Future Plans For Ziptrak

Tony de Maaijer discusses the brand history and future plans for Ziptrak, the revolutionary blinds system he invented

- Tony de Maaijer

In 1999, entrepreneur Tony de Maaijer received an inquiry from a restaurant. The establishment wanted a window treatment that would allow its patrons to dine outdoors all year round, regardless of the weather. De Maaijer, who owned an outdoor blinds business, swiftly got to work and within a year, he developed an answer: he created Ziptrak, a track-guided, hand-operated outdoor blinds system that would enclose an interior on rainy or sunny days.

“The product options available in the market then were very heavy and difficult to operate,” says the founder of Australian brand Ziptrak. “At that time, I thought there must be a better and easier way to enclose a space. I faced many obstacles to get everything done the way I wanted; the technical aspects, the testing required, and the design and creation of each prototype was extremely detailed.”