In a world where many just follow the same path, there’s a lot to be said for innovation, for companies that are consistently on the leading edge of their field.
Those thought leaders can be small, boutique firms, or they can be large multinationals. No matter their size, though, they have made a clear decision not to rest on their laurels.
That’s the approach taken by Marvin Windows. They are a billion-dollar window and door giant with more than a century of history. But every year they continue to push the envelope.
“That’s at the core of who they are as a company,” says Jeff Kussen, who co-owns Great North Windows and Doors with his father Ken and his brother Brad. “Marvin has grown steadily – not through acquiring other companies, but organically. They invest in research and development, and grow because they just consistently make the best products.”
“They create something new, and by the time some of the industry has caught up, they are already into their next innovation.”
Marvin sells exclusively through a large network of factory trained dealers – their products aren’t available in big box stores. Great North Windows and Doors is the only Marvin dealer for Ontario’s Cottage Country.
Jeff, Brad, and Ken have decades of experience in windows and doors, and it’s no accident that they have a partnership with Marvin. “Marvin has managed to strike a unique balance,” Jeff explains. “They’re a large company, but they’re still owned by the same family. And they operate with all the care and attention to detail that you would expect from a small, family-run operation. They have a wide range of products – at different price points – but all of them are made to incredibly exacting standards.”
“We take pride in what we do, and we love working with a company that does the same.” After all, he adds, the homes and cottages they work on are investments, but also much more besides: they are often their clients’ most treasured places, spots where people are going to make their most treasured memories, the “happy place” they can escape to. The windows and doors in those homes and cottages should be well designed and built to last.
Passing the grade
Becoming an authorized Marvin dealer was a lengthy process. “We more or less had to audition for them, to show them that we would be a good fit for each other,” says Ken. “It wasn’t just a matter of telling them we’d like to sell their windows. We had to prove we would be worthy of their trust.”
Even after many years, the relationship between Marvin and Great North Windows and Doors continues to grow. “We’ve visited the Marvin factory in Minnesota a number of times, and had their experts on-site working alongside us,” says Jeff. “We have gone through extensive factory service and installation training, which equips us to install and service Marvin’s most complex product offerings.”
And there are certainly plenty of complex installations, Brad says with a chuckle. “We do a lot of projects that involve fitting windows and doors in large openings, creating a wall of glass that looks out on the lake,” he says. Panels can be 12 feet high, lined up to fill an opening 30 or more feet across.
“You can have a single hinge door 4 feet wide by 12 feet tall that weighs 400 pounds, but when it’s installed properly you can open and close it with a single finger,” Brad says.
To achieve that, manufacturing and installation both need to be of the highest order.
Research and development
Marvin does extensive market research through the eyes of its dealers, architects, designers and homeowners. New products are developed, tested, and certified by third parties before being released into the market, says Ken.
“Marvin invests in research and development like nobody I’ve ever seen. That’s what they’ve always done, since they launched in 1913 – develop new technologies, new approaches. They’re always innovating.”
That innovation applies to design as well as technology. While some companies double down on one design style, Marvin makes products that suit a wide range of architecture. “We’ve installed in very modern cottages, very traditional ones, and in cottages that would be considered ‘transitional’ style,” says Jeff. “Marvin has a product for all of them.”
Architects – and their clients – particularly love the focus on visual performance that is found across the product line. Sliding doors, windows, and hinged doors can all have the same profile, for example, allowing a visual symmetry that is incredibly pleasing to the eye.
There is also no unnecessary material blocking the view. A traditional cottage design may call for windows that have a bit more ornamentation, while a modern design will demand sharp, clean edges. But no matter the design style, the frames around the windows and doors should never be wider than necessary.
“Because these products are so well designed and manufactured, the frames can be incredibly thin, which allows the maximum amount of light to pass through, and gives the maximum view,” says Jeff.
“After all, that’s the reason we’re in lake country in the first place – for the view and the beauty. Thanks to Marvin, we can maximize that experience for our clients.”
TEXT A. WAGNER-CHAZALON
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
