Project 05 of 36
Entice HP+ (Transom & Sidelites)
- Company
- C.R. Laurence
- Role
- Product manager, stage-gate lead
- Year
- 2025
- Discipline
- Entrance systems
- Status
- Gate 3 complete, May 2025
- Images
- 8
Architects kept asking for Entice HP+ with sidelites and transoms, and without them we were losing specifications. On one large government campus, HP+ was the basis of design, and the job went to a competitor because we couldn't support a sidelite.
We developed transom and sidelite framing members that keep HP+'s weather and thermal performance, ran full assembly testing for air, water, structural and racking loads, wrote the installation manuals, and took the program from Gate 0 to Gate 3 in two months.
- Projects that need a transom or sidelite
- 14.6%
- Gate 0 to Gate 3
- 2 mo.
- Structural load with negligible permanent set
- 45 psf
- U.S. commercial door market, 2023
- <$10B
Overview
- Problem
Without sidelites and transoms, HP+ lost projects to competitors whenever an entrance needed them.
- Solution
Transom and sidelite framing members that broaden HP+'s architectural applications while keeping its weather and thermal performance.
- Customers
Primary: mid-size commercial architecture firms that want bold, code-compliant entries. Secondary: glaziers who want a complete entrance from one supplier.
- Value
The complete HP+ entrance: monumental doors with matching transoms and sidelites, without sacrificing performance.
- Manufacturing
Built in-house at CRL's Los Angeles plant and made to order, so no new inventory is held.
- Competition
FHC Aspire, Assa Abloy ThermaGuard, U.S. Aluminum Mojave 250T.
My role
I led this program from Gate 0 to Gate 3 in two months: making the case from lost projects and the open HP+ pipeline, defining the framing members with engineering, coordinating full-assembly testing, and getting installation manuals and SKUs set up for made-to-order production.
Stakeholders I coordinated
- Testing
- Air, water, structural and racking assembly tests
- Manufacturing
- Los Angeles plant, made to order
- Internal teams
- New product development · Product testing · Marketing · Sales and service centers · Sourcing and purchasing · Demand planning · Master data
- Gate committee
- VP Engineering · VP Product Design & Development · VP Sales · VP Marketing · Head of Product & Innovation
Stage-gate progress
- G0 Concept Mar 2025
- G1 Define Mar 2025
- G2 Develop Apr 2025
- G3 Validate May 2025
- G4 Launch Jun 2025
- G5 Post-launch Planned
Research
How original Entice projects were configured
Based on original Entice orders. We expected the same share of HP+ projects to need a transom or sidelite, a lift of about 14.6% on the open pipeline.
- 85.4%Door only
- 9.8%With sidelites
- 4.8%With transom
Open HP+ opportunities by construction type
33 open or won projects. More than half are renovations, where matching an existing opening with sidelites and transoms matters most.
- 55%Renovation
- 42%New construction
- 3%Addition
Assembly test results
Entice HP+ door with one sidelite, 98-3/16" × 122-15/16", tested on the air, water and structural test wall.
| Test | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Air infiltration at 1.57 psf | ASTM E283 | 0.22 cfm/ft² |
| Air exfiltration at −1.57 psf | ASTM E283 | 0.15 cfm/ft² |
| Water penetration, limited water | ASTM E331 | No water penetration |
| Deflection at ±25.1 psf, center mullion | ASTM E330 | +0.561" / −0.699" |
| Deflection at ±30.1 psf, center mullion | ASTM E330 | +0.679" / −0.786" |
| Permanent set at ±45.1 psf | ASTM E330 | <0.01" / −0.13" |
| Vertical load (racking), 250 lbf | AAMA 925 | Pass: 0.068" peak, 0.028" permanent |
Situational analysis
SStrengths
- Adds sidelites and transoms, closing HP+'s biggest gap
- Keeps its industry-leading thermal and weather ratings
- Full entrance systems strengthen spec appeal
- Built in-house for quality control
WWeaknesses
- Development and testing investment
- Only one assembly tested (door plus one sidelite); broader validation may be needed
- Made to order, so availability depends on production capacity
OOpportunities
- Win back projects that went to competitors
- Give architects more freedom without sacrificing performance
- Few systems combine premium aesthetics and thermal performance in one package
TThreats
- Competitors may move quickly to match or undercut
- Specifiers may wait for documentation and proof points
Gallery
