Marvin Windows Plans Investment, Opens Doors To Statewide Tours
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Marvin Windows Plans Investment, Opens Doors To Statewide ToursWARROAD, MN– Marvin Windows and Doors, the 4,000-employee family-owned wood products giant in Warroad, MN, is among dozens of Minnesota factories opening its doors for public tours this week to promote manufacturing businesses.

Despite the upbeat event, Marvin CEO Jake Marvin expects the window sales to be up only slightly at best in 2012, while payroll has fallen 8% through attrition this year - a product of the still recovering housing market.

While Marvin plans to make a large capital investment, the uncertainty about whether the Federal government will avoid the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts - the "fiscal cliff" that could also be accompanied by across the board spending cuts - gives him concerns.

"We need to address our deficit," Marvin told the Wall St. Journal. "The way that it's being done—through a fiscal cliff—is not, in my estimation, very thoughtful." Hopeful Congress will act, Marvin plans a big increase in capital spending next year to buy new machinery. e

The Marvin Windows and Doors tour event, running all this week, is part of a statewide program to promote manufacturing to the public - an effort also aimed at garnering general backing for for government programs that encourage factory expansion in the state.

During the “Dream !t Do !t” Statewide Tour of Manufacturing, Minnesotans across the state are learning what their local businesses do with high level technology in manufacturing, and are exposed to career opportunities in manufacturing. Also on the tour is Hennepin Technical College, which has an extensive wood manufacturing training program, including education in software applications and CNC machinery operation.

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