Plyco Corporation, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014, has been witness to many changes in the door and window markets. According to Fred Mancusi, the company’s director of sales and marketing, today’s customers are looking for more from a window than a piece of glass that lights up a room or provides a view. From a door they want more than a point of access. Driving forces today, says Mancusi, are codes, product application and energy efficiency.
Windows in particular have seen substantial changes since the company’s founder Pete Kohl incorporated his business in 1954. “Windows have really changed into a more sophisticated product through the years, going to designs, seals and specialized glass,” he said, “whether it’s double pane, triple pane or thermally-broke,” said Mancusi.
The push for efficiency dates back to the 1970s and ’80s, he noted. “As consumers have gotten more energy conscious, the window and door business has gotten more sophisticated to meet those needs. Plyco has continued to develop more efficient products. That has helped contractors buy products that meet the customers expectations, meet energy conservation demands and meet building codes.”
Proper installation to meet those customer expectations for energy efficiency is critical. “You’re cutting a hole in a building and putting something in it that opens and closes and it can cause problems,” Mancusi noted. To assure proper installation, Plyco devotes a lot of resources in training customers on application and installation. Field training, Internet training and instruction manuals are all available to assist contractors.
Plyco is headquartered in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and it includes East Coast Fasteners, located in Walkerton, Ind., a company acquired in the 1960s and which has seen several expansions. Plyco’s product line besides doors and windows and East Coast Fasteners includes hardware and ventilation.