Golden Hammer Profile: Therma-Tru

Maumee, Ohio-based Therma-Tru Corp. primarily prides itself on being an industry game-changer. In 1982, the company introduced the market's first-ever fiberglass door, known in its official capacity as the Fiber-Classic.

People were surprised that the doors, with their polished, wood-grained appearance, were made with the materials that they were, remarks Deke Welles on the company website (Deke is the son of founder David Welles and the former president of Therma-Tru).

Since then, Therma-Tru went on to cement its name in the door industry, distinguishing itself with comprehensive full-door systems that are sold together with a competitive lifetime limited warranty.

Another thing it does well? Not resting on its laurels.

"At Therma-Tru, we are constantly innovating and introducing new products every year to keep our product line fresh, on-trend and relevant to the wide variety of consumer tastes across the country," said Brad Johnson, VP marketing. "We also listen to everyone in the channel --- from our distributor, to the dealer, to the builder and the contractor --- to fully understand what they need from us as the manufacturer."

The result of all this soul-searching is a new class of products, introduced each year at the International Builders Show. 

So what are the trends on Therma-Tru's radar now?

Simple designs in door panels and door lites, according to Johnson. "We're also seeing a desire for less caming in the glass designs, tighter grains for the woodgrain doors and darker colors," he said.

The above is one of a series of profiles recognizing this year's Golden Hammer Vendor winners, to appear on HomeChannelNews.com and in HCN Daily. Thirty-one Golden Hammer Vendor winners were honored this year at the 2014 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.