ROCKLAND — They simply call themselves Window Dressers, but the simple title goes so much more beyond that. They’re a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce reliance on fuel consumption by manufacturing and distributing insulated window inserts. Yes, it’s that simple.

Housed in a corner of the Lincoln Street Center’s basement, Window Dressers sells to business and residential costumers while supplying the same product free of charge to individuals who qualify for their assistance program.

Dick Cadwgan, president of Window Drerssers, explained that the company was founded in 2012 with the mission to reduce fossil fuel consumption, reduce the cost of residential heating and cooling, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the environment and to provide help to low income Mainers in heating their homes.

The company does this by constructing custom fit window inserts.

“As a paying customer you get your choice of white or pine,” said Cadwgan. “The process starts in the cutting room. We use a computer assisted pusher that automatically cuts the lumber to the correct length. We go out and measure the windows and it all gets put on a drive, sometimes as many as 200 individual windows. That drive gets loaded into the computer and it does the rest. After a piece is cut, a printer puts out a label that is attached to the cut wood and it’s placed in a rack.”

Cadwgan said the company does not carry kits or pieces to use in making the window inserts. Every window is custom made for a custom fit.

Moving along to another room, the cut wood gets fitted together on its way to becoming a finished window insert.

“Next, we drill some corner holes so the corners can get glued and a corner screw added to hold them together,” said Cadwgan. “A strut gets installed to keep the sides from bowing in because once the plastic gets applied it does not stop pulling. We use jigs to give us consistent and correct placement of the holes.”

Cadwgan said the windows can go two ways from this point. Some go to the finishing table, where plastic is applied, but two-thirds of their work is to train volunteers from around the state, from Searsport to Brunswick.

“Cut, assembly and finish,” said Cadwgan. “The end set is putting the plastic film on the windows and it gets passed through an infrared oven with two heaters to shrink the plastic so there are no wrinkles in it.  The plastic gets heated to around 140-degrees Fahrenheit.”

“We designed and built this machine, so there are no more hair dryers. We’ve put 200 of these windows in this building alone and it will save something on the order of $15,000 in heating costs this year,” he said.

Cadwgan said people call in and ask for window inserts. The company does no soliciting for work. Other than a website, there is no advertising and Cadwgan said they rely heavily on word of mouth to get customers.

“People give us a ring and say I’d like you to come and measure our windows,” said Cadwgan. “We schedule the measuring process to start in June, when the weather is nice. After we’re done measuring they get an invoice right there at the kitchen table. Everything is computerized. It gets estimated by area. If you pay then, you get to the top of the cutting cue, but if you don’t want to pay then you don’t have to, but you get moved down the list.”

Cadwgan said the company donates between 22- and 25-percent of its production to low income people.

“There is a slight mark-up for every three windows a customer buys to cover the cost of the materials for the ones that are donated out,” said Cadwgan. “This year we’ll do about 3,000 windows, of which 750 will be donated. This year we’re increasing the size of our community outreach. People in other towns do the measuring and come here to learn how to assemble and install the windows. This year that will be around 300.”

Cadwgan said they encourage people to come and pick up their windows. They are given an information packet and a couple of tools to help installation and removal.

“We have a neat guarantee that says if the cat or the grandkids puncture the plastic, they can bring it back in and we’ll fix the tear in the plastic for $10,” said Cadwgan. “There’s no need to have a professional installer to do this, it’s very easy to do. Just push in the top and then shimmy it in at the bottom. Sometimes it’s easier if you have a putty knife to help. It’s very simple to do this. What we are not recommending anymore is that you leave them in all year, especially on the sunny side of the house because UV can do a lot of damage.”

Cadwgan said there are some personal loans on the company, there are some donors that help and at the end of the year they make a little bit of money, but he said that the company does not lose money and there is a major reinvestment in equipment and software.

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• Window Dressers

Contact Chris Wolf at news@penbaypilot.com