MOMENTUM - Hunter Douglas Online Tools Login

SPECIAL ISSUE
for Gallery dealers only
Gallery Dealer
Advisory Council
Making progress together
toward our future
MOMENTUM
MOMENTUM
Making progress together
toward our future
New Gallery Dealer Advisory Council Named
MEET YOUR NEW HUNTER DOUGLAS GALLERY
DEALER ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
®
In This Issue
June 2011
New Dealer Advisory
Council Members
Fabricator Advisory
Board Members
Thanks to Outgoing
JACLYN BROWN
Recovery Caboose LLC, Pittsford, NY
and The Fabric Mill, Jamesville, NY
315-474-5044
jbrown-fabricmill@hotmail.com
I got started in this business mostly
through a lot of networking. I was
working for one of my current business
partners as an interior designer, and he
needed someone to manage one of his
stores. I started, and now, eight years
later we’re business partners. Not in a
million years did I think I would come in this direction.
We’ve been a Hunter Douglas Gallery® dealer at
the Rochester location for more than two years and
in Syracuse a little more than a year. What sold me on
the Gallery program was the ease of the program. It’s
all set up, and you don’t have to worry. Sample books
automatically arrive, and a lot of the work is done for us.
The dealer locator on hunterdouglas.com is also a
big deal. We get a ton of leads from it, interestingly
a lot more in Rochester (Pittsford) than in Syracuse
About The
Dealer
Advisory
Council
Advisory Council
(Jamesville). We see a huge
difference between the two
cities in how many people leave their contact
information vs. just coming in to visit the store.
I would say that the dealer locator is the most
valuable Gallery program for us, especially in the
Rochester store. From the very beginning, we saw
results and were successful, and I feel like Hunter
Douglas set us up for that success. It was a nobrainer to add the Gallery in Syracuse; once you’ve
been a Gallery, you know it’s the only way to do a store.
We have the Contemporary Display Environment in both
stores, and really like the look.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I
would like to share my thoughts about programs and
services that could help Gallery dealers to sell more.
I have some ideas about that.
On a personal note, we recently went on the
Hunter Douglas Windows to the World London trip,
and everyone noticed that I’m having my first child in
September. I want to let everyone know that it’s
a boy!
…continued on page 2
Part of our commitment to you, our Gallery dealers, is to continue to listen to your needs
– and act upon them – to raise your business to a higher level. The goal of the Dealer
Advisory Council is to bring selected dealers and fabricators together to become part of
the process of creating solutions together. The Council will share its input and provide
direction so we can better focus our resources to make all Gallery dealers more successful
and more efficient. HDG
SPECIAL INSERT
Making progress together
toward our future
New Gallery Dealer Advisory Council
June 2011
page 2
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…continued from page 1
Center, the Hunter Douglas dealer locator top spot
for Gallery dealers, and exclusive new product
introductions also help us reach our goal of giving our
clients a “thoroughly satisfying experience.”
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Board I hope
to enlighten other dealers to the many benefits of
I developed an entrepreneurial spirit
iCM. I sense that dealers are hesitant to use it to its
as a young adult and started using
fullest extent, and I would like to help ease their fears. I
my sewing expertise to make money
doing clothing alterations. Then a friend would like to be open to the concerns of other dealers
and work as a team to find solutions. Bringing new
asked if I would make her a balloon
programs and enhancing existing programs should be
shade. Soon word spread that I could
the goal of us all.
fabricate draperies – and the rest is
My husband Bill and I love
history. I fell in love with designing,
spending time with our family.
Many Thanks to Our Outgoing
creating and constructing window
We’re fortunate to have our two
Dealer Advisory Council Members
treatments.
daughters, sons-in-law and four
Whose generous spirit and
My husband Bill and I moved
grandchildren living within a few
outstanding performance have
a lot in the early years, but when it
contributed to the success of the
miles of us.
appeared our residence would be
Gallery program
permanent, I rented a 400-squareWill Bathke
TRACEY HOPKINS
foot space. Now I occupy a 4,000
Aero Drapery & Blind
Austintatious Blinds and Shutters
square foot showroom, and my
Austin, TX
John
Beauregard
husband Bill and daughter Jennifer
Elite Window Treatments LLC
512-608-0302
Calfee also work with me!
