We are excited to announce that Ann Swanson is the proud new owner of Made in the Shade of East Valley, Arizona. The former owner, Kevin Barbour, admirably built a very successful franchise performing at high level. Ann will now take over the reins and employ her skills and existing window covering experience to bring Made in the Shade East Valley to new heights!
Professional background
Ann began her career as a flight attendant where she spent twelve years traveling the world. She loved learning about all the different cultures she encountered and taking in the historic sites and beautiful scenery in her travels. She always made it a point to collect mementos from each of the destinations she visited as a reminder of all of her adventures. After leaving the airline industry, Ann secured as a position as a sales consultant working for a window shutter company. It was there that she fell in love with the custom window fashions industry and gained a high degree of product knowledge, sales skills, and a clear understanding of the importance of exceeding customer expectations.
What hobbies/interests do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love riding our Polaris Razor and taking in the landscape of Arizona. I always take time to keep up with the latest trends in home décor and decorating. I am especially interested in the use of color to tie everything in the home together. I also enjoy finding new projects for my husband to tackle around the house.
Tell us about your family and their interests.
We have six children. Four beautiful daughters and two handsome sons spread throughout the country from Florida to South Carolina to Illinois and Idaho. Some are completing their educations and others are married. We have been blessed with twelve biological and adopted grandchildren who are the center of out universe. Obviously, there’s a lot of travel required to be together, but it’s worth every mile to get our desired hugs from all of them!
What appealed to you about the Made in the Shade opportunity?
After speaking with Kevin and some of the existing franchise owner, it became glaringly apparent that Made in the Shade is a family culture and that was very appealing to me. I also understand how important it is to be competitively priced so the vendor alliances that Made in the Shade has forged is a great advantage.
What is your best MITS contact number and business email?
Phone: (480) 444-9607
Email: ann@mitsblinds.com
