Crystal Window Hosts Taiwan Construction Industry Group

(L. to r.): Crystal Windows President Thomas Chen, Tiao Chang, architect and leader of the group of 18 construction industry professionals visiting New York from Kao-Hsiung, Taiwan; Richard Anderson, New York Building Congress president. (L. to r.): Architect Tiao Chang, New York City Economic Development Corporation President Robert Lieber and Crystal Windows President Thomas Chen.

Award-winning manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems recently hosted a group of 18 construction industry professionals visiting New York from Kao-Hsiung, Taiwan. Kao-Hsiung, in Southern Taiwan, is the second largest city in the nation, a major world shipping port and home of the upcoming 2008 World Games. Crystal aided the group of architects, builders and developers in making New York area business contacts and seeking opportunities for international collaboration. Thomas Chen, founder and president of Crystal, hails originally from Southern Taiwan.

On the morning of their visit, as the personal guests of Thomas Chen, the Kao-Hsiung group attended a breakfast meeting of the New York Building Congress held at the New York Hilton in Manhattan. The guest speaker for the meeting was New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Robert Lieber, who gave an overview presentation on major initiatives planned and underway throughout the five boroughs that are dramatically reshaping the city for the future.

At the meeting, besides Lieber, the Taiwan visitors also met former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., City Councilmember David Weprin, New York Building Congress President Richard Anderson and many others in the design and construction fields.

Later in the day, the Kao-Hsiung visitors toured the Crystal factory and met New York City EDC Vice President for International Business Development Yuet-Fang Ho. Ho presented the Taiwanese guests with copies of the Bloomberg Administration's new future development vision for the city, PlaNYC 2030.

"Crystal Windows is an increasingly international company and I'm pleased we are able to act as a business ambassador for New York City and America with leading Far East cities and nations such as Kao-Hsiung and Taiwan," Chen said. "My company's bicultural nature makes it a natural for such a role. Hopefully hosting the Kao-Hsiung group and facilitating some key introductions in New York will lead to international design and construction collaboration between the two cities in the future."

Crystal Window & Door Systems is one of the top 60 manufacturers of replacement and new construction vinyl and aluminum window and door products and high-end fenestration systems in North America. Crystal offers a full product line, rapid order-to-delivery times, quality workmanship, innovative product features and outstanding value. Crystal operates sales/distribution offices and subsidiaries in Brooklyn; South Plainfield, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Westlake, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, call 718-961-7300 or visit www.crystalwindows.com.