The northwestern United States is one of the youngest areas of the country. Many of the states that emerged in this region were not formed until the late 1800s, and their establishment came relatively soon after white settlers began colonizing the lands in the area. California, for example, had been colonized by Spain centuries before it was finally incorporated into the United States of America. Lacking a European colonial history extending back to the 1500s and 1600s, the northwestern US states have developed unique cultural heritages that value local initiatives and native cultures more than other parts of the country.
These heritages are also reflected in the “can do” attitude of many local companies. Two of the most well-known businesses to arise out of the northwestern U.S. are Seattle-based Starbucks and Microsoft. Their brand names are pervasive and people generally acknowledge the broad reach and success of these companies. But there are other companies in the region that share that northwestern “take it on” approach to developing business. Washington State in particular might be thought of as an incubator for innovative business structures.
Some of the up-and-coming companies are regional “brand” value manufacturers and retailers that may one day go national in the right circumstances. For example, in the home improvement market there are several companies that offer custom upgrades to windows, doors, and other components of housing. In older homes especially, which are often repurchased for upgrading, replacing older, energy-inefficient windows with more modern window technology helps reduce costs over time. That is the message that companies like Penguin Windows want consumers to hear.
Although it is not unique to its industry, Penguin Windows recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in business with a $25,000 sweepstakes. The average window replacement project costs somewhere between $3000 and $10,000 according to some estimates so winning a sweepstakes like that would provide homeowners with real cost savings over time.
To prove their success these companies often show people the results of customer satisfaction surveys. The usefulness of such surveys has been questioned, especially by people who question the value of statistics. Nonetheless even Penguin Windows and its competitors will be sure to point to customer satisfaction surveys to help promote the value of their industries. It’s always a good idea, of course, to look at several competitive vendors before making a large scale purchase decision.