Gilbert Firm Expanded With Second-Chance Hiring Model
Awake Window & Door Co. grew to over $33 million in annual revenue by prioritizing applicants with criminal records.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Remote Work
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Gilbert-based Awake Window & Door Co. earned a spot on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list after increasing annual revenue from under $100,000 in 2021 to more than $33 million in 2025. The manufacturer reached this growth while maintaining a workforce where 60% of employees have previous involvement with the criminal justice system.
Why it matters
The company demonstrated that a business model centered on second-chance hiring can achieve rapid scale in the manufacturing sector. This approach offers a potential labor strategy for local operators facing ongoing recruitment challenges.
Awake Window & Door Co. grew annual revenue from less than $100,000 in 2021 to more than $33 million in 2025, a growth period that earned the firm a spot on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list. The manufacturer currently employs 110 people and is executing a 20,000-square-foot facility expansion.
The players
Awake Window & Door Co.
A Gilbert, Arizona-based manufacturer that utilizes a second-chance hiring model to source its 110-person workforce.
Dakota Bright
An employee who joined the firm in 2023 during its period of rapid revenue expansion.
The details
The firm operates with a core hiring policy that specifically recruits individuals with criminal records to fill its 110-person workforce. These employees are held to standard workplace performance requirements while provided with opportunities for career advancement. To accommodate its rapid revenue growth, the company is now scaling its physical footprint with a 20,000-square-foot facility expansion.
Timeline
2021: Company annual revenue was less than $100,000.
2023: Dakota Bright joined the company.
2025: Company annual revenue exceeded $33 million.
2026: Company appeared on the Inc. 5000 list.
Market Landscape
The firm's inclusion on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list provides a benchmark for its performance against other high-growth private businesses in the United States. This growth trajectory highlights an emerging trend of specialized manufacturing firms using non-traditional labor pools to capture market share.
Owners should consider whether broadening recruitment criteria to include second-chance hiring could solve labor constraints within their own operations. As the company expands its physical capacity, the model demonstrates that integrating non-traditional workers remains compatible with standard performance metrics.
The takeaway
The company illustrates how mission-driven hiring practices can become a competitive advantage in labor-intensive sectors. Operators interested in this model should audit their current hiring requirements to identify roles where background-friendly policies can be safely implemented.
Further reading
For more on evolving workforce strategies, visit the Remote Work section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by abc15 Arizona.
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