Women in Build Awards 2017

2017 Women in BUILD Awards 2017 Build 17 Company: Blindshapers Ltd Contact: Angela Willmott Contact Email: [email protected] Address: Festival Works, Spragg Street, Congleton, CW12 1QR, UK Phone: 01260 297976 Website: www.blindshapers.com stablished in 1986 to supply ordinary blinds to the general public, Blindshapers moved into creating custom blinds in the early 1990s, thanks to a unique bending machine developed by Angela. She discusses how far the company has come since inception and the range of products it is now able to create. “Here at Blindshapers, we began curving and arching vertical tracks in the early 1990s, as the wider market moved towards creating low cost straight blinds. Moving to our factory in Congleton we developed a large client base of trade customers. Then, in the late 1990s, we were approached by Soltech, who asked if we could make arched venetians for them. They needed around 50 blinds. “As such, we searched for the relevant components and organised a special aluminium rail. This was a unique annealed aluminium headrail and so could be shaped, and within a few months the first order was completed. Since then we have developed various shapes of venetians, such as full circles of up to 2.6m, apex, hexagonal, angled slopes (both top and bottom). Our venetians are either 25mm aluminium, with an option of privacy punching; or 25mm and 50mm wood slats.” Quality is central to the firm’s success, and is the feature which sets the company apart from its other firms in the industry, as Angela is eager to highlight. “At Blindshapers we aim to ensure the best quality of everything we produce. I have built a dedicated team of loyal and trustworthy staff. We get photographs of unusually shaped windows and the team brain- storm ideas. We have provided blinds for church conversions, luxury yachts and aeroplanes. We have even supplied blinds destined for train carriages in Egypt, which needed to be totally child safe venetians. All of us take great care and are committed to producing the best blinds that we can.” Moving forward, Angela foresees even greater success for her firm, as she proudly states in her concluding comments. “Thanks to our individual designed systems, Blindshapers’ reputation has spread worldwide. We are now exporting these unique vertical and venetian blinds to Canada, Dubai, USA, New Zealand, and Latvia, with our latest client being a blind company in the Seychelles. This global growth will provide us with many great opportunities which we are excit- ed to take advantage of.” Best Window Coverings CEO – UK & Excellence Award for Specialist Shaped Blinds - UK Blindshapers specialise in the manufacture of blinds for unusually shaped windows which are only made to each bespoke order for the window furnishings industry. Angela Willmott tells us more about the firm and her role in its success. E WIB17005 ™