Business Spotlight: True Crew Windows and Doors
Writer / Melissa Gibson
Photographer / Amy Payne
Karisa Wright knows windows and doors.
She owned a window and door business for 20 years in Connecticut, and after a brief hiatus and a move to Muncie, chose to open her new business, True Crew Windows and Doors, this year.
Ive been doing this since I was 24 years old, Wright says. I love homes, architecture and design. I love to make a house a nicer place. I like seeing how fixing this part of the home can really improve the property and I like to see it done right.
Wright began by researching window and door companies, looking for distributors that hold the same values and standards as she does.
I called a lot of window distributors across the country and asked them which of their windows they prefer to sell the most, and why, Wright says. Based on that, there were a few things I didnt want to represent. For example, some companies werent addressing issues I knew existed in windows. I only wanted to represent companies that had thought through these things, and those issues would not be happening to my customers.
Pricing was also a major issue for Wright.
Many were incredibly overpriced and not being completely honest, Wright says. Theyll start at $5,000 per window, but if you buy it tonight, you can get it for $3,000 per window, and if you buy all of them at one time, you can get it down to $2,000 per window. How do you go from $5,000 to $2,000? We always start with the manufacturer retail price and well work from there. That way, you know the quality of what youre receiving.
Another misconception involves lifetime warranties.
The manufacturer will give you a lifetime warranty, but in the fine print youll find that just means they send you a part to the window, Wright says. Thats it. It doesnt include installing the part. I wanted the companies I work with to be trusted, and someone I can work with for the next 10 to 15 years. If you have a part shipped to you and you bought your windows from me, Ill come and install it for you. Youre not going to be calling around, trying to find someone who represents this particular brand.
Ultimately, Wright feels shes simply in the business of helping people.
When you work with the purpose of helping others, you want whats best for them, Wright says. They trust you and its important to me that we have this connection. We have people who leave hugging us, and that matters to me. I feel like its important to help someone get through a big project. People are often taken advantage of, and hopefully I can make a connection and make this process a little better.
True Crew Windows and Doors is located at 1112 W. Centennial Ave. in Muncie, IN. For more information, call 765-273-7191 or visit them online at truecrewwindows.com.
