Saving Money is Key for Door and Window Manufacturers in Today's Economy, Many Report

Though traffic may have been scarce at times during this week's GlassBuild America, those door and window manufacturers that were in attendance were looking for ways to become leaner and save money, according to several suppliers and exhibitors.

EAM-Mosca was just one of the many companies offering a solution for this. The company offers a strapping machine for doors and windows, which is designed not only to work quickly and efficiently, but also to cut down on packaging costs.

While Fenetech had its own booth, the company also was represented in the SoftSolutions booth, and the VinylLink booth--two programs designed to save manufacturers money.

Austria-based SoftSolutions, which just teamed up with FeneTech for its U.S. sales, offers line scanner products designed to scan glass for defects.

"We see lots of interest from companies because it saves them time and money," said Christian Krenn of SoftSolutions. The line scanner product can be installed on a horizontal or vertical line.

NetApps, a software company, was offering another way to save time and money-by providing a software package that provides services throughout the life of a door or window, from the in-home quoting process right down to the manufacturing floor of the plant.

"You save time, you save money," said Alain Ackad, sales manager for the Quebec-based company. "The world is getting smaller and we want to be a part of that for manufacturers. We want to give manufacturers a way to help them out in this hard time."

A LAMATEK representative said the company's EcoBlocks, which are designed as both a green and a cost-saving product, are going over well for the same reason. "Manufacturers are looking for anything to save money," she said.

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