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10/1/2004
Sunburst Shutters: 25 Years of Success The Polywood shutter made Sunburst the country’s largest shutter company
For Immediate Release
October 1, 2004
Media Contacts
John Barnes, Sunburst Shutters, 702-870-4488
jbarnes@sunburstshutters.com or
Shannon Hiller, Vanguard Media Group, 702-383-4002
shiller@vanmedia.com
Sunburst Shutters: 25 Years of Success
The Polywood shutter made Sunburst the country’s largest shutter company
In 1974 Ron Swapp couldn’t find a high quality interior shutter that he liked for his family’s Las Vegas home. Instead of settling for another product, Swapp used his garage as a makeshift workshop; and what originally started as an ambitious home improvement project eventually led to the creation of the largest shutter company in North America—Sunburst Shutters®.
Incorporated in 1979, Sunburst Shutters now celebrates its 25th anniversary, having gone from one shutter to more than six million sold. With 28 stores nationwide and product in national home improvement chains, the company is growing at a rate of 20% or more each year. Swapp attributes the company’s success to the beauty and value that his shutters add to a home.
“It’s amazing when you think about it,” said Swapp. “America’s love of plantation shutters has grown tremendously over the past 25 years and Sunburst Shutters has grown right along with it.”
As part of the company’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, Sunburst Shutters is giving away free shutters to customers across the nation every week through the end of the year, holding an essay contest where three winning homeowners will receive 200 square feet of free shutters, and giving away a Winter Getaway Vacation in January. Information on these promotions is available at www.sunburstshutters.com or in any Sunburst Shutters retail store (locations listed on the website).
“With 25 years of experience, Sunburst Shutters is a major player in the plantation shutter industry,” Swapp said. “We accomplished that by always focusing on having the best people, great service, and the perfect product.”
Sunburst’s “perfect” product—and the one responsible for the majority of their success—has been the Polywood® shutter.
“Polywood has been to Sunburst Shutters what the Model T was to Ford,” said Dix Jarman, CEO of Sunburst Shutters. “The company now has 10 times as many stores after introducing Polywood to the window covering market, and more than 75% of our historical revenue is from Polywood shutters, even though we’ve only offered Polywood for 13 years.”
Available exclusively through Sunburst Shutters or Sunburst-authorized dealers, the Polywood shutter was developed and introduced in 1993 by co-owners Swapp and Jarman. Polywood shutters are made from an engineered wood substitute that has the appearance of real wood, without the problems often associated with wood—such as fading, cracking or warping. They also insulate better than wood. The Polywood line put Sunburst Shutters on the radar screen for homebuilders, interior designers and homeowners.
“In Polywood, we found the right combination of functionality and aesthetics for homeowners looking for a long-lasting, beautiful way to invest in their home’s atmosphere,” Jarman said.
According to Jarman, Polywood revolutionized the shutter business. “With the introduction of Polywood 13 years ago, homeowners now had a choice when it came to their shutters – wood wasn’t their only option. Wood shutters just don’t last as long, bottom line,” states Jarman. “Polywood is a long-lasting solution.”
Unfortunately, with every great invention come cheap imitations. “After we introduced Polywood, other window treatment companies started to sell shutters made from synthetic materials,” said Jarman. “But for the homeowner, saving a few dollars isn’t worth the lack of quality, service, and a life-time guarantee. The continued success of Polywood proves that people want a product and a company that is going to last. I think the past 25 years have demonstrated that Sunburst Shutters is here to stay.”
About Sunburst Shutters
Sunburst Shutters has stores located in the following cities: ARIZONA--Phoenix, CALIFORNIA--Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento-Bay Area, CANADA—Vancouver BC, FLORIDA—Boca Raton, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Jacksonville, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa Bay, HAWAII—Honolulu, ILLINOIS—Chicago, INDIANA—Indianapolis, LOUISIANA—New Orleans, MASSACHUSETTS—Boston, MICHIGAN—Detroit, MINNESOTA—Minneapolis, NEVADA—Las Vegas, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY—New York, OHIO—Cleveland, TEXAS—Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, TENNESSEE—Nashville, VIRGINIA/DC /MARYLAND—Gaithersburg. For more information on Sunburst Shutters, visit www.sunburstshutters.com or call 702-870-4488.
