Crystal Windows Welcomes New CEO National manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems is pleased to welcome Mr. Jeffrey D. Smith to its leadership team as the new Chief Executive Officer. He joins Crystal Chairman and founder Thomas Chen and President Steve Chen to guide the company in its future growth and expansion. “Jeff brings a stellar track record of leadership, running large profitable businesses, and strong customer relationships to Crystal,” says Chairman Thomas Chen. “From start-up 34 years ago until today, Crystal has flourished. Jeff is very highly regarded in our industry, and working with our dedicated employees, he will build on this strong foundation of success and position Crystal for exciting growth and continued prosperity in the coming years.” “I am thrilled and honored to join a company whose culture is committed to product excellence, superior customer service, and an unwavering commitment to its employees,” said CEO Jeffrey Smith. “My approach is quite simple: continue striving for the highest product quality and best-in-class service to our customers, ensure production operations continue efficiently and sustainably, and seize opportunities to advance the company.” Since its inception in 1990, Crystal has progressively grown to be one of the largest window manufacturers in North America. Now with over 1,000,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space at five facilities and over 750 employees across the country, and with one of the broadest product lines in the industry, the company continues its growth and success. With new products in the pipeline, new production capabilities coming online, and expansion opportunities being realized, the company is poised for even greater achievement. “While Crystal has established its prominent national presence in the building products industry through times of both economic boom and challenge, we want to take the company to even greater heights,” said President Steve Chen. “Jeff is the right executive with the right experience to make that a reality.” Smith brings a wealth of broad building materials industry experience to the role of CEO. He has held top leadership roles as President and CEO of Trussway Manufacturing of Houston, Texas, High Industries of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and most recently as Senior Vice President of Multifamily Components for Builders FirstSource, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, one of the nation’s largest building material dealers and manufacturers. Smith also brings to Crystal a well-rounded background of progressively responsible roles in management, engineering, and manufacturing operations from respected leading brands, including Colgate Palmolive, GAF Materials Corporation, and CertainTeed Corporation. While at CertainTeed, Smith held operations leadership roles in the company’s roofing and siding divisions, most notably running the company’s vinyl siding and window lineal extrusion operations. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ), and an MBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX). Throughout his career he has specialized in key areas such as lean manufacturing, quality improvement, sustainability, new product development, and sales growth.
Crystal Pennsylvania Receives a Visit from US Congressman Cartwright Crystal Window & Door Systems recently welcomed US Congressman Matthew Cartwright of Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District to tour its northeast Pennsylvania production facility, located north of Scranton in Benton Township. As a business constituent in Congressman Cartwright’s district, Crystal was pleased to have the Representative meet its dedicated workforce in Pennsylvania and see its products and manufacturing equipment. “Crystal was delighted that Congressman Cartwright could visit our facility in Benton Township and see firsthand the fabrication of our quality window and door products made by our skilled employees,” said Thomas Chen, Chairman. “Our team was proud to describe the window manufacturing and insulated glass assembly processes and answer his questions.” Crystal recently added several vinyl product lines to the roster of products fabricated at its northeast Pennsylvania factory, as well as expanded insulated glass unit assembly, including triple-pane units. The company also invested in several pieces of new equipment to accommodate these additional products and future planned products. During the visit with Congressman Cartwright, Crystal presented its general plans for further development on the property with additional production and warehouse space. Crystal’s Pennsylvania facility is currently a 336,000-ft2 building on a 226-acre site adjacent to Highway 81. Additional warehouse and production space will be needed as the company further integrates operations with Crystal’s New York factory and continues to add product lines to meet future demand. “I am glad that Congressman Cartwright and his team learned more about Crystal and our plans to continue to grow in northeast Pennsylvania,” said Chen. “We are proud to be part of the vibrant manufacturing community here in this district, and the understanding and support of elected officials is very important.”
