It’s been more than half a century since Pella Windows & Doors of Omaha launched operations, and the locally owned and managed branch is still experiencing impressive growth, said Vice President of Sales and Marketing Vince Boulay. The branch currently boasts the highest market share in the company, which is no small feat: Pella employs more than 8,000 people nationally in 17 manufacturing locations and more than 200 showrooms.
Branch owner Greg Boulay’s focus is leadership development, process improvement and customer service, Vince Boulay said. In addition to Vince Boulay, the leadership team includes Vice President of Operations Wes True and Chief Financial Officer Duane Putz.
“Continuous improvement is one of our core values; it’s a core value of Pella and a core value of our branch,” Vince Boulay said, adding that the team is always asking, “‘How can we continue to be a trusted partner and provider and be on the leading edge of innovation when it comes to what the customer wants and needs?’”
In response to ongoing steady growth, the branch opened a new facility in 2020, which is highly visible near the triangle of Highways 370 and 50 and Interstate 80, about a mile west of its predecessor. The facility features a 46,000-square-foot warehouse; an expanded, 9,100-square-foot prefinish department with two paint booths; plentiful office and training space; and a spacious showroom in the company’s latest design.
Duane Putz, chief financial officer and Wes True, vice president of operations. (photography by Debra S. Kaplan)
“We’re defined as a PDSN, as they call it at Pella: Pella Distributor Sales Network,” Boulay said. “We serve Omaha, Lincoln and southwest Iowa … This facility was built because Pella Corporate wanted all the PDSNs to update showrooms. And we had other business or building needs.”
One need that’s now being met is greatly improved access through multiple ground-level and dock-height doors and designated entrances for employees, customers and others.
“Imagine February, when it’s snowing at 7:45 and you’re trying to do load-out to 26 crews and your accounting [associates] are getting there and semis are trying to get in and out,” Boulay said. “They had one drive-up dock at the old facility and now we have seven that we can use if needed.”
In a state-of-the-art new showroom, residential or commercial customers can see the range of window and door styles firsthand and explore the functionality of full-size products, plus confer with sales representatives. A free in-home or virtual consultation can be scheduled online, via phone or at the showroom.
“We are always focused on what the customer — the homeowner or the builder — is telling us,” Boulay said.
The Omaha market has been a good fit for Pella from the start, Boulay said.
“In Iowa and Nebraska, their values are very similar,” he said, naming a good work ethic, humility and ethical practices among those values. “Pella [Corporate] sends a lot of people here for training … We’re close enough to the mothership, but we also have some separation. We can build our business around the Omaha/Lincoln/Council Bluffs community but also be three hours away.”
located at 14478 Crest Rd., opened in 2020. (photography by Debra S. Kaplan
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The Pella Omaha team backs a quality product with outstanding service that includes meticulous installation and clean-up, Boulay said.
“There are lots of ways you can buy windows, but it’s how well you get it installed and looking beautiful,” he said. “It is a competitive advantage, that service side.”
That advantage is carried out by a top-notch team, Boulay said, which includes many individuals who started in entry-level positions and cultivated careers — as well as others who joined Pella with related expertise. As Pella Omaha continues to grow, employment opportunities are available for talented individuals, he added.
“We’re always open to hire people we believe can make a difference,” Boulay said.
Pella has been an innovator since it began in 1925 in its namesake town in central Iowa. Pete and Lucille Kuyper’s investment in a cutting-edge window screen that operated like a roller shade launched a company that has endured for nearly a century and held more than 150 product and design patents. Pella Windows & Doors today is a manufacturer and seller of windows and doors for replacement or new construction in both residential and commercial buildings. Pella products are available in many standard styles as well as custom designs in materials including wood, vinyl, aluminum-clad wood, and fiberglass. Customers can also choose special features from impact-resistant glass and integrated security sensors to motorized blinds and shades or between-the-glass blinds.
Pella recently introduced a unique hidden screen for vinyl windows, which appears when the homeowner wants ventilation but folds away to provide a clear view when the window is closed.
The Integrated Rolscreen follows Pella’s award-winning Easy-Slide Operator hardware solution presented in 2021 for casement windows. Pella Corporation has been recognized widely for these innovations, including being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Design Companies of 2022 and receiving industry honors from the likes of Window + Door magazine, Residential Products, Beautiful Kitchens & Baths magazine and The Architect’s Newspaper, among others.
402-331-9225 • 14478 Crest Rd., Omaha, NE 68138
Website: pella.com
