Friday Favorites: VentaHood, Houzz, and Connecting with Customers

I just got of the plane from Vegas and as I sit here waiting for my ride I thought I’d take a minute to dash off this final blog of the week. It was a great show, with swarms of homeowners, builders, architects, and designers perusing the wide and varied product offerings, and company showcases on display. If the response for those who stopped by our booth is any measure, then wrought iron is going to be a trend  you’ll be seeing a lot of this year in new builds, and remodeling projects.

Unveiling our new products (wrought iron lighting fixtures, range hoods, sliding iron doors are not easy to lift or install in a 10×10 booth by the way):

And how were the new products received? Well, let’s just we had a great show and we’re really looking forward to seeing our new iron range hoods, lighting and doors in discerning homes across the continent. “Yes, of course we ship to Canada,” was a question we answered frequently at the booth.

Partnership with Vent A Hood

When we decided to do custom range hoods we wanted to create unique designs that homeowners, architects, designers and builders would respond to and want to include in their projects and homes. We wanted range hoods that were not only aesthetically distinct and well built, but that would provide a benefit to homeowners. We had the opportunity to meet with the folks at Vent A Hood during the show, and we are pleased to announce a partnership that promises customers the very best in custom metalwork, and the best in venting technology. Vent A Hood liners offer the quietest ventilation available, a more efficient filtering system, and a patented technology that provides better grease extraction.

Stay posted for more about our iron range hoods, and partnership with Vent A Hood.

Winning Best of Houzz 2014 was a highlight of the show for us. And you can expect to see more of us on Houzz, including new photos of our custom wrought iron products in the homes we’ve been a part of remodeling and building, before and after projects, and of course our new line of products.

Connecting with Customers

So much of what I do takes place in my office in Montana. I spend a lot of time sitting in front of computer reading, and writing about design, and metalwork. It’s great, and I love what I do, but getting out of the office and meeting and connecting with our customers was the highlight of the show for me. It’s one thing to think you understand your customers and to know what they want based on the research and the reports, but to talk to them face to face, to see in person the way they respond to your products, to talk to them about they think and what they like is invaluable. I spoke with homeowners, builders, designer, architects, and others in the industry, putting faces to names, and sitting down to discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities. And despite the blisters on my feet, , plus a cold I picked up while I was away, it was a great week in Las Vegas and I look forward to getting back to work on Monday armed with new ideas and a better understanding of the market and our clients.