A Burwood-based family company is celebrating its big win in the 2021 Monash Business Awards.
SOM Blinds is co-owned by the husband-and-wife team of Bernie and Fiona Sombekke, who lead a team of eight employees.
The company was named Monash Business of the Year at the online Monash Business Awards ceremony in October. The awards promote business success and excellence through the recognition of significant achievements and innovations.
Fiona said the award was a much-needed boost after the uncertainty and lockdowns experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s quite an honour for us to be seen through someone else’s eyes as being worthy of such an award,” Fiona said.
SOM Blinds specialises in motorised blinds and window furnishings that are manufactured locally.
“We’ve developed our own motorised blinds system that no one else sells,” Fiona said. “That’s our point of difference in the industry.
“We are also conscious of recommending products and solutions that are environmentally friendly. There’s a lot you can do with blinds and window furnishings that reduce the need for things like air conditioning.”
Fiona said the toughest aspect of the COVID-19 situation for SOM Blinds had been that her company was unable to visit people in their homes at times during the lockdowns Melbourne experienced, despite a high demand for their services.
She said the support and assistance SOM Blinds, and other businesses in the area, had received from Monash Council’s Economic Development Team had been crucial through the challenges of the past two years.
It was a phone call from the team, which was checking-in on businesses during early lockdowns, that helped lead to advocacy for blind fitters to be listed and exempted from some restrictions as a recognised specialist trade.
Fiona said this meant SOM Blinds could at least visit construction sites and keep their business going through the long lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
“The team at Monash Council was really helpful and put us in touch with the right people to get that changed,” Fiona said. “It was crucial for our industry.”
Fiona said the company is now in its busiest time of the year and agility was the key to ensuring that it delivered for its customers.
“We advertised for an installer earlier this year and it took months to find the right person, which meant that some of our team who usually do sales, like Bernie, were also out installing blinds,” Fiona said. “But we’ve managed due to the support and patience of our fantastic clients.”
Find out more about SOM Blinds and learn about the winners of the 2021 Monash Business Awards.
