Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sheri Conner and I am your host.
[00:00:19] Speaker C: Yeah, so paint, it does offer more configurability, right? We have more dark colors available in our paint palette than what we offer with, say, laminate, where it's just black and just bronze. And then for the current MI customer base, Capstock is only available on either PGT products or on the Milgard products in the West. So Capstock is a new addition into the market. We feel confident it's going to have strong uptake because that's pretty quickly been adapted by the industry as like the preferred color technology for dark colors.
[00:00:56] Speaker B: Good morning. We are here on the Clear Impact podcast and I am joined today actually over teams with Robert Jumper and Jason Wilton. Welcome to the podcast.
[00:01:07] Speaker A: Good morning. Good morning.
[00:01:08] Speaker B: Good morning.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Thanks for having us.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: Yeah, thanks for being here. Virtually wish that you could both be here in person, but that's okay. And so this is your first time, both of you on the podcast and I'm excited about our conversation today.
Before we dig into the new stuff for mi, I would love to get some background introductions. So if you can just briefly talk about your history, your tenure with the company and your current role and responsibilities.
So, Robert, we'll start with you.
[00:01:39] Speaker C: Good morning, Terry. So I'm Robert Jumper. I am the product manager for the MI and Sunrise branded products under Mitre Brands. I've got responsibilities for products that we manufacture in our four legacy MI plants, plus our Temperance Legacy Sunrise location. As far as my history and tenure with the company, I started in 2014 in inside sales when we were moving our inside sales support function from our then Carrollton location to our Gratz location to have all of our inside sales for customer experience be in one location and then from there, I had a sales territory in the Southeast pa, so greater Philadelphia area along with southern New Jersey for almost a decade, and then got an opportunity to transition from the sales side to the product side in October of 2023.
So I've been on the product team since then and you know, we've had a lot of big foundational work that's been done since I've joined the team to kind of transform what we did at MI in terms of product offering and color technology to where we are at today.
[00:02:58] Speaker B: Wow. And so that's great. I didn't realize you had such a long history in the sales side, so that makes it probably more impactful for you to be on the product side now. Because you've spent enough time in the field really talking to customers and understanding what the needs of the market are and how that all drives down to success. So that's awesome. Thank you. So, Jason, tell us about you.
[00:03:18] Speaker A: All right. My name is Jason Wilton and I lead the product management teams for Mitre Brands. So that means all the window and door products across all the different brands, quoting tools, Mitre University and pricing. So lots of different fun things to work on there. I started in the window and door business in 2004 with Milgard Windows and Doors in Tacoma, Washington. It started in production there and then moved into inside sales for a while. I spent some time with our dealers. So I was a dealer in the Seattle market for a while when I left Milgard, and then I rejoined the team in 2012 in outside sales and then had the privilege of leading the sales group out of Tacoma, Washington for a couple years before taking on the product leadership role with Mitre Brands and moving to Pennsylvania last year. So had a lot of different experiences and worked with a lot of great teams over the years. And yeah, just really honored to be in this role and appreciate you inviting us on the podcast.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: Thank you, Jason. I did not realize all of your history either. That is amazing.
What a great team we have on the product side with all of the background and experiences between you and Robert, that's amaz.
So today we're going to be talking about the carbonite collection and there are a number of different ways that you can turn vinyl frames into a color. And Robert, would you mind walking us through that?
[00:04:40] Speaker C: Yeah. So there's three kind of main accepted color technologies for vinyl windows, Right. Being paint, laminate and cap stock, all with varying upsides with paint. Right. The big thing with paint is that it offers a ton of configurability for us as a manufacturer because it helps minimize some of our SKU count. Right. It's a process that is done either in lineal form or after a window is fully assembled, but it doesn't require us to necessarily have to manage additional SKUs that other color technology does. So it offers just a ton of color configurability, which is more key on the R and R, like direct to consumer space. We see that a lot where that channel homeowners want what they want. And paint offers us the ability to give them the colors that a homeowner wants, even if it's not something that's 100% like an off the shelf color offering. Right. Just offers a ton of color configurability.
