Rob: All right, we are back on the Connected Design Podcast, and this is going to be a fun one. We’ve had a couple conversations prior to doing this podcast and just getting to know you has been a lot of fun. know the brand. We know the brand. I know someone specifically at that brand. I don’t know if we have to talk about her. If it’s like it do she might. It’s all right. We love her. If she comes up, she comes up. But no, it’s excited to have you on, you know, today’s podcast featuring Karthik Kanagalingam, architectural specification manager at Somfy. Diving into the world of shading, window coverings, and specifically, well maybe not specifically, but a part of it, because we’re going to talk about Somfy, is those motors that are inside there. And I know that’s all about what you guys are about. So first of all, Karthick, appreciate you taking the time and via those conversations, not being scared away of doing a podcast.
Karthick: She might come up during conversations.
No, I’m not shy in front of the camera nor am I shy in talking in front of a big audience. So, we’re perfectly, we’re on the same wavelength.
Rob: Awesome, I appreciate that for sure. So tell us before we dive into, you all the good stuff, not to say that this isn’t the guy, the good stuff is knowing more about you and who you are and getting to share your story. So tell us about yourself, your background and the path that your path to where you’re doing today at Somfy.
Karthick: Yeah, no, Rob, thank you for having me here. I’ve been listening to Connected Design for since you guys started the very first podcast with Marielle and then had a good time listening to it and learning about all the different topics when you’re talking about TVs and AI and what the space is looking like. I think this is going to be great for the community and the industry as a whole. And I’m happy to be a part of it. So yeah, just a little bit of history about myself.
Rob: Thank you. Thank you.
Karthick: Let’s talk about how I came out of school. I really graduated out of my master’s, I did my master’s in electrical and computer engineering. I was at the age of 23. I was applying for jobs everywhere. And even today, like, mean, if you think about the job marketplace, there’s a lot of students coming out of school and not knowing what they’re going to do in their career. Right? So like me, it was kind of the same thing back then came out of school, master’s in electrical and computer engineering, applied for jobs and everybody said I was overqualified or wanted work experience and I had zero work experience in my field. exactly. It’s like, that’s what you want and then they’re just thinking in their head that you’re gonna join them and then as soon as you find something better, you don’t leave. And I was like, I need experience, right?
Rob: Well, wasn’t that the worst excuse? I always, hated that one. You’re too qualified for this. like, we’re not going to get, no. I, what? Isn’t that what you want? Like.
Karthick: So I always preach to like the younger generation is like if you’re in school do co-op, like do co-op and try to get some work experience over the summertime and yeah I mean I fast-tracked my undergrad and fast-tracked my masters I was 23 when I came out and I no idea what I was gonna do with my life, so I landed a job doing Night Shift and it was with a telecom company installing 3G radio antennas within office buildings. And to think about it to where we are right now with like 5G, LTE, like back then it was 3G, it was iPhone what? iPhone 2, iPhone 3? Right? It was Blackberry at the time, right? That was the most popular product.
Rob: Yeah. Were they even calling it that at that point? Like, did it have numbers? I don’t know. That’s right. Hey, I had the storm, the Blackberry storm. You remember that? yeah.
Karthick: Yep, yep, yep. The keypad on the phone, that was one of those things,
So yeah, so I mean, that company, was, we was to Google Night Shift. So we used to go into downtown offices and install radio antennas. The first building that I was at was RBC Centre, downtown Toronto, massive building, 41 stories tall. And I just started seeing the motorized shades. You press a button, the shades go down. We show up at nine o’clock and automatically all the shades on one specific floor all came down. And I was like, this is pretty cool. Right. So I mean,
That was around 2013 and then I went to another building as well, same thing, full tower, motorized, 30 stories, everything. And at that time I didn’t know the name Somfy until like two years later there was a job posting and the posting was through one of my, like the schools where I did my undergrad.
Now the person that posted the job was the career recruiter, but basically someone from Sanfe used to attend that school and said, hey, we need someone technical from there. And his name is Serge. He’s a sales manager at Sanfe and still he’s still there. He’s still doing a great job. And luckily because of him, I came across this posting and I applied right away. I wanted to work for the company. because like it came back into mind of what I seen in 2013. was like automated solar shading is the future.
