This is a deal that happened a little while back and at the request of some commenters who may be Renewal by Andersen salespeople we’ve posted it here.
We used to find it funny that the Renewal by Andersen salespeople would pick on vinyl windows while their company was producing thousands of them, but now they’ve sold these vinyl brands.
Why did Andersen sell these brands?
Maybe they took our advice that producing cheap vinyl windows didn’t help their sales pitch for more expensive options. Either way, below you’ll find the press release they issued back on August 28th.
Now that the American Craftsman and Silver Line window brands are owed by Ply-Gem windows we’ll see if there are any updates to the product lines. Ply Gem has a lot of experience producing vinyl windows so perhaps we’ll see some much needed upgrades.
Here’s their press release
BAYPORT, Minn., Aug. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Andersen Corporation, America’s premier window and door manufacturer, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its hollow core vinyl window and patio door business, including the Silver Line and American Craftsman brands, to Ply Gem, a leading manufacturer of building products used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling across the United States and Canada.
Andersen has been leading the window and door industry for more than 115 years by creating different and better products and services and building brands people value and trust. In recent years, the company has achieved unprecedented growth, driven by its Andersen®, Renewal by Andersen® and specialty brands.
“This divestiture is part of Andersen’s broader strategy to sharpen our focus on our Andersen, Renewal by Andersen and specialty brands, continue to make the significant investments required to support our fast-growing, proprietary, Fibrex® engineered composite products, and deliver exceptional value to our customers for years to come,” said Andersen Corporation Chairman and CEO Jay Lund. “In addition, we believe the Silver Line and American Craftsman brands and the talented employees who have built these brands will have continued growth opportunities under Ply Gem’s stewardship.”
Ply Gem will acquire the four Silver Line manufacturing plants, associated distribution and support services for $190 million, which represents a 10X multiple of Silver Line’s trailing 12-month EBITDA through the second quarter of 2018. The more than 4,000 employees working in these locations and functions will transition to Ply Gem with the business.
“The Silver Line and American Craftsman brands are industry leading brands and have been trusted by customers and consumers for over 60 years and Ply Gem is excited to add them to our existing portfolio of quality window products,” said Gary E. Robinette, Ply Gem’s Chairman and CEO.
The transaction is expected to close by early in the fourth calendar quarter of 2018, subject to regulatory review and approval.
About Andersen Corporation
Headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, Andersen Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and market window and door products under the Andersen®, Renewal by Andersen®, Silver Line®, American Craftsman®, EMCO®, Weiland®, MQ™ and Heritage™ brands. Andersen, a privately held company, was founded in 1903 and employs more than 12,000 people with manufacturing sites in North America and Europe. Andersen has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award. Visit us at andersencorporation.com
Other Andersen window posts you might find helpful:
- Why you should NEVER buy Andersen windows
- Renewal by Andersen Reviews – The comments on this page are great.
- Andersen windows FAQ
- Renewal by Andersen Complaints – What’s going on?
How can you find a great window company?
That part is easy. Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.
Too bad they didn’t sell off the Renewal brand. Andersen bought “Renewal” several years ago and tacked on the “Andersen” brand.
My experience with Renewal by Andersen (which they franchise out to local franchisees) is they use slimy sales tactics, subcontract out the installations and of the 15 min does I bought, 6 or them leaked air due to poor design flaws.l and needed to be replaced. Dealing with Andersen corporate for warranty was angering and frustrating.
The windows have probably had a redesign since the. But I’d never touch an Andersen product again.
Thankfully the service manager of the local franchise had more integrity than Andersen corporate.
No they didn’t, Renewal is original to Andersen not an outside acquisition.
Andersen did acquire SilverLine (American Craftsman is simply rebranded SilverLine) because they wanted a high volume entry-level vinyl line, but IMO that was a mistake and they made a good move dumping that bottom of the barrel junk line. The 100 series is now their entry-level product and is much better than silverline.
I am confused—- you don’t speak highly about Alside windows but yet your company sells them.
Hi Lisa, we have sold Alside windows from time to time, but we don’t sell too many of them. I do think there are nicer choices out there. There isn’t one product that is right for everyone. We work with house flippers and landlords and we’ve installed windows in Embassies in DC and historic properties all over the place. We try to make a suggestion that will work for the specific situation.
We’d be happy to help you with your project if you’d like.
It’s really a nice and helpful piece of info We used to find it funny that the Renewal by Andersen salespeople would pick on vinyl windows while their company was producing thousands of them, but now they’ve sold these vinyl brands..I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
I bought and installed American Craftsman replacement windows from HD in 2005 and installed them myself. The sales person told me they were made by Andersen who were the best in windows . Not a bad window but low quality frame – a few corner welds broke and had to repair. I bought standard sizes that were within 1″ to 2″ of my original windows and custom ordered 2 sizes. I had to be very careful getting them square because the hollow frame was bad design and of poor quality. The wider windows had issues with bowing. I would get the frame squared and mounted and then put the sashes in and the frame would bow in slightly at the middle. Over the years the bigger windows became harder to open because of the frame bowing.
Fast forward to 2019 and I have two windows that the seal failed (one in 2011 and another in 2015) and two frames where the balancer failed. They told me to bring the numbers off the inside of the sash down and they would replace. Well I waited too long (2020) and my lifetime warranty is good but sales person could not find the numbers in the system. I guess it’s because the parts are no longer available. I can’t complain though because of the price I paid and they held up over 14 years. They had a 25% off sale and I opened a credit card so I got an additional 10% off. I bought 10 windows and two Energy Star doors for just over $1200.
I did look at the American Craftsman they have now on display and it’s not the same as the ones I purchased made by Andersen in 2005. The Energy Rating is better and frame and sash are better quality than the ones I purchased.