The global housing industry has been progressing faster and people are looking to add various ornamental features to make their houses look better. Screening of houses is one such practice that not only makes houses look attractive but also has various functionalities. With the screen walls, one can enjoy the scenic beauty of nature, keep the house lit and avoid any kind of insects from coming in.
The screening industry is predicted to grow at the rate of 4.76% CAGR offering great opportunities for business. However, there are very few players in this industry who offer great products and after-sales services. Progressive Screens is one such company that has been catering to its customers with the best-in-class products and great customer experiences after-sales.
Progressive Screens is a leading manufacturer of motorized screening solutions for patios, garages, windows, lanais, gazebos, picture windows, outside eating areas, carports, entryways and more! They offer both residential and commercial applications to enhance customers’ outdoor lifestyles. To understand how they were able to deliver this without burning a lot of capital, our team was with Arthur James Jr., President at Progressive Screens.
How did it all begin?
Business ideas don’t pop up out of anywhere. Answering the question of what inspired them to set up this business Arthur says, “Being in the industry since 1995 and one of the first involved in this industry I have seen a lot of changes and failures through the years. I started out as a distributor and ended up being forced by who is now one of our top competitors to go into business for myself and design our own motorized screen system. To be honest I hated the zipper system we had developed in 2002 and never pushed the product. In 2015 I started working with an Industrial designer to create a new system and we came upon the magnetic application for our track system the light bulb went off and this was it! In July of 2017, we launched the MagnaTrack system”.
Success of MagnaTrack
MagnaTrack harnesses the power of neodymium magnets which are specially inserted within the track housing. These magnets are placed at opposing poles, allowing the track to free-float inwards during deployment up to 1/2″ per side, and then retract to ensure a tight, perfect appearance of the screen material. The sidetrack design eliminates almost 98% of any common service issues associated with other motorized screens and is Guaranteed to outperform any other system available! The magnetic sidetracks, combined with our proprietary interlock, provides smooth, consistent deployment of the screen and constant tension on the screen after deployment, keeping the screen taught and secure.
Since the launch of MagnaTrack, our sales have sky rocked, and the innovation has set up apart from our Competition. We were acquired by Hunter Douglas in Decem- ber 2020 which has allowed up to continue the innovation and growth of the company as well as expand our offerings.
This was the game-changer of our industry, and the Patented technology revolutionized the performance of exterior screen systems. The unmatched performance of our system combined with functional and aesthetic features sets us apart from any competitor.
The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try.Once you find something you love doing, be the best at doing it.
Tenacity to deliver well and consistently
Without the zeal and tenacity to achieve, it is very difficult to reach greater heights and when asked about the thing that has kept Arthur James Jr. moving forward he replied with, “First and foremost, the product itself. And then we have world-class customer service and sales representation that backs up the product we are supplying. We have suffered slightly with the supply chain issues and have not delivered as well as I would like, but we have the best product in the world for our industry and our customers are very loyal and new dealers are begging for the opportunity to handle our product line”.
Market reception
While we always pride ourselves on our products, it is actually the customers that decide how well they perform in the market. When asked about how customers are responding to their products Arthur said, “Our clients love the continued innovation and improvements we have made year over year to the product. MagnaTrack provides a lifestyle enhancement and extension of the outdoor living area. I would say one of the biggest studies for our product was launching the product in Australia with Hunter Douglas. We won best in show, and they have been dominating the screen market since the introduction of MagnaTrack with Hunter Douglas AU”.
Future ahead
Speaking about the plans that they have for the future Arthur feels that they must have multiple manufacturing platforms across the USA, as well as complimentary products that will be an extension of our product offerings. They need west coast/southwest and possibly mid-west operations to be able to ship quickly at affordable shipping costs as their product is very heavy, long and expensive to ship. Considering this, they are moving forward steadily and carefully.
