Peerless window nets national award

EnergSave G-500 Window Series, manufactured by Peerless Architectural Windows and Doors in Fort Scott, has been selected as the winner of the 2012 Most Innovative Commercial Window Award.(Submitted Photo)

Peerless Architectural Windows and Doors EnergSave G-500 Window Series has been selected as the winner of the 2012 Most Innovative Commercial Window Award.

The G-500 Series, made in Fort Scott, features a U-value of 0.15, which is unrivaled in the aluminum window industry. Coby Jones, who is in charge of sales and engineering at Peerless, said the lower the U-value, the more thermally efficient a window is. Consumers may typically see U-values of 3.5-5.5. Made of aluminum, he said, this product is more efficient than vinyl or wood window would be.

The series achieves a low U value by using its technology of lower heat flow and reduced air leakage, which is a Peerless design signature, a news release said.

This year marks the firm's 60th anniversary. The privately owned company has 282 employees. "We're a growing business right now," Jones said. "There's a lot of momentum for Peerless to grow because of this product."

Peerless makes windows for very specific projects such as high-rise buildings, public schools, hospitals, universities and military bases that meet anti-terrorism requirements. The company just finished a project in Boston with 8,000 windows in it and does a lot of work on historic preservation projects and sells hurricane resistant windows for areas subject to those storms.

Its acoustic noise-reduction products can also be found in buildings near airports in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco to name a few, Jones said.

Peerless previously won this prestigious award, formerly known as the Crystal Achievement Award, in 2011 in the same category. The awards program sponsored by Glass Magazine, the official publication of the National Glass Association, selects winners based on the most innovative products and best glass applications achievements in the commercial, retail and fabrication markets, the news release said.

Founded in 1952 in Fort Scott, Peerless is a vertically integrated manufacturer of aluminum custom designed architectural and commercial rated windows and doors for retrofit, new construction and historic projects. The complete line of Peerless products includes single and double hung windows, sliding windows, casement windows, projected windows, terrace and sliding glass doors and window wall.

Capabilities include engineering, testing, aluminum extruding, glass insulating, anodizing and architectural paint finishing.