A trade association for glass makers has fostered the birth of a new trade association intended primarily for replacement contractors but also open to LBM dealers that sell windows and doors.

The Window & Door Dealers Alliance (WDDA) will provide education and training, help dealers learn best practices, provide a forum for dealers to meet peers, and represent window and door dealers' interests in Congress, said David Walker, the National Glass Association (NGA) vice president for association services and one of the group's officials who helped organize WDDA.

The group's advisory committee consists largely of people from specialty window stores and replacement contractors, but it does include an official from Ganahl Lumber, the California-based dealer that ranked 19th on last year's ProSales 100.

WDDA was launched in January and is managed by NGA staff. Charter membership costs $500. It plans to hold a forum on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas as part of the glass association's trade show. The group also has been active, along with other LBM and housing groups, in an effort to delay the April 22 enactment date of new EPA rules on renovations in homes with lead paint.