About Wilke Window & Door

Our History

Wilke Window & Door Company is a family owned business founded in 1960 by Norman B. Wilke. What started as a small one-man operation has grown to become the largest window and door showroom in the Metro St. Louis area.

In 1960, Norm purchased his first storm door from the Grandpa Pigeon’s store in Koehler City, Missouri. After he installed the door on his home in Belleville, a friend asked Norm to install one on his home. Norm’s talent was quickly recognized and soon he began installing storm doors as a sideline business in addition to his full time job at Swift Packing Company in East St. Louis, Illinois.

As Norm’s business began to grow he started buying storm windows and doors from Sutherland Lumber Company and Beanie Window & Blind Company in East St. Louis. Norm contacted Quaker Window Company in Freeburg, Missouri in November of 1962, but it wasn’t until March of 1963 that Norm was able to convince Quaker to sell their product to him.

Norm soon needed a bigger space for his business, and in 1965 he rented an old barn from the Bertlesman Farm in Shiloh, Illinois for $25.00 per month. In 1967, the Schmisseur’s Dairy Barn became available and Norm made an agreement to maintain the grounds and look in on George Schmisseur, Sr. from time to time in exchange for a rental price of $1.00 per month.

During the summer of 1967, Swift Packing Company closed its doors and Norm lost his job after 18 years of service. Although Norm’s business continued to grow, he found a job at Scott Air Force Base working a night shift at the Commissary because he still did not feel secure enough to work at his sideline business full time. Although the hours were long and hard, the night shift enabled Norm to operate his business in the morning as he began selling windows and awnings to various contractors in the area.

In November of 1974, Norm was notified that the Schmisseur Farm was sold and that he had to give up occupancy of the barn by January 1, 1975. This was the turning point in Norm’s life; he finally decided to make his sideline business a full time job. So Norm quit his job at Scott Air Force Base and bought 10 acres of ground on Shiloh Road to build a new house and a small warehouse.

The completion of his new home and 30 by 80 foot pole barn warehouse in May of 1975 enabled Norm to turn his dream into reality. The company’s growth began to blossom with the addition of the Andersen Window and Pease Steel Door lines, so it wasn’t long before more space was needed and new additions were planned. In 1977, and throughout the following seven years, Wilke Window & Door built several additions onto its existing facilities.

In 1989, Norm opened a plant in Odin, Illinois to finish interior doors and do trim work; he also opened a warehouse in Belleville to stock these prefinished interior doors. Also in 1989, cabinets were introduced into the Wilke line and a major addition was made to the showroom to display all of the doors, windows, cabinets and other materials.

Norm semi-retired in January of 1991 by handing his position of president over to his son, Steve Wilke (now CEO of Wilke Window & Door), making the company a second generation, family run business.

Additional office space was added in 1993 and then in 1995 a new 90,000 square foot warehouse was constructed. The Wilke One-Stop Builders Mart was added at the Shiloh location beginning in 1996 and Norm’s Bargain Barn was opened in February of 1997. In 1997 Wilke Window & Door also set up a separate division of cabinet sales under the name Lifestyle Kitchens & Baths. Wilke Window & Door opened its second store in St Louis in May of 1998 and its third store in Carterville, IL in May of 2002.

In January 2005, a new Norm’s Bargain Barn building was constructed at the Shiloh, IL location. Norm’s new red barn even had stables built in to house his famous Clydesdale horses at varying times of the year. Also In 2005, Wilke Window & Door moved its store from Manchester Road in St. Louis, MO to Truman Blvd. in St. Charles, MO.

The newest addition to the Wilke family of businesses happened in 2010, with the opening of Wilke Window & Door and Norm’s Bargain Barn stores at the Gravois Bluffs shopping center in Fenton, MO.

Today, Wilke Window & Door is one of the largest Andersen Window & Door dealers in the St. Louis Metro Area. Customers may view our products on display at our showrooms located in Fenton, Missouri and Shiloh, Illinois.

The success of Wilke Window & Door can be accredited to the simple philosophy that our customers are our number one priority. So if you’re looking for an excellent selection of quality products, a huge showroom and exceptional service and installation, you’ve come to the right place.