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Milgard Announces New Arizona Facility

Window Manufacturer Plans New Plant in the Phoenix Area

Milgard Windows, one of America's largest producers of high-quality windows and patio doors, has selected Surprise, Arizona, as the site of its newest manufacturing plant.

The new facility will produce window and door frame components used for assembly at other Milgard facilities throughout the United States. The various purchase and development agreements are contingent upon satisfactory completion of due diligence, including environmental and geotechnical studies and procurement of required permits. Milgard's existing Tempe, Arizona, plant will continue to manufacture windows and patio doors for local markets.

"The City of Surprise welcomes the decision by Milgard to build a manufacturing facility in our City," said Surprise Mayor Joan H. Shafer. The City of Surprise is about 23 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix and is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. In the last decade the population has increased from 11,000 to more than 90,000. The City's population is expected to exceed 300,000 by 2020.

"The arrival of Milgard is a result of successful partnerships between the State of Arizona, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the City of Surprise," Shafer said. Commercial development is booming, along with residential development and recreation in the 78-square-mile city. There were nearly 8,000 home starts in 2004, with 30,000 more under construction or on the drawing board.

Milgard expects to invest nearly $36 million into creating a 300,000-square-foot facility on a 44-acre parcel in the Skyway Business Park, at the northwest corner of Peoria Avenue and Dysart Road. The 24-hour operation is expected to employ about 150 people during the first year and Milgard expects to double the number of employees by the end of the fourth year.

"New housing and remodeling markets continue to grow at record levels," said Jim Sweeney, president and chief operating officer for Milgard. "This new facility will enable us to continue to meet increasing demand while maintaining the level of service our customers expect." Sweeney added that the new plant will further improve Milgard's ability to control product quality and speed the company's supply chain systems. "Unlike manufacturers that just assemble windows from outsourced components, we make our own parts," said Sweeney. "This allows us to provide the highest quality windows because we control every manufacturing aspect, including the most important part of a window -- the frame."

Milgard's window manufacturing plants and support facilities are located in Tacoma and Marysville, Washington; Tualatin, Oregon; Henderson, Nevada; Sacramento, Hollister, Simi Valley and Temecula, California; Aurora, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Tempe, Arizona; Aurora, Illinois; and Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Milgard Windows, a Masco company, offers a full line of aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass windows and patio doors for builders, dealers and homeowners. For six of the last eight years, the company has been recognized for manufacturing the nation's highest quality vinyl windows in an annual survey sponsored by Hanley-Wood, Inc., publishers of BUILDER magazine. The company employs approximately 5,000 people nationwide. For more information, visit www.milgard.com or call (800) MILGARD.

Headquartered in Taylor, Michigan, Masco Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of brand-name consumer products for the home and family. Masco is also a leading provider of services that include the installation of insulation and other building products. For more information visit www.masco.com or call (313) 274-7400.

Distributed by Market Wire