Don McMillen holds up a vista window section and inspects the "caming" detail on the new section. McMillen has been supervisor of Martin Door Manufacturing's window area for seven years and has successfully guided the skyrocket growth of his department.

McMillen worked through the ranks of several functions in the plant from assembly, hardware and wrap to windows. He has been with Martin Door for 14 years, the last seven of which he has been supervisor over the window area. Martin Door now offers a customer up to 108 residential window options.

Seven years ago, as a new supervisor in windows, McMillen said about 10 percent of the doors the company shipped had windows. Now he estimates that almost half of the doors the company builds have windows. If current trends hold, that should only increase.
Martin Door recently added five "caming" options to its vista window line and now offers obscure and smoked acrylic options to its designer window line.

"It's a challenge keeping up with growth," McMillen said.

Larry Martin, vice president of MDM, said McMillen brings a lot to the table in his new role. "You will find upon asking him that he has a tight handle on productivity and throughput, perhaps better than anybody in the plant. He has a good mind, good brain, and has become a great team player," Larry said of McMillen.

McMillen came to Martin Door with a very varied background. It represents a lifetime pursuit of knowledge in different areas.

At the age of 17, he went to school to be an airline ticket agent. After working in that industry for a few years he went to Brigham Young University's Extension School to study nutrition. That helped him land a job at a nursing home as a food service director for several years. From that job he then migrated to supervise a service station, where he found himself taking business management classes.

McMillen said one unique feature of the people in the window manufacturing and assembly area is that all get along. He describes Martin Door as a place where you can take pride in your job. That pride has become a family trait, since two of Don's three children currently work for the company.