Although everyone can agree that 2020 was a rough and stressful year, we also know that true character comes out and is tested in the most difficult times. Last summer, Parasoleil made a commitment to come out of this stronger. Now with the end of the pandemic in sight, I have been putting my notes together to assess where we were and where we need to go from here.
We have always had a strong focus on understanding pattern and how our products impact the way people use each space. We have also found that there are developers, architects, and contractors who care just as much about lasting design and the people who use the places we create together. These partnerships are critical to develop – not because they have more business to get involved in, rather, these partnerships ask more of us. The puzzles brought to us sharpen our skills and provide the opportunity to work through creative solutions with them which makes our jobs more fun!
And we do have fun. I’m proud to be able to say that
throughout 2020, our team accomplished some incredible things. In
2020, we launched the MESH pattern line, giving designers a collection of
patterns to customize easily and use for branding, public art, and
for coordinating the same design language across different
applications with built-in engineering. We launched the Eclipse
Collection that features hurricane-rated shade structures and
screen systems. In the same year, we launched biomimicry patterns
to use in high-stress environments, bringing art and nature into
the built environment. The Panel Thickness Calibrator was
established, giving instant design flexibility options for
projects. Additionally, we were able to present more case
studies, more continuing education to the AEC community, and
more news updates through our channels than ever before. And we did
all of this while supporting our clients and customers with the
most dependable project process and production reliability than
anyone in the industry.
I am excited to be part of the Parasoleil team in 2021, not because all of these past accomplishments, but because it is fun to collaborate together and uncover how to make the best impact with each project at hand. We have an engineer designing custom brackets for the Bahamas, an architect guiding the design for a new city plaza. And we have an interior designer creating a unique pattern for a senior living community. I have the honor of being involved in CODA public art discussions, NOMMA metalsmithing workshops, and becoming a WELL Accredited Professional. Frankly, I would bet that our office manager cares more about the people who call us on the phone out of the blue than any other office manager out there. I would also bet my house that the person who manages our production and packs up hardware for our customers cares more about the art of what we do than anyone else doing a similar job anywhere in the United States. And we get to do what we do as a team – learn from each other and sharpen each other’s skills.
By the end of 2021, we will each continue to have many unforeseen challenges as well as achieve many planned successes. If we stay close to our values and listen to the people who make us better people, we will be able to connect the seemingly random dots of our daily experiences and see that our efforts really do matter.
Keep the fire burning.
-Uriah Bueller, CEO