By Ben Wert, Owner
I’ve had some pretty interesting opportunities come my way through this business over the years, but I have to say, this one was a first.
My day started at the airport at 6:30 in the morning. But instead of standing in a security line and making my way through a terminal, Pella had a private lounge waiting for us with coffee and donuts, and their team was there to greet us.
Then we walked outside to a private jet. I’m not going to pretend that wasn’t pretty cool. There were eight of us making the trip to Iowa, including builders, architects, a Pella representative and the pilots. Once we were in the air, we had private screens showing our altitude, speed, estimated arrival time and even what state we were flying over in real time. At one point, the pilots invited us up to the cockpit to have a conversation and see everything firsthand.
Pella definitely knew how to make a first impression.
And the royal treatment didn’t exactly stop when we landed. There was a limo waiting for us in Iowa to take up to the Pella’s manufacturing facility. We were greeted by their team, had more food and drinks waiting for us, and learned a little about the history of the company and town of Pella.
We hopped on golf carts, put on headsets so we could hear our guide, and got a behind-the-scenes look at how their windows are actually made.
We saw windows being assembled with the help of AI-powered robots. We watched water testing and saw the different stages of manufacturing and got to see just how much goes into a window before it ever leaves the plant.
And then they took us into their testing lab. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in there, but they showed us some of the ways they test their windows and doors against different weather conditions, mechanics and overall performance in some pretty extreme ways. I also learned that Pella has more than 200 different patents for window components and innovations. They even fabricate a lot of their own manufacturing equipment and in-house servicing.
It’s interesting to see how other companies operate— what they’re doing differently, where they’re innovating and what we might be able to learn from them. There was a lot happening behind the scenes that the average homeowner would never know about.
After the tour, we sat down to lunch, provided by a local restaurant, because supporting the community is important to them. I ended up sitting with Pella’s CEO and their head of quality control. That conversation was one of the things that stood out to me from the day. They weren’t trying to sell us on Pella. They were asking questions. What are some issues you’re hearing from people? Where could Pella be doing better? They genuinely wanted to hear from the builders and architects who are actually out there working with these products. I appreciated that.
It’s easy for a company to tell you what its values are. It’s another thing to spend a day inside that company and see whether those values actually show up in the way people operate. And that’s probably my biggest takeaway from the whole experience.
Yes, the private jet was pretty cool. The limo was a nice touch. And being fed well all day was great. Pella rolled out the red carpet for us. I truly felt valued.
But what stuck with me more was getting to see the company behind the product. I saw a company investing in innovation. I saw people who seemed genuinely interested in improving what they do. I saw an emphasis on their employees and their community. And I sat across the table with company leadership who wanted to hear what was happening out in the field— not just tell us how great their products were.
This was a trip, but more importantly an opportunity to get a much better look at who we could potentially be doing business with. Because when we consider a new trade partner or supplier, the product matters. Of course.
But the people matter too. At QnC, we talk a lot about integrity, trust, continued improvement, accountability and camaraderie. Those aren’t values that stop at our own front door. The companies we surround ourselves with ultimately become part of the experience we’re providing our customers.
I want to know who we’re doing business with. How they treat people. Do they stand behind what they make? Are they trying to get better? Do they care about their craft as much as we care about ours?
What happens behind the scenes says a whole lot about the finished product. At the end of the day, whether you’re building windows or building homes, I think the way you work and the people you surround yourself with while doing it, matters just as much as what you’re building.
