However, with the advent of small fabricators, and the low cost of entry to the business, many will sell inferior products, or take short cuts in their business process. One major issue is using a retailer with no contractor's license, no bond and no insurance to do the work. It might work out but the $500 you save could be very expensive.
Another major problem can be operators that are buying crates of components from unreliable sources. Now, to be sure their are some reputable and honorable local fabricators, however, the low cost guys often are cutting corners that you will not see for a few years. Here is why. What may be hidden is:
- A Lack of International Standards in Manufacturing - We have ISO 9001 and 9002.
- A Lack of annual sales - We are a 2 billion dollar company.
- A Lack of distribution network to address issues - We have 12ea major distributors in the United States.
- A Lack of operational transparency - We are a publicly traded company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
- 3rd party ownership of the manufacturing process - We use all company owned plants.
- A Lack of control of the raw material quality - We have an on-site lumber mill, kiln drying system, molders, and automated cutting with tolerances of 1/16" finished to 1/8".
All of these things and more matter - like proprietary extruding technologies and having the wood stored for a minimum of 6 months to stabilize before use. These are all advantages that are invisible if you shop the wrong brand. This is why we say that our experience matters. Because it helps us to discern where the real value lies, and frankly, for the price, you can not beat our brand for value it offers. We have built in quality and peace of mind at every step in the value chain. To be sure, the guy saving you $500 is likely hiding a lack of value at one or more step in the process. This is the difference between a cheap shutter and a good value shutter.
Check out our online cost estimating calculator and know that their is amazing value behind that very reasonable price.