Meet Hovik Mkrtchian of Acacia Window Coverings

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hovik Mkrtchian

Hi Hovik, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
This year will be our 9th year in business. We are fortunate to have many amazing clients and vendors who we have built authentic relationships with. It has been an interesting journey, with us experiencing every thing you can imagine a small business can go through. I had the opportunity back in high school to be apart of a design and build program the school offered. Being around construction and architecture was something I genuinely enjoyed early on. However, at the same time I was constantly working and doing sales jobs. After college I stuck with a bank job which provided a lot of the opportunities to make good money for a twenty-some year old. While there I worked my way up to a business banker. Building relationships with business owners became a big part of my day. Life moved on and by 2015 I was getting married and planning to build my family. I always knew growing up my priority would be to spend as much time with them as possible and if I worked hard I wanted to enjoy it with the people closest to me. Then something happened that changed everything. I was meeting with professionals from every industry and the people that had the freedom and greatest sense of happiness above everyone else was the business owner. I wanted that. One day a friend introduced me to a contractor that had been running a window treatment company for 30 years. Our conversation led to finding out that he wanted to sell the business and it just clicked. I knew my way around a job site, was really good at sales and service and if I’m being honest it was a bonus that it was an existing business and not something I had to start from scratch. It sounds crazy to everyone but at that moment it made total sense to me to ditch banking and start selling drapes and blinds.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think a business owner can ever label things smooth. I had a client one day who’s a plumber answer his phone as if he was 911 and asked “what’s your emergency”. Although I do think having and overcoming these obstacles makes the business better. When I bought the business the deal was for the previous owner to stay on and show me the ropes of this industry I was oblivious to. Unfortunately the relationship soured the second he received the payout and with no money in the bank and just a couple of contacts I was left to figure things out. Spending more time with family, happiness, more money, essentially all the reasons I had become a business owner for went out the window. I remember vividly the first 3 months of that year with a baby on the way I had brought home maybe 300 dollars. I always tell people that without my family I don’t know what would have happen to me in that time. It was because of this unfortunate beginning though that we navigated through things like COVID and vendor closures and rising competition with the simple belief that this too shall pass and we will only become stronger and more successful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a full service Window Treatment contractor. We offer all products and services associated with window treatments such as blinds, shades, drapery, shutters, home automation and outdoor coverings. We are dealers for all the major brands in our industry such as Lutron, Hunter Douglas and Phantom but also take great pride in using local vendors and craftsman to provide a truly unique experience. We take care of the entire design, buying and installation process from A to Z. We have built a reputation in Southern California as a leader in customer service and premium products. As the owner if I had to choose what I am most proud of, it is that we simply always pick up the phone. I can wholeheartedly say that what sets us apart is just simple relationship building. We don’t offer for do things we wouldn’t want in our own homes. We are always available and there really isn’t a client we will not come to. Whether it’s one blind or 1000 we are there. I always say that we work for each and every client as if their job is what’s keeping the lights on. We know that when going through a renovation or building a new space things can get so overwhelming and by the time you get to the window treatments everything feels like it’s going to come crashing down. Our promise is that we will make that part feel like the easiest of the entire process. It’s cliche in our business but we really do have you covered.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Without a doubt the people we do all this for. Our families. I truly want my kids to work here when they are older and for this to be a family business I can say has been around for 50 years. We have bad days that make us feel like we can’t get passed it but when we are together it all just works itself out. I am told I say we a lot when referring to my sole owned business. And the reason for that is that Acacia really is a team of great people working towards a common goal. Also to the clients who have treated us like family and refer business to us without any expectations. I’m still the guy that hands out business cards and for a new client to say a friend gave them my card makes my day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Acaciawc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acacia_wc?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr