Ed Weinfurtner has a status for turning advanced, fragmented companies into dominant nationwide platforms.
He’s presently the manager chairman and lead investor of Nice Day Enhancements, a house enchancment firm based mostly in Macedonia, Ohio. Weinfurtner led the transformation of a regional sunroom installer right into a $1.6 billion direct-to-consumer firm with extra 300 places and main manufacturers like Champion Home windows, Common Home windows Direct and LeafGuard.
This savvy enterprise sense began younger. When Weinfurtner was simply 26, he and his brothers acquired Gateway Megatech, a small digital interconnect distribution enterprise. With Weinfurtner as CEO, they grew a median 20 % per 12 months for 13 years and remodeled it right into a multi-regional distributor, reaching $52 million in income with 250 workers.
In addition they based Maverick Electronics in 1994, which grew right into a mid-market worldwide digital cable meeting enterprise. Weinfurtner led the sale of each these companies to Heilind Electronics in 1998.
This early success put Weinfurtner on a path as a enterprise operator and investor centered on decrease mid-market companies that he felt may gain advantage from his operational experience and monetary assist. He acquired Nice Day Enhancements in 2014.
Weinfurtner spoke with Chief Government to share how he was in a position to scale Nice Day Enhancements, and classes discovered from his years of entrepreneurship.
How has Nice Day grown beneath your management?
Once I led the acquisition in 2014—then primarily recognized for Patio Enclosures and Stanek Home windows—it was a stable regional participant with untapped potential. Over the following 5 years, we doubled the corporate organically to $70 million in income, due to operational enhancements, a powerful inside tradition and a refined direct-to-consumer method.
Beginning in 2019, I engineered a daring nationwide roll-up technique. Since then, we’ve accomplished eight main acquisitions, together with Champion Home windows, Common Home windows Direct, The Bathtub Authority and LeafGuard. Our footprint has grown to greater than 300 places throughout the U.S., and we’ve added greater than 4,500 workers—all whereas constructing a strong nationwide working platform.
We’ve additionally been strategic with our branding. Nice Day stays the dad or mum model, however we leverage the native recognition of acquired regional manufacturers to take care of belief in native markets. That provides us a key aggressive edge.
At the moment, we generate $1.6 billion in annual income. We’re among the many prime two largest skilled remodelers within the nation and the fastest-growing large-scale personal remodeler in America over the previous 5 years in keeping with Certified Remodeler, and have been acknowledged by Crain’s Cleveland Enterprise as one of many 20 largest personal firms in Northeast Ohio.
You might have a protracted historical past of entrepreneurship. What key classes have you ever discovered?
A number of core rules have caught with me over time. First, guess on folks, not simply concepts. I’ve at all times centered on aligning with motivated, high-performing groups, and I imagine in rewarding them with actual fairness—not simply incentives. Possession creates dedication.
Second, progress needs to be earned by way of sound execution after which amplified by way of technique. I’ve constructed a confirmed playbook that makes use of disciplined M&A to multiply worth, however solely after we’ve constructed a powerful natural basis.
Third, I method each enterprise with a builder’s mindset. From my early days at Gateway Megatech to my current days at Nice Day, I dive deep into operations and am not afraid to roll up my sleeves.
Fourth, tradition drives outcomes—particularly in blue-collar industries. At Nice Day, we’ve constructed a tradition round belief, craftsmanship and delivering on guarantees.
Strategic persistence has additionally been vital. I’ve led greater than 25 transactions, however I at all times prioritize timing and match over quantity. I imagine in constructing companies that final.
It’s additionally crucial to know your buyer. Within the house enchancment area, meaning understanding that householders worth simplicity, belief and outcomes. Our manufacturers are constructed round that readability.
And at last, I imagine in staying curious and humble. I’m at all times studying—whether or not it’s experimenting with AI instruments, testing new progress channels or difficult outdated assumptions. That mindset has been a aggressive edge.