The other Technology that MI has a lot of history in is lamination. Right. Laminate is an additive process where we take a extruded vinyl stick and then we add a laminate skin over top of it. We've been doing lamination wood grain interiors for probably 30 years at this point. And exterior lamination with dark colors since 2015, when we launched bronze on our 3500 series and then very quickly launched black right after it. Biggest thing for us as a manufacturer with lamination is when that process is done correctly, that that laminate skin is incredibly, incredibly durable. Right. It can withstand the manufacturing process with minimal extra protection. Doesn't really require any sort of additional or bolstered packaging to get to the field and not have scuffs or chips. And it's, you know, from my experience, has been just incredibly durable. It's really well suited for an exterior color solution in new construction where windows are kind of like the fourth major process you do in putting a building together, right? That's they're critical to making the building watertight. And then those windows need to survive a bunch of different trades working in and around them without getting scuffed up or damaged from the time that the windows get installed till the time the building is complete.
[00:07:02] Speaker B: Are there differences in regionality, like, which would be better in one area versus another? Because I know MI has a huge swath of territory.
[00:07:12] Speaker C: So both. Right. We use AMA certified painters, and obviously there's an AMA process for lamination. For durability. Both paint and laminate stand up well in the heat. Right. We can put adders in paint that. That give it some reflective qualities that we don't worry about heat gain with a painted product getting too hot, like in, say, South Florida. And lamination is the same thing, right. There's technology that you can either put in the laminate skin itself, or you can have a composite laminate where you have the laminate skin for the color and then a secondary skin for heat protection that you don't really have any fears about sending that product anywhere within the United States because it's going to have the heat performance that you can put it in a high sun environment. And you're not worried about those laminate materials, that vinyl material underneath, getting too hot, that it would lose its structural integrity.
[00:08:02] Speaker B: Okay, so just one last question before we tackle cap stock. Between paint and laminate, is there a significant price difference?
[00:08:11] Speaker C: There's usually not a huge price difference. Right. Both are additive processes. They make the materials more expensive. Generally, though, paint is a little bit more expensive. Than laminate because it does require some additional processing to get done correctly as opposed to laminate, which we can do in our extrusion facility as a secondary process.
[00:08:32] Speaker B: Okay. And there's a third way of doing windows and this is one I'm familiar with because this is how PGT does a lot of our vinyl color and that is Capstock. And so, Jason, you're going to tell us about capstock?
[00:08:46] Speaker A: Yeah. So different than what Robert talked through being secondary or additive processes to the lineals, capstock is extruded as the base profile. So it's integral to the extrusion. And it's an acrylic cap stock that goes on top of the PVC layer. So it eliminates some of that secondary finishing of shipping off to a paint booth or having the stick laminated. It just comes right out of the traditional extrusion process. It has superior UV resistance and long term color stability. You mentioned PGT uses capstock for dark colors in Florida. And Milgard has been using capstock for a number of years as well. And a large percentage of our products out of Milgard are in that capstock color when it comes to color selection. So it was adopted very quickly and we're excited to bring it into mi.
[00:09:38] Speaker B: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window and door industry. Whether you are a customer selling our products or a homeowner doing research, the Clear Impact podcast provides helpful content that makes an impact. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.
Nice. And so it does add to the inventory though, Right? Because you're buying it as a co extruded raw product and then having to cut it down and process it from there. So does that make the cap stock more expensive over paint and laminate?
[00:10:12] Speaker A: Yeah, it's the premium finish offering, so it will have a little bit more of a premium price on it. It does have some additional SKUs compared to lamination where you have a number of different color combos for interior and exterior laminations. It's a good mix for us. So we're happy to bring it into the portfolio and offer these different color technologies that serve both the new construction and the replacement market. So we feel good about offering all three of them and they have their place in the market. They do carry different price tiers, but we think that they align with the segment that they serve.
