Successful companies achieve greatness by focusing on components such as customers, resources, and processes. On The Sanders Company, founded in Baltimore in 1954, Western Window Systems business development manager Ty Cranford adds another area: architecture.

“They’ve built amazing relationships with architects throughout the community,” says Cranford, “so much so that many architects seek them out as consultants. Sometimes, it feels like they’re a member of a firm.”

Cranford points out that the company’s familiarity with architects extends to students in the field as well. For the 2013 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a program that “challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses,” The Sanders Company, in partnership with Western Window Systems, helped students with product knowledge and installation of the home’s doors and windows.

“One thing that sets Sanders apart is a strong, dedicated team tuned in to the emerging modern and contemporary movement,” Cranford says. “They consistently step outside their comfort zone to accommodate the architectural community.”

John Sanders, territory representative for The Sanders Company, says going the extra mile for the customer is something both his company and Western Window Systems have in common.

“Western understands architects and they know the building industry, too,” says Sanders. “They’ve helped us be successful by executing complex projects with detailed shop drawings and custom details. They go out of their way to make a project work for the customer.”