Walker, Mich. — Tubelite Inc. has named Tom Minnon as eastern region sales manager of the company’s architectural aluminum products, serving clients from Maine to Georgia. With nearly four decades of industry experience and many professional accreditations, Minnon regularly provides educational and consultative support to architects, buildings owners and glazing contractors.

Minnon’s experience in the fenestration industry includes architectural sales in natural daylighting applications, high-performance glazing, solar energy design and architectural aluminum glazing systems with Kalwall Corporation, Kawneer Company and YKK AP.

He earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC‘s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® Accredited Professional (LEED® AP) Certification. A resident of Derry, N.H., Minnon currently serves as chairperson on the Town Council’s Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee. He and his wife have completely remodeled their 30-year-old home to meet sustainable design criteria inside and outdoors, incorporating water efficiency and re-use, renewable energy and efficiency, as well as recycled and recyclable materials.

Minnon says he is impressed that all of Tubelite’s architectural products are manufactured using EcoLuminum™, a high recycled-content aluminum billet composition featuring environmentally-friendly finishes. Tubelite’s storefront, curtainwall, entrance and daylight control systems can contribute to projects pursuing certification through the USGBC’s LEED Rating Systems in the areas of daylighting and views, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, low-emitting materials and recycled content.

As members of the USGBC, Minnon and Tubelite share their knowledge through presentations and articles. Most recently, Minnon has been a speaker at Glass Expo Midwest, Glass TEXpo, and the Connecticut Glass Dealers Association. He also has presented at several chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). In addition to speaking at CSI events, Minnon also is a CSI Construction Documents Technologist (CDT), CSI Certified Construction Products Representative (CCPR) and past president of the CSI New Hampshire Chapter.

Along with his professional accolades, Minnon studied aerospace engineering and industrial design at Atlanta’s Georgia Tech, and has a mechanical engineering degree from New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, N.H.

To learn more about Tubelite’s products and connect with its representatives, please visit www.tubeliteinc.com.

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Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee opened in October 2010, completing the Wisconsin’s largest hospital construction project. The 312-bed hospital concluded the four-year timeline on this 22-acre health care campus. Appropriate to the hospital’s scale, style and functionality, the building’s exterior features an aluminum rainscreen system manufactured by Dri-Design Wall Panel Systems of Holland, Mich., and painted by Linetec of Wausau, Wis. The finished system protects against the harsh, winter climate and high winds of Lake Michigan.

courtesy of Dri-Design Wall Panel Systems

Located in a historic neighborhood on the east side of Milwaukee, Columbia St. Mary’s spans 835,000 square feet and rises nine stories to fit the architecture within the health care campus and its surrounding community. Designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) of St. Louis, the facility was constructed by Milwaukee-based joint venture team of CG Schmidt-Barton Malow. The $417 million project replaced two, aging hospitals — St. Mary’s and Columbia — with a unified, cost-effective, modern facility. The new hospital is expected to save approximately $19 million on annual operational costs.

From the earliest stages of Columbia St. Mary’s development, HOK applied evidence-based design (EBD). EBD principals guide the research-driven creation of a pleasant and efficient work environment focused on improving patient outcomes. The resulting building configuration is intuitive for patients, visitors and staff to navigate. Obvious entry areas and traffic patterns direct acute-care inpatients and non-acute-care outpatients. To further enhance the healing environment at Columbia St. Mary’s, building materials were selected to minimize noise, optimize indoor climate control, and maximize daylighting and outdoor views.

EBD also recognizes that protecting patients’ privacy and controlling infection are essential to any health care facility. HOK reports that a rainscreen system assists in preventing moisture from entering the wall cavity and thus prevents any opportunity for mold to grow. Along with providing a superior water barrier, the system’s thermal performance assists in reducing the hospital’s energy costs.

courtesy of Dri-Design Wall Panel Systems

Contributing to the rainscreen system’s effectiveness, Linetec applied the Bone White Kynar® finish to 136,000 square feet of Dri-Design’s 0.080-inch aluminum panels, which were installed by Architectural Products of Wausau, Wis. “This may be the largest metal wall panel project using that type of product in Wisconsin,” says Architectural Products of Wausau’s president, John Schremp.