tracey@austintatiousblinds.com
John
Iannazzo
There are so many things about
Liberty Wallcoverings and
My parents own a
the Gallery concept that encouraged
Window Blinds
blind and shutter
us to join. The major one is Hunter
Don Norlen
business, so I
Douglas’ commitment that we
Cindy’s Window Fashions, LLC
was very familiar
sensed when we talked to our
Sherri Tafoya
with the business,
fabricator – to not only growing
Custom Blinds & Design
but had decided I
themselves, but also to making sure
Diana Weimer
wasn’t going to get
that we grew and succeeded as a
Diana’s Blinds & Designs, Inc.
involved.
After
I
finished
school, I
business. We continue to feel that
Bob Widergren
went into management consulting
we’re a part of the team.
Shades of Marin
with Ernst and Young, specializing
The Gallery Display Environment
FABRICATOR
ADVISORY
BOARD
in management information
has proven to be a tremendous
Paula
Bongartz
systems. It was a great opportunity
asset, giving our clients the ability
Warren
Steven
Window
Fashions
for a young professional woman
to see, touch, feel and operate
Bryan
Clabeaux
in a male dominated industry, but
the products in a true window
Hunter
Douglas
Fabrication-West
after living out of a suitcase for
environment.
three years, I was exhausted.
Lynne
Meixell
The Internet Customer
Hunter
Douglas
Fabrication After that, I did entrepreneurial
Management™ (iCM) program, by
Intermountain
consulting, helping people grow
far, has proven to be one of the
Andrea
Miritello
their small businesses and become
most valuable programs for us. Our
Tentina Window Fashions, Inc.
consumer website, the Learning
…continued on page 3
CAROL T. COLLINS
Carol’s Custom Draperies & Interiors
Denton, TX
940-565-8337
carcollins@msn.com
SPECIAL INSERT
Making progress together
toward our future
SUSAN JOHNSON
Shady Lady Window Coverings & Design
Eureka, CA
707-442-1500
Susan@ShadyLady.biz
Getting involved in the window fashions
business was born out of necessity for
my husband Bob and me. We owned a
paint store with multiple departments.
I ran the window coverings and floor
coverings and about 14 years ago
started a completely new business,
leaving Bob with the paint store. Eventually we sold the
floor covering store and the paint store. We kept the
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Gallery Dealer Advisory Council
very successful Finally I asked myself, “Why do I keep
doing this for other people and not for myself?” That’s
when we started Austintatious, in 2003. Together with
my partner Norma Cataño and my sister Stephanie
Hopkins, we first became a Showcase Priority Dealer®,
then updated to Hunter Douglas Gallery®.
What sold me on the Gallery is that I “ran the
numbers” and the whole package made sense.
iCM is a great tool, and the Hunter Douglas dealer
locator is too. We went with the Contemporary Gallery
Display Environment and were one of the first dealers
to get the integrated Alustra® displays. Integrating The
Alustra Collection with other Hunter Douglas product
displays has worked really well for us. Our Alustra sales
have gone out the door.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I plan
to bring my expertise as a management consultant as a
different perspective. I’m passionate about the Gallery,
and I think there could be more benefits for Gallery
dealers that could spice up the program even more.
We talk to a lot of dealers on a regular basis and listen
to everybody’s point of view, so I can bring the voice
of many dealers to the table – including their ideas,
concerns and successes.
In my spare time, I love to dig in the dirt and grow
vegetables and flowers in my garden. We have two
Maltese puppies, and living near Lake Travis, often
times we are lounging on our boat. We also love to
travel when we get the chance.
June 2011
…continued from page 2
window coverings and now have that branded as Shady
Lady, where we both now work.
One of our inspirations to move toward becoming a
Hunter Douglas Gallery was attending the International
Alliance Conference (IAC) in 2007. That was a big
turning point for us. We saw the new Contemporary
Gallery Display Environment and heard everyone talking
about the future of Hunter Douglas. The absolute beauty
of the Gallery Display Environment was a big selling
point to become a Gallery.
