Alumnus Chris Cardillo '98 seizing window of opportunity

Armed with a strong work ethic and a Rowan degree, Chris Cardillo, CEO of Castle Windows, finds his business thriving in spite of tough economic times.

Cardillo and his brother Nick Cardillo bought the company from their father in 2005 and continue to have big plans for its expansion. In the past six years they have grown the business by expanding operations to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maryland, South Carolina and Harrisburg, Pa. The pair is confident of the company's forward momentum and plan to expand and increase staff by about 20 percent in 2012.

Castle Windows is the nation's sixth-largest replacement window enterprise, according to trade publication Replacement Contractor magazine, which nominated the company for its "2010 Replacement Contractor of the Year." Qualified Remodeler magazine also rated the company one of the Top 10 Home Improvement companies in the nation.

The company has garnered additional accolades, including selection as one of the top Smart Executive Management Teams in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area by Smart CEO Magazine in April 2011. The award recognized Castle Windows for its efforts in developing strong leadership skills in all levels of the company and fostering a high level of trust between the executive team and staff.

Cardillo believes that every leader should possess honesty and the ability to keep one's word, and those who do "will attract people who are loyal and hard-working." He attributes much of the company's success to its dedicated workforce.

"As a leader I encourage creative thinking among my employees by allowing them to be involved in decisions," he says.

Cardillo says his experiences at Rowan "shaped my work ethic and attention to detail."

With his own hard work paying off, his advice to recent graduates starting out in the business world is to "take the bull by the horns." While he admits that this behavior may be seen as taking a risk, it also "shows that you can be self motivated."

Castle Windows, which was established over 30 years ago, currently operates out of 13 states and has 175 employees and about $55 million in annual revenue. The company has been recognized for its "green" business practices as well as its philanthropic efforts.

Cardillo earned a B.S. in Business Administration/Marketing from Rowan in 1998.