A Gilbert window and door manufacturer says hiring people who face employment barriers after involvement with the criminal justice system has grown alongside its business. Awake Window & Door reported annual revenue of more than $33 million in 2025, up from less than $100,000 in 2021, and was named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing companies. The company has about 110 employees, and roughly 60% have been involved in the criminal justice system, according to the company. It is expanding its facility by another 20,000 square feet as it continues to grow. Dakota Bright joined Awake in 2023 after spending more than four years in prison. He began in the receiving department and has since moved into a job as an AutoCAD designer. Chief Executive Scott Gates and Chief People Officer Maria Gates have described second-chance hiring as central to the company’s approach. Employees are held to the same workplace standards while being given an opportunity to build careers, the company’s leaders said. Bright’s progression from receiving work to design illustrates how a job can become a path to longer-term employment for people returning from prison. Awake’s growth and planned expansion also point to the scale of its operations in Gilbert, where its workforce includes many people who might otherwise encounter obstacles getting hired.