Beatrice and Lorenzo Arciniaga at Window World of Southwest Texas, near Downtown.

Pointing up to a row of newly installed windows, set high across the top of a massive stone-and-mortar wall of his commercial building, Lorenzo Arciniaga smiled and relayed a story.

“A couple of days ago, we were having a meeting, the whole staff, right in here,” said Lorenzo, gesturing toward a nearby conference room. “And all of a sudden all of our phones started going off, like an Amber Alert.”

They all silenced their phones, he recalled, wrapped up their discussion and walked out of the building. They soon realized the reason for the public alert when they encountered a shocking sight: emergency vehicles speeding past their building toward a train derailment a block away.

“How could we not have heard that when we’re just 200 yards away from where it happened?” Arciniaga asked, then answered the question himself.

“This building now has our doors and our windows all throughout. Window World doors and windows,” said Lorenzo, providing his own product testimonial for the franchise business – Window World of Southwest Texas – recently purchased by him and his wife, Beatrice Arciniaga.

They are fresh into the business venture. Together with four partners in Georgia – Mike and Denette Harkins and Andy and Holly Saville – the Arciniagas signed their franchise contract in February 2025 to own and operate the El Paso and Las Cruces Window World businesses.

Beatrice, 55, is a Realtor with Century 21 and Lorenzo, also 55, is a retired sales manager for a pharmaceutical company. He is a 1994 West Point graduate who served in the infantry and earned Airborne Ranger qualifications.

The El Paso franchise is already turning heads in the industry.

Window World of Southwest Texas was honored as the top turnaround story at Window World’s national convention in early August at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington, D.C.

When the couple attended their first national Window World convention Aug. 10 in Washington, D.C., they were surprised by the announcement that their partnership group had been selected as the company’s 2026 “Top Turnaround Story Award” recipients for their El Paso operation.

“We had the biggest turnaround in volume, in reputation, the biggest turnaround in customer reviews, in installations,” Beatrice said. “There’s a lot of criteria that the corporation looks at”

Lorenzo added, “We shrank lead times down from somebody having to wait 15 to 20 weeks to us being able to do it in eight weeks.”

The company tracks metrics and compares them with the previous period or franchise owner. After reviewing franchise data across the country, Window World selected the local franchise as a national standout. Beatrice said the award is a pivotal moment that brings the company closer to one of the couple’s shared goals: sponsoring some of El Paso’s favorite events.

“It was very emotional. We definitely felt supported by the corporate office, and the other franchise owners,” Beatrice said. “I just feel like God is going to do big things through Window World in El Paso.”

Along with purchasing their Window World franchise, the couple also bought the former City Lights building abutting the freeway at the intersection of Walnut Street and Missouri Avenue, a short distance from Downtown. It’s now their headquarters.

The business was previously on North Mesa.

It’s been five months since they moved into their new 13,000-square-foot location. They have installed new doors and windows, replaced the roof and applied a fresh coat of paint. The interior is expansive and clean, with polished floors and tidy administrative offices in the corners.

They have a staff of about 25 people, including administrators, design consultants and installation crews.

As the Arciniagas walked their showroom, they spoke about expanding beyond windows and doors, providing the El Paso market with a broad array of home and business remodeling options.

“We plan on adding roofing and siding and gutters, and everything for exteriors,” said Lorenzo, adding that they’ll have their warehouse on site. “We still have a lot of room to grow.”

The remodeling industry is also growing. A study by the National Association of Home Builders showed the number of remodeling firms jumped from 69,000 in 2000 to 128,000 at the start of 2025. The share of home improvement spending also increased, rising from 33% in 2007 to 44% in early 2025.

Founded in 1995, Window World is based in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and has grown to become the largest window replacement company in the country. It began selling franchises in 2011 and has about 230 U.S. locations.

Window World franchisees, as published by Entrepreneur.com, can expect to make an initial investment between $123,000 and $360,000, with a franchise fee of $45,000 in most cases. As of 2025, Window World was ranked 63rd in successful franchises with total sales of $1.1 billion.

Part of Window World’s business model is selecting franchise owners with deep connections to their communities. The Arciniagas, Eastwood High School sweethearts who’ve been married for 30 years, feel that’s one of their strongest assets.

Beatrice has spent decades building networks and relationships as an El Paso Realtor, acquiring an eye for home design and local client tastes.

Lorenzo’s time as a sales manager keeps him attentive to client engagement.

“I’m really focused on aligning with the customer’s needs,” he said, in his baritone voice – another way he’s connected to this community.

“I’m actually the football announcer at Eastwood football games. I’m the guy on the microphone yelling ‘touchdown,’” he said, sharing a laugh with Beatrice.

“That’s a little example of how we like to give back,” she said. “It’s just fun for us. We love to be out there enjoying our community.”

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Eastwood sweethearts give El Paso Window World a new start