EAGLE WINDOW AND DOOR

2010 photo of the company at its location--2045 Kerper Blvd.

EAGLE WINDOW AND DOOR. In 1967, while CARADCO was a major manufacturer in Dubuque, a group of investors in Cedar Falls, Iowa established a window distribution center called Caradco of Cedar Falls. Intending to distribute Caradco windows to lumber yards in the area, the company grew to handle not only windows but residential doors, trim, and hardware. Caradco of Cedar Falls became the largest single location Caradco distributor in the United States.

When Caradco moved its office and manufacturing operations to Rantoul, Illinois, Caradco of Cedar Falls relocated its distribution center to Dubuque and occupied some of the vacant buildings left by Caradco. Delivery problems including lead time from ten to forty-two weeks gradually became a problem. With no improvement expected, the investors chose to terminate their relationship with Caradco. They began to design, manufacture, and market a window line of their own.

The desire to produce a high-quality product with energy efficient features built-in became the goal. This led to the introduction of Eagle Manufacturing and EAGLE windows. In 1977, Eagle Manufacturing produced its first aluminum clad wood casement window. The clad sliding patio door was introduced by 1980. In the next six years, four more product lines were developed. Clad double-hung and skylight windows were introduced in 1985 with circle-tops, geometrics, and French doors added later.

The company was sold to Masco Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, of Taylor, Michigan in September 1987. Eagle made substantial growth at this time. Broadening its distribution in North America and Japan, the company tripled its product line by introducing new products including French sliding doors, entry doors, bi-parting doors, radius casements, ellipticals, and a full line of all-wood windows and doors. In 1984, through a reorganization of the parent company, Eagle Window was placed in the architectural division of Masco Industries (later renamed MascoTech, Inc.)

In 1996, Eagle Window and Door was sold in a transaction between Masco and American Commercial Holdings, Inc. The company was transferred to the newly formed American Architectural Products, Inc. This was soon merged with Forte Computer Easy, Inc., a producer of commercial aluminum windows and Mallyclad, a custom steel laminator. The new company was called American Architectural Products Corporation headquartered in Boardman, Ohio.

Eagle Window officials announced in October 1997 their intention to construct and then move into a new facility on Kerper Blvd. The project preserved 400 jobs and created as many as 200 additional jobs in two years. The construction would also improve the appearance of one of the entry-ways into the city. The Kerper Blvd. site was eligible for designation as an Enterprise Zone under legislation passed in Iowa Legislature. Locating in the zone qualified the company for previously unavailable site assistance. The project was Dubuque's first opportunity to make use of the legislation. (1)

In 1998, Eagle Window and Door, Inc. continued to grow with modifications to wood casements and double hung, a new slide-by window, and a steel hinged patio door. The company employed an average of five hundred men and women.

Following three years of negotiations, financial documents were signed for a $17.5 million expansion of the plant. (2) In October of 2000, Eagle officially began its move into a brand new 390,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. State-of-the-art equipment, enhanced design and production allowed Eagle to efficiently manufacture its line of high-end, low-maintenance, aluminum-clad wood windows and doors.

In 2001 American Architectural Products Corporation was forced to file for bankruptcy. Eagle, its only profitable company, was sold in order to help pay off debt. In April of 2002, Linsalata Capital Partners, a Cleveland-based private equity firm purchased Eagle.

Strong sales growth and the ability to fulfill a need in the marketplace led Andersen Corporation to purchase Eagle Window & Door in May of 2005. As a part of Andersen, Eagle remained innovative and committed to the high-end aluminum clad market. In 2008, Eagle introduced an updated logo that indicated it as an Andersen company.

In May of 2012, Eagle windows and doors were launched under the Andersen® Architectural Collection and renamed E-Series/Eagle windows and doors. The Architectural Collection took an innovative approach to windows and doors, basing choices on the style of the home customers wanted to create.

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Source:

1. Bergstrom, Kathy, "Eagle Window Wants to Build," Telegraph Herald, October 3, 1997, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19971003&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

2. "Chronology," Telegraph Herald, January 1, 2001, p. 28

Eagle Window History. Online: http://www.eaglewindow.com/About-Us/History.aspx