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Make-A-Wish: ‘Dreams really do come true’
April 13, 2026
WAUSAU – Founded in 1946 by brothers Herb and Ervin Kolbe, Wausau-based Kolbe Windows & Doors is marking 80 years in business in 2026.
To commemorate this milestone, President Jeff DeLonay said Kolbe – which manufactures made-to-order windows and doors in homes, multi-family communities, commercial buildings and campuses across North America – has launched its “80 Acts of Kindness” initiative.
The yearlong program, he said, is designed to encourage team members across all locations to support their communities through meaningful acts, large and small.
“The program reflects the philosophy that has shaped Kolbe for eight decades,” he said.
DeLonay said the family-owned, Wisconsin-rooted company, started by Herb and Ervin Kolbe repairing and building wood storm windows in a washhouse on their family dairy farm, has “grown into a leading national manufacturer of premium windows and doors.”
The company’s success, he said, can be directly attributed to Kolbe employees.
For eight decades, DeLonay said Kolbe has valued craftsmanship, integrity, problem-solving and taking care of people.
“These values continue to drive every decision we make today,” he said. “Daily, our team members carry on the family-oriented, customer-focused culture instilled by the founders of this organization.”
Employing approximately 950 people in three locations across Wisconsin and Arizona, DeLonay said in the years leading up to the eight-decade milestone, Kolbe has taken steps forward as a company.
DeLonay said Kolbe’s future is “built on the foundation of our past,” with new partnerships, energy-efficiency initiatives, expanded employee programs and innovative product development driving growth.
“We will continue to invest in our people, listen to our customers and push what’s possible in window and door design,” he said. “If the next 80 years look anything like the last, we’re in very good hands.”
Employee loyalty, longevity = success
DeLonay said one of Kolbe’s keys to success over 80 years has been the longevity of its employees, himself included.
That loyalty, he said, reflects a workforce that is happy, committed and invested in the company’s growth.
“If I remember correctly, this is year No. 42 for me,” he said. “Realistically, can I say I expected to be with one organization this long? Probably not. When thinking about what’s kept me with Kolbe for more than four decades, it’s the culture.”
DeLonay said he is a classic example of what company loyalty looks like after starting and spending a couple of years in the Kolbe plant before being asked to “come inside.”
“Over that period of time, I had a great opportunity to spend time with the founders, Herb and Ervin,” he said. “The culture they wanted to spread was not about themselves, but more about giving people the opportunity to have a job and advance in that job.”
DeLonay said the company’s culture is strong, with nearly 360 employees reaching 25-plus years of service.
“I think that also proves our employees enjoy the variety they see every day,” he said. “We don’t make stock – when someone orders something, we make it. We also promote the fact that you can have what you want.”
DeLonay said that might even mean a customer submitting a sketch of a door or window on a piece of paper.
“Maybe that’s even on a napkin,” he laughed. “We’ll try our hardest to make it for you. I don’t think you see that much more [in the windows and doors industry].”
DeLonay said architects touring the plant often call Kolbe “Santa’s workshop.” Curious about the remark, he asked what they meant.
Not understanding the comparison at first, he said he asked them to explain.
“They said, ‘You’ve got half rounds over there and lights over here, and the next thing you know, we saw this guy take out a hand plane – because something wasn’t fitting right – and he’s shaving some wood to make it fit exactly right,’” he said. “With how Kolbe does things – not mass producing – you don’t often see that.”
Innovation also equals longevity
In addition to its enduring culture, DeLonay said Kolbe’s founders valued innovation.
He said the company’s recent partnership with LuxWall – a Michigan-based company that produces glass-based insulation that reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions – brings fresh options to the company’s portfolio.
“The company takes two pieces of glass and sucks all of the air and moisture out,” he said. “They have to put in microscopic pillars to hold these pieces of glass apart because there’s so much pressure on them. The fact that no air currents are moving between the panes of glass increases the R-value.”
DeLonay said R-value measures a window’s thermal resistance, with higher R-values indicating better insulation and energy efficiency.
“On that center piece of glass, the R-value is 20,” he said. “A normal window would be R-4 or R-5. If you can get something like that included in your products, or find partners like LuxWall, it only helps your company.”
DeLonay said this focus on pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency reflects Kolbe’s broader emphasis on innovation.
Eight years ago, he said Kolbe’s research and development was divided into two segments: R&D and innovation.
