New Town Painters winner of "Best of Houzz 2015"

Company News

January 19, 2015

Houzz Announces “Best Of Houzz 2015” Winners

Annual Survey and Analysis of Community of Over 25 Million Monthly Users Reveals Top-Rated Home Remodeling Professionals and Design Trends

Houzz (www.houzz.com), the leading platform for home remodeling and design, today announced the community’s picks for Best Of Houzz 2015, a homeowner-to-homeowner guide to the top home builders, architects, interior designers, landscape pros and other residential remodeling professionals on Houzz from tile, stone and countertop pros to painters.

“Houzz connects people with the best home professional for their project by providing the only 360-degree view of a professional, from their portfolio, client reviews, awards and accreditations to their work style and expertise based on their participation in the Houzz community,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “We’re delighted to join our community in recognizing the talented professionals on Houzz who are delivering incredible designs and delightful customer experiences.” 

The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Customer Service and Design. Customer Service honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2014. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 25 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers,” Winners will receive a “Best Of Houzz 2015” badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz. 

Houzz recently launched the Photographer Network (http://www.houzz.com/getPhotos) to provide industry professionals with access to top photographers at affordable prices, making it easy to showcase their work to the Houzz community. Consisting of more than 500 professional photographers in the U.S. and Canada on Houzz, the network provides special photography packages to first-time clients who are professionals on Houzz.

About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish - online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by social tools, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin and Sydney. For more information, visit www.houzz.com

History of Marvin Windows

The history of Marvin Windows begins right here in Minnesota. Through the years, Marvin Windows and Doors has developed a reputation for innovation, quality and efficiency, making them an industry leader for more than a century. By using only the best materials combined with fine craftsmanship, they have been able to offer unparalleled design flexibility and a level of service that has no comparison. This reputation began to take shape early in the 20th century.

George G. Marvin took a job managing a grain elevator in Warroad, Minnesota in 1904. By 1912, he had opened the Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company, seizing on the booming lumber business in the area. He earned a reputation throughout the northern woodland for honesty and hard work, preferring to close deals on a handshake.

His generosity knew no bounds. He often loaned money to area farmers with no more notation than an entry in a pocket notebook he carried. Throughout the Great Depression, he was there continuing the help his community needed.

In addition to his generosity, George was also a savvy businessman. In order to keep his workers employed during the harsh winter months, Marvin designed a machine that was used to turn scrap lumber into wooden stakes which were sold to the state highway department.

His oldest son, William S. “Bill” Marvin graduated in 1939 from the University of Minnesota. Though he had dreams of his own, when his father called him home to the company business, he came. In another attempt to stay profitable throughout the winter, Bill bought equipment to make door frames and window sashes.

During World War II, the company began making ammunition boxes and other supplies for the military. Afterwards, Bill invested in new machinery to keep Warroad’s returning veteran’s employed and the Marvin Windows and Doors company was born.

During the 1950s, Marvin’s small sales force criss-crossed the Upper Midwest in Chevrolet station wagons, signing up independent local dealers to distribute Marvin windows. During this time, the company introduced a number of innovative new windows that boosted sales dramatically.

By the 1960s, Marvin had its own fleet of trucks and had added patio doors to its product line. Marvin also began advertising and marketing aggressively, promoting its unique capacity to build any window a customer wanted. Today, that continues with our “Built around you®” promise.

As the decades rolled by, Marvin grew: from a few dozen employees in the 1950s, to a few hundred in the 1960s, to more than 4,000 today. Bill immersed his six children in the business from early childhood. They all remember going to the factory with Dad on weekend afternoons, sweeping floors and emptying wastebaskets. Every one of those six children joined the business and has made significant contributions to the company’s continued growth.

Bill Marvin famously kept a close watch on everything in the company, but also he knew it couldn’t thrive without the best ideas from everyone. He believed in giving people the opportunity to succeed. “I don’t have to be the smartest at everything,” he said. “I just have to find the people who are.” When someone struggled, Bill would say, “That’s not a bad employee. We just need to find the right spot for them.”

BUILDER magazine named Bill Marvin one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century building industry – a richly deserved recognition. Bill Marvin died in 2009 at age 92, but his energy, and enlightened management practices live on in the company he led for 40 years.