In 1958, Maurice Milgard, Jr. and his son Gary started Milgard Glass Company in a small building in Tacoma, Washington. Gary's brother, Jim, joined the company in 1961. Within a short time, the Milgards diversified into aluminum windows.

In 1962, Gary Milgard left the glass company to start an aluminum window fabricating company called Milgard Manufacturing. The company's objective was to provide a reliable source of quality aluminum windows styled and crafted to meet the unique architectural requirements of the western United States.

In 1968, Milgard Manufacturing started producing sliding glass doors. Two years later, aluminum frames were redesigned to fit both single-pane and insulating glass. Milgard developed a type of aluminum frame that was suitable for cold weather areas where only wood frames had been effective.

The year 1989 marked the introduction of the first Milgard® windows with vinyl frames. WoodClad™ windows and doors, a dramatic new line of fiberglass windows and doors, was introduced in 1990.

Growth continues to be the norm at Milgard. In addition to the Tacoma operation, the company now has manufacturing, sales and service locations in Marysville, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; Sacramento, Hollister, Simi Valley, Temecula and Dixon, California; Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Phoenix, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois, and Fredericksburg, Virginia.