So three interviews later, I landed the job. And to be honest, I don’t think they’ve ever interviewed anybody the way they interviewed me. It was during one of the Canadian Territory sales meetings and it was like the night, there was like nine people in that room. And luckily I had experience defending my thesis when I was doing my master’s. I was like not scared to talk in front of an audience or a bunch of people that I’ve never met before. Right. And I explained to them, like I knew what their challenges were, what they’re missing within the technical support department and how I can fix it and how I’m there to help them, which got me the job. Now I, it’s yeah, yeah. Now I gotta convince them. I had my 30, 60, 90 day plan, like everything.
Rob: That is like, you talk about judge and jury, like I’m going speaking in front of a jury of your peers, like that’s crazy. That’s not intimidating. That’s awesome. Wow.
Karthick: And I was 23 years old, I was 25 at the time, sorry. So, I’ve been through several roles while I’ve been with Song Feast, but I’m dealing with with installers, dealers and manufacturers. And because I was part of like the technical support department and then technical support manager, I dealt with a lot of integrators. I’ve dealt with a lot of problems and challenges that they’ve come across and helped them back in like 2015 and 16. And even till this day, I still get phone calls from them just reaching out, just saying, catching up and how everything’s progressing, talking about the new technologies that Somfy is coming out with and how they can start using them on their projects. So we’re still connected and this is years relationship and rapport that we built. So fast track coming back into 2020.
Rob: Yeah.
Karthick: I started the role of architectural specifications manager and just to help the architect and design community. had a good foundational understanding of the technology around the motors and controls. And I also have the experience to educate, teach and support architects and designers to understand it in a very simple term when it comes to motorized motor sheets. And now I’m helping them assist in putting them on large buildings, hospitals, schools, universities, communities, community centers, hotels, regardless of the scope, I’m working with them to kind of choose what is the perfect technology for them, right? And it’s crazy is that like I studied and specialized in telecom, telecommunications and networking. And it’s like, finally, I’m using what I’ve learned in network knowledge, and I’m using it towards our POE motorized shade systems, right? And it’s like, it’s crazy that I came back.
Rob: Right.
Karthick: 13 years later is like, this is what I’m working on. That’s it.
Rob: Yeah. I, the full circle of everything too. Like you having just being intrigued by the shades going down back in 20, what you said, 2013. like, you know, 13 years ago, and then all of a sudden now you’re helping, you know, that architect and commercial community, like put those shades on the same type of window. that’s cool to hear that. But also like the other thing is just that goes to show how I want to make, it’s not an old, it’s still a new industry, right? But the fact that, you know, motorized shades have been around for that long. And just now it feels like that the momentum around the conversation with the integration community is finally picking up steam here in the last couple of years.
Karthick: Yeah, and I have some stats and numbers for you towards, but I’ll bring them up whenever it comes up. But yeah, just how much is from when I started to where it’s at today. It’s crazy and it’s going more and more becoming more and more popular.
Rob: Well, you mentioned obviously Somfy. It’s on your shirt for those watching. know, got a great connection there and, you know, it’s a known name in this channel, right? Like we’ve seen you, you’re at CDA, you’re at the shows, you’re, know you’re going to be, there’s some representation going to Infocom later, you know, next couple of months. you know, no name, but for those that, you know, we talk about the motors and things like that, give a little overview and help those that may not be familiar may recognize name but not necessarily what you do. know, talk about that a little bit. What’s kind of the elevator pitch on what Somfydoes?
Karthick: Yeah, so I mean, Rob, you’ve known MaryEllen for a long time. We got her on our team. She’s a rock star. So she’s been with us for four or five years now, and she’s doing an amazing job in the partnership channel and connecting with the integrators, connecting with the AV companies and building a platform of control systems that are compatible and work with the Somfy brand.
But you’re right, maybe the listeners don’t know exactly what Somfy does or how Somfy fits in the picture. So typically when I’m meeting with architects and designers, same thing, they don’t know the Somfy brand name, but they will know the roller sheet manufacturers in the industry, their brand names, right? And typically Somfy is like the motor inside the dishwasher or Intel inside the computer where the technology behind the system. And when we start to talk about the technology behind the system is when it’s like, okay, yeah, we want Somfy, how do we access Somfy?
