Page 7 - Focus on Woburn Road Industrial Estate: Bedford Today

Thursday,February27,2020 www.bedfordtoday.co.uk
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Family-run firm is still putting customers first after 52 years
A laser-like focus on customer service is paying dividends for family run blinds, shutters and curtains business Concorde Blinds.
The Kempston-based company – owned by the Wills family, which has been serving discerning home furnishing lovers for more than half a century – is still proudly independent and thriving.
It has developed a hard- earned reputation for its work on new builds and is a trusted supplier to the likes of Bellway, Taylor Wimpey and Linden Homes.
Operating from smart premises on the Woburn Road Industrial Estate, the company is highly service driven, which it believes is vital to compete with larger, well-known competitors.
Marketing manager Kieren Wills, grandson
of the business’s founder Peter, said: “We put great customer service at the heart of everything we do.
“We have exclusive access to most new build developments prior to completion so we can measure and install products ready for when you move in.”
Since joining the family firm after a career in sales, sports graduate Kieren, 34, has appraised and modernised the company’s processes and systems.
Innovations such as iPads have replaced the traditional pen and paper when visiting customers and taking orders.
Concorde Blinds offers a full range of blinds, curtains and shutters including cov- erings for bifold doors and unusual, large windows.
All roman blinds and curtains are manufactured from gorgeous fabrics on the premises by the team of 20 staff.
Every window covering is available from the simple to the extraordinary.
Concorde Blinds prides itself on being ‘ahead
of the curve’ and is at
the forefront of current trends such as the boom in demand for wooden shutters and state-of-the-
art motorised products that can be controlled by remote control, mobile phone and Amazon’s Alexa home assistant.
At the start of this year the company embarked on a soft rebrand as Concorde Blinds, Curtains, Shutters.
“A lot of people think we only provide blinds,” said Kieren.
“It’s not until they visit the showroom that they realise we do curtains, shutters, upholstery, wallpapers
and many more interior products too.”
For more information visit www.concordeblinds.com or call 01234 841515.
Concorde Blinds has a fully stocked showroom at its premises in Kempston
Timeline
● The forerunner of Concorde Blinds was born in 1968 when
Peter O’Doherty opened a venetian blind manufacturing business in Burnt Oak, which led to factories in Harlesden and, eventually, Luton
● Peter’s daughter Julie got involved in 1975 by opening a market stall in Luton selling roller blind and made-to-measure kits. The first retail shop later opened in Chapel Street, Luton
● As the business
grew Peter and Julie took on a large unit at Elstow Storage Depot
in 1977 with the vision
of being an all-in-one manufacturer of all blinds and window coverings, and the name Concorde first appeared
● Today, Julie – alongside Peter’s grandsons Liam
and Kieren – run the business with the same key values that the business set out with more than 50 years ago
There’s a range of stylish blinds available for all sizes of bifold doors
Lush fabrics are cut by hand to fit perfectly with a made-to-measure service
We have exclusive access to most new build developments prior to completion so we can measure and install products ready for when you move in
Large and unusually shaped windows are no problem for Concorde Blinds