Linetec’s senior marketing specialist, Tammy Schroeder, LEED® Green Associate, agrees, “It was a huge project for our home state of Wisconsin and exciting to be a part of it. We expect the building to be here for many years. The reliability and durability of this painted finish contributes to its longevity, helping reduce maintenance, repair and replacement, while shielding the building against aging, weathering and pollution.”

The high-performance 70% Kynar coatings meet the most stringent, exterior, architectural specification, AAMA 2605-05. This specification requires paint coatings to meet rigorous testing performance standards including 4,000 hours of salt spray, and heat- and- humidity resistance. Ensuring both environmental performance and responsible practices, Linetec’s finishing facility safely and efficiently captures and destroys the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in liquid solvent-based paints at the factory.

“VOC content, when released directly into the atmosphere, has been known as a contributor to ozone depletion. For liquid Kynar coatings, we use specialized equipment to safely capture 100% of the VOCs released in the painting process, and to destroy these captured VOCs with 98.5% efficiency at the factory – before arrival to the building site,” explains Schroeder. “VOCs can be of special concern to projects pursuing sustainable, green design goals and to health care facilities with sensitive medical equipment and patients with compromised immune systems.”

“HOK is committed to sustainable design and on exterior wall systems, we’re very convinced by the rainscreen system,” adds HOK’s senior project designer, David Buckley, AIA, LEED Accredited Professional.

courtesy of Dri-Design Wall Panel Systems

HOK’s confidence in Dri-Design’s rainscreen system and the principals of EBD, have earned compliments from the architectural, health care and Milwaukee communities. Leo P. Brideau, Columbia St. Mary’s president and CEO throughout the project, concluded, “We have created a hospital that is different from anything else in the region and fulfills our promise to provide health care that works, health care that is safe, and health care that leaves no one behind. It will make significant contributions to the way health care is delivered both locally and nationally.”

**

Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital; Milwaukee

* Owner: Ascension Health; St. Louis

* Architect: Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum; St. Louis

* General contractor: CG Schmidt-Barton Malow Joint Venture Company; Milwaukee

* Specialty contractor: Architectural Products of Wausau; Wausau, Wis.

* Rainscreen system manufacturer: Dri-Design Wall Panel Systems; Holland, Mich.

* Rainscreen system manufacturer – Finisher: Linetec; Wausau, Wis.

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Rolling Meadows, Illinois – Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) is pleased to announce that Jim Galvin has joined PMI to provide senior-level technical support.

Galvin is retired from Symmons Industries after 39 years, the last 15 focusing on codes and standards. He will share his industry insight with PMI and nurture important liaisons with organizations including the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“I am very excited to be working with PMI again,” says Galvin. “I have been associated with PMI for 25 years and they continue to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, as well as be an advocate for the industry and their members.”

“Jim is a wonderful addition to the PMI team and we will benefit both from his experience and professionalism,” says PMI Executive Director Barbara C. Higgens. “Jim will join us in New Orleans at the Spring Conference and our members will be there to welcome him back to the industry.”

For more information about PMI’s semi-annual conferences, visit www.pmihome.org or call 847-481-5500.

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Schaumburg, Ill. — The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has made additional glass-related documents available on www.glassdocs.com, a website that is jointly managed with the Glass Association of North America (GANA) and the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA), and serves as a one-stop reference site listing all publications and documents relating to fenestration glass for the benefit of the architectural and code communities in North America.

In the category of Design and Fabrication, the following documents are now available:
* AAMA CW-12-84, “Structural Properties of Glass,” offers current technical information on the structural properties of glass and provides guidance on the selection and use of architectural glass.
* AAMA DDGA-89, “Daylighting Design Guidelines for Roof Glazing in Atrium Spaces,” focuses on large roof areas or atriums (30 to 90% of the roof area) for net annual energy and peak demand as the key measures of performance. The document outlines a procedure for making early schematic design decisions regarding the use of relatively large areas of horizontal roof glazing in the prototype atrium configuration and describes energy balance techniques.
* AAMA CW-13-85, “Structural Sealant Glazing Systems,” a design guide to the three basic structural silicone sealant glazing systems: 1) all glass, 2) strip window and 3) total wall, discusses the glass, metal framing members and silicone sealant.

