Architectural Doors & Windows began in 1946 as Portland Glass with a single shop in Portland, Maine, specializing in automotive glass repair. The Company was founded by Samuel Cohen, who had learned the glass trade in Boston and Lewiston, and who moved to Portland in 1946 to set up his own business.
In 1963, Sam Cohen died of cancer. His son, Gene, who had just completed his sophomore year at the University of New Hampshire, left school and returned to Portland to take charge of the business. At that time, the Company had a single location and only two employees.
Gene Cohen knew that in order to grow he had to be a step ahead of his competitors in the auto glass field and at the same time he had to expand to other facets of the glass industry. “If we didn’t know how to do it, we learned,” Cohen recalled. “And contractors kept coming back for more.”
By 1966, Portland Glass was offering replacement service for storefront glass. As the Company grew and prospered we took great care to hire the best people.
Portland Glass retail stores were sold to Harmon Glass on January 3rd, 1997 at which time AD&W Architectural Doors & Windows was created. Since that time, Jonathan Cohen, has been leading the steady growth of AD&W to one of the largest fabricators and installers of curtain wall, storefront, custom entrances and Alucobond as well as other Division 8 related products North of Boston.
AD&W Architectural Doors & Windows has a rich history as a leader and innovator and is continuing to build on that reputation, providing new ideas and unequaled services. In 2004, Architecutral Doors & Windows expanded into the realm of Alucobond panel for building skins. The first major project was Central Maine Medical Center’s Heart Vascular Center in Lewiston, Maine.
In 2009, Architectural Doors & Windows expanded its production facility to 30,000 square feet to meet the demand of its independent glass store customers.
In 2010, Architectural Doors & Windows installed and began using Revit and BIM for software modeling of projects and production of shop drawings.
In May of 2011, AD&W Architectural Doors & Windows was selected to fabricate and install the Curtain Wall and Alucobond for the Maine General Medical Center’s New Regional Hospital, the largest construction project ever performed in the state of Maine at 312 million dollars, the glass and metal exterior skin was a 6.7 million dollar contract. At the same time, AD&W expanded its fabrication operations to encompass more than 45,000 square feet.
In February of 2013, AD&W expanded its drafting and estimating operations to better service its independent glass contractors and the general contractors it services.
In June of 2013, AD&W and Leavitt and Parris, partnered to provide the custom glass tent walls for Battery Park and Ellis Island in New York and Liberty State Park, NJ. This was a last minute custom rush job resulting from Super Storm Sandy and had to be ready for the 4th of July.