Business Spotlight

ADDRESS: 2001 SW 31st Street PHONE: 405-703-2210 WEBSITE: streetswindowsandsiding.com EMAIL: mstreets2@gmail.com

Streets Windows & Siding Promises “No Pushy Salesmen”

Mark Streets remembers the birth of his 40year career in the windows and siding business with absolute clarity.

“I was a 15-year-old kid who wanted to keep his long hair,” said Streets. “I guess I started working in construction because that was the one job I knew I could do where I didn’t have to cut my hair.”

After high school, his love of cars led him on a brief detour as an auto mechanic. But Streets says he wasn’t physically built for the job.

“Being six-foot-six doesn’t really lend itself to being a mechanic,” said Streets. “I went back to siding because I enjoyed it, and I felt that it was something I could stay with for a long time.”

Long time is a bit of an understatement. Streets has been in the windows and siding business since those high school days in the ’70s, now owning a business that has become celebrated for consistency and high-quality work. He and his wife Dana run the company out of their home near Southmoore High School. And they promise that none of their customers will ever have to deal with a pushy salesperson.

“When someone calls us to talk about a windows or siding job, I do two things,” said Streets. “I give some addresses of jobs we’ve done so they can go check our work out for themselves, and I ask them to check out our reviews online. Those two things speak for themselves.”

Streets says that there are some other significant differences that he believes sets his company apart from many others in addition to their relaxed approach with their customers. These differences are lessons he has learned from decades of hands-on work with windows and siding. Whenever possible, Streets prefers to hang siding vertically instead of horizontally. He says not only does vertical installation give you a cleaner look, but it also provides unexpected protection.

“I’m not a scientist, but what I realized over the years is that when you run siding vertically, it just doesn’t get the hail damage that horizontal siding gets,” said Streets. “We were seeing 7-inch hail that was blowing up people’s roofs and siding but wasn’t doing any real damage to vinyl siding that we’d hung vertically.”

In addition to that, Street uses plated screws instead of nails to attach the siding. These are screws that resist rust and help keep siding secure from Oklahoma’s famous winds, which can loosen nails over time.

Street also believes it’s essential to be deliberate and focused on all his jobs, whether it’s installing siding or windows. That’s especially important in today’s rush-rush world, where so many businesses promise to complete jobs quickly and cheaply.

“We do our best to be competitive with fair pricing,” said Streets. “But, sometimes we’ll cost a little bit more on the siding. That’s because I don’t think it’s right to compromise on quality in a time where so many people promise their customers to do things ‘cheap and fast.’ Our goal is not to be the cheapest or the fastest. We want to get it right because if you do that, then you’re providing your customers with a product that will last for decades.”

Streets personally handles all the onsite work with the help of his long-time co-worker, Marcus Jones. Now in his 60’s, Streets says he can’t get up and down the scaffolding with the same speed he had as a young man. But with Jones on his team, he doesn’t have to do quite as much.

“Marcus has worked for me for ten years now,” said Streets. “He was on time every day as a 20-year-old when I hired him, and that impressed me. So, I decided to train him up, and now he can do top-shelf work with any kind of windows, doors, and siding.”

Dana Streets, Mark’s wife and business partner handles all of the office work. Streets says he appreciates her passion for that side of the business more than he can ever say.

“We’ve been married for 30 years now,” said Streets. “I can tell you that if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t want to do this. There’s just too much computer and paperwork for me, and I don’t like that stuff. So, she takes care of that side of things.”

Streets says his company is actually doing more windows and storm door work right now. He brings the same customer-centered approach to that side of the business as he does to siding.

“We work with customers to find the best windows for their situation,” said Streets. “And when it comes to windows, we’re always looking for those energy-efficient windows that can help customers realize the highest savings on their utility bills.”

As a small business, Streets almost always finds himself competing with the big-name companies in this area. He likes to remind customers that while those popular and well-advertised brands are fine products, he can match them with windows that can save them up to 40% on their bills and come with a warranty.

“The windows we install are cost-effective and come with a fantastic warranty,” said Streets. “Sometimes people want that big-company name, and that’s ok. I tell them to check out our work and online reviews, and they’ll see that we do great work at a highly competitive price.”

In the end, Streets says that he and his small business will always be committed to doing top-notch work that will last for decades.

“We’re going to be thorough, and our work is going to last. I just won’t do things any other way,” said Streets. “We will always do our best to be competitive when it comes to price, but our priority is to give our customers the best product, one that will last.”