‘Trends’ In Window Coverings

Bruce Grantham
Window Trends LLC

Please tell us about your business. We’re a Hunter Douglas gallery located in Kalaheo. We sell primarily Hunter Douglas window-covering products, basically anything that somebody could put on the inside of their windows: shutters, blinds that are Duette cellular shades, pleated shades, woven wood shades. We also sell a lot of drapes: valences, awnings. We service the entire island. We largely deal with homeowners – either new construction or remodeling. We also deal with commercial jobs, and we work with contracting companies.

Why did you start this business? I started this business 35 years ago. I had a furniture store in Lihue and it was quite successful, and then Hurricane Iwa came along and the roof of the entire building and awning were gone after that. At that point, I decided to go into selling blinds and drapes, and I happened to be a Levolor blind dealer.

What sets your business apart from others? We offer a place where someone can actually see our products and how they look in windows. We have such a wide variety of window coverings for people to look at. It’s a real opportunity for people. And we sell Hunter Douglas, which is one of the best brands of window coverings around. In addition, our staff is well-trained and we offer professional services. For example, we just got back from a Hunter Douglas seminar on Oahu. The company invites us all the time to attend seminars, including in Denver where it is located. Our installers are sent to the Mainland to train at various levels, as well. The level of professionalism really means a lot to me. We don’t just sell window treatments here, we offer great service from beginning to end.

Why do you do what you do? I graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in marketing, so I moved to California and was involved with a few businesses there, and started my own jewelry designing and manufacturing business, where I imported jewelry from Mexico. I actually came to Kauai to sell jewelry and ended up moving here and starting the furniture business. I always thought blinds were unique and had a place here that wasn’t being filled.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your business? Most of my adult life I’ve been an entrepreneur and had businesses that I was in charge of, and that’s very satisfying. It can be kind of scary though – you don’t always have a paycheck, but it’s also very rewarding.

What’s your business motto or philosophy? Our mission statement is that we give people the highest quality window coverings at the lowest possible prices.

What is the most popular-selling item? Vinyl shutters are extremely popular. They’re not too expensive, they look great, they’re easy to clean and they last a long time. It also increases the value of your home. The Duette shades are also very popular.

What makes you get up every day and go to work? Having my own business drives me.

Do you have any future plans for your business? There are always things I think about that we can do. Maybe open another store on the North Shore or acquire a new line of window coverings.

Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and weekends by appointment

2-2514 Kaumualii Hwy., Kalaheo

332-9844 windowtrends.com