In the category of Voluntary Test and Installation, the following documents are now available:
* AAMA 1505-09, “Voluntary Test Methods for Thermal Performance of Fenestration Products with Multiple Glazing Options,” outlines the procedures used to determine thermal performance ratings of products with more than one glazing option using test data.
* AAMA 2001-07, “Voluntary Specifications for Residential Translucent Sloped Glazing Systems,” establishes minimum requirements for the performance features of Residential Translucent Sloped Glazing System products built from aluminum, vinyl (PVC), wood and/or alternate materials.

In the category of Codes and Standards, the following document is now available:
* AAMA TIR A7-83, “Sloped Glazing Guidelines,” covers general provisions for design factors, breakage, condensation, loadings, deflection, inspection and testing for skylights and space enclosures titled more than 15 degrees from the vertical plane.

Documents available on www.GlassDocs.com encompass all areas of glass for fenestration and are categorized within the site by Codes and Standards, Design and Fabrication, Voluntary Test Methods, Post Fabrication and Installation, Thermal Performance and Care and Maintenance. The website is intended to provide the information needed in order to ensure both code compliance and good design.

To learn more about AAMA, please visit www.aamanet.org. Sign up to get the AAMA latest news through the AAMA News and What’s New feeds.

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Rolling Meadows, Illinois – Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) will host its 2011 Spring Conference, March 27-30, at the Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans.

PMI is breaking from the usual at its semi-annual conferences by offering dual tracks this year, consisting of marketing and technical meetings. The dual-track schedule is driven by PMI President Jack Krecek, vice president and general manager of the commercial business unit for Elkay Manufacturing Company and the PMI Board of Directors. “This is a significant departure from the traditional conference schedule. We are is very excited about the new course of the meetings,” says Barbara C. Higgens, PMI’s executive director.

Conference topics will include the roll-out of PMI’s new name and look, industry challenges, marketing “green,” legislation, regulation and global benchmarking.

The PMI Spring Conference will kick-off with an opening keynote by James Carville, one of America’s best-known political consultants. Carville, “a.k.a. the Ragin’ Cajun,” has a long list of electoral successes and a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories. Higgens says, “His presentation is sure to fire up attendees and put them in the mindset to tackle the next two and a half days of meetings with gusto!”

Higgens adds, “PMI is pleased to announce that members have the option to participate in a Habitat for Humanity build project on Sat., March 26. This is a first come, first served chance to give back to some of the communities that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.”

The Hotel Monteleone, the location for the PMI Spring Conference, is located in the heart of the French Quarter. The Monteleone, named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a Historic Hotel of America, has hosted celebrities and dignitaries from around the world. PMI has secured a group rate of $169 a night.

For more information about PMI’s semi-annual conferences, visit www.pmihome.org or call 847-481-5500.

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Walker, Mich. — Tubelite Inc. has hired Scott Huff as a client development manager serving customers in North and South Carolina. He works closely with glazing and general contractors, architects, and building owners to provide information on the company’s architectural aluminum products and their green building benefits.

Huff is passionate about sustainability and says he is impressed that all of Tubelite’s architectural products are manufactured using EcoLuminum™, a high recycled-content aluminum billet composition featuring environmentally-friendly finishes. Tubelite’s storefront, curtainwall, entrance and daylight control systems can contribute to projects pursuing certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System™ in the areas of daylighting and views, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, low-emitting materials and recycled content.

Before joining Tubelite, he was employed with Oldcastle Glass’ engineered products division, which now is Oldcastle Building Envelope. Prior to this, he was with The Vistawall Group (now, also part of Oldcastle) as an architectural sales representative for the Carolinas.

Based in Charlotte, N.C, Huff earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from State University in West Georgia and a degree in machine tool technology from West Georgia Technical College. He continues his professional development as a member of the National Glass Association. In his spare time, Huff can be found working the radio controls of an airplane or boat or launching a mid- to high-powered rocket.

To learn more about Tubelite’s products and connect with its representatives, please visit www.tubeliteinc.com.

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Wausau, Wis. — In September 2010, the Air National Guard (ANG) dedicated its new Readiness Center building at Joint Base Andrews to a former ANG director, Maj. Gen. Donald Sheppard. Now known as Sheppard Hall, the four-story, $52 million project features a blast hazard mitigating curtainwall system offering the ANG a secure, centralized command, as well as energy efficiency and operational efficiency.

