Move to manufacturing sees windowmaker double sales.Timmins Polar Bear polar bear, large white bear, Ursus maritimus, formerly Thalarctos maritimus, of the coasts of arctic North America. Polar bears usually live on drifting pack ice, but sometimes wander long distances inland. Windows has doubled its sales over the last four years since its move from retail to retail/manufacturing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2001, the company moved from a 1,200-square-foot retail outlet retail outlet n → punto de venta retail outlet n → point m de vente retail outlet retail n → to a 10,300-sq.-ft. retail/manufacturing facility to prompt growth, says manager Chris Sawicz. The 35-employee company has been in Timmins for 10 years, remaining competitive in the window market. The two-pronged business specializes in sales and installation, and manufacturing of vinyl thermal-insulated windows available in four different styles: slider A block of material that holds the read/write head of a magnetic disk. See flying head. , casement, picture and architectural. Although it doesn't manufacture doors, it sells and installs them. The company's principle clientele are homeowners who want professionally installed windows, as well as those who wish to "do it themselves." They also supply contractors, to a lesser extent. With today's escalating energy costs, designing a quality window that offers high insulation value is paramount. Sawicz says those rising fuel rates have made the need for quality, insulated in·su·late tr.v. in·su·lat·ed, in·su·lat·ing, in·su·lates 1. To cause to be in a detached or isolated position. See Synonyms at isolate. 2. windows and doors more important, particularly in Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it . Several features makes Polar Bear Windows stand apart from its competitors. Sawicz says there is no compromise on the quality of materials used to build the windows. Also, the use of low-E argon argon (är`gŏn) [Gr.,=inert], gaseous chemical element; symbol Ar; at. no. 18; at. wt. 39.948; m.p. −189.2°C;; b.p. −185.7°C;; density 1.784 grams per liter at STP; valence 0. , an inert, clear, odourless Adj. 1. odourless - having no odor; "odorless gas"; "odorless flowers" inodorous, odorless odourless, odorless (US) adj → inodore odourless odour adj gas that has greater density than the atmosphere, adds an invisible layer of insulation between two glass panes. The glass has an additional low-E coating comprised of an invisible metallic coating, which reflects long-wave radiation. Essentially, heat that tries to escape from the house is reflected back in, warming the surface of the glass twice, thus, doubling the insulation value. Conversely, it also reflects heat from the sun during the summer months, maintaining a cooler temperature inside. The company's professional customer and post-sale service has also built up its reputation. "We'll really try to go that extra mile for the customer," Sawicz says. But he adds that his employees, be it sales, installation, or manufacturing, are the best in the business. "The moral we keep with the employees makes a tremendous difference," he says. "We try to make it a positive place to work." Now four companies strong (they have offices in Sudbury, Orilla, Timmins and its newest plant in Barrie), Sawicz says future plans are to expand its manufacturing in regions throughout Ontario. www.polarbearwindows.com By ADELLE LARMOUR Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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