This is the launch of a new column and I would like to thank Glass Canada for giving the Canadian Window and Door Manufacturers Association (CWDMA) the opportunity to inform the industry on the goals and activities of the association. I am very pleased to be the CWDMA president for 2009-10 and look forward to working with our new executive committee and board of directors from across Canada to further our mission and goals.
This is the launch of a new column and I would like to thank Glass Canada for giving the Canadian Window and Door Manufacturers Association (CWDMA) the opportunity to inform the industry on the goals and activities of the association. I am very pleased to be the CWDMA president for 2009-10 and look forward to working with our new executive committee and board of directors from across Canada to further our mission and goals.
The CWDMA’s mission is to represent and support all aspects of the window and door manufacturing industry, including formulating and promoting high standards of quality in manufacturing, design, marketing, distribution, sales and application of all types of window and door products.
Our goals are to:
| • | Actively support national standards and promote the harmonization of Canadian standards with international standards. |
| • | Establish and maintain national certification programs for windows and doors sold in Canada. |
| • | Communicate our mission, goals and objectives clearly to our members. |
| • | Be financially viable. |
| • | Liaise with related industry associations and with governments. |
| • | Provide unbiased and detailed technical information. |
| • | Promote industry-related research. |
| • | Give members opportunities to meet, interact and discuss industry matters. |
| • | Recognize the contribution of certain members for their exceptional services to the industry and/or to the association. |
| • | Increase the market demand for windows and doors manufactured and/or distributed by members. |
| • | I would like to inform readers about the activities of 2009 and offer a look forward to the plans for the remainder of 2009 and for 2010. |
Spring meeting
Our spring meeting was held in Brudenell, P.E.I., and by all accounts, was very successful. The board of directors had a very dynamic and productive meeting and developed an action plan to implement the items from the January 2009 strategic planning session and other activities from our working committees.
The weekend was topped off with a couple of great social events including the President’s Dinner, hosted by outgoing president, Eva Ryterband, and the presentation of the 2009 C.P. Loewen Award Presentation to Jim Krahn of Marvin Windows. Congratulations to Jim for his many years of hard work on behalf of the industry and the association. Delegates were also treated to an Atlantic Canadian Kitchen Party, a trip on a heritage river and the annual CWDMA golf tournament CWDMA now has five active committees that are implementing the action items from the strategic plan of the association in many key areas. The five committees are the Win-door show committee, the membership and marketing committee, the government relations committee, the technical committee and the education committee.
 |
|
| CWDMA will host its trade show, Win-door North America, on November 17-19 in Toronto. |
Win-door North America 2009
The Win-door committee is chaired by Matt Kottke and it is busy planning for the annual show that will be held at the Toronto Convention Centre Nov. 17-19, 2009. For information on the show, read Matt’s column in this magazine or visit the Win-door website at www.windoorshow.com.
Government relations
The government relations committee, co-chaired by Morgan Hanam and Robert Jutras, is busy meeting and advising government departments as well as provincial energy suppliers on the best ways to reduce window and door energy loss. They communicate with the manufacturers while working proactively with these organizations. They work to have government recognize the CWDMA as the major source of knowledge in the development of fenestration standards.
Technical committee
This committee is co-chaired by Michel Bastarache and Jean Marois. Jeff Baker, CWDMA technical consultant for CWDMA works with and reports to this committee on progress and changes to CSA standards.
The association has been working closely with CSA on the new harmonized standard and is contributing $150,000 over the next three years on this important initiative.
In conjunction with this is the development of the new Window Installation Personnel Certification (WIPC) program. This is a joint effort with Natural Resources Canada and CSA and CWDMA is contributing $150,000 to the development of this key program. This program, when completed, will deliver a national CSA certified window and door installer certification program.
Membership and marketing
The membership and marketing committee conducted a comprehensive survey two years ago to identify and prioritize the key initiatives of the association. These include a new brand for the association, a concentrated membership recruitment campaign, especially at the fabricator level, a website upgrade, better communication and partnering with the regional associations across the country. The committee is presently working on a strategy to reach our vision of including most Canadian window and door manufacturers in the membership of CWDMA. Only then can we be recognized as the representative of the Canadian fenestration industry. If you are in the industry I encourage you to be an active member of your organization, it is money well spent and very affordable.
Education
The education committee is chaired by Skip McLean. The commitee recognized the economics of 2008 and 2009 and revamped the travelling education program with a series of four webinars covering the following key subjects: Harmonized Standard, Energy Star Program, SAWDAC Installation Testing and the Window Installation Personnel Certification (WIPC) program. The webinars were a huge success and were delivered free of charge to our membership. The committee is also responsible for organizing timely and informative presentations for the spring meeting and Win-door. The success of the highly informative and key presentations at the spring meeting are representative of the great work of this committee.
The association is strong thanks in large part to the hard work of the executive, the CWDMA office and the board of directors and the continued support of the membership. The CWDMA is the collective voice for the industry and I assure you we will work hard on your behalf to offer the programs and services that continue to provide value for our members. I encourage you to visit the CWDMA website and review the benefits of being a member…membership has its privileges.
Over the next year, we will continue to implement the key items from the strategic plan and work with the committees to ensure they are carrying out their mandates. We will also enhance our communication to our members and others associated with the industry. We will keep working with our industry partners to continuously improve the industry.
In closing I would like to thank Richard Lipman and the CWDMA office for their hard work in the day-to-day operations of the association. I would like to thank past president Henry Banman for his wisdom and energy as he leaves the committee and congratulate Yvan Houle as he moves into his term as first vice-president, and welcome Dave Hiebert as second vice-president. Last but not least I would like to thank Eva Ryterband for her successful reign as the president of our association for 2008-2009. Eva was the first women to hold this position and was a driving force behind many of the initiatives.
Kevin Pelley is the president of the Canadian Window and Door Manufacturers Association (CWDMA).
|
Print this page
Leave a Reply