A powerful synergy in shading and control

Sunshades are a craft, but so are the associated controls. "We can hang the tightest screens, but if the controls don't work properly, the whole system doesn't work," says Frank van Kerkwijk, owner of Ambiance IJmond. For larger projects, therefore, the sun protection specialist works together with Driekleur-Besturingen. "Combining our expertise with each other turned out to be ideal."

The cooperation between the two parties began more than five years ago, Van Kerkwijk says. "We were then allowed to provide a group of nursing homes with new blinds. In doing so, however, each building had a different system, which we had to find out who had installed it, how it worked and how we could maintain it." So the introduction to Driekleur-Besturingen came at exactly the right time for Ambiance IJmond. "Because of their specialism in controllers, we immediately thought of them for this issue."

Dennis Bastiaan, responsible for sales and project support at Driekleur-Besturingen explains: "We fit between the awning manufacturer, dealer and installer. Control is a totally different branch of sport than regular electrical installations. Customers often ask whether systems can be digitized, what the status of their installation is, and whether sensors are still functioning properly. We map that out and make sure existing installations are brought up to date."

Driekleur likes to take a no-obligation look at a project and that's also how the cooperation with Ambiance IJmond began. "We look at how we can arrange everything as efficiently as possible for the sun protection specialist's client. In the case of these nursing homes, we added extra functionalities where necessary and made sure that the system was completely up to date again."

Service and support

One of the advantages of the cooperation is the service provision. Mechanics from Ambiance IJmond have direct access to Driekleur's expertise. Initially, problems are communicated through Ambiance, but if things become more complex, Driekleur can step in immediately. Van Kerkwijk explains, "Previously, each customer had its own installer or electrician and we could only check the basics. Now we have a specialist partner who relieves us."

There is also added value in the field of knowledge transfer. Driekleur provides training on controls, which enables Ambiance IJmond to gain more and more knowledge and to be better able to offer systems. "The more often I go along to projects, the more Frank learns from this," says Bastiaan. "But of course he doesn't need to know where every single wire is." Van Kerkwijk adds: "We can now respond better to questions and understand exactly what we can offer. We are better prepared during customer meetings and can unburden the customer. A facility manager just wants everything to function properly, without fuss. By working with Driekleur, we can guarantee that."

A good example is the project at housing corporation Parteon in Wormerveer. In 2021, a Somfy IB installation with a weather station was found to be outdated and constantly malfunctioning. After replacement, the system functioned properly again. Nevertheless, a few years later problems occurred again, so in July 2024 all motor controllers and cabling were replaced. Ambiance IJmond was able to provide the building with new blinds, while Driekleur optimized the control solution. Thanks to this approach, the system is now fully functioning as desired.

A similar challenge occurred at the Ichthus Lyceum in Driehuis. Here, a dated Somfy IB installation had to be updated. In addition to replacing the weather station and the control unit, the installation was extended to the south facade, where Ambiance IJmond installed 28 new screens. Driekleur took care of all power supplies, extra groups and cabling. Frank van Kerkwijk: "Without the cooperation with Driekleur, this would have been a much more complex project. Thanks to them, we were able to offer it as a total package."

The cooperation between Ambiance IJmond and Driekleur-Besturingen suits both parties very well. "We are very happy with the cooperation," says Bastiaan, and vice versa. Together we provide beautiful installations that function trouble-free for years." Van Kerkwijk concludes, "Thanks to Driekleur, we know for sure that our blinds are always optimally controlled."