The Custom Integrator Program (CIP), from window treatments manufacturer Hunter Douglas, has grown to more than 300 home technology integration professionals nationwide.
The CIP launched in late 2019 to provide the specialized support that integrators need to properly specify automated window treatment solutions and confidently add Hunter Douglas to their product line up.
Related: Hunter Douglas Changes Integrator’s Approach to Automated Shades
As homeowner appetite for smart home technology continues to increase, custom integrators have seen significant opportunity to expand their services and solutions. The continued growth of smart shade adoption was buoyed by the addition of the company’s new PowerView+ hardwired automated shading solution and the Rechargeable Battery Wand in 2020.
Growing the Hunter Douglas Team
With the celebration of this milestone and to uphold the brand’s commitment to the custom channel, Hunter Douglas is growing the team focused on custom integrator channel initiatives.
Bruce Weyhe will serve as senior director of strategic partnership sales and Maren Gehling as national sales manager, custom integrators. Bruce Weyhe joins the company following a 13-year tenure with Kohler Co., where he led the company’s global sales and customer service teams for their luxury kitchen and bath brands. In this newly created role, Weyhe and his team will be focused on strategic sales channels, including custom integrators.
“Our program uniquely positions integrators for significant growth with both new homebuyers as well as with current homeowners seeking the enhanced levels of comfort, convenience, security, and energy efficiency that come with automated window treatments,” Weyhe said. “The program has seen fantastic adoption and growth, and we look forward to developing the program even further to meet the specific needs of our dealers in home automation projects.”
Maren Gehling also joins the team supporting the CIP as national sales manager, custom integrators. Gehling has a deep history with Hunter Douglas. For the last nine years, she has worked in product management across the company’s portfolio, including the initial development of the award-winning PowerView Automation system.
“Hunter Douglas has a history of product innovation that is centered around a premium consumer experience. This ideology aligns so naturally with the goals that custom integrators have when they are working with a client, so I’m excited to introduce dealers to the uniquely differentiated product portfolio that Hunter Douglas offers,” said Gehling.
CIP Details
When integrators join the CIP, they’re provided with technical training and sales support to help drive new business in this product category. Members of the program also gain access to the robust portfolio of design options and over 20 shade styles compatible with PowerView Automation and the new PowerView+, including the popular Designer Roller Shades, Silhouette Window Shadings, and flagship Duette Honeycomb Shades.
In addition to training and access to the full Hunter Douglas product line, integrators enrolled in the program also receive access to sample books and presentation tools to demonstrate the quality and capabilities of the smart shades to clients.
The company also recently launched a mobile selling tool for dealers to access these tools and support right at their fingertips.
For help installing window treatments, the Hunter Douglas Installation Service (HDIS) is also available as an end-to-end solution that guarantees accurate measuring and proper shade installation, delivered by a nationwide network of independent partners. Using HDIS guarantees that the order is placed correctly and includes a one-year guarantee on the installation itself, as well as a five-year warranty on PowerView and a lifetime warranty on the shades.
CIP is available to authorized smart home integrators nationwide. Professionals can learn more about the Hunter Douglas Custom Integrator Program here.
