Client-Centered Listening Results in Better Outcomes, Lasting Partnership with Andersen

At Opus, engaging with clients and listening to their needs is ingrained in our design-build process. Time and time again, it has proven to be invaluable.

That deep listening was critical to the successful delivery of two buildings for Andersen Corporation, a premier manufacturer of custom windows, replacement windows and doors. The projects included:

• Completed in December 2019, Andersen Windows Manufacturing – Goodyear is a 540,350-square-foot manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Ariz.

• The Renewal by Andersen Value Add Center is a 340,000-square-foot expansion next to the existing facility in Cottage Grove, Minn., that was completed in June 2020.

Early in the process, our design-build team members asked a lot of questions about Andersen's culture, business and operations.

“We immersed ourselves in the Andersen process, and we figured out what was important to them – how things worked and how they could be improved," said Dean Newins, President & CEO of Architecture & Engineering. “One of my favorite parts about this work that we do is helping companies plan for the future and grow into that."

“I can't say enough good things about Opus," said Linda Larson, Director of Real Estate & Administrative Facilities for Andersen. “When you have somebody who can guide you, who actually helps you understand what it is that you truly need, you discover it may or may not have been what you thought you needed in the first place. Opus really did deliver on all fronts. And not only that, they are just nice people to work with."

Delivering When the Stakes are High

For Andersen's Goodyear facility, the stakes were high. It was Andersen's first branded facility in Arizona, its first build-to-suit project in the company's 100-year history, and its first building designed to encompass the entire manufacturing process – from extrusion and assembly to storage and distribution. Any delay would be costly, as Andersen undertook the project to better meet the growing demand for its 100 Series products in the West.

Our team delivered the building on time and checked every box in Andersen's vision of the facility.

“That's really a key testament to how our design team and our construction team really took the time to sit down, to get to know the client's culture and their vision for what this facility is and what this campus could be," said Tim Murnane, President & CEO of Opus.

The Goodyear building conveys energy and innovation, showcases Andersen's products and embodies the Andersen brand inside and out. It offers rich employee amenities and demonstrates the company's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Based on their experience with Opus on the Goodyear facility, Andersen enlisted us to design and construct the Renewal by Andersen Value Add Center in Cottage Grove. This facility addresses an increased need for storage and allows for vertical integration of components for Andersen's line of replacement windows.

Listening = Lasting Partnerships

Client-centered listening ensures every Opus project meets or exceeds client expectations.

The Andersen facilities were no exception.

“The most rewarding part of this project was when we delivered it, and seeing the clients' faces when they walk to the facility for the first time," said Jay Fourniea, Director of Architecture. “Understanding that we've listened, that we've delivered their value and what they're really looking for and ultimately, setting them up for success in the future."

With its two new facilities, Andersen is well-positioned for years of growth and is providing its employees with safe, amenity-rich workplaces.

“Opus is a very customer-facing organization," said Jay Lund, Chairman & CEO of Andersen. “They spent a lot of time listening. They were flexible and always focused on the higher objective of meeting our needs. There was a spirit of partnership from the very beginning and all the way through the process, at every level between organizations. They're just exceptional partners."

“Our mission statement is 'driven to exceed your expectations and empower your mission through the buildings we deliver,'" Tim said. “When we work with clients like Andersen, we take that mission statement quite literally. We realize that the work our teams do collectively – the work that we do with the client – really is more than just bricks and mortar. To play a part in that, to know that our involvement is really helping foster their culture and their growth, that's very rewarding to all of us at Opus."

• More about Andersen Windows Manufacturing – Goodyear
• More about Renewal by Andersen Value-Add Center