[00:10:41] Speaker B: Nice. Beyond maybe a pricing consideration. Robert, why would someone choose paint versus laminate versus Capstock?
[00:10:50] Speaker C: Yeah. So paint it does offer more configurability. Right. We have more dark colors available in our paint palette than what we offer with, say, laminate, where it's just black and just bronze. And then for the current MI customer base, Capstock is only available on either PGT products or on the Milgard products in the West. So Capstock is a new addition into the market that we feel confident it's going to have strong uptake because that's pretty quickly been adapted by the industry as like, the preferred color technology for dark colors.
[00:11:26] Speaker B: Right, that makes sense. And windows and doors are a significant investment in your home. And so the Capstock technology allows for that longer term recuperation of that investment. And we know it's proven. So that's awesome. I'm glad you guys are doing it that way. But it's also nice to offer the other ways as well. It gives a lot of flexibility for the homeowner. And they're not just going to get one option in front of them. They can have choices, which is amazing. And so, Jason, here's a question for you.
Why black Carbonite? Why are we exploring an addition of Capstock into the market with this?
[00:12:06] Speaker A: Yeah, so a couple reasons. One of them being the success that we've seen at PGT and Milgard and Anlin with the adoption of dark colors and black specifically in the market, following the modern and transitional trends in home design. Black has, you know, just strong alignment with those trends and offers a little more affordability and energy efficiency compared to steel or aluminum architectural products. So it just kind of broadens the market opportunity if a homeowner is seeking some differentiation in their design, where the window creates contrast and becomes a design feature, not just an opening or opportunity for ventilation. So with MI serving the eastern part of the country, there's a lot of opportunity for these products in new home construction and residential replacement applications. So we're just excited to add the next evolution of great products under mi.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: That's awesome. I know. I live in a neighborhood that is about 30, 35 years old, and when you drive through, you can see which houses still have the original product because most of them are still white.
And then you can see very quickly which houses have done some improvements and upgrades because those are all black. So it's very apparent and it really does change the look of your home, you know, from the outside and from the inside. So, yeah, I love that. I'll let you guys both answer this question. At the end of the day, we're here to serve our customers. And so how do these new options serve them?
[00:13:35] Speaker C: So biggest thing here is, right, this is a color combination that for us is new, but it's something that our competitors have had to for varying amounts of time, that it helps close that gap. Right. We have a lot of times where customers say, hey, we want to, you know, bid and do this project with you guys. But the owner, you know, specifically thinking multifamily, wants black, black and they're willing to pay for it. And we just couldn't service that market. Right. So we've now got more opportunities to sell with our dedicated builder partners that for jobs that we otherwise had to walk away from. The other thing is, right. Especially in the east and the Northeast. Right. Energy efficiency is a big part of like the decision tree when selecting a window package. And with vinyl, you have better energy efficiency kind of out of the gate compared to aluminum or wood or some of the other composite offerings that we win a lot of jobs because of our off the shelf energy efficiency. And now we're taking that off the shelf energy efficiency efficiency and layering in the color combinations that customers, building owners, GCs want on the projects that they're working on. So.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: Right.
[00:14:48] Speaker C: It helps. Just check one more box for us that we are to be the preferred manufacturer of choice for our customer.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: Oh, that's excellent. Jason, would you add anything to that?
[00:14:58] Speaker A: Yeah, I think Robert answered that. Well, I just thinking of the business at Milgard. You know, there's a lot of aluminum windows to replace in the markets in the west and those are often dark colors. So when homeowners are seeking a higher energy efficiency level, but keeping the dark aesthetics of products they're replacing, whether it's a condo association or homeowners association requirement, that's where I think the Milgard product wins. And MI equally has that opportunity. The broad range of products that MI offers the market. So, you know, like Robert said, we're just continuing to add different options with the energy efficiency out of the box and structural performance that our products have through the MI portfolio. So I think Robert answered it well.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: All right. Is there anything we need to add about our color options for MI today?
