Our People

Ron Swapp – Creator & Founder Ron Swapp is the founder and co-owner of Sunburst Shutters. He is often referred to as the “Father of Synthetic Shutters” as it was his entrepreneurial efforts that created the world-famous Polywood shutter. Polywood’s popularity is due to Ron’s ingenuity and his vision of creating the perfect shutter. Now, Polywood is the best selling shutter in North America. His accomplishments are well recognized in the window treatment industry. And he continues to drive product innovations and research new products for Sunburst Shutters. Still involved in the business after more than 30 years, Ron manages on-going product development and growth strategies. Ron’s hobbies include baseball, travel, and coming up with the next big idea. QUOTE: “It’s amazing when you think about it—America’s love of plantation shutters has grown tremendously over the past 25 years and Sunburst Shutters has grown right along with it.” FAVORITE SHUTTER STORY: I love seeing happy customers. One lady told me that we “transformed” her home into a classier place to live. That’s true customer satisfaction! Dix Jarman – Co-Owner & CEO Dix Jarman is the co-owner and CEO of Sunburst Shutters. After Dix graduated from Brigham Young University with a business degree, he was asked by his uncle – Ron Swapp – to give the shutter business a try. In 1988 he opened the Las Vegas Sunburst Shutters store with his wife. Thanks to their hard work and optimistic personalities, they created the most successful store location in Sunburst Shutters Corporation’s history. From Vegas, Dix opened the Hawaii store and established it’s future success as well. As CEO, Dix directs the day-to-day operations of North America’s largest shutter company. He is heavily involved with quality control, manufacturing, operations and sales. He regularly consults with stores and dealers worldwide. Dix’s hobbies include golf and travel. QUOTE: “It’s true that Sunburst offers the best product in the shutter industry. But make no mistake—we are successful because we’ve hired the best people who are truly committed to doing whatever it takes to exceed customer expectations every day.” FAVORITE SHUTTER STORY: Many of the families who bought shutters from me have become very good friends. It’s great that we offer a product and service that sparks lifelong relationships. Kurt Taylor – CFO Kurt is a seasoned professional with a Juris Doctorate degree from Brigham Young University. In addition to starting his own private practice, he has experience in corporate law. Kurt serves as Sunburst’s in-house legal counsel and Chief Financial Officer, supervising day-to-day finance, accounting and legal matters. FAVORITE SHUTTER STORY: Learning that our shutters made a Nashville customer so happy that she cried throughout the installation. That’s amazing. John Barnes – Vice President of Marketing John’s sales and marketing experience started at a full-service advertising agency. He has experience in corporate marketing, sales, and has run his own marketing agency. At Sunburst, John directs the branding efforts, national advertising campaigns, and sales promotions. FAVORITE SHUTTER STORY: Being invited to build shutters for ABC TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on multiple occasions. Those are very special shutter jobs. Bret Harris, Vice President of Manufacturing After years of selling and installing shutters, Bret directs our worldwide manufacturing efforts. With a degree in Management, Bret makes sure every Polywood shutter is built to the most precise standards of quality. He supervises more than 100 manufacturing professionals and provides strategy, training and support for their efforts. He also manages 6 successful retail locations across the country. FAVORITE SHUTTER STORY: One day I was in the home of a very discriminating buyer—one that I was sure could not be satisfied with any shutter. But my worries were relieved when after her shutters were installed, she called to thank me and said she knew she picked the best shutters for her home. Bret Harris, Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: ARIZONA: Phoenix CALIFORNIA: Rocklin Sacramento Bay Area TENNESSEE: Nashville VIRGINIA/DC/MARYLAND: Gaithersburg Todd Hansen, Eastern Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores FLORIDA: Boca Raton Fort Myers Vero Beach Jacksonville Orlando Sarasota Tampa NEW YORK: New York NEW JERSEY: Newark MASSACHUSETTS: Boston CONNECTICUT: South Glastonbury Matt Thelander, Mid-west Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: ILLINOIS: Chicago MINNESOTA: Minneapolis PENNSYLVANIA: Pittsburgh INDIANA: Indianapolis MICHIGAN: Detroit OHIO: Cleveland Columbus Cincinnati KENTUCKY: Louisville Bruce Jones, Texas Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: TEXAS: Dallas Houston San Antonio Stan Nielson, Nevada Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: NEVADA: Las Vegas Greg Arnett, Southern California Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: CALIFORNIA: Orange County San Diego Darren Wong, Hawaii Regional Sales Director for these Sunburst stores: HAWAII: Honolulu WASHINGTON: Spokane