Sheppard Hall’s performance features meet the requirements of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. They also are intended to aid in its pursuit of a Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System. With respect to the building’s achievements, current ANG director, Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, said, “It’s environmentally-friendly and extremely pleasant to look at.”

DMJM Design, now AECOM, provided program management, master planning, architectural design, structural engineering, and LEED consultation and commissioning for Sheppard Hall. The project was designed using Autodesk® Building Information Modeling (BIM) software Revit® 2008 for all architecture, interior design and structural engineering.

Bringing the DMJM/AECOM’s design to reality, Clark Construction Group, LLC worked with a carefully-selected team of subcontractors including Icon Exterior Building Systems, LP. “We worked with DMJM from design conception to completion,” says Ken Altman, project manager of Icon EBS.

Sheppard Hall’s 170,000–square foot facility is an expansion to the ANG’s Headquarters and Readiness Center (Building 3501) and the existing Conaway Hall (Building 3500). A three-level atrium connects Conaway Hall and Sheppard Hall with a glass-enclosed corridor linking the second floors.

Icon EBS teamed with Wausau Window and Wall Systems to help meet Sheppard Hall’s performance and aesthetic requirements. Icon EBS installed approximately 44,000 square feet of Wausau’s structurally-glazed, factory-fabricated, blast hazard mitigating, unitized curtainwall. Wausau’s 8000-BHM Series curtainwall is designed for compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) UFC 4-010-01 requirements.

BIM tools, computer modeling and analysis allow the building team to verify its designs and account for multiple design criteria such as seismic, high wind or thermal performance needs. “Rather than expensive trial-and-error experimentation in the laboratory, in the shop or in the field, computer modeling cost-effectively verifies performance, while minimizing opportunity for delay or mishap during fabrication and installation,” says Tom Mifflin, who serves as Wausau’s government/military market manager.

Beyond blast hazard mitigation, Wausau’s curtainwall system contributes to achieving the daylighting, energy-efficiency and occupant comfort prescribed by the LEED rating system for new construction. Viracon, Inc.’s VE1-2M Low-E, insulating glass was specified to optimize solar control and visible light transmittance. Recycled material content was used in the manufacturing of the curtainwall system’s aluminum framing. The framing’s 8-inch-deep, exposed, aluminum surfaces were finished by Linetec. On the exterior, a three-coat 70% PVDF Champagne Gold metallic paint was applied. A clear anodize protects the interior surfaces.

Also on the building’s interior, Wausau provided a stainless steel, tubular truss system to ensure structural performance for the blast mitigating design. “As extreme pressures released by an explosive mass impinge on a building’s exterior walls, the elements of the window or curtainwall assembly work together, to withstand the blast load and dissipate its energy. Instead of the historical design practice of specifying thick windows with rigid frames, modern blast-mitigating assemblies are intended to be flexible, and absorb, rather than resist, blast energy,” explains Mifflin.

Altman adds, “The stainless steel, tubular trusses used in the high spanning areas are… also a tremendous architectural element of the entry atriums.” For visual interest on Sheppard Hall’s exterior, he also says that Wausau’s curtainwall features cantilevered projections that “bump out” from the main façade.

Altman describes the system as a “true, unitized assembly.” Structural silicone glazing and sealing are completed in Wausau’s LEED-Silver manufacturing center, which provides a controlled, factory environment to ensure the desired product performance. Shipped in pre-assembled units for ease and speed during installation, the unitized system easily accommodates both vision and spandrel glass, masonry and insulated metal panels.

“Early coordination with Icon and the whole building team was crucial to ensure proper anchorage and installation,” Mifflin emphasizes. “Any modification to the substrate, glass type, size, rigidity, configurations or required energy absorption through deflection will significantly alter the performance of an integrated system.”

Altman praises Wausau’s efforts saying, “They were our partner throughout the project” and “were a great team to work with.”

The ANG’s Sheppard Hall broke ground in late 2007 and was completed in August 2010. During this construction timeline, Andrews Air Force Base and Naval Air Facility Washington merged to become Joint Base Andrews Naval Facility Washington. Joint Base Andrews was the second joint installation as part of the consolidation process that began with BRAC.

