or unrivaled future growth. His promotion to CEO is well deserved, fitting, and perfectly timed.” The Window World business model has helped the company expand to 195 locations in 46 states, with projected 2007 sales of more than one million window units (making it the largest installed replacement window retailer in the United States). Qualified Remodeler Magazine has consistently ranked Window World as one of the top remodelers in the USA in its annual Top 500 Remodelers list. In November, 2004 QR Magazine instituted a “Specialty 200” listing that included only true home improvement companies, and Window World is ranked at #2 on the 2007 list. Marie Whitworth, secretary, and also a long-standing Window World employee, announced her retirement as well. Of Window World’s phenomenal success Marie said: “In business, while financial considerations must always prevail, our ultimate satisfaction comes from seeing the success or our great family of Window World store owners . . . and their over 250,000 satisfied customers. Every week we receive letters and phone calls from homeowners thanking us for being who we are.” Todd Whitworth said: “Selfishly, we are sorry to see my parents retire – but we are happy for them and wish them nothing but the best. My father established an extraordinary team of dedicated remodeling professionals, industry experts and professional craftsmen. We are also partnered with the best remodeling manufacturers and suppliers in the world. Together we will continue our legacy of providing homeowners ‘Simply the Best for Less’.” Leon will remain with Window World in a“All our customers [had] left town, and we had no idea what would happen to the business. It was a pretty scary time.” “We got a lot of support from our vendors. And it was nice being part of the Window World family. They helped us out a lot.” “Our business went from installing 1,000 to 2,000 windows a month to 7,000 to 10,000 a month,” he says. “We instantly became by far the largest single window outlet in the country. No one, to this day, is doing anywhere near that amount of work.” Going from no business at all to five or more times his pre-disaster volume was no easy task. Everything – computerized systems, warehouse space, salespeople, installers, transportation and more – had to be supported or purchased or recruited or doubled or tripled and put into operation immediately – simultaneously. “It required a lot more in terms of new levels of management. It’s okay when you’ve got a few salespeople and 3-5 crews out installing, but when you’ve got 50 crews, you have to have a level of middle management to handle that kind of volume. “All this was happening at one time. We had to know which windows were coming in at what time and where they were going, so we had to have a larger customer service group. We had three or four inside and five or six outside. We had to buy more trucks to get the windows out there and installed. And we needed another level of management in the production department to supervise the crews out there.” But finding workers to supervise the crews wasn’t half as tough as finding enough installers. “What’s critical is that we were doing this in the midst of overwhelming pressure on the available pool of skilled construction labor. We were competing for available labor with the right skills sets in the tightest labor market in the country.” With all these challenges – not to mention the added costs that come with them – Jim had to make one decision that would impact the entire process: how much would he charge the Katrina survivors