important as I am. Everyone is replaceable, including me. I try not to overlook anyone.” Barnes admits that he tries to be the best at everything. “We try to be the best supplier, employer, products provider, and the best at lead times, processes, etc.,” he says. Plant Specifics He says that at its busiest, Viwinco produced more than 7,000 windows per week but now it’s about 800 to 900 per day translating to about 4,500 per week. The company serves both the new construction and the remodeling market, though the scale is tilting slightly more toward the remodeling market in recent months according to Barnes. “I’m surprised [due to the current market] but we’re still selling new construction windows,” he adds. Viwinco uses its own trucks and works hard to ensure the trucks are always full. But even so, due to rising costs, Barnes says the company was forced to implement a fuel surcharge. Although many manufacturers may be tempted to cut prices due to today’s competitive market, Barnes has not done so. “We don’t sell on price,” he says simply. Keeping it In-House This is why the company does most of its manufacturing in-house, and why it made the decision back in the 1990s to invest heavily in equipment. When you walk through the plant you see that equipment plays a huge role. The only thing Viwinco doesn’t make itself is its own extrusions—it relies on Deceuninck to supply that product. But it does, for example, make its own laminated glass, which Barnes admits is very expensive. “When [we were] buying laminated glass it would take four to six weeks and we couldn’t make custom size units so it made sense to do it ourselves,” says Barnes. “Most people don’t do it due to money. There is not a big percentage of vinyl window manufacturers that can custom-size laminated units. This is an advantage for us.” The company’s laminated line is set up in a clean room. Viwinco purchases its PVB interlayer from Dupont, which is located in nearby Wilmington, Del. Barnes laughs when recounting how he learned about making his own laminated glass and who could supply the interlayer. “I was visiting a manufacturer in Ireland that made its own laminated glass and I asked where the company got the interlayer and found the supplier was practically down the street from me,” he says. Viwinco also has an autoclave used in the laminated glass process that is custom built and includes a cooling tower. “We had to set the autoclave below the floor level for easy access,” says Barnes. Viwinco also makes its own tempered glass, using its own tempering line from Tamglass. “Once we started fabricating our own glass it saved us so much time,” says Barnes. He points out, though, that it takes three to four years to realize your investment. That investment consisted of $1.3 to 1.5 million in the laminated line and $1.5 to 1.8 million in the tempering line. “It’s millions in investments but we can deliver quickly,” says Barnes. “If you do what you say you will do you’ll be successful.” The company relies on PPG Industries for its fundamental glass supply. “I’ve heard people talking about a glass shortage but we haven’t been hurt yet by that,” says Barnes. A Smooth Flow Some of the latest automated equipment found in the plant includes the
following: Barnes says he is always looking for the newest equipment. And if the product doesn’t exist, Viwinco’s suppliers will work with the company to develop equipment or products. “We worked with GED to develop software for use on our tempering line,” says Barnes. In fact, Viwinco’s entire glass shop is comprised of GED equipment. The company does the same thing with other suppliers such as Joseph. “Mike goes to Joseph and says, ‘Here’s what I want. Here’s what I am trying to do,’ and they designed the equipment to meet the need,” says Barnes. But not every process in the plant is automated. The company prides itself on its ability to offer custom units so it has different tables to produce different shapes and ovals. It uses equipment from FUX in Austria to bend geometric shapes. However, the hands-on approach is crucial to this step in the process. “This is the area that relies on the most hands-on craftsmanship,” says Barnes, who adds that the company also bends casings and extension jambs. It also makes all screens for its products such as bay, bow and picture windows. Viwinco keeps all its orders straight by using Friedman’s order entry system. It also has a quality control department that tests everything manufactured in the plant. But even before any component is put into a window it goes to a warehouse where it is checked thoroughly before it goes to the plant to eventually become part of a window unit. In addition to this warehouse, the company has a research and development facility across the street from the plant where it conducts in-house testing. “We produce a great deal of hurricane windows so we do a lot of impact testing there,” says Barnes. “Doing our own testing gives us an advantage [as we don’t have to send to test labs].” This is just one more thing the company keeps in-house to control the source and serve the customer. Energy and Environment Q and A Q: How much of a focus does your company place on environmental
issues? Q: Is your company prepared for the upcoming Energy Star®
changes? Installation Q and A Q: Faulty installations are a big problem in the industry. How does Viwinco manage the installation
process?
|