[00:15:49] Speaker A: I would just add that this is a large effort and has been a lot of time and energy spent from our engineering, operations and supply chain partners. Our sales team gave us great feedback, our customers gave us insight, and I'm just really proud of the teams behind bringing this to market. Robert was integral to leading this project with engineering and the other teams that I mentioned. And our operations teams, I think, are really excited to bring another new product to market that they're going to be able to build at Very high quality and deliver to our customers on time at full. That's what MI really excels at. And so just proud of the team's effort to bring this to market and really thank them for their attention to this project and how they executed on it.
[00:16:31] Speaker B: That's excellent. Well, I know that the MI customer base is very loyal, and they are probably going to be just jumping up and down to have this as part of their offering now, so way to go, you guys.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: I agree.
[00:16:43] Speaker B: That's awesome. So we've been talking on the podcast lately about the Mitre brand's DNA and how that really informs and helps us to function and operate well as a team.
I'm curious to find out which of the DNA points are your personal favorites. So, Robert, we'll let you go first.
[00:17:04] Speaker C: Yeah. So my personal favorite DNA point is the third one. Right. We have a passion for windows and doors.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:17:11] Speaker C: I have at times been told I get a little bit too into the weeds with some of the technical stuff. So I like. That's kind of how I operate. I think it's evident, right, With a lot of the customers want to have my sales territory, right. That, like, I was very passionate about windows and doors and the technical aspects of it. And it was part of what helped me be successful in my territory was that I understood some of the nuanced stuff better than the other guys that they could call when they had questions with a product.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Excellent. Kenyon shared with me a podcast I just recorded with him earlier this week that he considers himself a window nerd. Would you fall into that camp?
[00:17:51] Speaker C: Yeah, 100%.
[00:17:53] Speaker A: I would totally agree with the definition of Robert, and we're grateful to have this window nerd on our team because he certainly is passionate about our products and is always updating himself and educating himself on, you know, not only our products, but the code requirements for the different markets, that he's responsible for keeping in touch with customers and training and creating training documents just to help and support people like Kenyon, who also is a window nerd. But we got a great team out there because these folks work together. So, yeah, that one. That one's a perfect choice for you.
[00:18:23] Speaker B: Yeah, that's awesome. All right, Jason, I want to hear yours.
[00:18:26] Speaker A: Mine is we believe in our guiding principles and make them part of every decision.
So our guiding principles, really a North Star and a roadmap for us and on the product team, you know, we really focus on the common purpose of delivering value by manufacturing the finest products, services, and customer experiences every day, everywhere. If we Keep that as our focus. It's pretty easy to identify what our priorities are in our different project lists. And this is evidence of continuous improvement and creativity, as well as profitable partnerships. So the teams worked really hard to figure out what the best color solutions were for each of our product, and they're creative in how they identified those solutions. And we're bringing more opportunities for our customers to go out and win jobs, and together, we'll continue to win together. So. Yeah, that's my favorite DNA element.
[00:19:13] Speaker B: That's awesome. Well, I am so thankful for people like you both who can get into the weeds and understand what's needed out there, and to be able to empower and equip the teams and the offerings so that we can all, you know, continue to succeed, and our customers can continue to succeed, and homeowners can really have the best of the best. So appreciate your time today. Thank you.
[00:19:36] Speaker A: Thank you, Sherry. Appreciate you having us on and appreciate your persistence and glad to have finally done this with you.
[00:19:42] Speaker B: Checked it off the list.
[00:19:44] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. So thank you very much.
[00:19:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I probably won't bug you for another one until at least a year from now. So you're good.
[00:19:51] Speaker A: Perfect.
[00:19:52] Speaker B: Awesome. Well, thank you, gentlemen. Have a great day.
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