In 1906, a piece of land along Lake Michigan 25 miles east of Chicago and its railways was determined to be a prime location for the manufacture of steel. The city built there was named after the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, Elbert Henry Gary, and was primarily populated by employees of the Gary Works steel mill. For 60 years the mill and town manufactured 67 percent of the steel on the market and survived fluctuations in the industry. Though the mill functions at 30 percent today, it is still Gary, Indiana’s, largest employer; Karl Malden worked there, Joe Jackson worked there and so did my Dad.

By the 1960’s, the US steel industry was consistently outperformed by German and Japanese competitors. Steel executives’ lack of broader vision is often cited as the main reason for the decline of the American steel industry; their insistence on limited reinvestment in old mills, machinery and processes the chief culprit that resulted in the demise of Big Steel and the City of the Century. However, ongoing antagonism among steelmakers, government and labor were also major contributors to the steel industry's fall.

The stumble of Big Steel indicated a trend in American manufacturing as a whole. The “Made in the USA” marketing campaign was reignited in the 1970s, in part, because of the increasing dependence on foreign imports by Americans. ABC News reports that in 1960 foreign goods made up a mere eight percent of purchases in the US but by the beginning of the 21^st century that percentage had skyrocketed to 60 percent.

As a Florida native, family-owned business, the Window and Door Replacement Company (WDRC) takes pride in being a premium dealer of impact-resistant windows and doors that are made in the USA. Our impact-resistant window and door manufacturers, CGI, PGT and Kolbe & Kolbe, hail from the United States and rank among the top 100 US manufacturers in Window and Door’s annual 2014 report. PGT and CGI hold the distinction of trailblazing the development of impact-resistant glass windows and doors. These hurricane windows and doors were developed and made with the most exacting specifications in mind. Built to withstand hurricane force winds of 170+ mph, driving rain and wind-borne debris, over thirty years of American research and development has engineered impact glass windows and doors vital to the safety, comfort, and protection of your family and home investment. Structural innovation and improvement through the use of stainless steel hinges, fasteners, placement screws, and rollers ensure that key components in your impact windows and doors are built to last and perform to the highest standard; especially in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone that includes Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Replacement windows and doors are WDRC’s contribution to the protection and wellbeing of our local and national community while increasing the value of your home. We are fully licensed, insured and employ a team of professionals committed to delivering, installing and maintaining the highest quality impact windows and doors made in the USA. Be assured that your expectations will be exceeded from your initial consultation throughout the lifetime of your impact-resistant windows and doors.

by Kate Donovan