Paarhammer had a great week at the Australian Glass and Window Association’s (AGWA) Ausfenex 25, listening and catching up with peers in the window industry. We are honoured to come home with two National Highly Commended awards. However, the main highlight was Director Tony Paarhammer coming home with AGWA’s 2025 Industry Person of the Year Award, chosen out of 1200 AGWA members for his dedication and work in furthering the window industry.

Paarhammer_AGWA_Awards (1).jpg — *(L-R) Tony Paarhammer, Edith Paarhammer, Thomas Paarhammer*

After moving to Australia in 1990, Tony together with Edith started a business in a small shed in rural Victoria after noticing the energy efficient windows and doors they were used to in Austria were far less common in Australia. Thus, European style tilt and turn windows turned into a 4500m² manufacturing business established in Ballan, Victoria, training over 60 apprenticeships and shipping their five ranges all over Australia.

Tony has been a member of AGWA for many years and is proudly serving his second term on the board, representing window makers specifically in the southern region of Victoria and is also the acting treasurer. He has also been a member on the board of the Australian Fenestration Rating Council (AFRC) for eight years and is currently acting as treasurer. As co-founder of the AGWA timber window subcommittee, he helps drive the timber window system project to improve the Australian Standard. He is instrumental in securing support not only from the industry but also from the government.

The CEO of AGWA, Clinton Skeotch, spoke at the recent conference: “Tony’s journey is a testament to innovation, perseverance, partnership and teamwork. The business Tony built with Edith is a testament to customer orientation, resilience, and vision. Paarhammer Windows is not just a business, it’s the result of two people who believed in each other, who worked side by side and built something extraordinary, to guide us and our industry. Tony shaped the industry, ultimately won far too many design awards, and leaves a legacy that will endure for years. Congratulations.”

Paarhammer Windows is built on quality, excellence and customer focus. This is only possible with a dedicated workforce, and Tony thanks all employees for their tireless commitment. This includes not only staff from the window manufacturing company but also from his second business ‘Siegware’, which is a supplier of window hardware and construction items.

A major highlight was the innovation and development of bushfire safe windows after the devastating Victorian bushfires of 2009, being the first company with successful testing of BAL-FZ Flame Zone in 2011. Paarhammer was also one of the first Australian timber joineries to undertake AS2047 testing, and had products accredited to International Passive House.

Over the years, the company received many design awards, was named ‘Victorian Manufacturer of the Year – Small Business 2017’, has featured on SBS 'Small Business Secrets’, and was interviewed by Alan Kohler for 'Talking Business', an inflight entertainment radio program on Qantas.

At AGWA’s 2025 National Awards, Paarhammer was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ for Natural Haven – Project 465 in the Residential Window/Glass Retrofit Project category as well as a ‘Highly Commended’ for Iglu Apartments – Bondi Junction in the Commercial Window/Glass Project $250,000 to $750,000 category.

But the ‘Industry Person of the Year 2025’ award was a real surprise.

Tony Paarhammer is extremely humbled by receiving this extraordinary award, and thanks Australia, and especially the Australian Glass and Windows Association for the opportunities provided to him since he and his wife migrated to this wonderful country.

Architecture & Design Team

Paarhammer Windows and Doors

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