Charlotte, N.C.-based Jeld-Wen Holding Inc. will close its Vista, Calif., and Hawkins, Wis., manufacturing facilities.
The California site, which produces composite windows marketed and sold under the brand name Auraline, has about 110 employees.
Auraline windows and patio doors are made from blended wood fiber and PVC that is coextruded with color. Jeld-Wen began shipping the line in 2022, calling it a next-generation product that fills a market gap with design features and environmental benefits, including recycled content and 28 percent more visible glass for more natural light.
However, it was a short-lived generation.
"Multiple market factors have made it prohibitive to competitively sustain the composite windows product line and it will be discontinued," a company news release says. "As a result, Jeld-Wen plans to close the Vista composite windows facility."
Any orders placed within 90 days of April 11 will be accepted and fulfilled under the stated lead times, the release also says.
The Wisconsin site, which manufactures wood windows, has about 340 employees. That operation will be consolidated with a facility to produce wood windows in Rantoul, Ill.
With the two site closures, Jeld-Wen expects to incur a one-time cost of about $45 million and generate annual pre-tax income improvements of at least $11 million.
Five site closures in 2023 achieved $100 million in cost savings, according to a February investor presentation. Sales were down 5 percent last year to $4.3 billion compared to 2022 with volume declining in the low single digits in North America and the high single digits in Europe.
The U.S. slowdown is attributed to construction of single-family houses being "flat to up slightly" and sales for repair and remodeling projects being down.
The release describes the two latest closures as "a further step in Jeld-Wen's transformation journey to strengthen the foundation of the company and position itself for long term, profitable growth."
Other recently announced closures in the fenestration industry were made by Mikron Industries Inc., a manufacturer of vinyl and composite window and door components, that will shutter its Richmond, Ky., plant and layoff 140 people; and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Associated Materials LLC, which will lay off about 190 employees as it moves some production from its headquarters' site to other facilities in more active markets.