Founded over 35 years ago in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Ventana USA is recognized across the building industry as a pioneer in the manufacture and supply of specialty windows and door products. The secret to their success? Combining quality and efficiency-focused manufacturing with high architectural aesthetic and function.
The company’s steady expansion (100 percent growth over the last 10 years) and competitiveness stems in part from being founded and headquartered in the U.S. while tapping into European markets. Between its robust American presence and its subsidiaries in Germany and Poland, Ventana has a front row seat to the accelerating demand for energy efficiency building products as the world responds to rising energy prices.1 On both continents, Ventana’s core business values drive continuous product innovation, customer service, and employee loyalty.
Mike Pauly, VP of Sales & Operations
“Since the beginning, we have been firmly committed to working with our customers as an extension of their business, as partners to achieve success. We will continue to improve our products and services to meet their needs in the ever-changing marketplace today, and tomorrow.”
In addition to shaping custom vinyl products, Ventana USA manufactures its own window lines that comprise a sizable and growing portion of its business. Ventana’s high-efficiency windows have seen significant sale increases, a trend that Mike Pauly, VP of Sales and Operations, attributes to energy cost awareness rising rapidly in both the U.S. and other countries that have long adhered to higher energy efficiency standards.
There is a transformation underway,” Mr. Pauly says. “Our global presence equips Ventana to see and move quickly on the exact demands of our target markets. We are expanding and continuously transferring our innovations and automation technologies between our production locations, with approximately 400 employees worldwide. This group knowledge transfer of ‘know-how’ sustains Ventana’s competitive edge while affording our clients around the world state-of-the-art products for a 21st Century economy that demands energy efficiency—for cost savings, environmental benefits, and attractive, comfortable, and productive work environments.”
Heading into its 36th year in business, Ventana USA has flourished and expanded to meet growing demand across diverse markets—all while sustaining its position as one of the world’s leading building product providers. Just six years after its 1987 beginning in a 3,000-square-foot facility in Plum, PA, Ventana took up shop in the Westmoreland County Industrial Park III in Export, PA—25 miles east of Pittsburgh. There, Ventana’s facilities and manufacturing plant have consistently expanded to now occupy over a combined 150,000 square feet. They’ve just added a fourth building (a standalone insulated glass plant), and another manufacturing plant expansion is planned in the next three years.
In their facilities, Ventana is intentional about installing its own high-energy-efficiency window and door products. Installed products include the “Select Series” widow line, whose Tilt & Turn, triple pane glass already exceeds standards in the U.S. and is recognized in the industry as the top-of-the-line for its high thermal properties. Ventana knows from their own facilities that these products cut energy costs, and they’ve also seen improved employee productivity and morale stemming from increased natural daylight and thermal comfort in the workplace.
It’s no surprise, then, that when a 120-year-old historic building in downtown Kane, PA committed to a renovation meeting ultra-efficient Passive House standards, the windows of choice came from Ventana USA. This project—dubbed “Six&Kane” —demonstrates how high-performance building projects can increase comfort and cut energy costs while helping to rejuvenate rural communities.2 “Ventana USA is honored to have its windows adorn the Six&Kane project, the first commercial passive house retrofit of a building over 15,000 square feet in the United States,” said Mr. Pauly. A café, a law firm, and other members of the local business community have already moved into Six&Kane. On-site solar combined with passive house practices mean the building can regularly generate 60-70% of its own power needs—a remarkable accomplishment that wouldn’t have been possible without Ventana’s high-performing windows.
Ventana Windows: Out-performing the Industry Standards
The insulating characteristics of windows are critical to a building’s overall energy efficiency. That insulation is usually measured via U Value, a number reflecting BTU loss that ranges from .20 to 1.20 in most modern U.S windows. Lower values indicate less heat loss and better insulation. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SGHC) is another important efficiency factor. Depending on regional climate and window alignment, SGHC should either be high to help a building interior stay warm or low to help it stay cool.
Ventana’s specialty glass systems exceed industry standards in both areas. Their Select Series glass package for the Northeast has a .15U Value and .26SHGC. For windows further north, Ventana also has a .39SHGC option for homes looking to maximize solar heat gain. For comparison to the industry standard, the current ENERGY STAR Northern Climate zone requires a .27U value or lower.
The Six&Kane project featured a large building situated between two other structures. The windows were all located on the back of the building facing west. The PHIUS (climate-specific Passive House building standards) modeling run by the customer required a lower Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. Therefore, Ventana provided a glass package that had a .15U value and .17SHGC for high insulating performance insulation and low solar heat gain.
Ventana’s growth as a leader in the industry is also evidenced by its increasing customers, market areas, sales, and employee count. True to its founding principles, Mr. Pauly notes that Ventana prides itself on starting as and staying a family-oriented business that attracts long-tenure employees. Illustrating their specialty manufacturing, company employees have job titles such as Fabrication Specialist, Bending Specialist, Customer Service, Project Coordinator, and Production Supervisor. These positions require attention to detail and ability to think on one’s feet.
“No matter how much we grow we will stick to the way we operated from the beginning,” Pauly said. “That we have 25 of 125 employees at headquarters that have been with Ventana USA for over 20 years is tribute to this commitment.” Mr. Pauly attributes Ventana’s high employee loyalty to continuous worker training and internal promotion opportunities—not to mention community-building through regular employee barbeques and get-togethers.
In a decisive decade for addressing climate change, Ventana USA is uniquely positioned for growth. Building on three and a half decades of leadership in its American markets, its Pennsylvania headquarters, and its subsidiaries in Europe, Ventana provides innovations and services to meet the demand of the increasing cost and climate-conscious customers around the world.
1 Mike Pauly of Ventana USA notes that in Germany the cost per kilowatt hour of electricity is around $.49 for residential. In the U.S. it is $.08 to .09 with expectations to rise to $.12 in 2023.
2 Wankel, Joellen, Repurposed building at 63 North Fraley Street will be showcase, educational tool. The Bradford Era. 26 June 2020, https://www.bradfordera.com/news/local/repurposed-building-at-63-north-fraley-street-will-be-showcase-educational-tool/article_eba399de-0b62-5ebd-b7c7-b4c6998680bd.html. Miller, Madeline, Kane holds open house to celebrate new energy efficient "passive house" building. WPSU. 7 October 2022 https://radio.wpsu.org/2022-10-07/kane-holds-open-house-to-celebrate-new-energy-efficient-passive-house-building.
