Getting Started in Dufferin County
Jim Cheyne started Dufferin Windows with his wife Jean and father-in-law Mac Cunningham in a 3500 square foot shop in Shelburne, manufacturing custom wood windows. Jim had worked several years for a window manufacturer; so it was an industry he knew well. That was 1972.
The company has had its ups and downs but the overall trend has been upward, because the shop now measures 35,000 square feet and the product line has expanded to include standard and custom made vinyl and vinyl clad windows, steel doors, plus related products.
Keeping up with Technology
Dufferin Windows now has the ability to bend vinyl profiles in house, allowing them to create any custom shape including custom replacement windows for century homes. Their market has expanded far beyond local contractors to encompass South Central Ontario, with occasional large contracts even farther a-field.
Carrying On
Jim’s daughter Karen McCabe and her husband Barry are now working to continue the successful growth of Dufferin Windows.
Karen says, “As a manufacturer in Shelburne we are central to many custom building opportunities in outlying areas. If we were a small company in Toronto, we would not be as accessible to these.”
The company’s core staff has a minimum 20 years’ experience with the company and has specialized skills in the different aspects of the manufacturing process. The dedication and skill of all employees are vital to the company’s continued growth.
Dufferin Windows is part of the community. The company supports many local projects and organizations. They have come to know most of the local contractors personally. This neighbourly outlook puts them front of mind when windows are required for both new construction and renovations.