Project Team
Heartland Homes, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
President: Alan Gillespie
Company Profile: 12-year-old building company of approximately 100 single-family and carriage homes per year from $100,000 to $180,000
Market: Pittsburgh suburbs

Narrative
Key considerations: People buy value — but they don’t want to sacrifice character. Gillespie found a niche in the $100,000 to $180,000 market. He must offer exceptional value for the price.

Result: Windows are central to Gillespie’s marketing of his homes. He advertises the “natural light and open living spaces” of his designs. The net result is a thriving business and considerable pride in the homes he builds.

Highlight: One place Gillespie won’t skimp is on windows. He will use Andersen® windows with High-PerformanceTM, Low-E glass in all of the homes he builds, no matter what the home’s value.

Testimonials: “I’ve refused repeatedly to compromise the quality of windows to get the price down. Windows are a very important feature.” — Alan Gillespie

“They cost a little more than some windows, but they save so much in service and provide lower utility costs and greater customer satisfaction.” — Alan Gillespie

“Windows make a home feel larger.” — Alan Gillespie

Execution: Andersen windows with High-PerformanceTM glass are an important part of the “energy package” that is standard in Heartland Homes. And one of the most popular options offered by Heartland Homes is bay windows — from 45-degree, five-window bays to square walkout bays.

Solution: Gillespie’s standard designs include many windows, including up to six windows in the master bedroom, with two windows in a corner to provide an unbroken sight line that makes the room appear larger.

Design Solution

Marketing Tools of the Trade
Heartland Homes employs many marketing tools — direct mail, newspaper and TV ads, flyers — but has gotten the best results from direct mailings. Referrals, however, generate more sales than any advertising. The company offers cash — up to $1,000 — for referrals that result in sales.

Another successful tactic highlights the best products in Heartland models. Tabletop cards call attention to Andersen windows and other quality building products that enhance the value of a Heartland home.

Featured Andersen Products
High-PerformanceTM, Low-E Double-Hung Windows and Narroline® Bay Windows