The BRAC process was created in 1988 by Congress to aid the DoD in saving money on operations and maintenance. Before Sept. 11, 2011, 15 major military facilities are scheduled to close. Eight major facilities are slated for realignment and consolidation, which included Andrews.

In total, Joint Base Andrews covers approximately 6.8 square miles of land area in a largely self‐contained community in central Prince George’s County, Maryland. The base traces its history to a Union encampment in Civil War. It was one of the nation’s earliest military airfields. Since 1962, Andrews has been known as the “Home of Air Force One.” The Air Force uses and maintains the aircraft exclusively for the President. The 89 Airlift Wing is located on Andrews and referred to as “The President’s Wing” flying senior government and military leaders around the globe. The base is the first place in the U.S. seen by many of the world’s visiting government and military leaders.

As a result of the BRAC 2005 and National Capital Region initiatives, more than 2,300 additional personnel will be assigned to Andrews by 2011. Other new operational actions included relocating previously-leased locations for the National Capital Region’s Air Force and ANG to the base. In the autumn of 2010, more than 1,200 personnel moved into their new offices at Shepperd Hall. Prior to this, the ANG’s main directorate offices were separated between Andrews and Jefferson Plaza 1 in Crystal City, Va.

At Sheppard Hall’s dedication ceremony, Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, was quoted in the Air Force Print News Today saying, “This building was built because terrorists attacked our nation on Sept. 11, 2001 … this building was built, because we couldn’t provide a secure work environment for those men and women of the National Guard downtown in Crystal City.”

Today, Sheppard Hall helps provide the level of protection and operational efficiencies required in modern, military facilities. Kevin Robbins, Wausau’s regional sales manager, says, “BRAC projects like ANG’s new facility not only help protect occupants and keep their communities safer, but also modernizes our nation’s infrastructure to help with long-term savings associated with reduced heating and cooling costs, better resource management and enhanced worker productivity.”

Air National Guard Headquarters and Readiness Center, Sheppard Hall, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
* Owner: U.S. Air National Guard
* Design manager: CH2M Hill, Chantilly, Va.
* Base architect: DMJM Design,
now AECOM
* Interiors architect: Gensler, Washington, D.C.
* General contractor: Clark Construction Group, LLC, Bethesda, Md.
* Glazing contractor: Icon Exterior Building Systems, LP, Timonium, Md.
* Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems, Wausau, Wis.
* Glazing systems – glass fabricator: Viracon, Inc., Owatonna, Minn.
* Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau Wis.

All images by Anne Gummerson, provided by Icon Exterior Building Systems, LP.

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Wausau, Wis. (January 2011) — Recognized among 2010’s best architecture by the Wall Street Journal, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Arts and Sciences Building’s new research laboratory has been praised for its innovative design by many journalists, architects, campus leaders and more. Better know as MIT Media Lab, its glass walls and silver-hued sun shades have become synonymous with the six-story building’s signature look, high performance and diffused daylighting.

Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki of Maki and Associates designed the $90 million MIT Media Lab in association with Boston’s Leers Weinzapfel Associates. Communicating a sense of Modernistic transparency and connectivity, floor-to-ceiling glass and aluminum curtainwall clad the steel-frame building. Exterior aluminum screens constitute a second layer of the façade design.

Illinois-based Doralco Architectural Metal Solutions manufactured the vertical sunscreens from 100% recyclable aluminum. These contribute to reducing unwanted solar heat gain, minimizing HVAC demands and costs, and controlling glare for occupant comfort and productivity without sacrificing views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline.

Enhancing these environmental attributes, Linetec painted more than 66,000 square feet of recycled aluminum in a durable, 70% Kynar® coating called Maki Silver, “in honor of the architectural firm that specified it,” says Tammy Schroeder, Linetec’s marketing specialist. “Kynar paint has been the proven mainstay in the architectural market for decades. The reliability and durability of this painted finish helps reduce maintenance, repair and replacement. Some of the solvents used in liquid paints include volatile organic compounds (VOC), which have been known as a contributor to ozone depletion. At Linetec, we safely and efficiently capture and destroy the VOCs at the factory, before the material arrives on the building site.”

