2024 Ones to Watch - Innovators in CRE: Lelina Chang, GAMCO Corp.

As president, Lelina Chang leads the company’s strategic direction and manages daily operations, overseeing a 60+ member team across departments including production, sales, purchasing, inventory, IT, and logistics. This role involves setting goals, optimizing processes, and ensuring efficient, quality-driven production to meet customer needs. The president collaborates with department heads to drive revenue growth, streamline supply chain operations, and manage technology to enhance productivity. Key responsibilities include fostering a cohesive, motivated team, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement, and managing budgets to align financial health with the company’s mission. This position requires both a visionary and detail-oriented approach to guide the company towards sustained growth and operational excellence.

Innovative Solution:
One of our biggest challenges is addressing the increasingly stringent testing requirements set by the state and architects for fenestration products. As specifications grow more demanding, we have strategically adapted by developing new products with superior thermal, structural, and OITC ratings that are also more cost-effective than national leading brands. This approach allows us to meet and exceed current standards, ensuring our offerings are compliant, competitively priced, and highly valuable in today’s commercial real estate market.

Innovative Outlook:
I see significant opportunities for innovation in enhancing building sustainability and energy efficiency within the commercial real estate sector. With a growing emphasis on green building standards, we can leverage advanced materials and smarter designs that reduce energy use and environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of a fenestration product. By focusing on sustainable solutions, we can meet regulatory demands and add value to clients seeking eco-friendly, cost-effective buildings. Thinking about sustainability—while extremely challenging from a R&D, procurement, and production standpoint—is crucial to how we do business and how we contribute to the broader community, economy, and infrastructure demands in the tri-state area.

“Lelina runs Gamco — a 60+ person company in Queens, New York that manufactures fenestration products (i.e., windows, doors, curtain walls, and skylights). Recognizing the growing importance of energy efficiency, she spearheads the research and development of fenestration products that not only meet but exceed market demands. Her team is dedicated to creating cutting-edge products that are energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable in a growing market for energy-efficient building facades. These products help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings, which account for nearly 40% of all GHG emissions globally.” - Melora Chang, GAMCO Corp.