Windsor Windows & Doors hit the road during the last week of July — but this was no business trip (although it did involve plenty of work). Windsor team members participated in this year’s 411-mile RAGBRAI event. RAGBRAI is the annual bike ride across Iowa, where approximately 20,000 cyclists journey from the Missouri to Mississippi rivers, stopping in small towns along the way.
RAGBRAI riders from Windsor included Kent Tindell, Plant Manager; Bill Tindell, Director of Marketing and Product Development; Scott Renke, Director of Sales; and Andy Borcherding, Business Information Manager.
This year’s RAGBRAI route took the Windsor team across the northern portion of Iowa. According to Renke,"The term 'Iowa Nice' was never so true as what we experienced in the past through and overnight host towns."Decked out in custom bicycle jerseys, RAGBRAI was a chance to reflect as well as connect with Windsor customers along the way. Here are a few observations from their ride:
Carry only what you need.
When you’re biking 50-75 miles a day, you want to travel light. Efficiency is essential. Similarly, Windsor is committed to lean manufacturing. We’ve refined all our processes to reduce unnecessary steps and keep costs down without sacrificing quality — all in order to provide the best product for the budget.
Perform regular maintenance.
A bike ride will only be as good as the equipment you’re using. Tire pressure. Brake lines. Gear shifters. Any number of seemingly small issues can bring a long ride to an abrupt stop. We conduct regular testing at several stages within our process to ensure optimum performance from start to finish — from analyzing our aluminum extrusion profiles down to 1/1000 of an inch to measuring the consistency of the heat in our curing ovens.
In it for the long haul.
RAGBRAI is a test of endurance. It may be easy to ride for a day or two, but it takes real commitment to go the distance. You also can’t build relationship in a day. You’ve got to think long-term. You’ve got to keep working at it, making progress every day. That’s Windsor’s philosophy with customer service.
Respect everyone on the ride.
There are 20,000+ riders on RAGBRAI - from first-timers to seasoned veterans, from joy riders to gold-medal athletes. People from across the country come together for this unique event. Windsor works with thousands of distributors, builders, architects and others with different perspectives, personal goals and professional experience. At the end of the day, however, we all want what's best for the homeowner. Like RAGBRAI, it's critical that we all communicate and stay moving in the same direction.
Practice makes perfect.
Like any craft, you can’t expect to jump right in and be successful the first time. Before embarking on RAGBRAI, the Windsor riders logged 550 miles in preparation for the event. We take the same approach at Windsor Windows & Doors. Ongoing training and research ensures our staff have the skills and knowledge they need to create the absolute best windows and doors. We also must continually refine our products to keep up with performance requirements, design trends, housing codes and more.
Remember why you’re doing this.
One of the joys of RAGBRAI is what you find along the way. It’s important to work hard — but remember to celebrate a job well done. Take the time to enjoy your surroundings. Value your teammates. Don’t forget the reasons why we do this and what makes it all worthwhile.
For the Windsor team, RAGBRAI was exhausting but unforgettable. According to Tindell, "I knew this event drew thousands of riders, but until you experience it, it's hard to imagine how many bikes and riders there are."
Want to know more about the product featured on the Windsor bike jerseys? Visit our Revive Replacement window website.