So Somfy has been manufacturing the motors and controls for the window covering industry since 1969. So it’s been a very long time that it’s a niche market. We’ve been specialized in it. We’ve been innovating within it and it’s global, right? Whether it’s interior or exterior products, we’re practically used in over 90 % of the window covering industries when it comes to the motorized water shades system, and specifically the exterior, indoor and exterior products. We’ve actually manufactured over 250 million motors worldwide and being who we are, we look at partnering up with industry partners, especially when it comes to the window covering industry. We’re providing innovative technologies for a wide type of applications to support the market needs and demands that are changing over year over year, right? What’s the big focus now is like integration with AV systems and reliability. With this said, what we’ve also done is established ourselves as a strong partner with the major AV and home automation control system manufacturers, which really positions us as a valuable partner to be working with and utilizing for a quality motorized window covering solution.
One of the messages that we really push out to the market and you’ve probably seen it as CDIA and it’s still the message that we push out to the market space is it’s really what’s inside that matters. I mean, it’s your ideas, the craftsmanship of the roller chain system, but it’s.
what’s inside that matters. It’s the technology, right? And as an integrator who is looking for options, you get to select which fabricator to partner with that you’d like to work with selecting Somfy as the technology partner is where the success is for really delivering an innovative motorized roller shade solution. So that’s kind what we do. I mean, that’s the brand. That’s what we built our whole system on is providing the right motors and controls for your projects, regardless of what the application is. Yeah, exactly. Right from the heart, right?
Rob: Yeah. I think I made that same pitch to my wife before we started dating. I was like, it’s on, it’s on the inside that matters. Right? I love that. Don’t worry about what’s out here. Just what’s on the inside, man. And Hey, here we are almost 15 years later. Um, no, but I, so that actually helps too, because my follow-up was going to be, well, I, know, you guys have a great…
Karthick: The heart and the brain, that’s it. That’s it.
Rob: …roster of partners and manufacturer partners in the channel that you work with. So it was like, in my head, I’m trying to think, well, when you’re at Cedia, are you there to meet with the other manufacturer partners or like still tell your message and deliver sort of what you do out to the integration channel as well? The integrator, it’s kind of both, I have to imagine.
Karthick: 100 % it’s — you’ll find in our integration partners, you’ll find shading products that are motorized and connected with their control systems. We’re talking to the integrators and saying, you know, there’s years, years of watershed manufacturers that are at the show. But you know, you have options for you, right, regardless of where you are in the country, and regardless of what control system that you’re utilizing. We are a component of an end product, but at the same time, the integration avenue to that component is the most important part. And the integrator likes to know that they’re supported with an open control system that’s flexible, not tied down into one small ecosystem.
Rob: Right. No, it makes perfect sense. I want to talk, kind of going back to a conversation we started to have, and that’s around sort of the level at which integrators are getting involved in this category now, right? There’s full blown events around it now, know, light a Palooza that’s out there. And we’ve seen that grow over the years. the conversation always is about lighting and shading, right? Like, you know, there’s the lights in the ceiling and the shades that go over the window. I know, through past conversations we’ve had, there is a correlation between the two, right? In terms of how shades impact the natural light that comes into the home. But I wanna give you the chance, can you talk about, is it right to lump them together or are they independent from one another? Like what is the way in which we should be talking about lighting and shading?
Karthick: Yeah, no, great question. And what I’ve seen, I mean, I’ve been with Somfy since 2015. So over the last several years, I’ve been attending CEDIA and just the last two years was light a Palooza, but pre pandemic and post pandemic, what I’ve seen is a steady interest and growth of integrators opening up to the shading category. But their experience on lighting design and shading designs, I would say is an area that needs further education and knowledge, right? Because you can’t easily bundle the two solutions up and just kind of sell a cookie cutter solution. It’s always customized. And as an integrator, you’re a custom integrator. You’re working on a custom design channel. So you’re trying to put two things together that manage light, but in two different perspectives, right?
Now, there’s been a steady focus around the field of lighting and lighting designers, right? We’re seeing an increased number of lighting designers who are focused on lighting and they were once upon a time electrical engineers, right? They were electrical engineers and they want to go into a specialty. Now with that specialty, they kind of focus on lighting ambience and circadian health and the goal of lighting is to provide a task and accent and ambient light to create either a specific mood or specific scene, but also assist with occupant comfort.
