Wrightway opens new Fond du Lac showroom

Rich Palzewic

Staff

May 18, 2026

FOND DU LAC – In the last couple of years, Co-owner Joe Mand said Wrightway Home Improvements in Fond du Lac has been “busting at the seams.”

To satisfy its growing clientele and give customers more options, he said Wrightway – which focuses on exterior remodeling, from windows to siding to roofing to gutters to awnings – recently opened a new 6,000-square-foot showroom at 235 West Scott St.

Mand said the showroom brings together “virtually everything” Wrightway offers under one roof – including Infinity by Marvin Windows featured throughout the building, Wisconsin’s largest selection of Wisconsin-made Waudena entry doors and a full range of retractable awnings and screens.

“We’ve put everything we have into this showroom, and I couldn’t be prouder of what our team and our local building partners have helped create,” he said. “This is about giving our customers a place where they can see and feel the quality of our products firsthand. We’ve been part of this community for a long time, and this is just the beginning of the next chapter for Wrightway.”

Since its founding in 1977, Mand – who co-owns the company with Jon Pitzen – said Wrightway has built its reputation on trust, through honest communication, lasting products, top-notch service and a genuine commitment to the people and neighborhoods it serves throughout the Fond du Lac area.

“The expansion [at the current site] doubled our showroom size,” he said. “We also doubled our offices and added some rental spaces, too.”

Mand said the building serves as both a showroom and a practical example, featuring the same products Wrightway homeowners can purchase for their own properties.

Customers, he said, can see firsthand how steel roofing and siding look when installed on a residential-style structure.

“We have the same steel roof on the new showroom,” he said. “Inside, you can see displays of both siding and windows, too.”

Because “people want to see products live and in person,” Mand said the new showroom is doing better than he imagined.

“The foot traffic coming into our new showroom has been remarkable,” he said. “Not only do people want to see things, but they want to touch and feel them, too. We always have someone here in the showroom for customers.”

With ample showroom space available, Mand said the expansion also made room for a dedicated entry door display area.

Given the variety of styles and options, he said upgrading an entry door is a relatively affordable way “to spruce things up.”

Since 2023 – when Wrightway was featured in The Business News’ Sept. 5 issue after being named one of Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 Remodelers in the country – Mand said the company has continued to see significant growth, including:

• Opening an Oshkosh showroom in 2024
• Launching a Sheboygan Falls showroom this summer
• Acquiring Scott’s Home Improvement/ABC Seamless Manitowoc-Sheboygan in Manitowoc in 2026

“The most recent acquisition is what prompted us to open the Sheboygan Falls showroom [planned for] this summer,” he said. “That region opens up a whole new market for us.”

Putting an old Kwik Trip to good use

Mand, who had worked in sales previously and joined the company as a partner in 2007, said much of Wrightway’s growth can be credited to the expansion of its Fond du Lac retail location.

He said the former Kwik Trip building at 235 West Scott St. sits in a high-traffic area, but had remained vacant for “quite a while” before Wrightway purchased the property in 2019.

That extended period of vacancy, Mand said, also drew attention from passersby, helping generate early curiosity.

“When we first bought that building in 2019, we remodeled it and moved our office and showroom there,” he said. “When we first remodeled it, everyone wanted to know what was going on in there. Now that we’ve added on, it’s the same thing – curiosity kills the cat, right?”

Though the Scott Street location has helped boost Wrightway’s visibility, Mand said the company’s growth has extended well beyond that.

He said the business has also increased its advertising budget, along with expanding its sales and installation crews.

“Hopefully, that will help us meet the expansion needs of the community,” he said. “The question is, which foot goes first? Do you spend more money on advertising first or build the facility first?”

Into the future

Mand said he credits Wrightway’s continued success to its core values and focus on building lasting relationships, principles he believes will guide the company’s future growth.

When customers reach out to Wrightway, he said they can expect top-notch service from the start.

“You get to chat with a real, live person,” he laughed.

Though hiring challenges remain across multiple industries, Mand said he thinks the trend is starting to improve.

“From the installation standpoint, we have a very good training process for our installers – it’s all about the install,” he said. “What we put down has to look really good, so we don’t rush anything. We have been very fortunate to have a very good training process for our new installers, and we’re looking to add to our install crew.”

With municipalities across Northeast Wisconsin continuing to expand their housing inventory, Mand said the trend provides a strong level of job security for Wrightway.

On the other side of the market, he said many existing homes are aging and are in need of updates and care, which is where Wrightway can help.

“Fixing up what’s already out there is a big thing for us,” he said. “Approximately 95% of our business is fixing existing properties, meaning only about 5% is new construction. There are a lot of people who either don’t have time to do their own home repairs, replacements of roofing, siding, windows, gutters, etc., or they don’t have the knowledge.”

For more information on Wrightway Home Improvements, visit wrightwaybuilt.com.

The Business News will revisit the Fond du Lac-based company later this summer when the new Sheboygan Falls location officially opens.