Hello again! Happy New Year! And Valentine’s day! And… President’s day…
Okay, so it has been a bit since our last post. 2020 was a weird year, where it felt like it took forever to end while simultaneously going by way too fast. Don’t worry though, we have been working hard behind the scenes to try and make 2021 a better and more productive year. Some of the major changes we have planned are coming into effect while others will be revealed over the coming months. We will be updating you whenever a major change has occurred, so keep your eyes peeled!
Pricing Update
One major change you might already have noticed is our pricing. We had to make a hard decision on how to offset the increased material and shipping costs without hurting our employees or clients. In the end, we decided to do the smallest possible price increase of %5 in hopes of being able to cover the expenses while not cutting too much into our client’s margin. These changes will come into effect on February 22, 2021. Any orders or quotes made before the 22nd and using the previous pricing will be honored.
Line, Catalog, & Price List Updates
In conjunction with the price changes, we also have revamped and updated our Product Catalog and Price List. Both guides have updated layouts, new line names and logos, and new products/finishes. Here is a brief guide to the changes:
Product Changes
- French Pole Kits can now be found in Artigiani and uses the rods, rings, and brackets from the latter.
- Jackie Von Tobel is now just the finials, medallions, and ornaments created by the titular designer. Use Artigiani for rods, rings, and brackets.
- Our Traverse French Poles have had more testing done and both guides are updated with the new guidelines regarding their assembly.
Line Changes
- Due to confusion, we have reverted the name of the Traverse Rods lines back to Ruffino.
- Ruffino will now contain all non-motorized tracks and traverse rods.
- We have renamed the RBS section “Obscura” as a reference to its ancient Roman roots.
- Obscura will have both non-motorized and motorized Roman Blind assemblies and components.
- We have renamed the Traverse Tracks & Motorization line “Vervo”, a play on the Dutch word Vervoeren meaning “to transport” and as a reference to our Deventer line (named after a city in the Netherlands)
- Vervo will contain all motorized tracks and rods.
Finish Changes
- Soft Brass has been discontinued from our Metro line
- Brushed Gold and Satin Brass have been added to our non-motorized 1 ⅛” Traverse Rods.
- We now offer our 1” Square Traverse Rods in our painted metal finishes.
MISC Changes
- Both digital versions of the guides have an interactive table of contents page and a PDF table of contents so you have multiple options to navigate to your desired product page.
- Our Catalog has some new client-submitted images at the start of each section.
- Our Price List has been updated with the new prices. We will release a blank, fillable pdf version soon.
Please note that the above changes are mainly shown in the Catalog and Price List. Some may not be reflected on the website at the time of this blog but will be implemented in the near future.
New Years Resolutions
2020 was a year of division, pain, and anguish. Everyone was hit in one way or another. Now that it is 2021, we need to try and distance ourselves and heal. To do this, we must unify and treat each other with respect and kindness, no matter our differences. Helser Brothers has always worked towards this goal, but we feel it is more important than ever this year.
For that reason, our 2021 resolution is to do a minimum of 2,021 kind acts towards our clients this year. These acts can range in size and method, but all of them are intended to show our clients exactly how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate their loyalty. We will try to keep you updated regularly on where we are at in this endeavor, so keep your eye on our social media for updates.
If you feel we have done something particularly kind for you and you want to make sure it is counted, feel free to leave a review or send us a message! Little things like that will honestly make our day!