Chas Vander Wilt grew up in the small town of Sully, Iowa, which is about 40 miles east of Des Moines, IA, where Windsor is based. There are less than 1000 people in Sully, but most of them still remember Chas. It is interesting that Chas and Windsor were developing simultaneously in the 1950s, both in the state of Iowa. Somehow, their futures were destined to be intertwined.
As a young adult, Chas attended Taylor University in Indiana, where he met his wife, Jennifer. After graduation, he accepted a job offer from Massey-Ferguson in Des Moines. Massey-Ferguson then transferred him to Boise, Idaho. This was another “close encounter” to Windsor and Woodgrain. In 1979, he began his window career by obtaining a sales position with Pella Windows in Boise. In 1984, Chas found himself in Salt Lake City, selling Pella Windows.
Up until this point, every career experience was bringing him closer to Windsor and his eventual destiny. In 1990, after a decade of developing his expertise in the window industry, Chas opened a business called Contractor's Window Supply which was his first opportunity to represent the Windsor product line. In 1992, Chas sold the company to Norco Windows, but he couldn’t let it go for long and ended up repurchasing Contractor's Window Supply in 1996. In 2007, he made the tough decision to sell Contractor's Window Supply once again. At that time, Chas believed so strongly in the Windsor brand that he became an independent representative for Windsor, selling throughout the states of Utah and Nevada.
Chas has had a long and successful relationship with Windsor serving both as a distributor and as a sales representative. Chas is one of those people who is a delight to work with and he had routinely been honored as one of Windsor’s top salespeople.
Mark Rieser, the president of Windsor Windows & Doors stated, “Chas has been integral to Windsor’s success in product development and positioning, marketing strategy, as well as being the premier Pinnacle salesperson. We are very grateful for his many contributions and dedication to the success of the company.”
Chas still has a love for all things Iowan. Whenever he brought customers to the Iowa plant for a visit, he made a point to schedule a tour of the state capital building and made sure they got to taste the famous Maid-Rite sandwiches that originated in the state.
Chas retired June 30, 2021, which was also his 70th birthday. We all miss working with Chas but we wish him a long and relaxing retirement. We know he will continue to wear that broad smile and share his positive energy and enthusiasm with everyone he meets. There is no doubt that he will make the most of every day of his retirement with his wife and extended family because that’s the way he has lived his life for the past 70 years.
Congratulations on a wonderfully successful career, Chas. You have so much to be proud of.