Jan Henderson, Associate Publisher for Architecture Media shares her recent behind the scenes experience at Hunter Douglas Commercial.
The Hunter Douglas tour was an eye-opener. Here is an Australian company, manufacturing in Sydney, employing Australians and making world-class products. The factory was vast – larger than I initially thought – and the area was divided into sections with each employee designated a space to perform a particular sequence of actions in the making of a variety of blinds and awnings.
State-of-the-art technology is employed for much of the workload and computers are used for cutting and other precision jobs, but what did surprise me was the amount of work done by hand. In a world that is run by computers, this was a revelation. My tour leader explained that computers can't feel the warp and weft and the “pull' of each piece of fabric, and thus, particular jobs can only be performed by the human. Many of the positions on the shop floor are labour-intensive and it is this attention to detail that ensures that each product is perfect. It seemed to me that the quest for perfection is a way of life at Hunter Douglas.
It was interesting talking to some of the factory workers and it was obvious they hold a great sense of pride in the company and its products. I found out that many employees had been there for years and that employment turnover was low. I could see why: the team has a clean and comfortable environment to work in, a shared pride in the knowledge that their contributions matter, they produce a range of products that sell well throughout Australia, and the company is involved in constant research and development to maintain the mantle of market leader. This is a real 'family environment' and it is obvious that the managers at Hunter Douglas understand that the strength of a company comes from the dedication of its workforce. I think this is one of the reasons that Hunter Douglas is so successful.
After the tour I was lucky enough to see the next new product hot off the production line, the new Qmotion roller blind technology. I was impressed as this can be retrofitted insitu. The motion is smooth and quiet and the motor is powered by batteries that can last for approximately five years. This is another innovative product to add to the list of quality blinds in the Hunter Douglas stable.
