Today we’d like to introduce you to William (Bill) Fleck.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
San Diego Shade is a licensed contractor with on staff experts specializing in window coverings. We carry all the major brands to provide the best window treatment options in San Diego. San Diego Shade has provided services to some of the biggest names around, including UCSD, Thornton Hospital, San Diego State, Ballast Point Brewery, City Hall and the U.S. Navy. Not to mention the thousands of residents of San Diego.
San Diego Shade was originally founded in 1914 by John and Ila Rhea Alexander in downtown San Diego – the year before Balboa Park officially opened – as “San Diego Window Covering Company”. It was the first independent window covering business in San Diego, and quickly became a leader in the market. It expanded operations in the 40’s to include flooring and renamed itself “San Diego Shade & Linoleum”. It has been in continuous operation since then, remaining a family owned business up until the 1980’s at which time it was sold to one of the family’s partners, Bob Anderson. Bob ran the business from the 80’s up until 2011, at which time I purchased the operation.
Prior to purchasing San Diego Shade, I spent 20 years at two leading San Diego companies – SAIC and Qualcomm. At Qualcomm, I worked in Finance, Marketing, Business Development and Business Operations. I also received my MBA from San Diego State during my time at Qualcomm, adding to my BA in Economics from UCSB. However, after 25 years working in large companies (including Hughes Aircraft), I wanted to go out on my own.
Since taking over in 2011, I have reinvested in the company, relocating to the Miramar Design District, building a new showroom, updating offerings, and generally bringing the business into the 21st Century. We also rebranded the company, giving it a new look and energy, as “San Diego Shade” (dropping “Linoleum” from its name) with an officially dropped “, Since then, the business has continued to grow steadily, more than doubling in size since then. But we haven’t forgotten what’s gotten San Diego Shade through the last 10 decades – its commitment to the customer and its legacy of providing great value, treating people well, and staying true to its word.
Has it been a smooth road?
Running your own business can be challenging. Finding and retaining quality people – which we luckily have – is always a struggle. Additionally, there is a learning curve on all the regulatory items and insurance requirements which businesses in California have to deal with in spades.
Additionally, trying to maintain a balance between work and personal/family life can be difficult as well – when the “buck stops” with you, it’s hard not to bring the work home with you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the San Diego Shade story. Tell us more about the business.
San Diego Shade is a leading supplier of window coverings to commercial and residential clients. We pride ourselves on treating our customers the way we like to be treated as customers. Our business survives on word of mouth, and since taking over in 2011, we’ve grown the business by more than 2x.
We try to be professional in our interactions – with our customers, our vendors and our employees as well. I’ve found that if you treat people with respect, they will generally treat you with respect as well.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The biggest trend in our industry right now is automation. Automation is becoming more and more of a “must have” as we move closer and closer to “smart homes”. As a retail company, online selling is also a powerful force, but given the big service component of our type of business (all our products are “made-to-order”), we have a leg up vs. companies just selling “widgets”.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7354 Trade Street, Suite B
San Diego, CA 92121 - Website: sandiegoshade.com
- Phone: 619.287.8863
- Email: bill@sandiegoshade.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=san%20diego%20shade
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-diego-shade-san-diego
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