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Charlevoix, Mich. (February 2023) – Wojan Window & Door has announced the retirement of Vice President of Sales Rick Pagano, effective February 24, 2023. A 50+ year veteran of the fenestration and building products industries, Pagano has led Wojan’s sales team for fourteen years and will be succeeded by current Regional Sales Manager, Jeff Collis.
Pagano started in the lumber industry right out of high school and while earning his degree in college. He spent most of his career in operations and sales, working his way up through some notable organizations into general management and sales leadership roles. He’s been involved in numerous industry associations throughout his career including BOMA, NAHRO, CSI-Chicago, and as a trainer for AAMA (now FGIA). Pagano joined Wojan Window & Door in 2009 and has been instrumental in cultivating significant growth since then.
“Rick was a tremendous asset for Wojan right from the beginning,” said Wojan’s VP of Business Operations, Mike Wojan. “He’s played a pivotal role in expanding our reach not only by growing our sales team, but also by being closely involved when we’ve launched new products and by building our brand within the architectural community. We’ll miss him for sure…there aren’t many people with his kind of industry knowledge and influence.”
Pagano’s plan, like many retirees, is to enjoy his family and favorite pastimes even more. “I’m looking forward to celebrating my 49th anniversary this year and spending some more time in service to my church and the community. I’ll be retired but expect to keep my toes in the water so to speak, as an industry consultant on occasion.”
Collis, Pagano’s successor, has been with Wojan since 2012 and represented them as an independent sales rep prior to that. He joined Wojan as a rep for Ohio and has served as Regional Sales Manager since 2019, overseeing a number of reps and territories in the Midwest. He was also once a partner in a glazing business, so his knowledge and experience go well beyond the sales role.
“The transition has been ongoing for some months now and we couldn’t be more confident in Jeff’s abilities,” adds Wojan. “He knows the company, our products, and our people so it really wasn’t a hard decision to promote him and let him drive Wojan to the next era of growth.”
As part of the succession plan, Wojan brought seasoned sales professional Thomas Holewinski on board in the Regional Sales Manager role last fall. Combine the Holewinski hire with Collis’ experience and the years he had learning from Pagano and it’s clear that Wojan’s sales team will hit the ground running upon Pagano’s departure in March.
Charlevoix, Mich. (October 2022) – Custom commercial window and door manufacturer Wojan Window & Door announced the launch of a complete revamp of their website this month. The new site features a significantly updated layout and simpler navigation, new drawings and renderings of the company’s products, an expanded project gallery, and an online request for quote form.
Make it easier is the mantra Wojan Marketing Manager Jill Harrell repeats when talking about the overhaul. “It should be easier for customers to find what they regularly pull from the site, for prospects to learn about what we offer, and for the design community to get the specialized info necessary to include Wojan in their specs.”
“It’s been a long time coming as it’s our first major update in almost ten years,” explains Harrell. “The new site is much more mobile and tablet friendly, which seems like a no-brainer these days, but that was an important consideration for the redesign, especially for customers needing help in the field.” Wojan will update and add to the content as the company grows and develops new products.
The Charlevoix, Mich.-based commercial window manufacturer debuted the new website in the same year that it’s celebrating 70 years of business. Established in 1952, Wojan is still family-owned with second and third generation company leaders, father Denny and son Mike, at the helm.
Wojan has built a reputation as a specialist in windows for hotels, including being a recommended partner for Hilton Worldwide® and being a specified manufacturer for the Marriott® CFRST hotel brands (Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, and TownePlace Suites).
Today, two plants manufacture Wojan windows and doors – a 70,000 square foot facility in Charlevoix which also contains a product performance test bay; and a 90,000 square foot facility in Coldwater, Michigan – strategically located between Detroit and Chicago. Wojan’s product line includes custom commercial and architectural aluminum windows, sliding glass doors, and terrace doors.
Visit Wojan’s new website at www.wojan.com.
CHARLEVOIX, MI: Wojan Window & Door has added a second course to its offerings as an AIA/CES Registered Provider. The new course, titled Advantages of Aluminum Windows and Doors in Commercial Construction, is currently available as one-hour in-person course in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Western Pennsylvania. Wojan expects to offer the course in other regions in the not-too-distant future.
AIA/CES stands for the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System. Licensed architects are required to earn continuing education credits every year to maintain their AIA membership, in addition to any similar state requirements. Wojan has been an AIA/CES Registered Provider since 2010 and architects can earn 1 Learning Unit (LU) by attending either one of the courses Wojan offers.
The learning objectives of the new course are to provide attendees with the knowledge to be able to:
- Demonstrate the advantages of aluminum fenestration in achieving performance grades, durability, and longevity.
- Show the salient points of the four FGIA performances grades for fenestration products and describe the intended applications (or uses) for each of them.
- Describe the advantages of thermal break systems and how they contribute to improving energy performance and product durability.
- Explain the sustainability aspects of using aluminum in fenestration products.
Wojan’s original course, which is still available, is titled AAMA Window Standards-Specifications (Ratings, Testing). It examines the evolution of window standards and code references by comparing the 1997 and 2005 versions of the North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS-08) AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-08/11/17. This course also provides the additional HSW (health, safety, and welfare) designation.
While AIA/CES courses are designed for architectural teams, any company can contact Wojan to discuss a visit and have them present the course. Visit Wojan’s website to download the full course summaries and get in touch with a local Wojan representative to schedule a course.
