JELD-WEN of Latvia provides a good example of Global Envision's values. A small country on the Baltic Sea, Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and declared its independence when the Berlin Wall fell. Today, Latvia strives to implement social, economic, and judicial changes for a better future. JELD-WEN, a manufacturer of windows and doors, believes that Latvia is well poised to continue to grow, and hence made the decision to invest in the community by building a manufacturing facility.

Located in a small town called Aizkraukle, JELD-WEN's door manufacturing facility helps to stabilize a rocky economy and allows qualified workers the opportunity to support their local community by remaining in their hometowns to work rather than relocating to big cities. By employing more than eighty people in three shifts, JELD-WEN provides a secure enterprise that promotes economic development. Over the last eight years, the facility has increased operations from, pre-finished door kits, to a complete door manufacturing plant.

JELD-WEN's commitment to the community goes beyond supplying jobs. The company has donated to important causes, such as the Aizkraukle District Hospital, and has initiated programs in foreign language study and Junior Achievement. The company has also sponsored exchange programs, where students from the Aizkraukle school system, accompanied by JELD-WEN of Latvia employees, spent a week in the United States.

Business has expanded greatly, and JELD-WEN of Latvia now exports goods into Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Armenia, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Turkey. It is a leader in quality control, and is a valuable member of the European JELD-WEN family. Utilizing Global Envision's ideal of a sustainable free market economy, JELD-WEN of Latvia has succeeded in enriching a burgeoning economy and touching the lives of many in the process.




To read another Global Envision article about a business and development see One Cup at a Time.