DeLonay said the company now has a dedicated building for a full-time innovation team tasked with “looking out the window and dreaming.”
“I don’t want those team members to look for ‘today,’” he said. “I want them to discuss with others and ask, ‘Three years from now, you’re going to need this. What is it? How can I start preparing that for you?’ It’s maybe a different way to think of innovation and R&D, but they can learn together pretty easily.”
Investing in the company
In addition to equipment upgrades, training and other various innovations that have brought Kolbe well into the 21st century, DeLonay said the company now has its own trucking fleet.
He said a big reason for that, he said, is because “windows and doors don’t like to be bounced around as they travel on highways.”
“You’ll notice one of our ‘80 Acts of Kindness’ posts on social media shows Kolbe drivers put on 2.6 million miles last year,” he said. “Quite a few years ago now, we invested in air-ride trailers, which give the truck a softer feel. Not only do our drivers deliver, but they can help unload the product with the customers.”
More investment
To keep expanding its product offerings and drive innovation, DeLonay said the company may need additional resources and even more space – “someday.”
A problem, he said, is attracting workers to the Wausau area.
To combat this, DeLonay said Kolbe is taking matters into its own hands.
“Like many other places, Wausau is having difficulty attracting people to come live and work here,” he said. “We need to lure everyday workers to the Wausau area. The problem is, affordable housing is an issue. New workers and residents probably aren’t going to buy a house right off the bat, so we’ve taken steps to try and address this.”
As Kolbe grew, DeLonay said the company bought property around its Wausau plant, because, as he noted, “neighbors don’t like to see truck headlights in their windows coming in at midnight.”
“On the backside of the plant, we’re putting up 102 units of apartments – all by ourselves with no financial aid from anywhere,” he said. “If you’re an average person – whether it’s retail or working at Kolbe – making $20 bucks an hour or more, you should be able to afford a place to live.”
DeLonay said Kolbe has never focused on making a profit from its land or apartments, instead prioritizing fair pricing to ensure accessibility.
“Workforce housing is a big initiative of ours,” he said.
DeLonay said Kolbe also partnered with the neighboring church to help address the issue of employee childcare needs.
“There is also a park a few blocks away, so it’s a nice neighborhood,” he said. “Two [of the apartments] are completed right now, a third one will be completed at the end of April, and we’ll have the fourth one completed shortly after that. They are moving along quickly.”
DeLonay said the apartments are “nice” and competitively priced, in contrast to some older rentals in Wausau that need updating.
“Our apartments have nice vinyl flooring, solid surface counters, stainless steel appliances, etc.,” he said. “It’s an attractive situation – that’s what we’re trying to shoot for. Talks go back a few years on doing something like this. We first wanted to address other needs like child care – what does a team member need to be attracted to our business?”
With child care addressed, DeLonay said Kolbe turned its attention to other employee benefits, including on-site health care.
“If during the day you’re feeling a cough coming on or feeling sick, you can go to that health clinic and get checked out,” he said. “It’s also available for other things, too. Yes, you’re doing these things for yourself, but it’s also helping the company.”
Sustainability efforts
DeLonay said Kolbe has long invested in sustainability, including installing more than 2,000 solar panels, an effort recently honored with the Wisconsin Sustainability Award.
“Sustainability is very important to us,” he said. “It started with us putting solar panels on our innovation center a couple of years ago, and then we did the ones on the shop. Because we’re in Wisconsin, there is going to be a lot of snow, so we made sure we installed the kind of solar panels that can also collect sunlight from underneath.”
With energy being “pricey,” DeLonay said controlling costs starts with investing in the right equipment.
“I recently gave a speech to all of our employees, and our system could serve 120 homes on a full sunny day – that’s a lot of energy,” he said.
Making it another 80 years
DeLonay said keeping innovation at the forefront is key for Kolbe to thrive for another 80 years.
“I don’t think the formula is that hard,” he said. “You make products for people, but you have to make what they want. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue based on our forward-thinking, innovative concepts. AI is a big topic right now, but we feel a bit differently about it.”
DeLonay said Kolbe will use AI, but not to replace the company’s custom work.
Instead, he said AI will enhance employee safety.
As a first step, DeLonay said Kolbe is installing a robotic arm this year.
“When you watch people on the production line trying to put in very large sheets of glass, you don’t need or want someone getting hurt,” he said. “Instead, why don’t you let the piece of equipment do that work?”
For more information on Kolbe and to view its product lineup, head to kolbewindows.com.
