Rick Locke - Owner / Entrepreneur

Windows, Doors and More and affiliated window businesses in the Northwest
Rick will discuss his business journey after leaving Microsoft in 2009 to buy a small business, and share a few lessons learned in the corporate world that have informed and helped achieve my success as a business owner. He will compare and contrast his corporate experience with entrepreneurship and share some of his experiences with small business acquisition, ownership and management. Rick will also provide a bit of insight into the current economic conditions impacting commercial and residential construction in our market.

About the Speaker

Born nine months after the launch of Sputnik, Rick grew up in Eastern Washington in a time of rapid social, economic and technological change. He graduated from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) in 1981 and has been selling Windows ever since.

He and his wife Tammy raised two sons, first in Woodinville and then on Clyde Hill, where they lived for 20 years. They have since downsized to a "cottage in the woods" on the 9th tee of Overlake golf course in Medina, where they have been for the past 8 years. They also have homes in La Quinta, California, and Bozeman Montana. Those of you with sons that have played basketball in the Eastside Traveling League over the years (there are thousands), may recognize Rick as the organizer and coordinator of that program for fourteen years.

Rick has sold windows in many forms. First residential windows for your homes at a local company called Milgard, then commercial glass and windows for major commercial buildings up and down the west coast. The MGM Grand in Las Vegas was his biggest project. That was 650,000 square feet of glass! He had a manufacturer's rep business that he ultimately sold, that still has the website "Glassguys.com".

Then, with a dramatic career change, he followed in his wife's footsteps and went to Microsoft. There he sold Microsoft Windows, ultimately managing the Worldwide Dell Account team, responsible for the overall corporate relationship and billions of dollars of annual revenue.

Upon turning 50 (old by Microsoft standards) Rick decided to leave and pursue business ownership. That is where John Martinka ran into Rick. He was part of his year long quest to find a small business that could satisfy his entrepreneurial itch and keep him busy for the next few years. That was in 2013.

Since then, Rick has leveraged that first acquisition in Seattle, to nine locations in five states and over $50m in annual revenues. Today Rick owns Windows, Doors & More in Seattle, Montana Sash & Door in Bozeman, Kalispell, Jackson Wyoming and Couer d'Alene Idaho, and Island Sash & Door in Anacortes, Freeland, Eugene and Bend, Oregon.

His companies specialize in high end residential fenestration products. Some of you likely have products from his company in your homes. A significant percentage of their products are imported, so he may have lots to say about Tariffs (though we don't have time for that rat hole).

Rick has also served on the Board of Directors for the National Glass Association, the country's largest and most comprehensive trade organization for the glass, glazing and fenestration industry, for the last eight years. He is currently the Chairman of the Board. In that role he has travelled around the country presenting to State Chapters of the NGA on the "State of the Industry" as well as tightening the relationship between he national and local chapters. I expect we will hear some of that presentation as well