The Opening of The Yellow Umbrella

The year was 1985; Kim and Oanh Blake found themselves venturing into what was then a small store called All-Weather Window and Door to repair a torn patio screen. This Mission, KS, store with the iconic yellow umbrella was full of bicycles, treasure chests, and other miscellaneous goodies.

“Kim and I did not know if it was a window and door store when we walked in,” Oanh recalls.

Upon striking up a conversation with the owner Roger, Kim and Oanh discovered that he was looking to sell the business. Kim had some experience working in the industry part-time while he attended college. Come February of 1996, Kim and Oanh were officially the new owners of the yellow umbrella window and door company.

The couple quickly learned that the demands for windows, exterior doors, and repairs in the Kansas City area were exceeding any of their expectations. The phones were ringing, and Kim was also attending trade shows to get the new ownership known to the public and industry. As time went on, appointments became too much to handle alone so All-Weather Windows, Doors & Siding began hiring skilled and educated employees.

More big changes continued to come All-Weather Windows Doors, & Siding. The property where the store was rented from went up for sale. The Blakes purchased the strip of commercial real estate in order to expand the shop and showroom. The next big change was acquiring the Andersen brand.

Continuing the Quality Service of the Yellow Umbrella

As the company continued to grow, Kim and Oanh continued to hire talented individuals in the industry. One of these was Doug Bennett. He was originally hired as a sales manager to keep growing the business and to add another dimension that had not really been tapped… siding.