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Manufacturer Finds Success in Niche Markets

John Swanson
John Swanson

The Macomb Pella Windows plant has kept production lines humming even through the recession.

Pella manufactures windows and doors with an eye toward new home construction. Information Technology Coordinator John Swanson said the company weathered the downturn by turning to new opportunities in construction of rental properties.

He said, “If there's a transition in some of the ways people are coming out of college even. The new families that are developed and are going into rentals and apartment complexes. We need to be able to play into that market and I think they did a very good job.”

In fact, the company showed a sales uptick.

It's not the first time the company found a new market in the last few years.

Swanson said the company added pre-finishing of windows at the Macomb plant. The factory can match most colors or stains a customer requests.

The Macomb plant opened in 2006. Swanson said it has been a work in progress since. By that, he means the plant is continually changing to provide greater efficiency. In the last three years, the production layout has changed greatly.