MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
PLEASANTVIEW, Kan. — A family-owned business that has become a fixture west of Hutchinson is marking a major milestone this week as Pleasantview Home Improvement celebrates 70 years of serving homeowners across south-central Kansas.
Known today as Pleasantview Home Improvement, the company traces its roots back to 1956, when Albert Miller purchased a small storm window business from Irvin Stutzman. The business originally operated under the corporate name Reno Fabricating and Sales and was best known for manufacturing Humphrey storm windows, storm doors and awnings.
According to longtime company leader Vern Wickey, the business first operated out of a former chicken house near Mohawk Road before moving in 1968 to its current location in Pleasantview, five miles west of Hutchinson along U.S. Highway 50.
Raymond Yutzy later joined the company as a salesman, and by the early 1980s it had become a family-owned operation after Albert Miller sold his interest. Wickey, who joined the company in 1975, said adapting to changing customer needs has been key to the company's longevity.
As demand for traditional storm windows declined during the 1980s, the company expanded into replacement windows, entry doors, vinyl siding, sunrooms, porch railings, decking and carports. In 1994, the business also began fabricating custom-finished entry doors for contractors and dealers throughout the region.
Pleasantview Home Improvement now serves customers throughout much of south-central Kansas, covering an area stretching west to Pratt and Greensburg, north to Salina, and throughout the Wichita metropolitan area and communities south into Kingman County.
Among the company's most memorable projects was restoring the custom storm windows at Wichita's historic Crumb Castle. Wickey said the project required creating specially shaped round-top and Gothic-style storm windows designed to preserve the building's historic architecture.
The company also distinguishes itself by manufacturing custom siding trim on-site. Rather than installing pre-cut pieces, crews fabricate siding components at each job, allowing every piece to be custom fit for the home without splices or overlapping sections.
Employee Shirley Nisly, who has worked at Pleasantview Home Improvement for 25 years, credits the company's success to its commitment to quality products, experienced installers and customer service.
"We don't subcontract that labor," Nisly said. "Our installers have been taught well, and there's just a lot of experience and knowledge. I really think that's what sets Pleasantview Home Improvement apart."
The company will celebrate its 70th anniversary Friday with an open house at its showroom. While regular business hours will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., food will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring pulled pork, homemade side dishes and cookies prepared by local volunteers.
The celebration will also include giveaways, cornhole games and commemorative gifts for the first 250 visitors or families attending the event. Everyone who attends will receive a gift while supplies last.
Pleasantview Home Improvement is located five miles west of Hutchinson along U.S. Highway 50 in the Pleasantview business district.