We feel so strongly supported by the Alliance
program and also by our fabricator. We feel embraced
into a family of dealers who are doing business the
way we want to do business. There are more programs
than we can sink our teeth into at one time (since
we have only been a Gallery for about a year). We’re
diligently trying everything. Right now, we’re fine tuning
our current technologies (phones, tablets, internet
calendars, etc.) to support the Internet Customer
Management™ (iCM) program and Direct Connect—
especially when we are working outside the showroom.
We know we have to dive in with both feet to help us
stay organized.
I look forward to interacting with Hunter Douglas
and other Gallery dealers on the Dealer Advisory
Council and learning from all the information and
knowledge we will receive. I think it will be helpful to
hear what other Gallery dealers in other parts of the
country are doing and what their challenges are. I hope
I can contribute to innovative solutions that will help all
Gallery dealers.
Bob and I have two sons in college; one just
graduated from nursing school! We spend a lot of our
family time white water rafting the local rivers, both for
our own recreation and as guides for others.
…continued on page 4
Provide
Your
Input
The first meeting of the new
Gallery Dealer Advisory Council will
tentatively be in October. To share your
input, contact a council member before
the meeting at the phone number or
email address indicated. HDG
SPECIAL INSERT
Making progress together
toward our future
Gallery Dealer Advisory Council
Larry McCrae
Advanced Window Fashions
Mt Pleasant, SC
843-881-8858
larry@charlestonblinds.com
I got started in the window fashions
business from my involvement with
a failed franchise in another city.
They went bankrupt and closed, but
I still had the telephone number for a
location in my town forwarded to my
mobile phone. I happened to get a call
from a consumer to set up an appointment and sold
a $20,000 Silhouette® window shadings job. I haven’t
looked back since!
I think of myself as the “lowest man on the totem
pole” in my business since I wear many hats. My wife
Nancy also works in the business, overseeing our sales
staff and she is a senior partner with me.
What sold me on the Hunter Douglas Gallery®
concept is the idea of becoming a partner with a
company that is innovative, stands behind their product,
provides superior merchandising and marketing
support, provides access to superior business systems,
and has a impressive Internet presence.
I also was impressed with the Right Choice
Promise™ and other programs available that I couldn’t
easily implement myself and with the training programs
provided for continuing education and new staff.
All of this helps me differentiate our company
from others in our market and create satisfied, lifetime
customers. The most valuable Gallery programs I’ve
used include the Internet Customer Management™
(iCM) program, the Alliance answering service and payper-click eMarketing.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I
hope to gain more of an inside look at our business
from the fabricator perspective and the Hunter
Douglas corporate point of view. I want to help us all
work towards creating across-the-board, win-win-win
programs. Also, I will give an honest opinion from my
perspective and experience as a dealer.
On a personal note, my two daughters, Lauren, 12,
and Jordan, 8, occupy a great majority of my free (and
June 2011
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…continued from page 3
unfree) time. And I do get to sneak out for a round of
golf every now and then.
JIM SCHULZ
Grand Teton Floor & Window Coverings
Jackson, WY
307-413-1188
jschulz@tetonfloorsandwindows.com
I got into the window fashions business
originally by buying into a franchise.
The franchisor subsequently went out
of business, and I decided to stay in
as an independent retailer. I like this
business because I meet a lot of new
people all the time.
My wife Chris and I started looking at the Gallery
program in the first half of 2009. I thought, “This has
to be the bottom of the economy,” and we wanted to
be ready for the climb back up. We were a Showcase
Priority Dealer®, and I had seen the benefit of having a
professional display, so the Gallery made sense as the
way to grow our business, coupled with the fact that
there are a lot of shop-at-home and interior designer
accounts in our area, but no real storefronts where
people can come in and touch the blinds and shades.
One thing that sold us on the Gallery concept is
the Display Environment, and we feel that as a Gallery,
we get promotional benefits that link us to the Hunter
Douglas brand in a big way, which gives us credibility
with customers.
We were already using iCM when we were a
Showcase Priority Dealer, and the program has helped
us tremendously. Our old franchisor had an online
database that we used, and when the franchisor
went away, I shopped around for different systems.
iCM seemed like a real value compared to the other
packages out there.
