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Face to Face
Designing
Solutions
Omega Mfg. Corp. solves an age-old problem by mastering
the arch window treatment dilemma.
D&WC: How did the company
get started in window coverings?
David Pflieger, Vice President, Sales and
Marketing: Omega Mfg. Corp. is located in Two Rivers,
WI. Omega’s history is one of innovation, engineering and
executing at a very high level. For more than 30 years, Omega has
been designing and building high-speed wrapping equipment for the
paper industry.
A few years ago our president, John Nordstrom, and his wife, Barbara,
built a new home with three large (110-inch diameter) arched windows.
After moving in, they discovered the light and heat from the western
exposure was unbearable. They searched for a treatment solution
and discovered there was nothing in the market that met their needs.
Being highly creative, John decided to develop a solution. The result
of his efforts is the patent pending moveable arched window treatment:
the Adjust-A-View™ system.
In production since late 2004, the Adjust-A-View system is manufactured
in our 27,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Two Rivers.
D&WC: What best describes
your niche in the marketplace?
Pflieger: We are a
manufacturer presently focused on moveable arch window treatments
for half- and quarter-circle windows, but we consider our niche
to be treatments for all specialty and odd shaped windows.
D&WC: Who are your customers?
What parts of the country do you serve?
Pflieger: Our primary
customers are our dealers located throughout the country. We continue
to build our dealer network and are actively pursuing new dealers.
D&WC: Is your business
computerized? Do you have a company Web site, and how is it used
to communicate with customers?
Pflieger: Yes, our
business is computerized. Our Web site, www.adjustaview.com, has
a wealth of information about our products and we routinely use
e-mail to communicate with our dealers.
In addition, we have state-of-the-art CNC equipment in our manufacturing
facility.
D&WC: What are some of
the key factors involved in your growth and success?
Pflieger: We have
a unique product that solves a difficult window treatment problem.
Customers have told us they have wrestled with this problem forever
and they are grateful that there is finally a practical solution.
Our innovative mechanism uses cellular shades from all the major
manufacturers to provide an attractive, functional solution for
treating arched windows. Additionally, our system does not require
a perfect arch and can handle the radius being off as much as plus
or minus two inches. Templates are not required.
These factors make it easy to sell, specify, install and, most importantly,
easy to please the end user.
D&WC: What are your strengths
in the marketplace?
Pflieger: We provide
excellent customer service and listen intently to our customers.
Recently, we surveyed our dealers and they told us they love our
products, but thought our prices were a bit high. We took this to
heart and reduced our retail list prices (we were able to pass on
the cost savings from improvements in our production process). Many
dealers were flabbergasted at the price reduction. One dealer said,
“I can’t remember the last price decrease, it seems
like all we see are price increases!”
We are also using feedback from our dealers and the market as we
develop the next generation of the Adjust-A-View system, as well
as other products.
D&WC: What distinguishes
you from the competition?
Pflieger: Our products.
Our patent pending products solve treatment problems that have been
around since the arch window was invented. There is nothing like
the Adjust-A-View system and our customers are delighted when they
see it. Often we hear, “I have searched for something like
this for years and years, finally someone has solved the problem.”
We will continue to exploit our creativity and engineering strengths
to design and develop groundbreaking products.
D&WC: Where do you see
yourself and your company five years from now? Are there additional
areas within the industry that you would like to get involved in?
Pflieger: In five
years, we see ourselves as a leader in providing innovative window
treatment solutions for specialty windows of all shapes and sizes.
We believe there is a market need that we can fill with our current
and future products.
D&WC: Do you offer any
products other than window coverings?
Pflieger: Not to the
window treatments market. However, we do continue to provide a variety
of durable high-speed wrapping equipment to the paper industry.
Omega Mfg. Corp.
2720 18th St.
Two Rivers, WI 54241
(800) 874-9594
fax: (920) 794-7418
www.adjustaview.com
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