SPRINGS WINDOW FASHIONS, TWO DECADES OF GROWTH IN TAMAULIPAS

The best experience starts with its workers

Springs Window Fashions has been part of the home decoration Industry since 1887 when it was founded in South Carolina.  Today its products are available in almost all important retailers and in thousands of design exhibition rooms.

From warmness provided to a room by wooden blinds to the soft glide of roller blinds, its wide range of products brings to each person the opportunity of designing the perfect space for your home.

It has more than 5 thousand workers worldwide, with 75 % in Mexico and  its presence highlights in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; Grayling, MI; Middleton, WI; Montgomery, Williamsport, PA; Tijuana, B.C.; Reynosa, Tam; and Cd. Victoria, Tam.

The best experience

However, its objective is not only to decorate homes; its objective is to provide to every person the touch of their brands with “The Best Experience.”  From the engineer designing a product, the worked manufacturing it, the distributor or retailer that sells it, the person that adds it to their homes; each person is treated with the same respect and care, and they constantly strive to earn their trust and loyalty.

Which is the Best Experience?

It is about everything they do for the workers, customers and consumers.  It is about how they treat themselves, the way in which they design and build their products, and how they fulfill their promises they do to those placing their products on their homes every day.  This philosophy was created by Eric Jungbluth, president and CEO of the company, who is convinced that creating the Best Experience requires everyone to work together in turning this company in something to be proud to be part of.

Springs Window Fashions in Reynosa

With about 20 years of history in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Springs Window Fashions started operations in this border city in 1999 and has two plants in this city, thus the two plants manufacture blinds, and each one has their special touch.

From the 4 locations existing in Mexico, Reynosa has the largest one, and today it hoses about 4 thousand workers (both plants) and continues to grow thanks to its culture and commitment of providing the customer the best experience and value.

Two decades of continuous growth in the city have made Springs Window Fashions observing its permanence and growth in Reynosa in the not too distant future; in fact more products are coming by the beginning of 2019, what will make this company expanding its facilities.

Luis Angel said that at the beginning of operations in Reynosa, Springs Window Fashions was integrated by 400 employees, 20 years later and taking into account the workforce in the two plants located in this city they almost reach 4 thousand employees.

“We are growing internally, in Plant II of Reynosa year after year we are growing to double digits and will reach a day in which we would not have enough capability in this plant; therefore we do not discard to continue growing in the city, either in this same industrial park.  Our people is noble, most of workers have a seniority of more than 5 years and even there is personnel with 20 years of career in the company,” said Luis Angel Lopez Trevino, manager of the Plant II of Springs Window Fashions.

Meanwhile, Ernesto Cortez Villarreal, business unit manager at Plant-I, said: “As border, Reynosa provides an advantage in location, we have the distribution centers in Texas and by easiness and the proximity with the customs, this is an strategic place where Springs Window Fashions – Plant I has 2,800 employees, in two years it has grown to 800 employees, “the company  continues bringing product to Reynosa and we have done well with the personnel, there are workers with a wide seniority period and this thanks to Springs Window Fashions provides the Best Experience and in fact you live here,” Cortez underlined.

Springs Window Fashions – Plant 1

Mexico Industry Tamaulipas team was received in plant 1 of Springs Window Fashions by Ernesto Cortez Villarreal, business unit manager; he is in charge of the warehouse areas, shipment, planning and purchases in this plant which focuses its operations in manufacturing wooden and plastic blinds, as well as furniture called shutters also made of wood and plastic.

How the process starts?

Wood arrives virgin from the United States and in this plant is treated and painted, and the final product is assembled which goes direct to the customer.

The products manufactured in Plant-I have different processes, practically the blind is assembled from the start; here components are received and personnel from the company performs from the first assemble to the final product.

It is the same with the shutters, they have two low cost products managed, and in this case, they receive blinds already done in Malesia and in Plant I Reynosa goes through the cutting process (long and wide) and it is shipped to the customer.

Challenges of the raw material they use

In wood, the personnel training curve is of about 3 months, since it is necessary for workers to become experts in detecting wood defects, and this due to each tree is different, therefore each wood piece is different.

Regarding plastic, the assembly of these pieces is friendlier, since the finish can be identical between pieces.

