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Shade sails find a place in the sun
September 1st, 2021
It was only a few years ago that Amy Poe, owner of Wyckam Fabric Creations, in Portland, Ore., started hearing about shade sails. Now the company is doing elaborate shade sail projects like this shade cover for the Big Toy Playground at Keizer Rapids Park in Keizer, Ore. Photo: Wyckam Fabric Creations. For something that’s […]
Finders, keepers: long-term customer loyalty
December 1st, 2019
Attracting customers in the market for shade products is one thing; retaining them for future business is another. Managing both objectives requires establishing connections that are meaningful and lasting. by Pamela Mills-Senn A quick Google search on “connecting with customers” reveals all sorts of advice, usually in the form of the “seven best ways,” or the […]
Backyard patio shade
August 30th, 2016
A custom shade disc transforms a scorching residential backyard into a shady oasis. In the arid Southwest, a little shade can go a long way toward transforming a residential backyard from a scorching desert to a shady oasis. One Tucson, Ariz., couple decided to shade their yard in style by installing a custom cantilevered shade […]
Growth of the gorillaBrella
November 1st, 2015
In the summer of 2008, looking to capitalize on the long-standing residential backyard construction boom, Conrad Masterson and his then-partner Patrick Howe (who later founded the shade sail company Shazeebo in Carlsbad, Calif.) designed a permanent umbrella—something to be unobtrusive but provide adequate shade, that could hold up to normal winds and storms and would […]
Selling shade
November 1st, 2015
Conrad Masterson, president of Shade Industries, builds his business by focusing on what clients really want —and what employees need. “The first thing I learned when I entered the shade sail industry was to focus on what the customer really wants,” says Conrad Masterson, president of SHADE Industries, Phoenix, Ariz. “That may sound simple, but […]