Following months of customer complaints, Menomonee Falls-based
Window Select has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The petition was filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Window Select, headquartered at N56 W13595 Silver Spring Drive, is a home improvement company that provides customers with windows, siding, and doors. The company has more than 850 customers in Wisconsin.
Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a company to continue operating, as opposed to Chapter 7, which is an immediate liquidation. It is often referred to as a “reorganization” bankruptcy.
The Better Business Bureau has been in contact with Window Select several times regarding customer complaints – the company has received 361 complaints in the past year.
Andrew Parsons is the company’s current chief executive officer. He was appointed in December 2022, replacing founding CEO
Justin Kiswardy. In January of 2022, Window Select hired Greensboro, North Carolina-based
Cogent Analytics Inc. for management consulting. In September, Cogent decided bankruptcy was the only solution to Window Select’s problems. Kiswardy resigned and Parsons was named the company’s new CEO.
“Our vision is to do right by the customers of Wisconsin, and we’ve been working behind the scenes to line up investment capital to make it possible,” said Parsons in a statement. “Other private equity funds wouldn’t have accepted the business in its current state, taking on the debt and fulfilling customer orders, even at a financial loss – it is a significant burden, but it’s the right thing to do. We understand customers experienced a lack of transparency and communication in the past, but we’re working hard to change that by finding solutions for those remaining customers.”
Window Select lists its assets in the $100,001 to $500,000 range. Its estimated liabilities are in the $1,000,001 to $10 million range. The company has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors. Among its largest unsecured creditors are Franklin Park, Illinois-based Climate Solutions Windows & Doors and Cincinnati-based Scripps Media. Window Select owes the organizations $1.08 million and $147,979 respectively.
Since being founded in 2019, Window Select has not filed tax returns, according to court documents.
Since Parsons took over as the company’s new CEO, Window Select has fulfilled 25 customer contracts, completing up to four installations each week. Installations will accelerate once the bankruptcy filing is complete. The ability to expedite installations hinges on a successful bankruptcy filing that will release investor funds to secure products and fulfill window and door orders. The legal reorganization process is expected to take eight to 12 weeks.
In a voicemail greeting to customers, Window Select issued another statement regarding the bankruptcy filing.
“Window Select is fielding a large number of inbound calls. We are doing our best to respond to these calls as quickly as possible, so we thank you for your patience. As you know, Window Select is planning to enter into Chapter 11 bankruptcy to provide protection from creditors while the business is reorganized. This is actually good news for most customers with outstanding contracts as it this would allow for additional investment into the company to help complete outstanding contracts,” according to the message.
The BBB first reached out to Window Select in February of 2021 after several customers said they paid for the installation of windows and/or doors but the work was not completed or finished improperly.
In a response to the February letter, Window Select stated: “Window Select is focused on providing the highest level of customer service. In the previous 12 months, the company enjoyed incredible growth of more than 2,200 new customers despite significant supply-chain challenges caused by the global pandemic. Window Select is doing everything in its power to keep its customers informed about the progress and to deliver the highest-quality American-made windows, siding and doors as quickly as possible.”
The BBB reached out once more in July of 2021 after the issue of work not being completed continued. Customers also alleged that they had been asked to sign documents confirming work had been completed when it hadn’t.
