The KDKA news segment reports that President Obama praised a reopened window‑manufacturing facility in Armstrong County during a national TV appearance, presenting it as a success story of his stimulus program and the green economy. The plant, originally Kensington Windows, had shut down in October, leaving long‑time employees like Robin Scott (20 years) and manager Mark Atkinson (31 years) unemployed. A scaled‑down operation was later revived by California‑based Serious Materials, rehiring the former staff. The segment includes interviews with the workers, who describe the hardship of job loss and the surprise of being rehired, as well as commentary from KDKA money editor John Delano. The report explains that the new windows have R‑values roughly double the industry standard, potentially cutting home energy bills by up to 50%, and notes a $1,500 federal tax credit for weatherization. The plant aims to hire more workers than before the shutdown, positioning the factory as a model of stimulus‑driven, energy‑efficient manufacturing in the region.
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The president hailed a window-making company in our area last night on national TV. He says the recently reopened company demonstrates the success of his stimulus program. KDKA money editor John Delano visited the company today and joins us live with more. John?
Hey, Christine. Just over the Armstrong County line, not far from Leitchburg, there's a 100,000-square-foot facility that makes windows. And last night, President Obama surprised everyone at the plant when he celebrated their success on national television in promoting a green economy. For the employees, that success comes after a very hard winter.
I had got a phone call on a Sunday morning telling me I no longer was employed. They were closing the plant.
Robin Scott remembers that day last October when Kensington Windows shut its doors and he lost his benefits of 20 years.
I assumed I would never walk in this building again.
Scott's boss, Mark Atkinson, was out too. After 31 years.
It's hard finding a job in this area with the way the economy is, and I was— I would sit on the internet for 5 to 6 hours a day. I was out pounding the pavement looking for a job, and there's just nothing to find out there.
Last week, all that changed unexpectedly when a scaled-down plant reopened under California-based Serious Materials, a company hailed by President Obama.
Yesterday I met with a man whose company is reopening a factory outside of Pittsburgh that's Rehiring workers to build some of the most energy-efficient windows in the world.
Making windows for the green economy is exactly what Sirius is doing. Both Atkinson and Scott are now back to work and shocked the president took notice.
I really don't watch the president on TV, but my wife made me watch him this time, and when that was mentioned, I was probably about 3 feet off the couch.
What makes these windows part of the green technology is the efficiency of the windows. The R-value that keeps heat from escaping and your money from flying out the window. Most windows have an R-value of 3 points. These windows are at least double that and can cut home energy bills up to 50%. And with the stimulus program offering a $1,500 tax credit to weatherize your home, the future looks good.
We hope to, to get everyone back and And actually hire more people than we had when the factory was shut down in October.
Now the local plant is coming back slowly with only a couple dozen employees there working now, but if homeowners take advantage of this tax credit to weatherize their homes, the company really hopes they can hire back everyone who once worked there before. And besides the jobs, the workers say their work is helping to make America energy independent. Live in downtown Pittsburgh, I'm John Delano, KDKA TV News.