Crystal Window & Door Systems Expands Operations at Northeast PA Facility National manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems has expanded operations at its Northeast Pennsylvania facility outside of Scranton with the addition of several Crystal products to the lineup of products fabricated there. The expansion allows the company to keep up with demand and keep lead times short. Crystal Windows’ new construction Series 300 and Series 400 vinyl windows and the Series 1500 and Series 1600 vinyl sliding patio doors are all now fully assembled at the Scranton factory. These products join the Series 100 vinyl window line, popular with distributor stock programs, and the Series 1240 and 1280 aluminum patio doors already assembled there. “Crystal Pennsylvania is continuing to grow despite the current industry challenges,” said Steve Chen, President of Crystal Windows. “With our 336,000 square foot facility, we’ve capitalized on the space to add product lines and allow other Crystal plants to focus production on new heavy commercial products for regional markets.” Crystal Pennsylvania (Crystal PA) also has expanded its insulated glass unit (IGU) fabrication capabilities. The facility now can produce IGUs with several spacer systems, including GED Intercept and Edgetech SuperSpacer. Production of triple-pane IGUs has also ramped up significantly with increased market demand for greater energy efficiency. Crystal PA’s automated glass line features highly efficient GED and Billco advanced production equipment which can handle large glass panels. Most of the products fabricated at Crystal PA are shipped directly to job sites and customers throughout the Northeast, MidAtlantic, Southeast, and central MidWest regions, including major developments in Crystal’s newest markets in Texas, saving shipping costs and time. Longer distance shipments are handled by Crystal’s logistics partner JB Hunt. Shipments in the northeast region are usually handled by Crystal’s own truck fleet. Crystal plans to add more new equipment this year, including vinyl saws, welders, and comer cleaners with associated tooling to handle additional C1ystal products. Building improvements, a new rooftop sign, and enhancements to employee break areas are also in the works. “The new equipment we have already added here recently has improved our operating efficiency and reduced lead times,” said Chen. ·”Further improvements this year will continue the trend, and it will allow us to satisfy demand even more effectively and improve deliveries to our customers.”
Crystal Windows Named a Top New York Area Private Firm Recognizing the company’s continuous growth, national manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems was named by leading business publication Crain’s New York Business to the 2021 List of New York’s Largest Privately-Owned Companies. Based on 2020 revenues, the list includes the largest 125 privately-held businesses headquartered in the New York metro area of New York City, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties, and Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Union counties of northern New Jersey. This is the first time in its 31-year history that Crystal has been included. “With hundreds of thousands of private businesses in the New York region, including many that are the largest in the nation, it is quite a recognition for Crystal to be on this prestigious list,” said Steve Chen, President of Crystal Windows. “Especially with the challenges of the pandemic during the past year and a half, it is noteworthy that Crystal continued to serve its customers across the country efficiently and effectively.” Crystal is the only manufacturer on the list in New York and one of only five companies on the list that are headquartered in Queens, NY. The top three companies on the list – Hearst, Bloomberg, and Horizon Media – are in the media and information services sector. In addition, many of the region’s largest developers, real estate investors, and construction firms such as the Trump Organization, Hunter Roberts, STV, Procida, DeMattis, and Tishman Speyer are represented as well. One quarter of the listed companies are headquartered in New Jersey. “Crystal is proud to be a true manufacturer in New York City,” said Chen. “Our location in the heart of Queens keeps us close to our construction and real estate customers, as well as the numerous home improvement companies in the region. We provide jobs for over 350 New York residents at our facility, and we contribute significantly to the local economy. It is a win-win situation for Crystal and for New York.”
Crystal Window AC85 Acoustic Window Receives Industry Recognition National manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems and its impressive product line continue to receive fenestration industry recognition. Leading national trade publication US Glass Magazine named the Crystal Acoustic Window AC85 Aluminum Window the winner in the façade/glazing systems category of its annual “Readers’ Choice Awards,” featured in the December 2020 issue. This is the second year in a row and the third time in the past five years that a new Crystal product was picked as a favorite. “The Crystal Series AC85 Acoustic Window delivers industry leading acoustic sound transmission reductions,” said Sabrina Leung, Crystal’s R&D/Architectural Sales Manager. “Independent lab testing of the AC85 window for a recent project in New York certified an outstanding Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class (OITC) sound reduction rating of 42 using double pane insulated glass. This means properties in high noise areas near highways, rail lines, airports, or heavy traffic can use these windows to provide very comfortable interior environments.” The aluminum frame Crystal AC85 Acoustic Window is available in either casement or fixed window styles. The heavy-duty aluminum 7-⅞” depth thermally-broken master frame window features a dual-sash configuration for both styles. For the casement, the interior sash opens in and the exterior sash opens out. The AC85 dual sashes each have a 1-¼” glazing pocket which accepts double or triple pane insulated glass units. With appropriate glass, Low-E coatings, and argon filling options, notable U-values of 0.28 are achieved. The US Glass Readers’ Choice Awards are determined by the publication’s national and international subscribers voting online during November for the most impressive new products featured in the publication during the year. Crystal was a previous Readers’ Choice Award winner in 2019 with its Magnus Commercial Vinyl Series 4500 uPVC window line and in 2016 with its aluminum Series 8500/8600 projected window line. US Glass is the most widely read architectural glass industry magazine, offered monthly in both print and online editions. The associated US Glass online information platform provides a daily email service to subscribers and offers the latest industry news, product information, commentary, and observations of leading industry experts.
