Former EVP Jeff Wharton has been appointed CEO of Plano-based blinds company Bloomin’ Blinds, coinciding with the company’s launch of a proprietary AI-capable tech stack called BloomScale.

Established in 2001 and franchising since 2014, Bloomin’ Blinds said the launch is “set to revolutionize the industry and elevate the brand to new heights.”

The company said that Wharton boasts an impressive resume, holding various leadership roles, primarily in home improvement products, including custom window coverings. The company addedd that stepping into the CEO role is a natural progression for Wharton building on his accomplishments with the company serving as EVP.

“I have tremendous respect for this brand and leadership team and am humbled to step into this role as we drive our stellar reputation forward and catapult Bloomin’ Blinds into the national spotlight,” Wharton said in a statement. “Key areas of focus include successfully deploying our proprietary AI operating system, streamlining operations, and building-out our product offering and vendor partnerships to maximize profitability potential.”

Since its founding, Bloomin’ Blinds has operated as a family business, with brothers Kelsey, Kris, and Kevin Stuart at the helm. They have grown the franchise to more than 80 units, spanning over 150 territories in 35 states with impressive year-over-year systemwide sales growth.

The company said Wharton’s appointment signals the next era of its evolution. Kelsey moves into the role of CDO, while Kris and Kevin remain COO and CTO, respectively.

The brand’s culture of family and core values continues to act as a strategic compass, guiding innovation, the company said.

“To say Jeff is deserving of the CEO role would be an understatement,” Kelsey Stuart said in a statement. “He embodies our culture and has what it takes evolve Bloomin’ Blinds into a performance-driven brand that continues to revolve around putting people first. I’m confident Jeff will be a driving force behind our continued success and future as a tech-forward brand.”

What the new AI platform does

The company said the launch of BloomScale is designed to improve the customer experience while simplifying operations for franchisees and team members. The vertically integrated proprietary technology platform was created in partnership with Revscale AI and is currently in beta testing, set to rollout systemwide in Q1 of 2025.

BloomScale automates inbound and outbound sales, growth marketing, product configuration, EDI ordering, KPI management, merchant service integration, as well as technical and customer support.

BloomScale features and benefits:

• AI-powered call center via small language models and customized avatars designed to be brand experts.
• Eliminating order entry errors and digitalizing the quoting process; improving same-store margins.
• Visualizer tools that allow customers to engage, interact, and make informed decisions more efficiently, creating more sales opportunities.
• AI-powered communication platforms and apps enabling real-time updates on service status.
• KPI tracking, giving franchisees front-facing access to daily business performance metrics.

“This project is exceptionally noteworthy, offering substantial ROI potential that many home service brands have overlooked because of its significant scale and complexity,” Kris Stuart said. “By building the AI platform ourselves, we’ve been able to enhance the system to abide by our brand guidelines, and it continuously improves based on real-time feedback and adjustments. Our goal is to leverage technology to enhance human relationships, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this technology platform.”

The company said that the purposefully built, fully integrated solution offers easy deployment and efficient management, providing critical features to help franchisees optimize their operations.

By leveraging new digital capabilities, Bloomin’ Blinds said it is poised to challenge competitors and achieve robust, long-term growth and success.

According to the Bloomin’ Blinds 2024 FDD, the top 50% of franchisees’ units saw an average net sale of $803,784, with the average of the top third exceeding $1.8 million.

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