Weyerhaeuser, James Hardie, and Andersen CEO Say They’re Focused on Finding Opportunities Amid the Gloom
By Craig Webb
The heads of three major product manufacturers said Oct. 13 they recognize times are tough, but they stressed even more how they are working to keep their companies resilient and innovative.
“Look, there are challenges,” Aaron Erter, CEO of James Hardie. said during a session at CBUSA’s annual Summit in Colorado Springs, CO. But he quickly added: “There’s enough business out there to go get. If you have a product consumers want, you can sell it and take share. I do believe this is where the best get better.”
Devin Stockfish, President and CEO of Weyerhaeuser, and Chris Galvin, President and CEO of Andersen Windows, gave the same message to CBUSA, a buying group for custom builders
“It’s going to be another couple years of challenges,” Galvin said. “But builders are finding opportunities.”
Stockfish was similarly bright, noting that “The long-term dynamics are very positive. … This is the moment in time to drive innovation. … We’re going to be rolling out new products in perpetuity as long as I am in this job.”
Erter said he’s focusing on ways to innovate James Hardie, such as helping reduce install times. At Andersen, which introduced two new products during the Great Recession,
Galvin said a new 500 Series of windows will launch next year. He urged builders to contact Andersen as early as possible in the construction process so that his team can help maximize the window designs. “There are ways to value engineer a project, but it’s difficult to do that in the 11th hour.”
Similarly, Stockfish pointed out how Weyerhaeuser does engineering and design as a service. “That’s a huge advantage; The resources we have in the field,” he said.
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