So it’s a very full roundabout way that these lighting designers look at specific buildings or projects. Now, this is typically done in spaces that don’t have enough natural light or windows, and it’s typically done after the sun has set and the shading system kind of hands off the responsibility of illuminating the home or the building to the lighting system. So that’s where the lighting design comes around and the lighting focus is now, with the shading design aspect, there’s many things to consider.
And as we’ve been learning and talking about this over the last few weeks, especially in the high end buildings and projects, there is an architect, there’s an interior designer, and their focus is on aesthetics their focus on fabrics the colors how much natural light comes in through the fabric They’re also considering things such as like how does the window covering or the roller sheet system tuck away when it’s opened, right, does it disappear into like a pocket? Is there some kind of structural coordination that they need to do or pocket that they need to build in? now they also are Considerations around the topics of drapery systems right drapery fabrics, motorized drapery tracks, does the fabric stack back and tuck into a cove or does it sit back and cover a portion of the window? So there’s many things to consider when it comes to lighting and shading, not just like the wiring and the electrical scope, but also how does it look when it’s all finished and complete? Now, both of these systems do play a big role on a project because, like I said, they both manage light within shading you’re managing natural light during the daytime hours and then with lighting you’re kind of you’re managing the electric lighting during the nighttime hours now with spaces that have a lot of daylight the lighting system can work to support their circadian rhythm that is naturally happening in that well-lit spaces. So to focus around the person inside that space where they’re not disturbed, whether it’s daytime or nighttime, the lighting is the right ambient light that should be present within the house.
Rob: I mean, in a roundabout way, it’s like they are independent from one another in sort of what they do, but at the same time, they still, there’s a crossroads where they all come together and impact one another. but at the same time, the thing that should resonate to the integrator out of what you said and the designer and architect and, is the customization, right? Especially at this level of what we’re typically looking at from a project perspective, whether that is residential or commercial or some other application, there is no cookie cutter solution really when it comes to lighting or shading in this regard. And that’s the same, think, integrators, that’s why it’s kind of where they, I think, thrive, right? Is finding solutions to a problem or an outcome that they’re given on behalf of a client wanting to achieve something. Typically in the AV, space right but that also applies here with the lighting and shading categories and you know what you’re trying to do from a different type of aesthetic within the house.
Karthick: Correct, and clients are looking, I mean, when they’re working with high-end residential homes, they kind of have a bigger budget to work with, right? And they’re looking for that custom tailored, supportive, like a relationship with who the integrator is or the architect or the designer is to understand what their wants and needs are and then customize it towards their wants and needs.
Rob: A question, obviously it’s a lot different, you know, you know, we’re talking about the integrator here for a second. The, the things they’re used to asking or, you know, approaching a client with are again, AV, right? So the sound, the video, they’re kind of learning this category, or categories rather in terms of lighting and shading, they’re, certainly not the, you know, experts that they can be there may be some out there that are but I want the question I’m gonna get around to here is you know the ones that are doing it well um you know from a how they engage or or have these conversations you know is it is it as big of a learning curve as it seems with all of the different types of terminology or um you know different things they have to think about that aren’t necessarily within the I hate to call it like the cliche or like the the standard realm of what an AV guy does but talk about, like, what do you see from a, from a perspective where they are doing it well? What, how are they learning or how are they educating themselves or, you kind of go from there.
Karthick: Yeah, so, I mean, when it comes to learning about the system, there’s no black and white or magic book for it, right? And there’s not clients you can practice on, right? But it’s networking and building the right relationships with the interior designers and the architects to really understand what the client is looking for in delivering that solution. part of that is like coming back to the challenges or pitfalls that may arise with shading is like early planning and early discussion, right?
And early coordination. If there isn’t a lighting designer or architect or interior designer involved within a project, the window coverings typically end up being the last thing on the checklist to go through and the architect, mean the integrator is scrambling their heads at the end like, did I run the right wiring? Can I make this work at the end of the day? Or am I going to do a battery rechargeable system which may not be the right system for the project, right? So, and some of these integrators, mean, and dealers, they learn the hard way, right? And it’s like, okay, yeah, I’m never doing that again.
