So he went to the garage to experiment with different frame materials and designs. He knew that there had to be a better way and was just crazy enough to believe that he could find it. Conventional screen technology is over 100 years old and hasn’t really changed at all in that time. The inherent problems with old-style window screens cause extreme frustration. Joe Altieri, CEO of FlexScreen, was with the CEOViews team to share how they are revolutionizing this particular segment.ĭuring his 20 years in the window industry, Joe dealt with countless and constant complaints from customers, some of the country’s largest window manufacturers. However, FlexScreen is now on a mission to solve these issues with its innovative, flexible window solutions. The complex nature of traditional window screens, their lack of durability, and the overwhelming replacement costs have always put customers in a worrisome situation.
#Flex screen windows
While windows have existed for a long time now, there have been little to no changes in terms of their usability and durability. Modern windows are manufactured using various materials, including wood, aluminum, and, of course, glass. The window industry has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Rome. They provide natural light, ventilation, and a view of the outside world. Windows are integral to any building, serving both functional and aesthetic purposes. FlexScreen is the world’s first and only flexible window screen. You can contact Patrick by email at or via Twitter. Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. “I gave up my career,” he said, “so it was either make FlexScreen successful, or start selling cars.” “If an entire industry is doing something one way, why change? We had to give them a good reason.”Īnd for Altieri, there were really two options. “We’ve been overly aggressive in bringing our message to our customers and our customers’ customers as well.”Īltieri said doggedly pursuing his goal was a key part of his success. “Depending on growth this year, we may have between 70 and 90 employees down the line,” he said. The Murrysville production facility along with the other three typically employ about 40 workers each, a number he hopes to boost over the next year. I recently traded it in with a quarter-million miles on it.”Īltieri has begun selling FlexScreens to Canadian consumers, with an eye toward expansion into Europe, South American and Australian markets. “When I started, I had aįord F-150 (pickup truck) I used to drive samples around. “Just creating the process to make a FlexScreen is a $1 million investment,” he said. “With ours, it’s closer to one of every 2,000.”Īltieri also credited the group of investors who helped him launch and grow the company. “With traditional screens, about one of every 25 gets damaged during shipping. “Not a lot of people are doing mail-order window screens, because they don’t ship well,” he said. “We have this unique product that no one else is doing.”Īltieri patented the FlexScreen design - which uses high-carbon, oil-tempered spring steel as its base - and the screen’s resistance to the type of easy damage inflicted on other window screens puts the company in an advantageous position. “When we ordered our first semi-trailer, we drove over to the plant, and when we pulled in and she saw that trailer with ‘FlexScreen’ written on the side, she started crying,” he said.įlexScreen has nothing to cry about today: Altieri has partnered with multiple window manufacturers who have begun tailoring their products to accommodate FlexScreens, he is working on sales agreements with national retailers like Lowe’s and Menard’s home improvement stores, and is shipping his product all over the country every day. his wife had trouble accepting the reality that her husband was staking the family’s financial future on an invention he created in their garage. It has a thin frame that disappears into the screen track, it is coated with PVC so that it won’t dent and tear like traditional aluminum screens, and it can be bent nearly in half to pop in and out of a window frame.Įven as Altieri began laying the groundwork about five years ago for what today is FlexScreen - a nationwide company with manufacturing facilities in Murrysville, Detroit, Alpharetta, Ga., and Vermillion, S.D. “So you have 100-year-old technology on modern windows.”Īltieri, 43, developed and patented the first “flexible” window screen after more than 15 years working in the window and door industry.
“The current patent on window screens dates back to 1907,” Altieri said.
When Joe Altieri began seeking a way to make a better window screen in his Plum garage, he was just looking to improve on what was century-old technology.
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