Dean Seger

The Move. It was Western Window Systems’ signature milestone of 2016, consuming countless hours of dreaming, planning and, finally, execution. The relocation of the shop, just a few miles north on 24th Street, required the efforts of everyone involved, not the least of which those of the man in charge of it, Dean Seger.

“If you think about how crazy this is: We are in a new building with an entirely new manufacturing line design with pretty much all-new equipment,” say president and CEO Scott Gates. “And there’s the daunting task of 30 to 40 percent growth coupled with 12 new products. So you think about all the work that has to be done.

Leave it to Western Window Systems’ vice president of manufacturing to deal with the headaches and long hours to get the job done — and done well.

“Dean is the epitome of no matter how much you dump on in him, he takes it, he owns it, he figures it out, he fights through,” Gates says. “He doesn’t sleep and he refuses to lose, all while caring deeply about his team and our customers, and making sure that we win and that we win big.”

Dean, who started with the company in 2014, was in on every major decision regarding the company’s big move. According to Gates, he’s grateful Dean was there help in making those decisions.

Now that the shop is set up and running full steam ahead, surely there will be a few unforeseen hiccups ahead. But Gates suspects Dean will take on all challenges and undoubtedly overcome them.

“I don’t know if there’s a harder worker who cares more about our company than Dean,” he says.

Congratulations to Dean Seger, Western Window Systems’ 2016 Manager of the Year.