Right? Because they’re getting those phone calls like, oh, it’s not working. do I, but what, like, can you show up tomorrow? It’s the end of the world. The blinds are open and I got no privacy. I have no security. Right? It’s those things that really, you know, sometimes you learn the hard way, but when you talk and network and you reach out to manufacturers and you consult with them and say, Hey, what do you suggest from the years of experience that other people have had. for example, with myself, I have 11 years experience with Selfie. I’ve learned a lot over the years through different projects and different integrators and the challenges that they go through. So when someone reaches out to me like, hey, this is what I’m trying to accomplish, I would give them options to go through and then kind of give the pros and cons of what those options are. So that way they can always know there’s someone to talk to to figure out the right solution.
Rob: You’ve kind of seen it all is what I’m here, right? You’re probably there’s chances. Chances are you’ll be surprised at some point in the future with some new situation or challenge that gets brought to you. But that to the point of exactly. Yeah.
Karthick: I hope I mean. Yeah, and we’re always learning, right? There’s no stop to learning. It always continues. And when new technology comes out, we learn it, and then we help educate other people to learn it as good as the way we know it.
Rob: Yeah, no, I love that. And I think that again gets back to the curiosity aspect of this space. You know, the guys that are in it, the people, the professionals that are AV, you know, I keep saying AV, but that are integrators, you they got into it because they like tinkering with systems and creating those custom experiences. So this is no different in that regard because they get to play with just a different aspect of the system, right? Or add a new element to it that they could still tinker with and learn and get into the motor of it and understand how it works and why it works.
Karthick: Some of these guys, like, they do it in their own house first, right? And that’s, they do a trial in here and they swap out parts and pieces. It’s like when back in the 90s when we used to build our cars, right? Or in 1992 Honda Civic. It’s like swap out different pieces and parts to modify it and have a good old days.
Rob: Yeah. We all wanted to be in Fast and Furious, right? The little drift. A little spoiler on that. gosh, Hyundai Elantra. Don’t remind me. There’s so many interesting things about this channel or about this category. Is there an area that you don’t think gets enough attention around the opportunities or…
Karthick: Exactly. Yes.
Rob: …the potential impact on a project. What doesn’t get talked about enough in terms of shading in your mind?
Karthick: Yeah, I mean, in my perspective, one of the impacts in cheating that doesn’t get enough attention is using automated cheating as kind of the primary daylight management system for any type of building. There’s a lot of buildings and projects that choose to go with like manual shades because there is a high cost to motorize them and automate them. But there’s so much impact that daylight really has on the people within the homes, schools, offices, where we primarily spend most of our daytime hours. And there’s stats that say that we primarily spend 90 % of our daytime inside, right, not outside.
Sometimes we go out for a walk in the park on the weekends, but due to things that are out of our control such as work and family or health, we’re stuck indoors. Now with the automated shading system that’s utilizing sensors, we’re able to actually get more daylight into the spaces that we live and occupy. But at the same time, one of the key features with automated solar shading is that you’re able to also control the glare potential within that space and also address like thermal heat gain, right? And like nowadays we build buildings with large windows, like even on the residential side, these windows are massive. When the sun hits that glass, yes, you could reflect some of it out. Yes, you could have some kind of tint, but you still have some kind of heat or discomfort coming through. And with automated shading, that’s how you really are able to naturally control that thermal discomfort. So what I would say is the opportunity is there with the use of sensors and schedules, allowing shades to be where it needs to be at any moment of time without really needing a press of a button. And end users or homeowners or building occupants, they can override the system, like press a button. But what’s really cool about automated shading is that those overrides or button presses can temporarily be reset or after a certain time it kind of resyncs back to the building’s uniformity look, regardless if it’s at the end of the day or at end of the night, whether it’s for privacy or security or even aesthetics of how the building should look. With automation, you’re able to drive it all back to a uniform look within the building.
Rob: No, that’s awesome. I can already see the only, the only, say, you say discomfort of it coming in. My dog would probably disagree with you. He loves sitting in that one spot, especially when like the front door is open and there’s like the rest of the floor shaded, but right where that sun shining through the front door, he’ll, be there. He’ll be getting warm. loves it. So it’s not discomfort to him, but I get it because that that’s like an aspect of the, again, it’s kind of full circle of, know, how we started this conversation.