CHARLEVOIX, MI: Wojan Window & Door, a long-time Michigan manufacturer of commercial windows and doors, is pleased to announce the addition of Brian Ockert as its new Chief Financial Officer.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, Ockert built up over 16 years of experience in accounting, finance, and operations, most recently as Controller for Brick Packaging, a Saxco Company. He has also held financial leadership roles for companies across other business sectors
including Boyne USA, Alcoa Inc., and Lippert Components.
“We are excited to have someone with Brian’s talent and experience joining our team,” states Michael Wojan, Wojan’s VP of Business Operations. “Our belief is that Brian will be able to further strengthen our position in the market and add to the growth the company has been able to enjoy over the last number of years.”
A native of Traverse City, MI, Ockert appreciates the Northern Michigan life with his wife and two children, enjoying outdoor activities like boating, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Ockert also serves as Treasurer for the non-profit ski resort Mt. Holiday in Traverse City.
In his new position and as a member of the executive team, Ockert will be responsible for overseeing all financial activity of the company in conjunction with evaluating how to further improve day-to-day operations.
With about 200 people in attendance, the Impact Awards reception was held Wednesday March 4th at the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing, home of the Michigan House of Representatives. The event kicked off with a video address from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and an in-person address by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, II, followed by award presentations to the 16 winners. On behalf of Wojan Window & Door, HR Administrator Jill Harrell gave a brief thank you, followed by Zeinog’s telling of her poignant story. With substantial guidance from success coach Kate Stolarski, Zeinog managed to overcome homelessness, as well as resolve legal and economic issues that were barriers to her success. State Representative Triston Cole was on hand to present the awards to Zeinog and Harrell.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for simply supporting our employees”, Harrell remarked. “So many companies are in the same boat as us, having difficulty attracting and retaining talent in this employment climate. We’re grateful to Northwest Michigan Works! and Char-Em United Way for giving us a ‘one-up’ by being able to offer the BRN.”
Accompanying Zeinog and Harrell to Lansing were BRN Manager Evelyn Szpliet, Success Coach Kate Stolarski, Northwest Michigan Works! representatives Terry Vandercook, Lisa Schut and Jayne Lindblom, and Char-Em United Way Executive Director Anora O’Connor.
About the Impact Awards
The Michigan Works! Association Impact Awards are presented annually and recognize significant accomplishments within Michigan communities through a variety of programs and actions taken by Michigan employers and agencies. Each of the sixteen Michigan Works! agencies throughout the state evaluate a
number of nominees for the award before putting forth their choice for a winner for their area.
CHARLEVOIX, MI: Wojan Window & Door is pleased to announce the new 5500 Series Terrace Doors. The doors are hi-rise commercial grade, outswing single panel models with an AW40 rating standard, a 3¼” jamb depth and a 1” IGU. This addition complements Wojan’s broad line of custom commercial aluminum windows and sliding glass doors.
“We knew we were ready to again expand what we were offering, and terrace doors were just such a natural fit,” explains Wojan VP of Sales Rick Pagano. “Our engineering team is tremendously talented. They worked hard to develop a product that fit well with our other lines from both a style and technical standpoint.”
The new 5500 Series features pour and debridge thermal breaks utilizing Azo-Brader™ Technology, just as all of Wojan’s products do. “These terrace doors integrate with our the 2700 Series transom and side lite,” adds Pagano. “They have dual-accessory channels, and the installation accessories available are compatible with other 3¼” series like our M-950 windows, so there’s a lot of versatility of design for architects.”
Wojan expects to ship their first order of the doors to a project right in their hometown of Charlevoix, Mich. – Hotel Earl. Wojan manufactured all the windows, sliding glass doors and terrace doors for the renovation of this local landmark formerly known as The Lodge, which is expected to re-open in August, 2019. For more information on Hotel Earl, visit www.hotelearl.com.
For more information on the new 5500 Series Terrace Doors, contact your local Wojan sales representative or visit www.wojan.com.
CHARLEVOIX, MI: Wojan Window & Door recently announced that long-time Sales Representative Jeff Collis has been promoted to Regional Manager-Great Lakes.
Collis joined Wojan in 2012 and has been instrumental in the company’s growth since then. He has valuable experience as a glazing business partner and also represented Wojan as an independent rep for a number of years before joining Wojan full-time. Collis will initially oversee all representatives and sales activity in Michigan and Ohio. The company expects this newly-defined region to expand in the future.
Phase 2 is scheduled for summer of 2019 and includes a 18,000 square foot addition to the glass production area with the goal of expanding and further automating their IGU production. When the expansion is complete, it will increase the size of the Charlevoix facility to 85,000 square feet. Many other improvements are planned in addition to the building expansion, including a total plant floor resurfacing, acquisition of new material handling equipment and the installation of a new conveyor system.
Having long been a leader in providing windows to the hospitality sector, Wojan fueled its own growth and diversification in the last decade by launching new product lines such as blast-resistant, small missile impact and double-hung windows, two lines of sliding glass doors, and in May, launched their all-new custom engineered terrace door. The sales growth has allowed Wojan to hire new staff at both its Charlevoix and Coldwater, Mich. facilities in production, engineering and quality, and eventually made it necessary to consider and ultimately move ahead on this plant expansion.
Wojan will post pictures and updates to social media under the hashtag #WojanExpansion2018.
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