When Innotech Windows + Doors began building European-style tilt-and-turn windows in British Columbia back in 2001, few North American builders knew what to make of them. Unlike their competition, Innotech was focused on airtightness, water resistance, thermal performance, and proven durability from the day they opened their doors. Twenty-five years later, Innotech employs more than 125 people and runs a spacious headquarters, factory, and showroom in Langley. Moreover, topics like airtightness and thermal performance have gone from being minor details to leading concerns of builders and owners alike.
After 25 Years, Innotech Windows + Doors Still Knows: Performance Starts with People
Early to Market
The company’s early pitch was simple, but also a hard sell. Tilt-and-turn windows and multi-seal door systems were standard in Europe but rare in North American homes. Innotech’s founders argued that buildings on this side of the Atlantic would eventually have to perform better, and that the openings were a good place to start.
Codes and voluntary programs have since moved in that direction. Tighter energy codes in Canada and the United States, along with programs such as Passive House, have made the kind of fenestration Innotech builds a more common specification.
“When we started, we were asking the market to think differently about windows and doors and the role they play in building performance,” says Troy Imbery, Founding Partner and President of Innotech Windows + Doors. “Today, these are conversations we have on almost every project. Performance is no longer an afterthought; it is an expected part of good building design. To have contributed to that shift, while continuing to learn and evolve ourselves, is something we are incredibly proud of.”
Growth and Scope
Innotech started with a handful of employees. It now has showrooms in Vancouver, Kelowna, and Calgary in addition to the Langley facility, plus more than a dozen dealer partners across Canada and the United States. The expansion of Innotech’s footprint has also allowed the company to expand its capabilities and customer service operations. It now offers added installation, service, and renovation support, meaning Innotech can provide exceptional service well after the windows have left the factory.
Innotech credits its decades-long supplier relationships for much of that growth, covering product systems, components, glass and hardware. These relationships are built on mutual trust, collaboration, and a commitment to better-performing buildings.
Testing and Verification
Quality control has been a thread through the company’s history dating back to the beginning. One of the first milestones was when Innotech installed an in-house water testing chamber and began testing up to 10 percent of what it manufactured. It has since replaced that chamber with an even larger testing wall that can handle testing of both multiple products and larger fenestration assemblies. Moreover, the larger chamber allows Innotech to perform both in-house work and independent verification.
Innotech has also committed to greater product transparency by publishing Environmental Product Declarations and Health Product Declarations for its core window and door systems, a step that gives specifiers third-party data on embodied impacts and material content.
The Passive House Connection
For the Accelerator’s audience, the biggest milestone for Innotech is probably the Passive House certification of the Defender 88PH+ XI. It was the first North American–manufactured window to earn Passive House Institute (PHI) cold-climate certification. Innotech’s Defender series has also been used in several Passive House projects in British Columbia and beyond. Some of the highlights that have been covered by the Accelerator include 981 Davie, Vienna House, and Parkview at Terwilliger Plaza. The Peak (photo below) is another Innotech project that has received Passive House certification.
The Next 25 Years and Beyond
Looking ahead, Innotech says it will keep investing in its workforce, strengthening industry partnerships, and pushing high-performance fenestration further. In 2027, Innotech is introducing a new, locally manufactured aluminum platform in partnership with Reynaers Aluminium, which will allow for larger openings, slimmer sightlines, and more refined architectural applications without compromising performance.
“By combining global technology with local manufacturing, technical expertise and trusted project support, we can offer more solutions for increasingly ambitious designs while maintaining the quality and performance our clients expect,” Imbery says.
However, Imbery recognizes what ultimately fuels the company’s efforts, and it centers on a simple principle: Performance Starts with People.
“Machinery doesn’t build a company. Systems don’t build a company. People do,” he says. “Our employees, clients, suppliers and industry partners have challenged us to learn, improve and continually raise the bar. That commitment has shaped Innotech from the beginning.”
Innotech Windows + Doors is a Canadian manufacturer of high-performance windows and exterior doors, engineered, tested and made in Langley, British Columbia. Learn more by checking out their page on Passive House Accelerator or their full site.