Crystal Windows Celebrates 35th Anniversary National manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems is marking its 35th anniversary since the company started. The company was founded by Taiwanese-American immigrant Thomas Chen, who came to the United States at 27, speaking no English and with no formal education beyond high school. After spending his first few years here working for others in a variety of jobs, Chen launched Crystal Windows in a small commercial garage in Queens, NY, in 1990, and the rest is history. Today Crystal Windows has over one million square feet of production space in five major factories across the country and employs more than 750 workers. “I started Crystal Windows because I believed home and building owners deserved a quality replacement window that was affordable and would last,” said Chen. “Today our team continues that tradition, designing and producing a broad array of new products that meet today’s stringent energy codes and deliver high quality, all in the most cost-effective manner.” The first event commemorating the 35th anniversary this year was held on Saturday, May 3, for Crystal employees, their families, and other guests. Approximately 800 people attended a celebratory gala in Queens, featuring music, dancing, and a traditional multi-course Asian banquet. Several elected officials also attended to congratulate Crystal on its achievements, and New York Governor Hochul’s Regional Director Aaron Ambrose presented a citation of accomplishment to Crystal Chairman Thomas Chen and CEO Jeffrey Smith. Crystal’s original product line consisted of a simple aluminum replacement window for the New York City apartment house market. Today, Crystal offers over 25 lines of vinyl, aluminum, and uPVC commercial vinyl windows and doors for residential and commercial applications all over the nation. Already extruding vinyl window components in-house, the company vertically integrated further in 2003 with the purchase and expansion of its Union, MO, aluminum profile extruder Gateway Extrusions. Besides launching three additional window production facilities, Crystal has also expanded its in-house engineering, design consulting, product testing, and field services to meet the demands of complex new construction projects requiring custom solutions. Crystal has supplied its quality products for some of the most notable projects across the country, including: the historic OMNI Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC; the expansive city-within-a-city development Harbor Point in Stamford, CT; top security Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego, CA; hotel chains Marriott, Holiday Inn, and Hyatt; and universities in New York, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and Missouri. “Crystal has a long history of strong growth for more than three decades and the company shows no signs of stopping,” said CEO Jeffrey Smith. “There are many new products in development, and plans are underway for new production facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in North Carolina. These new products and plants will help Crystal meet its future growth in exciting new markets.”
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 Windows Presents at Mid-Atlantic Architect Workshop National manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems will be a featured presenter at a virtual workshop for architects and other design professionals focusing on the Mid-Atlantic region. Hosted by The Architect’s Newspaper, the forum is part of the media outlet’s online CE|Strong series of continuing education programs, including live virtual workshops, online courses, and other resources. The June 16, 2021, workshop theme is solutions for High-Performance Facades. Crystal will be a featured speaker in an upcoming continuing education forum on facades for architects and other design professionals. The forum is part of The Architect’s Newspaper CE|Strong continuing education platform. “During 2020, Crystal really ramped up its online program delivery to architects, engineers, and others in the design community to stay connected with our market,” said Steven Yu, Marketing Manager for Crystal. “The participation has been tremendous for each webinar and has enabled us to reach many more architects across the country. This CE|Strong Virtual Workshop is another great way for Crystal to communicate critical technical fenestration information to architects and specifiers.” Vincent Grieco, Crystal’s Technical Sales Manager, will present Specifying Windows, Doors, and Skylights Using Performance Standards. He will cover how to use window and door standards and codes to specify product type, performance level, and key performance attributes. Grieco brings his extensive experience with major commercial fenestration projects, installation techniques, and product specification to his educational presentation, giving architects participating in the workshop many examples and addressing common challenges they are likely to face. The CE|Strong Mid-Atlantic Virtual Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (ET), with the one-hour Crystal presentation beginning at 1:00 PM (ET). Participants in all sessions earn AIA continuing education credits with five presentations and interactive discussions on a variety of façade materials, including windows. While the forum focuses on the Mid-Atlantic region, participants from all regions are welcome. For more information on registering for the workshop, visit www.cestrong.com/workshops.