Karthick: Yeah. Yeah, I can imagine.
Rob: Like something with regard to shading that you like, yeah, you mentioned shading. think of the physical piece that whether motorized or not, that comes down, covers the window, but like the amount of effect or impact it has in the home and like the level of comfort in the home, because that we see it, the living room in our house is a lot hotter when the doors open. Even if the dog does love sitting there, not going to shut it. God forbid. but no, like it, heats up that room. So I mean, the impact of just having a shade or
Karthick: Yeah.
Rob: Automating a system that can help control that to just increase or decrease the in-home temperature a couple degrees is it’s kind of crazy.
Karthick: Yeah, for sure. It’s huge. And one of the things that I like we’ve seen in the industry is like, like I said, know, manual shades are most often the product that people go to because of cost. What I would say one of the other opportunities here is like, when it comes to motorization, the competition within the space, you know, it’s not really motor to motor competition. think the biggest competition and the opportunity that’s here is like the archaic manual shade system, right? That is the biggest competition within the motorized motor shade industry is the manual shade. And in North America, the market for roller shades is transforming, right? It’s transitioning more and more from manual to motorized. And it’s primarily driven by like smart home adoption or energy efficiency standards, child safety regulations.
These are all the reasons why we’re starting to see a bigger opportunity within the shading industry and I think that’s kind of where the attention is going. And there’s some stats behind this. mean within North America right now, the stats say that still there’s roughly 70 to 75 percent of the majority of the shading systems are manual and the adoption is slowly changing right within the commercial sector or the commercial industry it’s much higher, right? Where motorization is happening more and more, where they’re seeing 60 to 65 % of newly constructed buildings have automated shading systems. And then especially the luxury residential type, they are estimating about over 60 % of high-end projects actually feature motorized motor shades. There’s a trend. There’s a big trend.
Rob: Wow. That’s, that’s still a lot of potential homes, 40 % right. That of new homes that in this space that are, you know, not featuring those that are, have the potential now or in the future, right. To move to those systems. Is it a, like in your estimate, know numbers won’t show this necessarily. but is it a lack of education or like knowledge around motorized shades that especially in the residential side? Like, do you think that’s what it like people not, it’s just not top of mind to think like, I should have a motorized shade system here.
Karthick: I think it’s not in front of everybody, right? I mean, we see it all the time because we attend these shows. But when do you change a window covering? When do you buy a window covering? When you typically buy a new home. But once you move in, traditionally that window covering stays there until you move out or like you do a renovation or change, right? So if you’re not presented motorized option at the time that you’re looking for a window covering then chances are that having it motorized really won’t change down the road. So it is about having it right front center in front of new homeowners. Whether it’s like a luxury residential or like a typical residential home knowing that it’s an option, I think will help push that trend and change that 70 to 75 percent that are currently manual shade systems and push it down lower and lower. But the trend is growing. mean, they’re saying that approximately the growth rate as of 2026 is about 13.4 % when it comes to motorization. And there’s less and less manual shades coming out. And one of the biggest drivers that recently came out is the corded window covering regulation or the chain regulation, where in residential homes, the chain is a choking hazard, right? And we’re starting to see that.
It’s not that you can’t buy a chain operated shade system anymore. It has to be customized. Whether they put a cover over it or a wand style or something that’s different like a push and pull right, but those also are more expensive than your traditional chain application. So now it’s kind of closing that gap between motorization and chain. You have now something in the middle that’s requirement for the new regulation for chains that kind of brings that price difference closer. So it becomes much more affordable to do a motorized shade system.
Rob: Yeah, it’s interesting. And I have to imagine too, you talk about kind of who can, there’s obviously the opportunity to drive that number down, but in terms of who can do it, do you see like, is the integrator, cause in my head it’s like, you know, when you’re, when an integrator gets called into a project or when they’re a part of a project, where, where do they spend their tent? Like what, does their attention go to or the conversation with the client? Like, you know, does
This feels like a category where it’s almost like a gray area of like, well, who can talk about shade design? Like, should it be the designer or the integrator? where, how can we sort of, as a community understand, like who should be driving that conversation around the shading and specifically like motorized, motorized shading feels like it should come from a low voltage, you know, the integrator, but like, yeah, what are you seeing?
