What Makes Andersen So Special

On August 1, 1903, Hans J. Andersen founded Andersen Corporation.

Originally founded as Andersen Lumber Company, the company’s early days coincide with the logging boom along the St. Croix River. Hans, his wife Sarah and his three children, arrived in Hudson, Wisc., just across the river from the company’s current headquarters in Bayport, Minn. in the late 1890s.

Hans came across a challenging situation: millions of board feet of logs were stranded on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River. These logs had to get to the nearest railroad depot in Afton, Minn., but the owners dared not transport it across the unsafe ice. Hans took that dare, purchased the lumber and, after careful study, rigged a temporary bridge with the longest timbers and skidded the lumber across before spring melted away the opportunity. 

Hans went on to manage a sawmill and retail lumberyard. He opened the Andersen Lumber Company in partnership with his wife and children in 1903. 

At the time, window frames were built as needed by local carpenters, lumberyards and millwork shops. There were no standardized sizes, and air and moisture leaks were common, as was the resulting rot and damage.

With the industrial revolution spurring innovation and a move toward machine manufacturing and mass production, Hans quickly adapted this business model to produce standard window frame bundles. In 1905, the “two bundle” method established standard window sizes, allowing Andersen to mass produce window frames and create interchangeable parts. The windows offered builders consistent, accurate construction at a low cost. Now, a carpenter could assemble and install a window frame in 10 minutes.

Since then, Andersen Corporation has grown into a global industry leader, renowned for its products as well as its principles. Through good times and hard times, the legacy of the company's founders has inspired its employees to find ways to adapt and thrive.

Fred Andersen, the company's second president and Hans' son, was directly involved in developing a universal frame — originally intending to build a family of standard frames that could accept multiple types of sash — producing casements, hung windows and fixed windows.

Fred embodied the business vision of cooperation and achievement contemplated by his father. He established an enduring corporate philosophy, which he called “the magic circle,” acknowledging it is the success of a special ecosystem of employees, customers, suppliers and partners that ultimately drives our shared success. Consisting of eight links, the “magic circle,” as Fred depicted it in 1947, included: 

• highly trained and motivated employees
• sound management
• ongoing research
• a strong sales organization
• a distributor-dealer network based on repeat business and good will
• builders and architects interested in quality products
• consumers interested in paying for the best materials 

“The premise that in better homes and buildings on the one hand — and in a higher standard of living on the other — there is benefit to all members of the Magic Circle, from maker to user” (according to the book, The Magic Circle, published 1978 by Kenneth Douglas Ruble, to capture the history Andersen for future generations). 

Today, Andersen Corporation’s vision depicts the sentiment Fred set forth nearly 75 years ago, “to make the world a better place by living up to the promise that everyone benefits from their association with Andersen.”

“Our company was founded 121 years ago on the belief that each individual is important to our success, that ‘all together’ we share in the hard work, we share in the sacrifices, and we share in our success, and we are stronger because of the relationships we nurture — that’s the magic of our ‘all together’ culture and the power of the magic circle,” President and CEO Chris Galvin said. 

Our “all together” culture is part of what fuels our innovation and makes Andersen a special place to work. Every day, our 13,000-plus team members are empowered to imagine what's possible and do what's right to brighten homes and lives, all together.

The story goes that our founder, a Danish immigrant, worked his way west on his way to Minnesota. Through his co-workers and the people he met, Hans picked up English. One of the first sayings Hans learned would become his company’s mantra: “all together.” It became a unifying, rallying call for collaboration, teamwork and shared responsibility.

Work with us! Interested applicants can view current job openings or sign up to learn more about a career at Andersen and future opportunities on the company’s Careers website. Andersen offers highly competitive wages, profit sharing, an inclusive workplace, paid parental leave and more. 

 
Posted: August 2, 2024