Branching Out
In its alliance with Hunter Douglas, ACRE Windows & Doors opens up a world of options for customers in need of custom window treatments.
Window treatments are often described by those in the home decorating industry as the “jewelry of a room.” Much like a stunning necklace can perfectly complement a beautiful dress, the right blinds, shades, or draperies can pull a space together while also serving a functional role in privacy, protection from the sun, and light control.
ACRE Windows & Doors has spent the past 17 years helping homeowners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware upgrade their homes and reduce their bills with the installation of energy-efficient replacement windows. For customers who wanted to go a step further and add new window treatments, the company could only offer recommendations—until now, that is.
ACRE recently started offering a full line of blinds, shades, and shutters in partnership with Hunter Douglas, the nation’s leading brand for custom window treatments. As a certified Hunter Douglas dealer, ACRE has the expertise to assist clients with finding the right solution to fit their home’s style and improve its comfort level.
“When our customers get new windows and doors, they’re excited about how that beautifies their home, and a lot of times they also want to update their window treatments in addition to the windows,” says Valerie Manfred, who owns and operates ACRE along with her husband, Matt. “So we’ve had a lot of questions from our clients over the years about the right window coverings, and we decided that we could serve our clients better by offering a premier window treatment line that complements the premier Andersen window line that we offer. It’s been received very well by the homeowners, and they’re really able to finish up their home in the way they want to see it look.”
As the longest-tenured contractor in the country with certified installer credentials through Andersen Windows—the nation’s top window manufacturer—ACRE knows how mutually beneficial it is to team up with an iconic brand. Manfred has high hopes for the relationship with Hunter Douglas as well.
“We expect our partnership with Hunter Douglas to work as well as our partnership with Andersen has over the years,” she says. “The brands are similar in terms of their focus on quality and customer experience, and we feel that it’s a very complementary situation where the brands align very well. We had always sent our customers in the direction of Hunter Douglas already, because we know that it’s a premium brand that can give them a wide variety of options.”
Those options include high-visibility shades, such as Duette honeycomb shades or Silhouette sheer shades, which are not only aesthetically pleasing but also offer practical benefits such as privacy, glare reduction, and UV protection.
Custom blinds come in classic wood, moisture-resistant faux wood, or modern metal finishes. Shutter options include hardwood, hybrid, or vinyl and are popular in bathrooms, living rooms, and throughout coastal homes.
“The good thing about the Hunter Douglas product line is that it can do just as well in a contemporary, modern house at the Shore as it can in a 150-year-old house on the Main Line or in Center City Philadelphia,” Manfred says. “They’ve got a variety of different types of window treatments, from draperies all the way to motorized solar shades, and it really is something that will complement whatever décor the customer has.”
Automation is a key element to all of the selections because of both convenience and safety reasons.
“Another reason that we started this new product offering is because when customers look at blinds, many of their existing blinds have strings, which are a safety hazard in the home and need to be changed,” Manfred says. “In fact, when you get new blinds today, the string operation isn’t even an option; it can’t be offered due to the safety factors for children. So a lot of people want to change their shades throughout the house, and automation is a huge motivating factor. It’s so convenient to be able to raise or lower your shades from a remote control or your smartphone.
“Where it really is wonderful is for patio doors,” she continues, “because patio doors are large, and manually operating the shading products for your patio door can be cumbersome or difficult for elderly people at times. With automation, it just takes the push of a button.”
Of course, sifting through all of the possibilities can be overwhelming for a homeowner. That’s where the knowledge and helpfulness of the ACRE staff come into play.
“We provide complete design services,” Manfred says. “We’ll come in with color samples and product samples so the customer can actually see how the window treatments will look in their home. It’s important to do that because you want to match colors in the right way, and also you want to be able to offer the customer the right options in terms of how the window treatments operate.”
While it is still early in the partnership between ACRE and Hunter Douglas, Manfred has no doubt that her company will thrive by aligning with a proven brand, just like it has with Andersen. Both manufacturers likely realize the advantages they get out of the deal as well.
“We’ve been fortunate because of our track record,” Manfred adds. “We’ve served over 10,000 homeowners in our area, and Hunter Douglas was very happy to partner with us because they know we’re going to take care of the customer. We’ve had the training, all of our Hunter Douglas installations are certified, our personnel have gone through the installation training as their office in Colorado. We’re ready to go.”
For more information about ACRE Windows & Doors, call (888) 737-5223
or visit ACREWindows.com.
or visit ACREWindows.com.
Photo courtesy of Hunter Douglas/ACRE Windows & Doors
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, June 2025.