Karthick: Yeah, so for my, what I’ve been seeing in the industry is like for the longest while the driver behind Motorized Shades is kind of being driven by the dealer, the roller shade dealer for the longest time and things are changing. It was really relationships that designers or architects or builders had with roller shade dealers and manufacturers that originally steered the direction of what products were being used on projects, right? And it’s kind of their comfort zone is when a roller shade dealer has been doing, using certain products for so long that that that trained their brain to be say this is comfortable i don’t want to experience anything new or change and you know that, I mean, we’re in 2026 where technology is so different. But now with this technology evolution, similar to like their power over ethernet motors, we’re seeing designers still utilizing their preferred shading manufacturers, but it’s the integrators who are now taking lead in driving that technology selection. And they’re also starting like we’re seeing in the market space to include the shading scope within their work. We’re also seeing a shift with roller dealers adapting because I mean they’re seeing a change in their margins they’re seeing hey we’re losing business or we’re losing opportunities they’re actually hiring in-house integrators or merging up and partnering up with integration firms kind of bringing everything under one umbrella to provide a complete and functional solution and if you think about it like usually the first phone call that is made when something doesn’t work in a high-end luxury home is a phone call to the integrator right?
And the ones that have been doing it for a very long time, they always go that extra mile to provide the service, the support, and have built that trust with the homeowner. And it’s all word of mouth, like that homeowner has a friend that’s also building another house or the builder is like, hey, what did you guys use? Now that integrators network starts to expand and now they’re carrying all this full package delivery with motorized shades in that discussion on the next project. So we’re definitely seeing integrators take on the responsibility and guiding technology and product selections for projects. They’re the ones that are bringing all the pieces and parts together to make everything functional. But we’re also seeing the designers still focusing on look and feel and the experience for the clients. And lastly, I the builder is their responsibility to ensure all the trades, whether it’s the carpenters or the electrical contractors or the innovator to carry out their scope of work with the quality products and professional professionality to deliver something that’s the client can live with. Right. So everybody is working together.
But I see the integrator being a key person to select the technologies and try to carry the full project to the finish line when it comes to the motorized shield system.
Rob: Gotcha. And I feel like that’s entirely because of the work you and Mary Ellen are doing, right? Hey, I say that in jest, but at the same time, the fact that you all are out in the market, kind of advocating on behalf of what you do, what Somfy does and, kind of the channel as a whole, right? The, or the category as a whole, I, know, I joke, but at the same time there’s, there’s legitimacy to it because y’all are out there and pushing the message and, and, you know, making it happen on behalf of the integrators that are out there that you guys are partnered with too. So it’s cool to see.
Karthick: I wish it was that easy. The integrators are kind the new roller shade dealers and the roller shade dealers are adapting and they’re learning about integration and wanting to get into integration as well. So I think it’s everybody pushing the market ahead and adapting into a more motorized motor system world versus the manual shade application.
Rob: Yeah. And it goes to show as well, the continued importance of things like the education that you provide, out to, you know, all aspects of this channel. so no, it’s a, it’s a cool topic and one that I know, you know, we’ll, we’ll have, we have plans to, you know, have multiple conversations and learn about different aspects of kind of this, the shading category. So I look forward to doing that with you. but this was a great overview, man. I really appreciate you diving into it and,
Karthick: Yeah. For sure. No, no thank you.
Rob: You know, kind of given the nuances out there to the integrators listening and the builders and architects and designers as well. you know, at the end of the day, everyone’s impacted from the, from the project perspective. And then obviously the homeowner perspective as well. So, right. So, I gotta keep them happy.
Karthick: Exactly. And at the end of the day, who’s paying the bills? The clients, right? So and our job is to make them happy, right? However we can get the system working, put the right products and make sure that and that’s why everybody succeeds in this industry when it comes to referrals and like the next project opportunity. It’s right there because you’re delivering that quality solution.
Rob: Perfect. Well, Karthick, until next time, I appreciate you joining us, man. This was a lot of fun.
Karthick: Thank you, Rob. Appreciate it. Happy to be here. Thanks.
