50 million investment plan for new campus: Coulisse celebrates its 30th anniversary

This year the globally active specialist in window decoration Coulisse celebrates 30 years of innovation and growth. To celebrate this milestone, the proud family business has unveiled its future plans: the construction of a brand new Coulisse Campus in the Netherlands! It should become a hub for inspiration, pioneering, collaboration and innovation for both employees and partners of the company. A place where creative minds, smart technology, digitalization and robotics seamlessly connect with the aim of presenting the most progressive solutions for the window covering sector worldwide. 

Coulisse unveiled the construction of the new 70,000-square-meter Coulisse Campus at its official press event on Oct. 27 at the site where it will be realized, namely the Elsmoat business park in Enter. A billboard unveiled on the occasion by Coulisse's founders, brothers Christiaan and Maurice Roetgering, shows an artist's impression of the new complex. 

Phase 1 of the new construction project involves a 15,000-square-meter, 13-meter-high warehouse, of which 2,000 square meters will be automated, to be completed in 2023. Phase 2 involves the construction of a 7,000-square-meter, 7,000-square-meter, fully automated high bay warehouse, where RFID (radio frequency identification) will be used. RFDI is a technology to remotely store information in, and read from, so-called RFID tags that are on or in objects stored in a warehouse. Of special note, Coulisse is working on plans to use solar energy to produce hydrogen at the Coulisse Campus to reduce the company's carbon footprint. 

Coulisse operates and succeeds worldwide. Earlier this year, after 10 years of increasing success on American soil, the company proudly celebrated the opening of its new 50,000 square meter office, showroom and warehouse in Miami. Followed a few months later by the opening of a brand new office and showroom in Sydney. Coulisse strives to best serve customers worldwide through local presence. 

Successfully launched Eve MotionBlinds this year at major tech events with global impact, such as CES in Las Vegas and IFA in Berlin. "The new smart technology concept Eve MotionBlinds, which was developed by Coulisse in cooperation with smart home specialist Eve Systems, is going to transform the world of smart window coverings," predicts manager of engineering Bas Klein Tuente of Coulisse. 

"Eve MotionBlinds already worked with Apple Home thanks to Thread and is now ready to work with Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings and other smart devices equipped with the new Matter phenomenon," Klein Tuente continued. "This universal connectivity standard for smart homes, which is being developed by leading tech companies around the world, was recently released. It allows any homeowner to easily create, set up and operate a smart home, where all devices can communicate with each other."  

With smart home solutions for connectivity, security, heating, energy saving and health as trends to keep an eye on, the smart shading market is presented as the very latest application that will revolutionize households and buildings around the world. "It will make life easier, safer and more convenient, while saving energy at the same time. Eve MotionBlinds supports Thread and soon Matter. This makes it the most advanced smart home solution currently available on the market," stated Bas Klein Tuente.

Following the success of MotionBlinds' smart technology, the new robotic machines that Coulisse engineers have been working on for the past few years will be delivered this year, announces Klein Tuente. "These new, robotized assembly machines optimize manufacturing processes by making the production of pleated blinds 80% more efficient while saving CO2. This is a game changer for Coulisse and its assembly partners." 

"Creativity and innovation are in our DNA. With that, we listen, think outside the box and constantly push our boundaries in terms of design and technology," hooks Christiaan Roetgering. "We strive to be the Tesla of our industry. We want to develop window covering solutions that use the latest smart technology with the most advanced designs. We are still down-to-earth, but also proud. We continue to build strong partnerships and look forward to realizing our dream of the new Coulisse Campus. It should become the go-to place for window covering experts from around the world." 

"Since its establishment in 1992, Coulisse has had a strong sense of corporate social responsibility," notes Maurice Roetgering. Among the results have been several initiatives to preserve and restore local heritage and landscape the environment. Think of the renovation of the historic farm the Pearl of Twente from 1800 and the restoration of nature reserve Reggedal near Coulisse's headquarters. This allows future generations to enjoy the biodiversity of flora and fauna, including the restoration of wildflowers from Dutch wetlands. Coulisse uses nature as an important source of inspiration, which is reflected for example in the fabric collection Living Beauty. 

"It is incredibly valuable to build a company and watch it grow over thirty years," Maurice Roetgering observes. "Expanding it with talented people in new locations around the world and building a brand new Coulisse Campus. All while preserving our precious heritage and local environment. Our mission is unchanged: we will continue to develop, consider and give back to society, now and in the future!" 

As a highlight of the 30th anniversary celebration, Coulisse has released a beautifully executed coffee table book titled Living Beauty. The book was realized in collaboration with renowned fashion photographer Jasper Abels, who spent a year capturing the wildlife and landscape of the Reggedal Valley in beautiful photographs. In addition, an anniversary edition of the Coulisse Journal was released, containing interviews with Christiaan and Maurice Roetgering, Jasper Abels and creative director Catharina Idema of Coulisse.