Door & Window Market • October 2016 • Dealer News

Crystal Window & Door Systems has made moves in recent months that could help deliver its products to dealers more efficiently. This includes a plan to create an all-fenestration industrial park in Pennsylvania and the addition of a new frontend computer system.

In August, Crystal announced that it wants to attract fenestration-related businesses to the industrial property in Lackawanna County, Pa., that it acquired in October 2015. Some of those firms may be suppliers to Crystal Windows or subsidiaries–or spin-offs of the company itself. National commercial/industrial realtor JLL has been retained to identify and attract firms to what's now known as Crystal Pennsylvania Business Park.

The space, which covers 226 acres, currently includes Crystal's 336,000-square-foot facility. It's also adjacent to Interstate 81, a major highway that runs from New York to Tennessee. Those transportation connections and speedy access to dealers were a big draws for Crystal, COO Steve Chen told the Scranton Times-Tribune.

"Leveraging the Crystal brand to rename the business park is the first step in further developing the property and attracting businesses and jobs to the region," said Thomas Chen, CEO and owner of Crystal Windows. "We chose the Scranton area and Lackawanna County in Northeastern Pennsylvania for many great reasons, and we feel that other companies will also see the value and be similarly excited to locate their operations here."

Crystal Windows anticipates that the development of the industrial/ commercial park will play out over 15 years. Crystal will continue its renovation of the existing building and expansion of window manufacturing operations. The estimated total future employment in the business park might exceed 500-600 employees.

As part of that expansion, Crystal recently implemented a new enterprise-wide computer system that will manage the company's quoting, sales, production, delivery and other vital operations. The new system is in use at Crystal's headquarters and main production plant in New York and is being phased in at Crystal's other production facilities and sales offices in Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.

The company says the new system offers many features that improve order efficiency, accuracy, turnaround and flexibility. Customers can see up-to-the-minute product information and configuration options. Order status can be checked in real time online. Plain-language quotation and order documentation includes digital product illustrations for every line item, and corresponding accessories are listed by opening. When required, shop drawings are automatically generated, improving accuracy and turnaround time. Production scheduling and delivery or pick-up confirmations can be easily determined.

The company's new system will also allow trade customers to develop quotations and enter orders directly through the online EZ-Crystal portal, speeding the time from quotation to order through delivery.

Crystal hired the Soft Tech Group, which has created systems for many other fenestration industry leaders such as Kawneer, Graham, Comfort Line FiberFrame and Schuco, to develop the comprehensive system to integrate all of Crystal's operations.

ABC Supply will acquire USG's building product distribution business, L&W Supply, for total cash consideration of $670 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed before the end of 2016.

L&W Supply is one of the largest distributors of gypsum wallboard and suspended ceiling tiles in the U.S., serving its customers from 136 distribution branches. ABC Supply is the nation's largest wholesale distributor of windows, roofing, siding and gutter materials.