Window blinds and shades with a personal touch
Mother Lode Internet, the first Internet provider in Tuolumne County, is still a family-owned-and-operated business that plans to keep its focus on the Mother Lode.
Although Dennis and Brenda Dahlin have incorporated the business, they remain the only stockholders.
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Good service has paid off for Tom and Jennifer Hudson, owners of Quality Blinds & Shades.
They managed their business from their home for 4-1/2 years. Then, with encouragement from colleagues, they decided to open a showroom.
In early 1995, the young couple opened the doors of their showroom at 13871 Mono Way, two driveways east of Rubes.
Business more than tripled by the end of 1995. They did several large projects, including installation of window coverings at Skyline Place. In January 1996, quality blinds was featured on the cover of a nationwide window covering trade magazine in recognition of their sales volume.
By the end of 1996, business more than doubled again and has been increasing steadily since. Quality Blinds is currently one of the top 20 dealers for Hunter Douglas in California.
They offer a large selection of window covers including shutters, silhouettes, duettes, pleated shades, wood blinds, verticals, mini-blinds, vignettes and the new luminette.
The store also has a full line of custom draperies and wallpaper in numerous patterns, styles and colors.
Tom, 28, and Nancy, 26, have one son, Tommy, 6.
Tom does everything from giving an initial no-cost estimate to installing the final project, with the exception of drapery and wallpaper installation, which is handled by installers trained in those fields.
Jennifer staffs the showroom and handles the scheduling of sales and installation appointments.
The newly expanded showroom, which customers can visit after the Home and Garden Show, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the same location.
Hudson credits his reputation for old-fashioned hard work and good personal service for the success of the business.
"The reason we love this business," he said, "is all of the new people we meet and the fact that the personal service we give our clients and the part we play in what is really the biggest investment they ever make -- their homes."
Everything they carry will be on display at the Home and Garden Show and they will have special promotional sales on draperies and wallpaper. They will have a drawing for up to $200 worth of any window covering displayed in their booth.
Quality Blinds & Shades
13871 Mono Way, Sonora
532-6150