The Creation of Ziptrak®

The Creation of Ziptrak®

Ziptrak’s story starts in the early ‘80s when husband and wife Tony and Gustie de Maaijer moved to Adelaide from Sydney and started a blind and security shutters business, named Fischer Shutters. Tony began working with traditional zipper PVC café blinds with ropes and pullies, but quickly realised there was potential for innovation in this category.

Tony’s experience with sailing boats inspired the concept of an outdoor blind operating within a track with the use of a spline, similar to a sail within the mast of a yacht. He also recognised the importance of the user experience, adding to the complexity of the engineering challenge. “I wanted the customer to be able to leave the blind at any height, and simply push it there without cords, ropes or a crank handle,” Tony recalls.

The initial prototype of a Ziptrak blind was installed in an Adelaide restaurant, which was looking for an attractive clear PVC blind that was easy and fast for staff to operate. Ziptrak blinds were originally made and retailed exclusively by Fischer Shutters. As the product grew in popularity, the business started to wholesale to other retailers. When the brand’s traction in the market increased, the company Ziptrak Pty Ltd was established and discontinued retailing to focus on manufacturing and development of the system.

Ziptrak Pty Ltd is a 100% Australian owned and operated company that designs, develops, and manufactures track-guided blind products.

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How Ziptrak got its name

In Australia, the word ‘zippy’ (an English jargon) is often used when referring to something as fast or nimble – a distinctive feature of our product, quick and easy to use.

The word ‘track’ was introduced as a reference to our patented Track-Guided Blind System.

The combination of ‘zippy’ and ‘track’ – with a small twist – shaped the name of Ziptrak®.

20 Years of Innovation - and Counting

Every development from our team of in-house engineers is centred on improvements to strength, visual appearance, longevity and user experience. These priorities are balanced with cost, ease of fabrication and installation, which are vital to making a product that is affordable for consumers, anda profitable addition to every business within the Ziptrak network.

- Marc de Maaijer

Introduction to Singapore

Durablinds Trading, as Ziptrak’s exclusive distributor in Singapore and Malaysia, is determined to provide industry-leading support for the system. It was the first to introduce a five-year warranty on hardware components; the practice quickly became an industry standard as other players scrambled to provide the same service. Today, Durablinds’ 10-years warranty on the Ziptrak® SuperSpring component, which powers the manual blinds, remains one of the longest, if not longest, guarantees provided in the market.

- Founder & Managing Director of Durablinds Trading, Ong Shu Hwai

Durablinds Trading’s Service Promises
and Local Innovations

Ziptrak® was first introduced to Singapore in 2016, when Durablinds Trading was appointed the exclusive distributor and fabricator in Singapore and Malaysia by Ziptrak Pty Ltd.

Founder and managing director of Durablinds Trading, Ms Ong Shu Hwai, first chanced upon the product while searching for ways to help her clients create more liveable space within their homes, and was impressed by its quality, durability and ease of use. The decision to introduce Ziptrak® blinds in Singapore proved rewarding, as the company received unprecedented demand for the use of Ziptrak® blinds for use in balconies to keep dust and rain out.

Due to Singapore’s unique environment, where a majority of the populace live in high-rise apartments, Durablinds Trading has also introduced several product accessories compatible with the Ziptrak system for the local market. This includes Rainguard, an L-shaped aluminium plate that helps to keep and drain water away from balconies, as well as the Child Safety Latch, which prevents the bottom bar from being raised above railing height when deployed – an added safety feature highly sought after by parents seeking to reduce the risk of an accident happening on balconies.

Interested in retailing Ziptrak® blinds in Singapore or Malaysia?

Please contact us at

+65 8600 6384 bizdev@durablinds.com.sg

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