A century of success, a legacy to share
Loewen Centennial: Reflecting on the past. Looking to the future.
Part Two in a Three-Part Series
Unique to Loewen
Today, there are more than 9 trillion possible combinations of Loewen standard products. In this mix are several products that are unique to Loewen. Here is a quick look at a few of them.
Access Windows
The unique design of Loewen Access windows allows the sash to rotate 180 degrees outside the window frame, leaving draperies and blinds untouched and making exterior cleaning a breeze. Born of modernist design but at ease in a variety of settings, these windows are ideal in situations where access to the outside is restricted – such as multiple storey homes and commercial applications.
Lear more about Access Windows
Push Out Suite
The ease of opening a Push Out window hides the sophistication of its technology. The design eliminates the need for a crank handle that can interfere with window treatments and interior aesthetics. Instead, the windows open and close with a simple push-out handle. Loewen Push Out windows are available in Casement, Awning and Access styles.
Learn more about Pushout Casement Products
Stormforce Series
Loewen StormForce windows and doors are designed to protect against hurricanes, tropical storms, high winds, driving rain and wind-borne debris. What sets our products apart from the competition is that all these safety features are available without compromising the window’s aesthetic – using unseen structural upgrades incorporated into Loewen’s traditional styling.
Learn more about the StormForce Series
We rejoin the Loewen story in 1972. With both the millwork and lumberyard successful and increasingly independent, the brothers agreed to a divergence. Ed and George would continue with the lumber business and would retain the name C.T. Loewen & Sons. Cornie would create a new company: C.P. Loewen Enterprises (formerly Loewen Millwork).
Under Cornie’s leadership (son of C.T. and father or current CEO Charles and VP Clyde), Loewen becomes the region’s leading employer. The prairie provinces and northwest Ontario are the company’s prime markets and sales continue to grow.
By the 1980s, a third generation of Loewen had joined the company as Cornie’s sons – Paul, Charles and Clyde – followed their father into the family business. With the untimely death of their father in 1985, all three young men were suddenly thrust into positions of major responsibility.
Both the company and the community rallied around them. Despite the deep sorrow felt over Cornie’s passing, 1985 was a year of milestones as the company undertook a $2.8 million expansion project and was renamed Loewen Windows to reflect its single-minded focus.
Strategic repositioning continued throughout the 80s and into the 90s. As many window manufacturers moved to plastics, Loewen arrived at a crossroads. The company opted for the road less travelled and insisted on premium materials instead. Loewen windows and doors continue to be manufactured with the highest quality wood material: Douglas Fir, a tightly-grained species, naturally tough and resilient, with a warm, rich texture.
The decision to continue with premium materials remains a hallmark of the upscale Loewen brand – synonymous with distinctive quality.
In the late 1980s, a milestone management meeting was held at the Hecla Island Resort and it was here that an important decision was made: Loewen would focus exclusively on the “luxury” market. That same day, Charles travelled to Japan, a country with a high traditional, cultural appreciation for elegant woodwork. It was a great fit for the new Loewen strategic direction, and Loewen began selling its windows and doors to Japan.
As Loewen continued to pursue international markets, the company opened their first U.S. branch office in Libertyville, Illinois in 1990. This expansion provided American homeowners, builders and architects greater access to the premium Loewen line of windows and doors.
The 1990s saw further integration of traditional artisanship with the latest technology. Loewen invested in an automated glazing line and North America’s first four-colour scanner – used to identify defects and optimize wood utilization.
Product development continued, including the Loewen Heat-Smart line of proprietary low emissivity window glazing – using the double-strength glass and triple-pane capability the firm was known for. Thick extruded aluminum cladding was added as a low-maintenance solution for exterior surfaces. Just-in-time manufacturing techniques enabled exceptional productivity and the ability to respond promptly and accurately to Loewen’s many custom orders.
These investments in quality and capacity were harbingers of the brand’s success in engaging high-end homeowners, custom builders and, increasingly, architects from the United States and numerous foreign markets.
Learn more about Loewen’s Centennial by visiting www.loewen.com/1905.
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