The Founding Story of Lake Washington Windows and Doors
Meet Adrian Au
Founder of Lake Washington Windows & Doors
Adrian Au founded Lake Washington Windows and Doors in 2008 after working in the industry for 19 years. Learning the ins and outs of one of the top window manufacturing companies in America and helping window and door companies across the country, he learned what made or broke a customer’s experience. He took this knowledge and applied a new standard of customer care and window installation to his company, Lake Washington Windows and Doors.
View Adrian's Experience
Lake Washington Windows & Doors
Founder and Owner
Lake Washington Windows & Doors · Full-time
Feb 2008 – Present · 16 yrs 1 mo
- Lake Washington Windows & Doors is a leading installation dealer of replacements windows and doors for the residential home market. Our key vendor partners are Milgard Windows and Provia Doors.
- Our mission is to be the BEST window and door installation dealer in western Washington, with core values that include respect, customer care, continuous improvement, teamwork, and having fun!
- We humbly serve customers in King, Pierce, and South Snohomish County.
Milgard Windows & Doors
Location Manager (Mid-Atlantic)
Jun 2006 – Jun 2008 · 2 yrs 1 mo
- Managed sales, distribution, and service for Mid-Atlantic.
- Developed growth and pricing strategy for Mid-Atlantic region.
- New business development Carolina’s, Maryland, Pennsylvania.
Regional Sales Representative (Richmond/Virginia Beach)
Jun 2004 – Jun 2006 · 2 yrs 1 mo
- 100% prospect for new business.
- Setup new dealer accounts.
- Prospected large builders for pull-through business.
Service Manager (WA, AK, HA, MT, ID)
Jun 2002 – Jun 2004 · 2 yrs 1 mo
- Managed team of 30+ techs, inside service reps.
- Ensure service dept. P&L managed to budget.
- Developed service scheduling program for all 12 Milgard service locations.
- Milgard Service Location of the Year.
Outside Sales Representative (Hawaii/Alaska Territory)
Jun 1998 – Jun 2002 · 4 yrs 1 mo
- Managed existing dealer base and prospected for new dealers.
- Built growth and pricing strategy for both markets.
- Product presentations and training.
Inside Architectural Representative
Jun 1996 – Jun 1998 · 2 yrs 1 mo
- Provided technical support to architects.
- Reviewed Dodge reports for projects in planning stages.
- Cold called architects to get Milgard specified on new projects.
Inside Sales Representative
Jun 1994 – Jun 1996 · 2 yrs 1 mo
- Provided technical support to dealers.
- Quote and order windows.
- Provided support to outside sales rep.
- National Inside Sales Rep of the Year.
Service Technician
Jun 1989 – Jun 1994 · 5 yrs 1 mo
- Replaced glass on Milgard warranty windows.
- Replaced/repaired parts.
Adrian’s Early Career Working at Milgard
Adrian started in the window and doors industry in 1990 while he attended the University of Washington Business School. He started working as a Service Technician at Milgard during the summers. Once he started, Milgard was so impressed by his reliability and hard work, that they promoted him to sales after he graduated college. This would entail Adrian representing Milgard and helping “dealer” companies sell Milgard products.
For the next 18 years, Adrian would travel across the country working with dealers across America and soon be promoted to help launch Milgard’s East Coast division. Never planning to make a career in the windows and doors industry after college, he became pleasantly surprised at the community he developed at Milgard and the wealth of knowledge he gained about window manufacturing.
Ever since he was a young boy, Adrian had always been good with his hands – tinkering with tools and building things. He had always been fascinated with architecture, home design, and construction. So, when he stumbled into this industry, it seemed like a natural fit. This interest combined with his entrepreneurial spirit motivated him to eventually start Lake Washington Windows and Doors.
Starting Lake Washington Windows & Doors
The trigger to start his own company wasn’t easy. Adrian had worked for Milgard for 18 years before leaping into entrepreneurship. During his time working with different window and door companies, he realized there was an opportunity to deliver more value if he were to start his own company. He learned that quality, communication, and customer care were the most important aspects of a person’s window and door buying experience, and he didn’t want that to stop at the product.
- Elevate homeowner-contractor interactions: Aim for trustworthiness, honesty, accountability, and communication.
- Ensure transparency and respect: Promote clear communication and respect for both the homeowner and their home.
- Revolutionize the home remodeling process: Make renovations non-invasive, comfortable, and seamless.
- Commitment to cleanliness: Ensure homes are left cleaner than before the project began.
Becoming #1 Milgard Dealer in Western Washington
In 2008, Adrian founded Lake Washington Windows and Doors to not only create a better path for himself but to serve his local community. He wanted to focus his primary product offering on Milgard products and continue his relationship with Milgard today. Now, he is the owner of the #1 replacement Milgard dealer in Western Washington.
After starting the company himself, he quickly started to build his all-star team. Adrian’s first hire was his long-time friend, Ryan Roberts, who now runs the commercial division.
10-Year Leak Armor Guarantee is Born
In 2015, Adrian and his team developed a unique installation process to add more value and longevity to customers’ windows and doors. They created the exclusive Leak Armor Guarantee, which was born from thousands of installations and years of experience.
Leak Armor Benefits
- Increased resistance against leaks and water damage
- Enhanced windowsill protection that blocks out moisture and prevents wood rot
- Additional buffering against the wind to reduce drafts and low room temperatures
- Improved sound control, keeping more outside noise out of the home
- Increased energy efficiency, saving you money on heating and cooling costs
Acquisition of Marine View Windows
In 2020, Lake Washington Windows and Doors had an opportunity to expand and grow by acquiring Marine View Windows and Doors.
With a second showroom in the south Puget Sound area, the company’s service area expanded dramatically to include Tacoma, Puyallup, Lakewood, Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, and more.
The combined operational resources allows Lake Washington Windows and Doors to provide better service with increased quality and efficiency.
OUR MISSION
Creating Impact Through Windows and Doors
“Lake Washington Windows and Door’s mission is to be the best window and door company in Washington State by offering unmatched value through a unified commitment to customer service.”
Company Values
Lake Washington Windows and Doors strives to push the boundaries of customer care and excellence – as Adrian does in his own life. That’s why we live by our core values of:
- Teamwork
- Customer Care
- Lean, Quality
- Fun
Living out these core values pushes us to continuously improve every day and set the bar higher than we’ve set it before, so we can deliver continuous value to our customers.
A Name You Can Trust
Now Lake Washington Windows and Doors is a 65+-employee, multi-million-dollar company that has served thousands of customers in the Puget Sound area. But we don’t want to stop there. We want to continue growing and expanding our service areas, so we can provide our customers and employees a remarkable view of the world, one window and door at a time.
Our Vision
Serving Puget Sound Since 2008
“To provide our customers and employees a remarkable experience, one window and door at a time.”
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