Draper Europe AB acquires Tvaakersmarkisen, one of the largest awning makers in Sweden as well as a maker of window shades and venetian blinds.
“Awnings are a popular window covering in Europe, due to the high cost of energy,” according to Goran Peterson, MD, Draper Europe AB, “so this was a natural fit for Draper.” Peterson adds, however, there “more than awnings in Draper Europe’s plans.”
During the second half of 2012 Draper Europe will also begin to make interior and exterior window shades using Draper’s proprietary hardware system.
“The combination of awnings and interior and exterior window shades will make Draper Europe one of the largest window covering manufacturers in Scandinavia,” Peterson points out. “We see great synergies between projection screens and window shades, and are happy to be able to capitalize on Draper’s extensive knowledge and experience in window coverings to expand our offering in Europe.”
This sounds very much like the Yamaha Formula. A long time ago, in another galaxy…Yamaha executives explained to me the unity of their corporate mission. We were sitting in front of Yamaha tuners and amplifiers…and one of the Japanese pulled a tuning fork from his pocket. He struck it against the table and the tuning fork did what it was designed to do: the two prongs (tines) in the U-shaped bar of steel resonated acoustically in a perfect pitch.
“We are experts in vibrations,” he explained. And then went on to talk about Yamaha’s evolution from reed organs to other musical instruments to motorcycles and engines to golf clubs and tennis rackets. It’s all about the vibrations…
So …what do window shades and projection screens have in common? Both certainly require a fabric and a certain tension, and both benefit with a motorized versions that raise and lower. In that sense, you can see a certain manufacturing synergy, a la the Yamaha Formula.
Can making window shades eventually reduce the price of quality projection screens? One assumes there can probably be factors of cost-savings on research, on raw materials, and on motorized parts.
Will window shades evolve from analogue to digital? Well, in USA there are already “Solar Screen Roller Shades” whose digital printing turns shades into part of archi-tainment. The tendency is more for the glass to become digital, as Boeing does in the Dreamliner windows.
Yet all this is more manufacturing synergy than commercial overlap. Tvaakersmarkisen, for example, distributes in Sweden via window covering concept stores and independent dealers.
But shades do play an important part of energy control with added value when digitally controlled. And with shades, you get into buildings and offices…into the offices of facility managers and procurement officers.
Is this acquisition a new direction for Draper? Actually Draper Inc. in USA already makes a variety of products including window shades. Within this article you’ll see a photo asking, “Which one does Draper Inc. NOT make?” The answer is…Draper makes and markets ALL those products, even the EZ-Fold basketball net. Now that’s a slam dunk.
Go Draper Europe Buys into Awnings, Shades & Blinds