Ernestine Valadez, who owns Academy Window Coverings at 4303 South Padre Island Drive with her husband, Richard, writes family histories and poetry when not on the showroom floor helping customers. Valadez has self-published two books and is working on a third. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
After 57 years successfully running Academy Window Coverings in Corpus Christi, Ernestine and Richard Valadez are still not ready to retire. At 81 years of age, Ernestine tells the story of her family-run business with the same amount of energy and joy she brings to her work.
“I never get up in a bad mood,” said Valadez, co-owner of Academy Window Coverings in Corpus Christi. “I’m a happy person.”
While she gives credit for her good health to what she doesn’t do (she has never been a drinker or a smoker), she attributes the success of the business to God and the Academy Windows team. That team includes family members and employees.
“We all work together; we have to be united together,” she said. “There’s no way to handle anything by yourself. You need everybody working.”
When they took over the San Antonio-based business with a $500 loan in 1959, the young couple worked side by side selling and repairing blinds for their growing customer base. A big portion of the work involved refinishing wooden blinds, taking them apart, sanding and refinishing them, then stringing them back together.
Before the days of mini-blinds in assorted colors and patterns, the world only knew venetian blinds and roller shades with two-inch aluminum blades. The Valadezes cleaned, repaired and reinstalled old blinds while also selling new ones.
Ernestine also sewed draperies and cared for their family, which ultimately numbered six kids.
“Richard built me a little room for the kids to play in while I was working,” Valadez said. “Richard and I have always worked side by side.”
The couple often worked late into the night so the blinds could be delivered and reinstalled the next day.
“Both of us have been blessed with the same energy,” Ernestine continued. “We like to do good work, be on time. We had the same goals. We wanted our own business.”
Now with 16 grandchildren, the Valadezes have several of their grown kids working for their company, which they renamed Academy in 1982. That’s also when they expanded their selection of products.
From then on, the showroom floor at Academy Windows has always been stocked with the latest trend in window treatments. While adding products, they continued providing repair, cleaning and installation services.
Academy Windows does most of its work in-house so customers don’t have to wait for items to be shipped back and forth. What they can’t fix on the more complicated shutters, they do ship, but they carefully track the progress and make sure the work is done properly.
Repeat customers who have moved as far away as Laredo and Dallas have come back to them. Ernestine said they go wherever their customers need them to go.
“I guess that’s why we are still here after 57 years,” she said. “We try to do good work for the customer.”
Academy Window Coverings Inc. is located at 4303 South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. Call (361) 852-6088 for more information.
