Manufacturer sees window of opportunity in Detroit.

• Author: Wareing, Andrew
• Position: Special Report: Exporting - Parent Door Systems plans to market its doors and windows in Michigan - Brief Article

Parent Door Systems is a company that started from a minute idea and is hoping for a move into a bigger market.

Owner Paul Parent started the window and door manufacturing business 26 years ago after losing a job at another company.

"I always had this little idea in my mind about manufacturing doors myself. I said to my wife that was the best time to do it."

The company started in a modest, rented facility in North Bay.

He says growing the business, which manufactures wood and PVC windows and doors for several retail customers in North Bay, "took a while," but already having a good reputation helped.

The business soon graduated to construction of its own 10,000-square-foot facility. Since then, the company has grown to employ 28 people in its own 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on Seymour Crescent in North Bay. But the business is still a family business.

Parent will be participating in the Team Northern Ontario trade mission to Michigan from June 7...