DOOR & WINDOW MANUFACTURER MAGAZINE

VOLUME 13/ISSUE 9/NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012

™ NowIncorporating

SUBSCRIBE AT GLASS.COM/SUBCENTER

THE FUTURE OF FENESTRATION IS IN YOUR HANDS

Also Inside:• Complete Industry

Forecast• Ultimate Doors at AMD• Guide to Making Green

Claims

Green Award WinnersNew South: Replacing InefficientWindows One by One

Green Award WinnersNew South: Replacing InefficientWindows One by One

©2012 Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine, 540/720-5584, www.dwmmag.com, All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

26 Door & Window Manufacturer www.dwmmag.com

TurningSustainabilityinto Successby Tara Taffera

2012 Green Product Award

Energy-efficient products can increase sales; waste reduction can offer further ben-

efits down the supply chain; and window dealers do seek energy-efficient prod-

ucts. In short—green means green in every way—including your bottom line.

DWM scoured North America to find the companies and technologies in the door and

window market that are turning sustainable principles into success. Our four winners of

our 2012 Annual Green Awards exemplify those principles.

When executives DanOchstein and Earl Rahn left

their executive positions atChampion Window in 2009, theydecided to start a new windowcompany that focused on energy-efficient windows, thus savingconsumers money on their energybills. They set up shop in 2010 asNewSouth Window Solutions inTampa, Fla., in a state that,according to Rahn, was ripe fortheir value proposition. They nowhave three locations in the State. “There are 15 million people in

Florida—9 million residences andnorth of 95 percent of those win-dows are single pane. A state nick-named the Sunshine State shouldbe leading the way,” says Rahn,who serves as president of thecompany. “Florida is 12 yearsbehind Alabama, and 18 yearsbehind Georgia in terms of energyefficiency [and moving to insulat-ing glass systems).”Choosing a window system to

manufacture was another easychoice made by Ochstein, whoserves as CEO.“I had looked at the Sashlite

technology when it first came outwhen I was at Champion,” saysOchstein. “I liked it then butunfortunately Champion justcommitted $5 million in anothertechnology. When I left ChampionI ran to Sashlite. I think energyefficiency is the most importantfactor heading into the market-place right now.”NewSouth’s eVantage window

utilizes the Sashlite spacer systemwhich is integrated into the profileof the window sash which thecompany says results in a superiorwarm-edge rating. The companyalso uses Cardinal’s LoE 366 glassand HB Fuller’s Sash Seal and SashDri and Chelsea’s uPVC extrusion.The window has a solar heat gaincoefficient of .18.“We exceed Energy Star and

many of the windows we are com-peting with don’t even meetEnergy Star,” says Rahn. “Weunderstand this climate and makewindows for this climate.”Ochstein adds that NewSouth

was founded with a focus on energyefficiency.“It was the central focus of where

we wanted to be,” he says, addingthat the company took great care inchoosing the products that wentinto its window.“With our glass we went with the

best and we had a lot of other choic-

Replacing Aluminum Windows One by OneNewSouth Window Solutions

©2012 Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine, 540/720-5584, www.dwmmag.com, All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

27www.dwmmag.com November/December 2012

Dan Ochstein (left) and Earl Rahn, vow to replace Florida's aluminum windows with more efficient ones—one by one if necessary.

es,” says Ochstein. “It may raise theprice a little but it gives our cus-tomers the most high-performance,energy-efficient window.”But changing the mindset of

homeowners in Tampa is quitethe task.“It was almost amusingly unfair

to realize there are half-million-dol-lar homes made with single-pane

aluminum windows,” says Rahn. Thus, NewSouth is educating

everyone from the homeowner tothe builder.“We brought in all the major

homebuilders in the Tamparegion to work with them andeducate them regarding energy-efficient windows,” says Ochstein.“Fourteen out of 15 builders were

still buying aluminum windows.”And the homeowner hears about

NewSouth in everything from radioto TV and print ads.The company is also working

with utility groups in the attemptto get them “to move to a moreaggressive rebate program.”

continued on page 28©2012 Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine, 540/720-5584, www.dwmmag.com, All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.