Blinds production

40 thousand blinds per week are produced, shipping about 25 shipments per day to the United States with different models inside a wide range of the 10 thousand part numbers this company manages.

Talking about wood blind production, 10 thousand are produced and in plastic made blinds are 30 thousand blinds produced per week.

Springs Window Fashions – Plant 2

In this plant 2 two products are managed; components are done and 4 different types of blinds: panel track, residential solar blinds and commercial solar blinds. In fact Plant 2 in Reynosa is the largest plant worldwide where this kind of solar blinds are done.

One of the main characteristics of solar blinds is that it is managed by percentages regarding the amount of light that you wish to let enter to the room saving though an important amount of energy.

There are blinds controlled by engines, there are no engines connected to the electric energy, and many of them can be controlled through the cell phone through an application that allow the bling go up or down.

Talking about the components being manufactured in Plant 2 of Springs Window Fashions, many are done in painted steel, painted aluminum and painted PVC (this last one since it is barely grit.)

Steel components are sent to the plant located in Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas and the Plant – I in Reynosa; these plants manufacture the finished product, and it is in this Plant-II where they manufacture the painted coil and is sent to other plants.

On the other hand, the painted aluminum is sent in 95 % to Cd. Victoria and 5 % is intended to the plant in Tijuana, B.C.; while the painted pvc is sent to plant 1 of Reynosa in 100 percent.

Blinds manufactured in Plant 2 are of fabric, and manage a variety of 600 different colors in the products being done here.

Regarding the raw material, all is received mainly from the United States although they also have other suppliers from China and Europe.

The entire product of this plant is exported to the 100 % to the United States and is product that is 100 % sold, there is no product being done to have in stock.

It is almost sure that you have walked through the aisle of Home Depot or Lowes; main customers of Springs Window Fashions, commercial chains in products for the home where the products manufactured by the hands of the people of Reynosa are made available to the final consumer.

More than 6 thousand blinds per day

Daily at Plant-II in Reynosa are manufactured 6 thousand blinds.  Regarding the process, Springs Window Fashions has sophisticated equipment for fabric cutting, since it cannot be cut with scissors or any other conventional method.  The equipment used in Springs Window Fashions automatically seals the fabric so there are no threads.  Specialized equipment is the one addressed for tube cutting; it has the preassembly process in which components are added to the aluminum tube and to the bottom rail or counterweight.  Afterwards the blind goes through the final assembly process and immediately to its packaging to be delivered.

“The elaboration process of the blinds is of 2 hours, since the blind enters the process the process takes 2 hours in which it is sent to its customers,” said Luis Angel Lopez Trevino, manager of the Plant – II Springs Window Fashions.

Associates with the Best Experience

Catalina Hernandez Mena, of 67 years old, has worked for 18 years in Springs Window Fashions.  She enjoys each activity she is asked to do.  She started in the cleaning area and today she works selecting the splints that will then enter a treatment process before being painted to assembly the blind.

Catalina is an example of the Best Experience in Springs Window Fashions, and in her career of 18 years as a worker she has never missed work, she distinguishes by her fulfillment and commitment with the company, in addition of having a good character and availability that has allow her to climb and be an example to follow.

Interviewed at his working area known as ColorLab or Color Laboratory, we knew Adolfo Facundo Santiago of 33 years old, who told us that it is in this area where colors used in the plant are done; all required plants, for an internal process as well as external from their customers are done here.

Adolfo has been working for 15 years in Springs Window Fashions and said that this area and he mentioned that it is a detailed process through systems and mechanisms that allow matching any color the customer requires, Adolfo mentioned that in his career in the company manufactures about 50 or 60 colors per day.  He also told us that the most difficult colors and rare that have been requested to do are those such as silver and gold, in addition of chromatic such as blue, red or even flashy as the fluorescents.

“Springs Window Fashions has given me an opportunity, I feel comfortable, I like what I do and in fact I feel very well.  This was something I always dreamed doing, we fit, the job and I,” since he was a child, as he said, colors captured his attention and as he underlined “I fell here and I stayed here.”

“I would like to continue growing in the company and finish here my profession; I am currently studying the career of industrial engineering.