Aria Vent, Inc. Customer Story

Father-daughter entrepreneurs show off designer air vent

A dad and his daughter had a really big idea: aesthetically pleasing, architectural-quality, designer air vents.

But when sales quickly flowed, and their warehouse overflowed, they needed an equally big eFulfillment idea. So they had UPS take over their warehousing and fulfillment operation.

Designer air vents was their brainchild. Relying on UPS for warehousing and fulfillment was pretty smart, too.

Paolo Mantenuto had a crazy idea. He thought there was a better way to design the common air register vent. So the Toronto-based engineer did just that, creating a modern, minimalist air vent that could be used with any surface material, including tile, carpet, cork, hardwood or drywall. As his idea took shape, Paolo asked his daughter, Roberta, to help him get the business started. News of the new vent quickly circulated through major interior design magazines, and the duo was off and running.

"UPS Fulfillment is incredibly accurate. They have never incorrectly fulfilled an order—so customer satisfaction is at an all-time high. UPS is great for small to medium-sized businesses. It’s very difficult to find a company that serves this market; most fulfillment services focus on large-scale businesses."

Roberta Mantenuto, CEO, Aria Vent

The challenge

Aria's quick success posed a challenge they hadn’t anticipated. They quickly outgrew their space and orders were flowing in—from all over Canada—faster than they could fulfill them. After struggling to accurately fill orders with several other fulfillment partners, the Mantenutos knew they needed something better if they were going to maintain trust with their growing customer base.

The Solution

Aria could take advantage of UPS^® eFulfillment services, which are ideal for fast-growing businesses, companies who've outgrown their space or ones that need to expand their distribution footprint without breaking the bank. The services are available at any time, with no minimums. For Aria, UPS utilized its distribution facilities in Burlington, Ontario and Calgary to help improve inventory control and accelerate speed to market. For their part, Aria didn't have to exhaust additional capital expenditures, add new employees or invest in expensive new technology.

The Results

Not only did Aria refocus on the business of growing their business, they scrapped the idea of upsizing their space. Instead of moving to a bigger warehouse, they now ship overstock to be held at one of UPS’s secure fulfillment facilities. Aria markets a premium product with premium customer service that depends on timely and correct fulfillment. As their business continues to grow, the Mantenutos are confident their customers’ experience will be positive, right up to the final delivery.