Ten years ago Martin Dibben says he started SHY (UK) in a small factory with a leaky roof, one product, the bare minimum of equipment, no staff and no customers.

Today SHY is in its third factory, equipped with ‘state of the art’ machinery and with a skilled workforce making an extensive range of commercial roller blind systems for a loyal and growing customer base. “Having spent all of my working life in the blind trade I knew that the SHY Zip system would prove popular but I have been amazed at the rapid growth we have achieved.” explained Martin. “I have to pay tribute to both our staff and our customers who keep driving us to expand our product range, sizes, shapes and operating methods.”

SHY now produce three roller blind ranges: its Zip dim-out system where the fabric is permanently trapped in the side channels; Sunfacta which has a neat head box; and Obscura which is more of a standard roller, but the company says not many standard rollers will cover up to 70m2 in a single blind. To clarify all the options now offered, SHY has produced a range poster which shows the three main products along with their operating methods and minimum and maximum sizes. This means that dealers can see at a glance which product will be most suitable for their particular application. SHY’s expertise has been used on many challenging projects in the UK and further afield, including blinds to protect precious artefacts, cover huge rooflights, black-out dome shaped roof spaces and shade everything from schools to boats and trains. In its tenth anniversary year SHY says it will continue to develop its products and service levels to ensure it meets the future demands placed on its customers. This simple philosophy has brought a decade of success and is one which Martin and his colleagues have no intention of changing.

• Shy