Hurd in national spotlight

Hurd Windows and Doors was featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer in a Sept. 20 feature that highlighted U.S.-based businesses that are making a domestic and global economic impact. The 90-year-old custom window and door manufacturer was recognized for competing on a worldwide basis out of its Midwestern manufacturing facilities in Medford and Merrill, Wisconsin.

As part of the segment, Hurd’s VP product and service Stu Brown cited examples of windows that were being exported to China and Canada. Hurd has exported products to more than 30 countries around the world, including Japan, Turkey, Israel, Philippines, Argentina, Ireland, Poland, India and Thailand.

Hurd nationally markets all wood and wood-clad widows and patio doors through a network of more than 400 distributors serving the residential and light commercial construction markets. Hurd's sister company, Superseal, markets vinyl replacement and new construction windows that are manufactured in the Merrill facility.

A large group of Hurd’s Medford-based employees were also featured in the piece, showcasing some of the products they helped manufacture. “Our workforce has grown 10% in the last year,” explained Hurd president Dominic Truniger. “In fact, in the past 18 months, we’ve grown our workforce by 25%.”

ABC reported that, for the first time since the 1930s, U.S. manufacturers have the export advantage in the global marketplace. U.S. workers are considered the most productive workers in the world, according to the report, which makes them as much as 45% less expensive than foreign competitors. Energy costs are being lowered by new technologies and previously untapped energy reserves, the segment noted. Shipping from U.S. ports is cheaper than from its international counterparts, according to the report.