As a Dealer Advisory Council member, I’m hoping
to learn about the issues other dealers face, how they
deal with those issues, and how Hunter Douglas helps
dealers succeed with programs and services. Being on
the council is a way to learn in more depth about the
window fashions business from the dealer side, the
…continued on page 5
SPECIAL INSERT
Making progress together
toward our future
STAN SINNOTT
Avalon Carpet Tile & Flooring
Five Gallery locations and four Showcase locations in
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware
856-834-7289
SSINNOTT@avaloncarpettile.com
I started in the retail shade, blind and curtain business
during high school. In 1982 I went to work for an
independent window treatment fabricator (Elmar
Window Fashions) and worked my way up the company
ladder for the next 21 years holding several positions.
For the past seven years, I’ve been Window Fashions
Product Manager at Avalon Carpet Tile and Flooring.
I was a believer in the Gallery concept early on,
during the development and field testing stages of the
program, and am an even bigger advocate today. What
really hooked me was the concept of a turnkey business
solution for the window covering retailer. From the
flexibility and adaptability of the display environment,
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MOMENTUM
Gallery Dealer Advisory Council
fabricator side and from a Hunter Douglas perspective.
I hope to be a conduit between Hunter Douglas Gallery®
dealers and Hunter Douglas to keep the program going
in the right direction.
Outside of work, our whole family is involved in
skiing. My wife and I volunteer coach on local ski teams,
and our kids participate on ski teams. Since summer is
so short in this area, if we’re not at work we’re probably
on the ski hill!
June 2011
…continued from page 4
to the marketing, business support, business
management, technology and education programs
available – there are no other opportunities that even
come close to what the Gallery program can offer
someone who is serious about being in the window
fashions industry!
For me, the display environments are the critical
starting point in our business. Our Gallery websites
and the lead generation system have become a very
close second. Consumers shop in a very different way
than they did even three years ago and are constantly
changing. Co-op advertising is also a very valuable tool
that allows us to have a much farther reach.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I hope
to share what I’ve learned in my years in the business,
assist in developing new ideas/programs, fine tune
existing ones, and be honest and truthful enough to
dis-assemble those that don’t work. Lastly, I hope to
work together with fellow council members and Hunter
Douglas to support all Gallery dealers in the continuing
growth of their businesses and the Hunter Douglas
Gallery brand. By strengthening the Hunter Douglas
brand – we strengthen ourselves!
I’ve been married for 25 years to my beautiful wife
Linda; together we have three sons: Sean 18, Matt
and Mike 16 (yes…twins!). My passion is working with
several local youth soccer organizations where I’ve
coached CYO, intramural club, and travel club soccer
for the last 14 years. HDG
New Fabricator Advisory Board Members
JENIFER BURKARDT
General Sales Manager
Hunter Douglas Fabrication - South
727-803-2501
jenifer.burkardt@hunterdouglas.com
I joined Hunter Douglas 16 years ago
and have been here ever since!
There are so many things that are great about
the Hunter Douglas Gallery® program that’s it hard to
name just one program that sold me on the Gallery
concept – it’s the whole package of being a Gallery.
If I owned my own retail business, I know I would be a
Gallery!
The overall support that Gallery dealers receive
by being one of more than 400 dealers of the highest
caliber around the country is key. I think if a dealer is
going to be in this industry and is serious about being
a window fashions retailer, he/she should shoot to
become a Gallery.
Some of the programs that have benefited my
…continued on page 6
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Making progress together
toward our future
TOM CONNELL
President
Gulf Coast Window Covering
800-392-4336
tom.connell@gcwc.com
I got started in the window fashions
business temporarily to gain
sales experience for a career in selling financial
securities. Because my parents were involved in
Gulf Coast, it was a natural. I discovered that I loved
working with entrepreneurial business owners and
stuck with it!
What sold me on the Gallery program was the idea
that dealers could tap into the strengths of a major
name brand, Hunter Douglas, yet still maintain their
independence and autonomy as a business owner. It
gives dealers the best of both worlds, and I realized it
was a great idea, similar to our role as an independent
fabricator with Hunter Douglas.
The Gallery programs that have most benefited our
dealers include the Hunter Douglas dealer locator and
the exclusive programs for Gallery dealers – including
enhanced promotions, exclusive products and the Right
Choice Promise™.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I’m
planning to bring an open mind and positive energy to
the discussions. I hope to help us continue to find ways
to provide value for the Gallery program and deliver
more benefits to dealers. I also hope to explore how we
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New Fabricator Advisory Board Members
dealers the most are the dealer locator on
hunterdouglas.com, iCM, the Gallery Display
Environment, and the enhanced co-op program and
promotions for Hunter Douglas Gallery® dealers.
