“Draft:Select Blinds”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

SelectBlinds.com is one of the largest and fastest-growing e-tailers in the home decor market, with a focus on coverings such as blinds, shades, shutters and curtains.

The company was founded privately by entrepreneur Rick Steele along with Nate Kennedy in 2003, and they were joined by Al Silverberg, who came on as CEO in 2005. The goal was to offer quality, custom window blinds and shades at affordable prices. The company quickly grew in size and reach, boasting revenues of $885K in its first year and seeing that balloon to more than $65 million just 10 years later. A key to that growth was the incorporation of carts as part of the online shopping experience as well as a focus on customer reviews. In 2017 SelectBlinds.com was ranked No. 35 on AZCentral's best small companies to work for list.^[1]

Though known for window coverings, Select Blinds is a pioneer when it comes to making their offerings safe for children. Specifically, [https://consumerfed.org/press_release/retailers-cut-the-cord-for-kids/ in 2016 they became the first window coverings company] to offer cordless options on all of its products and has been a leader in pushing for changes with industry safety standards.^[2]

The Tempe, Arizona-based company has nearly 100 employees and earned a top-3 ranking from the Phoenix Business Journal for best place to work^[3] and has appeared on a similar list produced by AZCentral.^[1]

The Concept

The premise behind SelectBlinds.com is that customers can get their desired look without ever leaving home. But to allow for that to happen, especially back in 2003, it took some creativity. Kennedy developed a proprietary e-commerce platform to get the job done, and that platform is still being used today.

Stumping for Safety

Among the various causes Steele promotes, one of them -- #GoCordless-- has had a great impact on SelectBlinds.com. The goal is to educate consumers about the dangers presented by window covering cords in an effort to [https://www.selectblinds.com/press/selectblinds-commits-to-100-percent-cordless.html make homes safer for children and pets.] In fact, SelectBlinds.com CEO Al Silverberg testified in June 2016 before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as they [https://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Newsroom/FOIA/CommissionBriefingPackages/2016/AgendaforPrioritiesHearing2017-2018-June152016.pdf considered mandating that window covering products be cord free] by January 1, 2018.^[4]

As part of that commitment to safety, SelectBlinds.com in 2016 became the first window coverings retailer to go 100% cordless with its offerings. ^[5] For those who are not choosing to go cord free, Select Blinds has created a program that offers free cord cleats to customers and non-customers alike.^[6]

Select Blinds in the Media

Not surprisingly, SelectBlinds.com has been featured on various home improvement shows. Among them are Home Edition^[7], American Dream Builders, Tiny House Nation and Home Free^[8].

NASCAR Sponsorship

SelectBlinds.com became a primary sponsor for Front Row Motorsports NASCAR driver David Ragan in early 2019. The company's colors and logo appeared on Ragan's No. 38 Ford Mustang in four races, including the Daytona 500 ([https://www.cbssports.com/nascar/news/2019-daytona-500-late-wreck-causes-massive-pile-up-with-less-than-10-laps-to-go/ where he was part of the multi-car wreck with less than 10 laps remaining]), Coca-Cola 600, South Point 400 and Ticket Guardian 500.

The sponsorship came about after Steele won Ragan's No. 38 Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford during the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The winning bid of $300,000 went to the hospital^[9], and after meeting Steele and Ragan struck up a quick friendship.

That friendship led to a sponsorship^[10], which came about quickly as the auction was on January 17, 2019, and the Daytona 500 took place less than one month later.

References

1. ^¹{{Cite news|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2017/06/29/top-companies-2017-small-company-rankings/103208006/|title=Top Companies: Best small companies|last=|first=|date=2018-07-17|work=AZCentral|access-date=}}
2. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.selectblinds.com/gocordless.html|title=#GoCordless|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}
3. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/subscriber-only/2014/12/05/best-places-to-work-small.html|title=iT1 scores big in Best Places to Work - Small division|last=|first=|date=2014-12-05|website=Phoenix Business Journal|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}
4. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Newsroom/FOIA/CommissionBriefingPackages/2016/AgendaforPrioritiesHearing2017-2018-June152016.pdf|title=U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}
5. ^https://www.fairwarning.org/2016/06/cords/[https://www.fairwarning.org/2016/06/cords/], 1
6. ^{{Cite news|url=http://www.urlwire.com/news/030515.html|title=SelectBlinds.com Saves Children's Lives by Giving Away Over 82,000 Free Cord Cleats|last=|first=|date=2015-03-05|work=URLWire.com|access-date=}}
7. ^{{Cite web|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/selectblinds/extreme-makeover/prweb4559334.htm|title=SelectBlinds.com Partners up Again with ABC for the 8th Season of Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition|last=|first=|date=|website=PRWEB.com|archive-url=|archive-date=2019-03-05|dead-url=|access-date=}}
8. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox.com/home-free/article/home-free-partners/|title=FOX.com|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}
9. ^{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/26076/sale-of-david-ragans-nascar-racer-raises-300000-for-shriners-hospitals|title=Sale of David Ragan's NASCAR Racer Raises $300,000 for Shriners Hospitals|last=Vincent|first=Amanda|date=2019-01-21|work=TheDrive.com|access-date=}}
10. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.selectblinds.com/press/david-ragan-front-row-motorsports-new-partnership.html|title=FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH SELECTBLINDS.COM|last=|first=|date=2019-02-05|work=|access-date=}}