In March 2009, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (center) visited Accu-Weld’s facility in Bensalem.

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Many manufacturers related to the building sector are rightfully concerned about the economy. For those who supply to the industry, the drop off in new construction projects has hurt business. Fortunately for Accu-Weld, business has maintained itself thanks to a recent acquisition and new provisions for energy-efficiency upgrades put forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).   

In February 2009, Haddon Windows LLC acquired the assets of Accu-Weld LLC from H.I.G. Capital. With deep roots in the window industry and in the Philadelphia community, Haddon Windows saw an opportunity to save Accu-Weld from financial woes and job cuts, Haddon notes. The family-owned firm has more than 150 collective years in the business of windows and doors, making Accu-Weld a strong addition to its portfolio, Vice President Matt Haddon says.    

“Saving jobs was high on our priority list,” he says. “Jobs are hard to come by right now. These people were worried if the company would survive.” Although the Haddon family didn’t change operations or the name of the newly acquired business, it did bring a sense of family values to the operation. “We have a factory that supports our vision, and I think that the fact that my father and brothers get to work together is very important,” he adds.   

Accu-Weld, which employs about 140 people, sells windows and doors through a network of 400 dealers, contractors and distribution centers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest. Accu-Weld also produces a best-selling line of steel and fiberglass doors, fully customized for homeowners.   

“Even though the housing market and building starts are down, that does not effect remodeling,” Haddon says. “What does impact us is the economy. In times like these, remodeling isn’t always high on the list. The stimulus package is helping, though.”   

In mid-March, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell visited Accu-Weld’s facility, where he signed certification letters to allow the state to be eligible for federal stimulus funds to develop alternative energy projects and promote energy conservation.    

The company expects the stimulus legislation provision for energy-efficiency upgrades – a tax credit of up to $1,500 for homeowners who install energy-efficient windows, doors, furnaces or insulation – to give Accu-Weld a boost through 2010.    

State Treasurer Rob McCord ap­plauded the acquisition. “This is the toughest economic environment since the Depression, and supporting Pennsylvania-based businesses is something we should all do,” he said. “We are grateful to the Haddon family and Accu-Weld employees for their courage and flexibility as they strive to keep this fine company – and many good jobs – alive.”   

Helpful provisions included for the American homeowner in ARRA are expected to keep Accu-Weld’s business steady in the coming year. These tax credits are designed to increase demand for green products, create more American jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and give homeowners more disposable income with lower utility bills.

Keeping Costs in Check
Accu-Weld has a broad selection of energy-efficient windows and doors, which meet and even exceed the stimulus requirements, but that’s not the only way it saves the client money. The manufacturer controls product costs by keeping as many processes as it can in-house.    

“We have our own extrusions and we buy the resin and extrude it to make the vinyl,” Haddon notes. “We extrude all of our own frames and buy our own glass.    

“The computer-controlled glass cutters we have in place can optimize the glass to get the least amount of waste as possible.”   

Accu-Weld also adheres to strict lean manufacturing principals. “We control every step of the manufacturing process to produce high-quality, highly energy-efficient windows and doors,” Haddon explains. “We don’t rely on many outside vendors for our product, so our turnaround can be very quick.”   

Because everything is custom-made, Accu-Weld can better control inventory. Keeping inventory low is important to the firm, and Haddon says the quicker it can turn things over, the better.   

“Our inventory is just large enough so that we can easily hit tight deadlines,” Haddon notes. Each production line is managed by a quality assurance manager. Any member of the team is allowed to reject a product if he or she feels it is not up to the highest-quality standards.    

“If people catch a problem in the middle of the process, it’s better for us,” he says. “We want to identify things early so we don’t have as much labor and material invested in something when if it gets scrapped. We stress quality control throughout the whole plant, and we track things by placing our stamp of approval sticker on the product.    

“If a complaint comes in, we track the product and sit down to assess what went wrong and what we need to improve on in the future.”