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Industry News
EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS PRESENTED
TO COMFORTEX BLINDCRAFTERS
Comfortex Corp., Maplewood, NY, unveiled its BlindCrafter Signature
sampling book, products and marketing programs at its 2004 National
BlindCrafter Convention held in Orlando, FL, in June. The three-day
convention featured the rollout of new programs designed to unite
its BlindCrafters and establish BlindCrafter Centers as exclusive
destinations for custom window treatment products.
The sampling books promote the BlindCrafter brand and offer a Signature
Sample page that can be customized by each individual BlindCrafter.
It also has the first-ever exclusive products for BlindCrafters
in the Symphony®, Shangri-La®, Harmony™ and Woodwinds®
lines.
Exclusive BlindCrafter marketing programs were announced with the
introduction of the Ultimate Window Shade Makeover Contest, which
launched September 1. In addition to supplying BlindCrafters with
a comprehensive promotional kit, Comfortex will support the makeover
contest with national advertising exposure including a 58 million
impression print campaign in leading shelter magazines and a multi-series
release public relations campaign.
Personal Web sites for every BlindCrafter were also announced.
THE BLIND MAKER RELEASES NEW GUIDE
The Blind Maker, Austin, TX, has released its “2004-2005 Edition
Guide to Professional Window Coverings.” This reference guide
offers the window coverings professional current price lists, technical
information, exclusive new warranties, order forms, four-color photography
and more.
This publication is a Blind Maker tradition that started in the 1980s
and is free in new account kits. The Blind Maker is a fabricator of
Texas Traditions and Kirsch Custom Window Coverings.
MASTERVISIONS RELEASED ON CD
Mastervisions by Visionary Concepts, Branford, CT, is now available
on CD. The software is user-friendly, even for the “computer-challenged”
designer, according to a company statement.
Designs can be sized to scale, filled with colors and patterns, skewed
to perspective in digital photos, and layered to create thousands
of design combinations. Simple step-by-step instructions are included
with the CD, which is Mac and PC compatible.
ZIPSHADE RELOCATES
ZipShade Industrial Corp., Ontario, CA, has moved to a bigger and
better location. The company is now located at 4335 E. Lowell St.,
Suite C, Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 937-9869; (909) 937-9870; fax: (909)
937-9890.
INNOVATIVE OPENINGS INTRODUCES THIRD
HUNTER DOUGLAS GALLERY
Innovative Openings, Inc., Boulder, CO, held a grand opening reception
in late September to introduce the public to its latest Hunter Douglas
Window Fashions Gallery. The reception featured a Window Fashions
Show highlighting the latest window coverings styles and color trends.
“We are proud to offer customers optimum solutions for their
window covering needs and the exceptional retail experience they
deserve,” says Rick Pease, co-owner, Innovative Openings. The
Gallery allows customers to view and operate the full line of products
available in a colorful, user-friendly format.
Innovative Openings has provided award-winning window coverings
design and service since 1980. It has three Hunter Douglas Gallery
Showrooms (in Centennial, Fort Collins and Boulder, CO) and a direct
sales effort covering the mountain resort markets. The company manufactures
motorization and solar screen shading systems under the Insolroll
brand at its corporate headquarters in Louisville, CO.
COMFORTEX EXPANDS PHOENIX PLANT
Comfortex Corp., Maplewood, NY, has expanded its fabrication operations
at its Phoenix, AZ, plant. Cellular shades fabrication lines were
added in July and production began in September on Shangri-La®
Sheer Horizontals.
The Phoenix facility has now expanded from 5,000 square feet to 36,000
square feet and 80 jobs have been created since December 2003. “The
addition of two new product lines . . . allows us to better serve
our growing customer base in the West,” said Peter Connery, vice
president of Comfortex operations.
The Phoenix facility fabricates the company’s line of Woodwinds®
Plantation Shutters and Wood Alloy Blinds. It also manufactures and
distributes shutter and wood blind components and supplements the
company’s other East Coast fabrication and distributions facilities.
WINDOW DRESSERS MOVES TO NEW LOCATION
Window Dressers, Scottsdale, AZ, has moved to a new location.
The company’s new address is 7882 E. Gray Rd., #2, Scottsdale,
AZ, 85260. It’s new phone numbers are: (480) 315-1500; fax:
(480) 315-1545.
DRAPER OFFERS AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION
COURSE
Draper, Inc., Spiceland, IN, is offering a continuing education
module on window shade selection for architects. “Window Shades
101” was produced by Draper for the American Institute of Architects
(AIA)/CES program.
The window shades module provides participants with a comprehensive
strategy for selecting window shade fabrics. While in the past,
shades were selected based only on aesthetics, today color, texture,
health, safety, welfare and energy conservation are recognized as
critical elements having a long-lasting affect on building performance.
The AIA/CES program allows architects to keep current and gain new
knowledge and skills. It also enables AIA members to fulfill a membership
requirement and meet state mandatory continuing education requirements.
HUNTER DOUGLAS EMPLOYEES JOIN FIGHT
AGAINST HUNGER
Employees of Hunter Douglas, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, recently
participated in the Brown Bag Buddies program, one of the initiatives
of the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council based in Hackensack.
This program provides local food pantries with non-perishable foods
and benefits children who are dependent on school food programs
to ensure they have enough food during the summer months. It has
been estimated that one in 10 households in the United States lives
with hunger or is at risk of hunger.
Hunter Douglas nearly doubled its goal of 500 pounds of food with
most of the company’s employees chipping in to donate 931 pounds
of food to the Center for Food Action, Ringwood, NJ. Under the direction
of Marv Hopkins, president and CEO, the company also presented a
gift of $2,000.
SURFACES 2005 REGISTRATION LIVE ONLINE
Registration and housing arrangements for Surfaces 2005 are now
live online and can be completed at www.surfacesexpo.com. This year’s
online attendee registration form has been modified to make it easier
to sign up for the show. Attendees who register for Surfaces by
December 30, 2004, get free exhibits admission and discounted pricing
on the conference and events.
“Surfaces Online Housing opened in July, but is already running
43 percent ahead of last year. We are on pace to have one of the
biggest shows to date,” says Michelle Troop, senior show director,
Surfaces.
Economical deals on housing, airfare and car rental are available
online. There is a variety of hotel prices to accommodate every
budget, plus discounts are available on the Web site for airfare
and car rentals for added savings.
As an added bonus, lower pricing on the Surfaces 2005 Conference
Program’s 41 sessions is available. As competition heats up,
so does the demand for the latest information on how to succeed.
Pre-show workshops take place Tuesday, January 25 from 9 a.m. to
12 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. Seminars are scheduled for Wednesday, January
26 to Thursday, January 27 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m.
and Friday, January 28 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Complete course descriptions
and speaker bios are available online.
Surfaces 2005 will feature a new format for Town Hall, which will
cover a controversial topic: “Who’s Moving In Next Door
and What Are They Doing to Take Your Business?” Find out how
retailers can combat big box retailers—and other groups—in
their quest to take all consumer business.
Other highlights planned for Surfaces 2005 include the Installation
Showcase, which will feature live, how-to demonstrations on the
show floor. All aspects of installation will be showcased to help
both retailers and installers perform installations correctly the
first time, saving time and money on costly callbacks. This showcase
is sponsored by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), Certified
Floorcovering Installers (CFI), National Floor Trends and Floor
Covering Installer magazines.
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