More Industry Profile

Industry Profile

Marvin Linnemann, president, says Samson takes pride in responding quickly to the needs of its fabricator network. D&WC: Please give a detailed description of your company and its history. Marvin J. Linnemann: Samson Aluminum, Ltd. was founded in 1982. The company started in a small warehouse and over the years has consistently grown in number of employees, product offerings and warehouse space. Today, Samson is headquartered in two adjacent buildings in Long Island, NY. The company began by selling painted aluminum strips for a variety of applications including horizontal blinds, vertical blinds and fence lattice. Initially, these products were sold to "container buyers" capable of purchasing large quantities direct from the factory. To meet the needs of today's customers, Samson's product line has greatly expanded to provide complete systems for horizontal and vertical blinds for customers of all sizes. A pivotal point in our history came in 1993, when Samson became part of the Holis Metal Industries Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers in the window coverings industry. As a market leader with facilities in Israel, Canada, Netherlands, Poland and the United States, Holis is a powerful partner for small and large fabricators alike. Today, as part of the Holis Group, Samson can provide a full range of products for the window coverings fabrication industry. D&WC: What products do you handle today? Linnemann: Samson offers diverse product lines to meet all of the needs of both large and small horizontal and vertical blind manufacturers. Products now sold include aluminum coil stock, ladder and cord, components for two systems of horizontal blinds and three systems of vertical blinds, fabrics, PVC, drapery hardware, assembled vertical tracks, horizontal ready-made blinds and fabrication equipment. D&WC: What one product or line stands out above the rest? Linnemann: The Samson V-13 system for horizontal blinds is a revolutionary program that allows our customers to manufacture mini-blinds profitably. The key aspect of this program is the low capital investment in machinery and inventory. This advantage, coupled with the high profit margins and quick return on investment, has allowed Samson fabricators to bring the profit back into mini-blind manufacturing. The Fabricator Partnership Program is unique in several ways. First, we have reduced the fabricator's inventory commitment by packaging products in smaller quantities, especially on slower moving colors in both steel rails and aluminum slats. Secondly, Samson will manufacture the custom blinds in the slower moving colors. Our fabricators only need to produce the 20 percent of the colors that represent 80 percent of the business. This way, they can come to the market with a powerful line of more than 150 designer colors, but do not have to maintain large inventories. Third, our customers then promote their own blind and their own name each day - not ours. They maintain their independence and promote their own company identity with every mini-blind sale. Fourth is price. After our customers analyze what it costs them to buy the finished blinds versus manufacturing it themselves, the decision becomes an obvious one, and we have the figures to prove it. Most important, we provide the equipment, training and technical support needed to begin fabrication. This is very different from years ago, when the cost of mini-blind fabrication machinery was a barrier to entry for most companies. Our alliance with the Holis Group enables Samson to provide our fabricators with comprehensive training, automated equipment and access to our extensive inventories, which allow them to aggressively compete - and profit - in the marketplace. D&WC: Who are your customers? Linnemann: Our customers are manufacturers, fabricators and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and South America. D&WC: What are your major strengths? Linnemann: First, our customers benefit from the fact that Holis controls each step of the manufacturing process itself. It makes every component that goes into both the horizontal and vertical blinds including such complex manufacturing as producing its own paint, roll-forming its own steel rails, braiding its own cord and ladders, injection molding its own plastic parts and stamping its own metal parts. In addition, it provides its own automated machinery and equipment for fabrication. Secondly, we maintain an extensive inventory of all our products, and because we can ship our products within 24 hours there is no need for our clients to stock an extensive inventory. This Quick Ship program greatly helps our customers, especially the smaller companies, who have come to rely on Samson as their "extended warehouse." This program helps them more effectively meet their own delivery schedules. D&WC: What distinguishes you from the competition? Linnemann: We believe we must provide the best value available in the market every day for every customer. Our commitment means a top-notch product, a competitive price, prompt delivery and excellent service. We must be good listeners and respond quickly to the needs of our fabricator network. D&WC: What trends to you see occurring in the industry and how are you addressing them? Linnemann: We see a comeback of the two-inch horizontal blind in a variety of materials including aluminum, PVC and wood, and using decorative tapes to combine with these materials for a truly new look for the window. We have responded by offering an exciting line of two-inch slats rich in wood tones, prints and special textured finishes to capitalize on this trend. Secondly, the relationship with our customers is changing. Customers need more support from us in many ways. We must not be order-takers, but problem-solvers. We need to concentrate on finding ways for our fabricators to more profitably produce our products. Samson International manufacturer of complete systems for vertical and horizontal blinds including aluminum coil stock, head- and bottomrails, ladder and cord, component systems, PVC, vertical fabric, assembled track, drapery hardware, ready-made blinds and fabrication equipment. Address : 2049 9th Ave. Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-6254 Phone : (800) 645-1720; (516) 467-7780 Fax: (516) 467-7939