I’m hoping that as a member of the Dealer Advisory
Council, I can add my perspective gained from talking
to dealers every day. I can help represent their thoughts,
concerns and input.
On a personal note, two events that have really
moved me were the two African safaris I’ve been on – to
Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe. I know
a lot of people have aspirations to go to Africa, and lots
of questions, so I hope people feel free to ask me about
my experiences.
June 2011
…continued from page 5
can expand the program in under-served regions. If the
Gallery program is good for dealers who are in it now, it
can also be good for dealers in other markets.
In my spare time, I love spending time with my
family and an occasional round of golf.
STEVE FRANKLIN
General Sales Manager
Hunter Douglas Fabrication Northwest Region
425-430-6110
steve.franklin@hunterdouglas.com
After graduating from college in 1987,
I got a call from a friend about an open
sales position at CustomBilt Products, a subsidiary of
HunterDouglas – and that’s how my relationship with
the window fashions business started. I have been with
HD in various sales roles ever since, becoming General
Sales Manager in 2009.
What sold me on the Gallery program was that I
could see HunterDouglas’ strong commitment to the
program, and I was impressed with the number of
innovative programs and services available to Gallery
dealers that could help them grow their businesses.
For me, one of the most valuable Gallery programs
is Alliance Certified Training (ACT). I believe it’s a lifealtering experience. I’ve attended the training myself
and heard glowing reviews from dealers who have
participated. And, of course, iCM is fabulous. It’s
custom built for our industry and helps our dealers
manage their businesses more effectively and more
efficiently.
As a member of the Gallery Dealer Advisory Council,
I hope to help find creative ways to enhance current
programs and promotions. Specifically, I’m interested
in developing methods to build sales using social media
and investigating enhanced lead-generating programs
for high-density destinations such as shopping malls.
My wife Beverly and I have one son, Cory, 16, and
two dogs. I guess opposites attract because she’s an
accountant and I’m in sales! Cory plays the stand-up
bass for his high school jazz band, and as a family, we
enjoy boating, snow skiing, water skiing and cooking.
…continued on page 7
SPECIAL INSERT
Making progress together
toward our future
My father founded Designer Blinds 25
years ago, and I became involved five
years later. I was an engineer at Boeing for ten years,
then joined Designer Blinds in 1991, starting up our
first branch office in Kansas City. I couldn’t believe I
was moving into the blind business, but I loved working
with my Dad and all the great folks on the team. So, I
decided to stay on… a decision I have never regretted.
What sold me on the Hunter Douglas Gallery®
concept is the proof that it works. Our sales numbers
prove that Gallery dealers have better sales growth.
While other dealers have struggled in recent years,
Gallery dealers, for the most part, have remained solid
or grown their businesses. And Hunter Douglas has
made Gallery a force to be reckoned with in the market.
To me, the most valuable aspect of the Gallery
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New Fabricator Advisory Board Members
STEVE WOODWORTH
President
Designer Blinds
402-331-2283
swoodworth@designerblinds.com
June 2011
…continued from page 6
program is the mindset and focus that is generated.
Forward-thinking dealers who are serious about
business and have a good business mind join the
Gallery program, and the program, in turn, further
expands their business savvy and makes them
part of a bigger entity. There are so many programs
that help Gallery dealers – including The Alustra
Collection® and other exclusive products and programs,
unique advertising support and the Gallery Display
Environment. If dealers take advantage of the programs
available, the Gallery affiliation is very powerful.
As a member of the Dealer Advisory Council, I
plan to listen to the concerns that Gallery dealers have
and provide input to leverage this program for more
success – not only for dealers, but also for fabricators
and Hunter Douglas. I want to look at ways to make the
Gallery program even stronger and more visible in the
marketplace.
I’ve been married for 30 years. We have four kids,
with three in college right now. I’m a big Nebraska
football fan, so you will see a lot of “Husker Red” in my
office. Go Cornhuskers… and Go Gallery! HDG