Sudbury firm Caribbean Blinds targets continued growth after success during Covid pandemic creates catalyst for expansion

While many businesses have been hit hard, the changes in behaviours that Covid created has also led to some unexpected success stories.

Chief among them is the Sudbury-based Caribbean Blinds, which cited the pandemic as the catalyst that accelerated growth beyond its projections, with lasting change not only to customer behaviour, but also its own approach.

The family-run shading maker is expecting a £6 million turnover for 2023, and is on track to hit £10 million by 2025, with the goal of then doubling that to £20 million in the following decade.

Reflecting on the company’s growth since the start of 2020, managing director Stuart Dantzic said it had also reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to Sudbury, with a locally-sourced workforce that is set to increase from 32 to 50 people in the next two years.

“It's always been our intention to expand,” he told SuffolkNews. “The pandemic just accelerated our need and our drive to get the ball rolling and get this under way.

“The business was growing, and we had it in our business plan to try to grow about 30 to 35 per cent year on year. The pandemic was definitely the catalyst for change, which changed that to about 50 per cent.

“When we bought this building back in 2008, we bought it for the land next to it, which we have built on, with a view that we were staying in Sudbury.

“Even when we get to our £10 million turnover, we have ample space where we currently are, so we have no plans to move. It’s a nice part of the country to be in.”

The 10,000-square-foot expansion on Woodhall Business Park, which was completed at the end of 2022, has seen a major boost to Caribbean Blinds’ storage and production capacity.

As a result, lead times on its products – which include external blinds, patio awnings, and aluminium pergolas – were cut in half, from four to two weeks.

But the catalysts that led to this surge in growth, Stuart explained, began two years earlier, when the changes in consumer attitudes quickly became apparent during the first Covid lockdown, when production resumed after a three-week closure.

“The home improvement sector, generally speaking, had a good pandemic,” Stuart said. “The biggest question for us was, ‘are customers going to keep spending the money, or are they going to sit on the purse-strings and ride it out?’

“Because we are financially sound, we made the decision to increase our advertising – at a time when the majority of our competitors decided to stop advertising.

“We doubled our marketing budget, but actually tripled our reach. People knew they couldn’t go abroad, but they wanted to be outside.

“There was also this whole thing during the pandemic with people appreciating products that are made in Britain, and wanting products that are made here to support the economy.

“Some of the first phone calls we had were from people asking where our products are made? That’s still a thing in people’s minds. Some of that is to support the UK economy, but some of it is the pride in products being from here.

“Overall, it has been a positive, if we can look at it in that way – obviously, the pandemic as a whole was a negative.

“But, for us, it sort of aligned everything, in terms of changing consumer perceptions about the value of gardens – between going on multiple holidays, or going on one and then spending the rest of the time in their gardens.”

Stuart stated it was not only consumer habits that had changed, but also the firm’s own hiring practice, as their staff numbers steadily rose from pre-pandemic levels.

In addition to recruiting almost entirely from in and around the Sudbury area, Caribbean Blinds also implemented an in-house incentive scheme for recommending new workers.

Stuart added that they are also keen to get involved with community groups and organisations, based on staff suggestions, building upon its partnership with AFC Sudbury.

“We used to hire on skill,” said Stuart. “We changed that process during the pandemic to hiring on attitude – people who like the product, who want to be with a forward-thinking, ambitious company.

“We can teach those skills, but you can’t teach attitude. If you have the skills, that’s advantageous, but we’re going to hire based on you as a person first.

“All of our workforce is from in and around Sudbury. Part of the reason for our growth is the team we have. The idea is to work holistically with our team to upgrade the business.

“We’ve also asked our team where they would you like us to get involved as a company? Our partnership with AFC Sudbury dates back to 2019, and we became sponsors for the whole club in 2020.

“We wanted to get behind somebody, and they do so much for the local community. What really impressed us is it’s not just about sport, but about making well-rounded individuals.

“It also helps with our recognition in the local area. We have a great spot here at the back of the business park, but you don’t see us on the roadside.

“People know us in the area, whereas 10 years ago, if you asked if people knew Caribbean Blinds, we might get one in 10 who said yes. Now, I hope that would be nine in 10.”