Some companies grow by doing more. Simply Shutters grew by doing less, but doing it better.
Founded on March 15, 2017, in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Simply Shutters was built around one clear idea. The company would focus only on plantation shutters. No blinds. No shades. No extra products to distract the team.
That simple choice helped shape the company’s path.
Started by Martin County natives Tim McBride and Stephen Bromstrup, Simply Shutters came from both experience and hard lessons. Before launching under its current name, the founders had run a shutter business in Stuart, Florida. That first venture did not work out the way they hoped. But it gave them a clear view of what needed to change.
“Our previous company failed because we tried to be like everyone else in the industry,” the founders said. “When we started Simply Shutters, we knew we had to do things differently.”
How Simply Shutters Started After a Business Setback
The story of Simply Shutters did not begin with instant success. It began with a reset.
After their earlier business struggled, McBride and Bromstrup took a hard look at the shutter industry. Many companies were buying parts from overseas, assembling them locally, and selling products in a similar way. The founders saw room for a better model.
They opened in Port St. Lucie with a new plan. They wanted to make shutters easier to buy, easier to price, and easier to install.
“The name Simply Shutters comes from making everything we do as easy as possible,” they said.
That idea became the company’s core. It also became a business lesson. A company does not always need to be complex to grow. Sometimes, the strongest idea is the clearest one.
Why Simply Shutters Focused Only on Plantation Shutters
From the start, Simply Shutters made a choice that many companies avoid. It chose a narrow focus.
The company sells plantation shutters only. That decision helped the team build deep knowledge in one product category.
“We only offer shutters,” the founders said. “That is what allows us to focus on quality, price, and process.”
This focus helped the company stand apart. While other businesses sold many types of window treatments, Simply Shutters put its full attention on improving one product.
For customers, that created a simpler buying path. For the business, it created stronger systems. Sales, installation, training, product design, and service could all be built around one clear offering.
How a Direct Manufacturing Partnership Changed the Business
One of the biggest moves in the company’s growth was signing a partnership agreement with a manufacturer in Xiamen, China.
This allowed Simply Shutters to sell directly from the source. It also helped reduce extra costs in the supply chain.
The model was important because affordability was part of the company’s purpose. The founders wanted middle-class homeowners to have access to quality plantation shutters without paying prices that felt out of reach.
“Our goal was to bring the highest quality shutters to people at a price they could afford,” they said.
That idea helped Simply Shutters grow quickly. The founders also used their background in internet marketing to reach more customers. Demand rose fast.
At one point, the company grew so quickly that it could not keep up.
“We exploded and couldn’t meet the demand,” they said. “We had to refund hundreds of customers and rethink how shutters should be sold.”
Instead of viewing that moment only as a failure, the team used it as a turning point.
How Simply Shutters Improved Its Product Over Time
In the early years, Simply Shutters sold products similar to what many competitors offered. Over time, that changed.
The company began investing heavily in product development. It spent millions of dollars rebuilding its PVC plantation shutters piece by piece.
“We have changed every single piece of the shutters,” the founders said. “We started with the same kind of product others were selling, but we kept improving it.”
That steady improvement became one of the company’s biggest ideas brought to life.
Instead of accepting the standard product in the market, Simply Shutters worked to make its shutters stronger, better looking, and more durable. The company kept its focus on value while upgrading the product.
This is where its story becomes more than a sales story. It is a business growth story. The company used customer demand, past mistakes, and product feedback to build a better operation.
What Helped Simply Shutters Grow Across Florida
Simply Shutters grew from a small warehouse with four employees into a company with about 50 full-time team members.
It now operates several warehouse locations across Florida. It has served more than 50,000 homes and installs thousands of shutters each week. The company is also preparing to expand into Texas with its first warehouse there.
Another key choice was keeping workers in-house.
“We do not use subcontractors,” the founders said. “Our installers and salespeople are full-time employees.”
That decision helps the company control service, training, and accountability. It also shows how the founders think about scale. Growth is not just about selling more. It is about building systems that can support more customers without losing control of quality.
What Business Owners Can Learn From Simply Shutters
The Simply Shutters story shows how one focused idea can create long-term growth.
The founders did not build the company by trying to offer everything. They built it by solving one problem better each year. They learned from an early setback. They changed their supply chain. They improved their product. They hired directly. They kept the buying process simple.
“We wanted to do this totally different from any other company in our space,” the founders said.
That mindset helped Simply Shutters move from a local Florida business to a growing shutter company with expansion plans beyond the state.
For business owners and career builders, the lesson is clear. Big ideas do not always have to sound dramatic. Sometimes, a big idea is choosing one lane, staying with it, and improving it until the market notices.
Simply Shutters built its growth on that kind of discipline. The result is a company that has turned focus, simplicity, and product improvement into a lasting business model.
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