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Fenestration Canada – August 2016

A big shout out from the shores of the Northumberland Strait to all the readers of Glass Canada!

This is my first column as president of Fenestration Canada and I want to introduce myself. I have over 32 years in the fenestration business on the operations and engineering side. An industrial engineer by training, I have been a shop floor supervisor, production manager, plant manager, director of engineering, operations manager and currently function as the general manager and partner at my current home, Global Windows and Doors in Richibucto, N.B.

As a fabricator, I want to share why I am a Fenestration Canada member. In 2005, the window and door market was very competitive and the regulatory factors that concerned fabricators were CSA A440 results, CSA certification, and local housing authority approvals. Most fabricators were pedaling their own versions of energy performance. Consumers were demanding products with improved energy performance and we all had our charts showing the U-values of the many low-E and spacer products on the market, and why our version was best.

Along came Energy Star. Although a voluntary program, it was viewed by most stakeholders as an independent verification of the energy performance of a window and door. Your product gained immediate acceptance by the consumer when you could label it with the familiar Energy Star logo. Government incentive programs raised the awareness of Energy Star in the consumer. They were looking for Energy Star products and, if you did not qualify, you were limiting the market where your products could be sold. Dealers and distributors wanted to offer Energy Star-qualified products when required.

At the time, the process to earn Energy Star labelling seemed incredibly complex and I knew we needed help. CWDMA (Fenestration Canada’s old handle) was offering education seminars on Energy Star and inviting testing labs and Natural Resource Canada (NRCAN) representatives to speak at events such as the annual general meeting and WinDoor. Being in front of those who created, managed and worked the program was invaluable and accelerated the process to certification. Since then, I have been a regular attendee at all Fenestration Canada events. The whole North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS) labelling process was not comfortable or easy for our organization, but the education, resources and networking opportunities provided by Fenestration Canada through webinars and seminars guided our efforts to achieving compliance with the National Building Code.

My involvement with the board and Executive Committee has led to my current position as president. Fenestration Canada has lots going on in the next few months and I want to share some of the good news.

The first pillar of our association is education. The next big event on the Fenestration Canada calendar is a one-day education and planning event in Abbotsford, B.C. on Oct. 25. Fenestration Canada is bringing together key speakers that will focus on the current situation in western Canada, and Jeff Baker of Westlab will present the national picture and changes to codes and standards that will impact the West. We particularly want to attract fabricators and suppliers who focus on the western Canada. There will be an opportunity to participate in a panel discussion at the end of the presentations. This will be the first stop of a travelling road show planned for 2017. I hope to see you in B.C. for this excellent opportunity.

That wraps my first column for Glass Canada and I look forward to getting to know more of you over the next two years. I`m going to WinDoor, see you there. •

Allan Doyle is general manager and partner of Global Windows and Doors in Richibucto, N.B., and president of Fenestration Canada. He has over 30 years’ experience in the fenestration industry.