“It’s Not Just A Name” .. BiltBest Really Did Aim to "Build the Best" Value in Windows and Patio Doors .. and remember -- a "rose by any other name is still a rose" -- The same can be said of a slogan. Whether it’s called a cliché, catchy phrase or a catchword, it is still just that, unless it takes on its own meaning. And in the case of a window and door manufacturer approaching over a half-century of service ( over 66 years ) .. that is what is happening. For Ste Genevieve, Missouri-based BiltBest Windows .. changes in management, direction, philosophy, culture, policy, marketing and manufacturing .. all put this company on a new path and added another dimension to, “It’s Not Just A Name.” .. But What Went Wrong? History Located in Ste Genevieve, 60 miles south of St. Louis, BiltBest Windows had been active since the early 1950s. Founded by Morris and Paul Eisenberg in 1946 in Nassau County, N.Y., the company was a housing component manufacturer, producing cabinets, doors and millwork trim.

A government contract to manufacture wooden ammunition boxes brought the company to Clarence, Mo., in 1950 so it could be closer to the three national U.S. Army arsenals. Three years later, when the government switched from wood to metal ammunition boxes, the company lost the contract and relocated to Ste Genevieve to focus on housing components. With a new manufacturing plant that had more than 300,000 square feet and room for expansion, the company started to design and supply window parts across the country. In 1955, BiltBest introduced its first check rail, double-hung sash unit. Five years later, wood casement and awning windows were added, followed by sliding patio doors, bow and bay units and horizontal sliding units. Within two years, sales from the window and patio doors business exceeded the core component business and it was phased out. By the mid 1960s, the company had engineered a number of “firsts” in the window and patio door industry. BiltBest became the first manufacturer to develop and patent a process to clad aluminum to the exterior of a wood window and the first to produce a triple-pane insulating glass units o definitely on the cutting edge. The company continued to expand its product line as sales steadily increased. In 1981, BiltBest introduced a redeveloped aluminum-clad unit, offering the option of 185 special colors. Three years later, it became the first authorized window company to manufacture the low-E coated PPG Sungate 100 insulating glass system. At the same time, the company recognized the need to expand and a major addition was made to the manufacturing plant, with new corporate offices. In the 1990s, BiltBest also manufactured a complete line of vinyl new construction windows and its Sentinel polycellular full jamb window, the first to be introduced to the window industry. The NEW "BiltBest Window Era" .. The year 2002 marked the beginning of new era for the company, according to vice president of sales and marketing, Howard Hardcastle. The rebirth of a 50-year old company .. with a very different dynamic and a very defined niche: to provide high-quality wood windows to a high-end residential markets - the company has no intention of selling to national chains or the big box stores which is what distinguished it from their competitors.

BiltBest had developed a number of liberal company programs, including one called “The Great Game of Business.” This was designed to bring people into the world of business so they have an understanding of labor cost, overhead and where they fit it. The key to the quality program addresses root-cause analysis. In other words, it is corrective action that includes suggestions on how to prevent another occurrence .. measuring the things that determine level of efficiency .. performing time studies and evaluating changes .. My Guess is they should have taken some advice from The Old Time TEXAS FOOTBALL COACH .. Darrell Royal .. who used to say: “Dance with the one who brung you” For all the combining of production lines .. the smoother flow and more flexibility .. the so=called progress of replacing excessive handling of the products with conveyors and assembly systems .. automatic tilt-tables .. automation of the sash assembly line and automated hardware installations ... better door routing systems .. all replaced manual steps. All the talk .. all the hype .. and ALL THE SLOGANS IN THE WORLD .. don't matter ..

BiltBest Windows and patio Doors Closed It's Doors in 2010 .. went belly-up and out of business .. leaving homeowners all over the USA with no place to turn for parts, repairs, warranty work .. help of any kind! I think our slogan says it best .. "We're All Your Bilt-Best Window and Door Parts Needs"! Now You Can Buy BiltBest Parts Online: www.BiltBestWindowParts.com