Photos courtesy of Doralco Architectural Metal Solutions

She continues, “For the MIT Media Lab building, the sun shade segments were finished at the largest possible size. Some were up to 27-feet long. Although this length is not unusual for extrusions, it is for fabricated parts. These significant lengths required extra supports for structural integrity. Extra time and attention also were required to insert 25,000 end caps. These foam plugs go into each end of the keep out bees and other pests.

Additional attention also was provided to ensure color consistency. Schroeder explains, “Consistency was a top priority as the material was finished in phases during a 10-month period. Each crate of finished material was sequenced, packed and shipped to the job site for a smooth, timely installation. This phased approach avoided having everything bunching up at the construction site and reduced the risk of material damage due to weather, storage and handling.”

More than 28 miles of 3/4-inch diameter, extruded aluminum pipe is utilized within the sunscreens’ assemblies. These mount directly onto the building’s structure using a series of custom-engineered, steel anchor and outrigger assemblies. Created by Doralco, this system integrates with the surrounding curtainwall and façade systems. For example, catwalks are incorporated for perimeter access, furthering the functionality of this Modern design.

Glazing contractor Karas & Karas Glass Co., Inc. installed the finished, recycled aluminum sun shades under the guidance of general contractor Bond Brothers Inc. Construction was substantially completed in 2009 and the Lab officially opened in March 2010. Doralco worked closely with the Massachusetts-based contractor team throughout the construction of MIT Media Lab.

Photos courtesy of Doralco Architectural Metal Solutions

“Everyone loves an opportunity to show what they can do. When Karas & Karas brought us in to create the sun shades that would become the skin on the glass of this building, we couldn’t resist,” stated Tom O’Malley, Doralco’s vice president of sales. “This project had all of the right elements to create outstanding architecture: creative architects, passionate contractors and quality suppliers. We are excited to be… a part of it.”

MIT Media Lab’s 163,000-square-foot facility contains seven research laboratories organized around a central atrium, top-floor event and display spaces, lecture and conference rooms, and a cafe. The new structure expands upon and is connected to the Wiesner Building, designed in 1985 by MIT alumnus I. M. Pei.

Together, MIT Media Lab and Wiesner Building showcase emerging concepts in design, communications systems and collaborative research. The complex also houses the List Visual Arts Center, the School of Architecture + Planning’s Program in Art, Culture, and Technology, and MIT’s Program in Comparative Media Studies. A key component of the building will be the Okawa Center for Future Children, focused on children, learning and developing nations.

“In the best MIT tradition of inventing the future, the new Media Lab Complex expands a legendary workshop where creativity and innovation continually transform the intersection of people and machines,” said MIT President Susan Hockfield. “This magnificent, new facility unites researchers from across our campus in advancing technologies that amplify the human experience.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Arts and Sciences Building, Media Laboratory; Cambridge, Mass.
* Design architect: Maki and Associates; Tokyo, Japan
* Executive architect: Leers Weinzapfel Associates; Boston
* General contractor: Bond Brothers Inc.; Everett, Mass.
* Glazing contractor: Karas & Karas Glass Co., Inc.; South Boston, Mass.
* Sun shade manufacturer: Doralco Architectural Metal Solutions; Alsip, Ill
Learn more about Linetec and its finishing services at www.linetec.com or by calling 888-717-1472.

Linetec is one of the nation’s largest paint and anodize finishers, and the largest independent architectural finisher. Located in Wisconsin, the company serves customers across the country through a national trucking network and offers 500,000-square-feet of capacity for finishing such products as aluminum windows, wall systems, doors, hardware and other architectural metal components, as well as automotive, marine and manufactured consumer goods.

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Wausau, Wis. — What began in 1946 as a two-brother team has grown into an internationally-respected company and one of the largest manufacturing employers in North Central Wisconsin – Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Company, Inc. Through its history, the company and its employees have shared their talents and expertise making millions of products for prominent homes and buildings.

In 2008, Point Five® Windows and Doors intertwined its own legacy with Kolbe’s. Founded 30 years ago in Fort Collins, Colorado, Point Five now custom designs and fabricates products for ultra-luxury homes and commercial projects.

