479: Power Talk Friday: Kirsch: Breathing New Life into a 112 Year Old Company

Welcome to another episode of Window Treatment Friday! Today, we're introducing you to Kirsch, our newest sponsor for A Well-Designed Business. Kirsch has been an industry leader in drapery hardware for more than one hundred years, and they also have a custom window coverings program. For today's episode, we have Matt Johnson and Sarah Frost with us to talk to us about the latest innovations that Kirsch is bringing to the design and window treatment community, so tune in, to find out more! Kirsch was started in 1907 when Charles Kirsch invented the first curtain rod and telescoping rod. His goal was to connect with people around his fantastic products. Soon after inventing his innovative curtain rods, Charles published his first style book,  to guide purchasers of drapery hanging specialties.  The first Kirsch patented lace curtain rod was created in 1923, and then Charles designed the deluxe cut-to-measure drapery, which was one of the most important developments in drapery hardware history. For the next fifty years, the Kirsch brand continued to incorporate many more innovative advancements that would change our industry forever. Matt Johnson is the National Sales Manager of Kirsch Drapery Hardware. He leads a team of experienced sales professionals representing over 100 years of the Kirsch brand. Over his 22 years in the window coverings industry, Matt has sales experience in multiple channels of business including National Retailers, Independent Retailers, Builders, Contract and Commercial Accounts and Distributors.  His rich background and understanding of the window coverings industry have allowed him to apply his passion for working with business owners and designers to develop sales and marketing strategies to improve sales and service. Sarah Frost is the Brand Manager for Kirsch Drapery Hardware. She oversees a talented team that creates conceptual designs and implementation of the marketing initiatives for the drapery hardware launches and projects. Sarah has experience in hard window coverings as well as drapery hardware from her previous positions as a product manager and in sales. Listen in today to find out what Matt and Sarah have to share about our newest sponsor, the Kirsch brand. Show Highlights: Matt gives us a synopsis of Kirsch, and it's long and rich history in the window coverings industry Sarah has lots of fresh, new ideas for the Kirsch brand. Breathing new life into the brand through engaging with the trade. There are currently so many new and improved drapery hardware options available. Kirsch provides great resources to educate the design community about their complicated product. Sarah discusses how she and her team are revising and revamping the way their products are produced and presented. It all starts with the numbers. Keeping abreast of the latest trends. Creating a digital price list has made all the difference. The new styles and colors that Kirsch is coming out with are very different from what people are used to seeing in their Buckingham collection. The texture of natural wood products is really beautiful. The craftsmanship of their new finishes is really impressive. Matt explains the features of their new and improved motorized drapery tracks. Sarah discusses all the aspects of the business that have been redone. Their brochures have been redone for the designer to the client. What the resource library is all about. You will be able to see Kirsch's new products at the IWCE Expo in Charlotte in March 2020. Links: Website: Kirsch Instagram: Kirsch Twitter: Kirsch Facebook: Kirsch