Pella Has Had Sights on Mountain Views for Nearly a Century
A new standalone distributorship services Southern Idaho & Western Wyoming
by Kelly Dawson
“We provide custom solutions for these mountain homes, which are all at altitude and have beautiful views. From a construction standpoint, this means that they have a high focus on design, with a complex system of windows and doors.”
–Doug Phelps, Owner & CEO, Pella Windows and Doors
There’s nothing quite like the way light shifts above the mountains in the Northwest. At any time of year, shadows play on the peaks to form an ever-changing backdrop that can be described as stunning whether you’ve seen it once or a million times. For those who are lucky enough to call Idaho and Wyoming home, looking out onto nature is almost as important as immersing oneself in it.
Doug Phelps, the owner and CEO of Pella Windows and Doors in Idaho and Wyoming, knows exactly how it feels to look upon this rugged setting with admiration. For nearly a century, Pella has been manufacturing windows and doors. They began serving Idaho and Wyoming 40 years ago. Phelps is continuing that legacy with a new era of opportunity.
“The company will celebrate its centennial in 2025, and our dealership has been serving the community for the last 40 years,” he says. “But now, we’re a standalone distributorship of Pella for southern Idaho and western Wyoming, which means that we have a dedicated team of service support, project management, and delivery folks who can assist sales with a comprehensive experience.”
In the last year, Phelps has grown the team to nearly 50 people who oversee the full cycle of installation for clients, most of whom are usually outfitting newly constructed vacation homes. There are showrooms in Sun Valley and Jackson Hole for in-person appointments to accompany online guides.
“We provide custom solutions for these mountain homes, which are all at altitude and have beautiful views,” says Phelps. “From a construction standpoint, this means that they have a high focus on design, with a complex system of windows and doors.” Phelps’s team partners with luxury builders and their clients from the start of a construction project to the end, regularly communicating with them to outline the placements of panes and the best way to bring the outdoors in. Sometimes they assist with replacements on established homes, but most of their focus centers on addresses that are new to the neighborhood.
“The short lead times and our dedication to project management is because this area only has so many months to dedicate to construction. By the time the ski resorts open in November, all of the work needs to be completed so that owners can actually enjoy their homes. So, everything has to get done between May and October.”
–Doug Phelps, Owner & CEO, Pella Windows and Doors
One of the most popular trends of these homes, Phelps notes, are oversized doors. “Huge expanses of glass are must-haves, so that the owners can take advantage of the views,” he says. “We have multi-panel sliding and bifold doors, and we can produce custom options as big as 48 feet wide and 12 feet tall.”
“The type of glass used on these homes is very important, given the altitude.”
–Doug Phelps, Owner & CEO, Pella Windows and Doors
Other details that get added to orders are hidden screens and motorized operators, as well as smart technology like security sensors and motorized blinds. As far as style goes, Phelps says that the dark frames that took over the “mountain modern” look in the past decade are still reigning strong, but he’s noticing some differences, too. “We’re starting to see variation in terms of iron ore and dark bronze finishes, as well as unique shades,” he says. “We pre-finish nearly all of our windows in our Pella factories to produce the highest quality finishes, making sure to coordinate it with the rest of the house.”
Many of these custom-built properties can take around a year to complete, but Pella Windows and Doors can produce its products within about two months — depending on the extent the order is specialized. “The short lead times and our dedication to project management is because this area only has so many months to dedicate to construction,” Phelps says. “By the time the ski resorts open in November, all of the work needs to be completed so that owners can actually enjoy their homes. So, everything has to get done between May and October.”
If there’s one last tidbit Phelps would like to mention about Pella Windows and Doors, it’s that these offerings are not just about creating an ideal perch for gazing out at the views. The extensive catalog of products includes options specifically made for the mountains, with a durability that lasts for decades. “The type of glass used on these homes is very important, given the altitude,” he says. “We have windows for things like energy efficiency and sun defense, which can be installed in different areas around a home as needed.”
For Pella Windows and Doors, their products pull double duty: they provide peace of mind as well as beauty, just like the wide-open spaces that surround them.
