Ziptrak® has been manufacturing outdoor blinds since the turn of the millennium — the year 2000 — when our founder and inventor, Tony de Maaijer, first designed, built, and installed outdoor blinds for a restaurant in Adelaide, South Australia.
At the time, there were no other track-guided systems on the Australian market. Tony used to describe the operation of the blind as “zippy,” meaning it moved easily up and down the track and could be used by people of all ages and abilities. There was no actual zipper in the blind, as Tony had invented an innovative method of holding the fabric in the track using a side spline. Tony always regarded a zipper as something for clothing, not for blinds — and he still does!
The brand name “Ziptrak®” was inspired by the effortless, zippy motion of the blind gliding smoothly along the track — but there has never been an actual zipper in the product. Our engineers have rigorously tested zippers, and the results are clear: Ziptrak®’s patented side spline technology is far stronger, more durable, and more reliable than a zipper could ever be.
Over the past 25 years, this innovation has set the standard for outdoor blinds. With imitations — often featuring zippers — “Ziptrak®” has become a generic descriptive term for a product category, much like Band-Aid® or Corn Flakes®.
There is only one Genuine Ziptrak®.