How Awake Window & Door Has Championed Second-Chance Hiring

Summary

Awake Window & Door, based in Gilbert, Arizona, has built a fast-growing luxury fenestration business while intentionally hiring people with justice-involved backgrounds. Founded in 2020 and manufacturing since late 2021, the company grew from under $200,000 in sales in 2021 to projected sales of about $31 million in 2025 and now employs just over 100 people. More than 56% of the workforce is formerly incarcerated. President Scott Gates says the approach taps an underutilised pool of talent, strengthens culture and has become a competitive advantage as the company scales design-led, custom products for the luxury residential market.

Key Points

Over 56% of Awake’s staff have justice-involved backgrounds, and the company now has a waiting list of prospective hires.
Awake grew from roughly $200k in 2021 to an expected $31m in 2025, showing commercial viability of a mission-driven model.
Second-chance hiring provided access to labour when peers faced shortages and boosted employee engagement and loyalty.
The company’s growth playbook emphasises design, innovation and operational excellence rather than heavy marketing.
Awake plans to introduce triple-pane products for colder markets and has launched “Awake Gadflies” to share recidivism education and hiring best practice.

Context and relevance

This story is relevant to CEOs, HR leaders and manufacturing executives grappling with skills shortages and looking for alternative recruitment strategies. It intersects with broader trends: increasing interest in social-impact hiring, efforts to reduce recidivism through employment, and evidence that a strong mission can support recruitment, retention and brand differentiation in niche markets.

Why should I read this

Want a clear, real-world example of how doing good can also be good for business? This piece is a quick win — it shows how a mission-led hire strategy delivered tangible sales growth and solved labour headaches. Short, useful and worth your five-minute skim.

Author style

Punchy — the interview blends business metrics with practical leadership lessons from a CEO who has scaled two successful companies. If hiring differently or building mission-driven culture matters to you, the article amplifies why the detail is worth reading.