“Whether in Colorado or Wisconsin, our employees share a commitment to always using the best materials and superior craftsmanship to produce the finest windows and doors available,” says Mike Salsieder, president of Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co.

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co.’s 65-year success story starts with the tale of brothers Herb and Ervin. Born just before the Great Depression, they were children during the stock market crash of 1929 and endured the hardships of the decade that followed. Still, they shared a rich and full childhood. Their work ethic was built during their days on the family dairy farm and guided them as they built the business. These humble beginnings, along with the Kolbe brothers’ dedication to producing premium quality windows and doors, served as the foundation for what now is known as the Kolbe® windows and doors brand.

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. remains a privately held, community-oriented business. The company invests in continuous improvement to maximize efficiencies and innovation to maximize opportunities. Covering nearly 1 million square feet, its state-of-the-art facilities feature high-tech machinery and a design center to present the creative possibilities offered by Kolbe windows and doors.

A timeline of significant events and a video from the company’s 60th anniversary may be viewed on Kolbe’s website.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kolbe, Point Five Windows and Doors “shares a dedication to our customers, our craftsmanship and our communities,” says Jeffrey DeLonay, Point Five’s president. “We continue the tradition of unparalleled quality, service and commitment that has brought the company ongoing success.”

Since its founding, Point Five has focused on high-performance, historically-accurate and highly-customized window and door products. In 1991, Point Five became the first, and only company in the nation to offer custom copper-clad windows and doors as a standard. With this demand, Point Five expanded into the luxury estate market throughout the United States.

Today, Point Five primarily works with architects and builders of exceptional custom homes around the country, many of which are more than 25,000 square feet. These prestigious residences typically are located in resort and vacation destinations from Malibu to Aspen to Kiawah Island and the Bahamas. According to DeLonay, “We take pride in working with these elite customers to provide outstanding window and door solutions for their estates.”

Learn more about Point Five Windows and Doors at PointFiveWindows.com.
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Kolbe will be exhibiting at International Builders Show 2011 in booth #W929

Demonstrating its continued commitment to energy efficiency, Kolbe unveils window products featuring triple pane glass to meet the new ENERGY STAR® criteria for U.S. and Canadian climate zones: Majesta® Double Hungs, Ultra EP casements and awnings, Windquest® EP casements and awnings. Other windows and sliding patio doors also may be specified from Kolbe with a triple pane glass option.

Helping homeowners lower their heating bills by effectively and efficiently keeping the warm air inside, Kolbe’s triple pane glass windows come standard with insulating glass and LoE coatings designed to achieve low U-factors. Kolbe’s Windquest EP vinyl windows and Ultra EP aluminum clad wood windows can achieve U-factors as low as 0.19 (approximately 1.00 in metric).

Window products can qualify for ENERGY STAR based on their U-factor. The new ENERGY STAR criteria for all Canadian climate zones went into effect Oct. 1, 2010. Internationally, ENERGY STAR-qualified windows are tested and certified by an independent, accredited agency. U-factors for the four Canadian climate zones range from 0.21 to 0.32, expressed in metric units as 1.20-1.80.

Exceeding 2010 ENERGY STAR criteria for all U.S. climate zones, Windquest EP windows were the first of Kolbe’s products recognized an inaugural participant of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Volume Purchase Program (VPP) promoting energy-efficient R-5 windows. Windows with an R-5 value (or a U-factor of 0.2) represent the industry’s top tier of energy efficient windows.

Offering additional performance and peace-of-mind to homeowners in coastal areas and regions with high winds, stainless steel hinges on the Ultra EP products contribute to attaining Design Pressure (DP) ratings as high as DP80 for casements and DP85 for awnings. A broad palette of environmentally-friendly finishes protect the windows’ exterior cladding, which includes recycled aluminum. A range of sustainably-harvested wood species can be chosen for the interior trim such as those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Available as either part of the Ultra Series aluminum clad wood product family or as part of the Heritage Series all-wood product line, Majesta Double Hung windows round out the collection of triple pane glass window choices. Kolbe’s newest product offering, Majesta Double Hung windows are made-to-order in sizes as large as 6×12-feet. The large sizes and traditional design make the windows a fitting choice for hotels, historic properties, converted warehouses and other commercial and mixed-use spaces.

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