One of our best customers recently lamented the fact that SolarGlass did not offer a product solution for those projects whose budget was deemed not right for Marvin’s aluminum-clad offerings. I responded that Marvin’s fiberglass frame, wood interior product from its Integrity line, Wood Ultrex, was just that. To which, and here comes the “ah-ha” moment, our customer replied, “fiberglass is understood as a much better answer to vinyl window products, but not as an alternative to mid-priced aluminum clad offerings. I don’t see it that way and I can’t sell it to my customers.”

From our January 2009 decision that Wood Ultrex would be our answer to “value-price” aluminum clad wood options to present, we have failed at Marketing 101 – informing and educating the customer.

Here’s why we believe Wood Ultrex’s fiberglass frame with wood interior to be superior to “value-priced” wood frame, aluminum clad units:

• Fiberglass is stronger than wood and impervious to moisture, so using fiberglass as the frame material enhances longevity
• Fiberglass is non-conductive and will be the frame material upon which future innovations in energy efficiency will be based
• Wood Ultrex’s patented acrylic capping system is superior to all aluminum paint finishes with the exception of Marvin’s Kynar finish, providing superior resistance to chalking and fading
• Wood Ultrex’s wood interiors are cut from wood stock and are therefore not wood veneers, allowing for richer finishes initially and an easily reparable surface should there be damage during construction or thereafter

As the largest Marvin and Integrity dealer in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, clearly many customers agree with the value proposition represented by our products. Image if we had done a better job communicating!