About Aero Shade Co.
Beautiful Window Treatments Are Our Passion
Jack Pitson and Mario Soulema worked evenings and weekends for 12 years while holding full-time jobs elsewhere.
It took that sort of dedication to get their mini-blind business off the ground in 1976.
Today, Aero Shade Co. is still a family business — and one of the most respected purveyors of window treatments in Los Angeles.
We build, sell, customize, and install designer-quality window coverings for:
- Fortune 500 corporations
- LA-area celebrities
- Universities and public school districts
- Small businesses, including restaurants and retail shops
- Thousands of homeowners in metro Los Angeles
We specialize in blinds, shades, shutters, curtains, and awnings. We don’t sell carpets, bathroom fixtures, tools, or weed killer. This sets us apart from many competitors who can’t offer the same quality, product selection, inspired design, personalized customer service, and level of customization.
Aero Shade Company History
Jack Pitson entered the mini-blind business on the advice of his father-in-law, a veteran plant manager for a California fabricator. The year was 1976, the same year Apple Computer was born.
Pitson placed an ad in the newspaper and set out with a 12-color sample deck.
It was the beginning of the mini-blind craze; Pitson’s little side business was soon doing so well that he invited his cousin, Mario Soulema, to join him. They did their selling, measuring, and installing while working full-time in other fields.
By 1988, Pitson and Soulema were prospecting for a retail location. They struck gold: by luck or fate, they met Harold Harvey, owner of Aero Shade Co. Inc., a small Los Angeles shade shop founded in 1947. Harvey was contemplating retirement and needed a buyer who cared about the business.
We’re Family-Owned & Operated
Aero Shade is an equal partnership between Jack and Miriam Pitson and Mario and Shelley Soulema — and a true family-run operation.
Miriam and Shelley handle the office, bookkeeping, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. Mario Soulema manages sales on a limited basis but spends most of his time scheduling three full-time installers and overseeing production in the company’s factory.
Jack Pitson heads Aero Shade’s sales force and serves the company’s high-profile clients, including local universities and the top contractors and architects in LA who work exclusively with executives and celebrities in the entertainment industry.
“Our business requires long, hard hours to provide the highest quality products and services,” Mario Soulema says. The result of that effort is a fiercely loyal customer base and glowing word-of-mouth referrals.
The Aero Shade Showroom & Facilities
The Aero Shade store and showroom are adjacent to Beverly Hills and a mile from the design center of Los Angeles.
“We have a complete showroom with samples of virtually all products,” Soulema says. “This lets customers see, feel, and test products in person. We try to utilize [our 1,000-ft space] to the fullest with displays, display books, and working tools.”
Even Aero Shade’s manufacturing facility has a history in the industry. The building was once a Venetian blind factory. Pitson and Soulema purchased it from a father-and-son business; Aero Shade now uses it to manufacture roller shades for wholesale, retail, and contract customers.
Store Location
8404 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 457-2835
StoreHours
M – F
8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Inventory & Sales
Most of Aero Shade’s sales are in window shades, including laminated shades, room-darkening and translucent shades, and an ever-expanding line of sheers. These account for about 60 percent of the store’s retail volume.
The company also does a brisk business in draperies, wood blinds, cellular shades, Roman shades, and vertical blinds, all of which can be motorized. Specialty items include rolling shutters, retractable awnings, and exterior porch shades.
Mesh shading systems are “extremely popular,” according to Pitson, and they’re ideal for motorization. “Here in Southern California, we have homes in the hills with gorgeous views, homes in Malibu and Pacific Palisades — different areas with spectacular panoramas but also a sun problem.”
The store attracts some walk-in traffic, but name recognition drives most visits. Aero Shade’s reputation for quality and service dates back to the days before Pitson and Soulema, who built on that foundation to create one of the most trusted brands in the window treatment business.
