Jax hurricane-shutter manufacturer reaches growth milestone on Inc. 5000 (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — From backyard dinner parties to hurricane season, one Jacksonville manufacturer has built a business around making patios more livable and resilient.
Fenetex, a Westside-based company specializing in motorized screens, has turned a niche product into a national growth story. Ranked No. 89 in the manufacturing sector on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, the company has surged past $10 million in revenue and nearly doubled its workforce.
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By expanding beyond hurricane shutters into shade, insect and clear vinyl screens, Fenetex has broadened its market far beyond Florida and positioned itself as a rising player in outdoor living solutions.
Meridith Anzulis, the vice president and CEO of Fenetex, said the honor is a substantial milestone.
“It’s one thing for a software company to grow with those numbers, because for them, it’s just scaling is much easier, but we’re talking about manufacturing, which is a much more difficult thing to scale,” Anzulis told the Business Journal.
Fenetex’ revenue grew 65% from 2023 to 2024, and it’s on track to grow 60% this year, the CEO said.
The company’s roots are in hurricane screens, providing a storm barrier made out of an aramid fabric – a bullet-proof vest material – rather than glass. The shutters made in Jacksonville are certified for high-velocity hurricane zones such as Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.
Anzulis explained that with the push of a button, homeowners can raise or lower the screens to enclose their patios, protecting the glass and furniture inside. That means they no longer have to haul everything indoors ahead of a storm — a convenience she called significant.
Sailing Into Manufacturing Success
The inspiration for the business came from an unexpected place: sailing.
Anzulis said she and her husband Michael Murray, the company president, founded Fenetex with the idea of using the standards around wind-resistant designs of sailboat components for structures on land.
“If you look at the way a sail is constructed and the load it’s meant to bear, you can kind of take those principles and convert it to hurricane winds too,” Anzulis said.
That was in 2007, and nearly two decades later the Jacksonville manufacturer has a 40,000-square-foot facility at 259 Ellis Road and more than 30 employees.
The company typically deals wholesale with resellers, or works with architects and builders for plans with particular specs. Another party typically implements final installation of the specialized shutters, Anzulis said.
Fueling that momentum has been the company’s expansion into new markets and more versatile uses.
The CEO said the company has charted its most recent growth outside of its hurricane product-line.
Though Fenetex has a strong regional demand for its hurricane shutters, it’s been able to expand beyond the South to guard against more subtle outdoor irritants such as the glare of the sun or feasting mosquitos. The company is selling its insect, shade and clear vinyl screens nationwide.
Clear vinyl screens have been Fenetex’ most popular product in the North, especially in areas with cooler climates, though it can also be used for heat resistance.
Anzulis noted that many restaurants with outdoor seating use Fenetex’s clear screens to enclose patios, allowing them to heat or cool the space and make it comfortable in a wider variety of weather conditions.
Diversifying its portfolio allowed Fenetex to have more streamlined products available to a wider market, as the non-hurricane products have less rigorous testing protocols. The company began offering delivery service beyond Florida, expanding its reach to North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.
Over the next six to twelve months, the company expects to roll out new product lines — a move that Anzulis said will require additional space and staff. Fenetex also plans to grow its delivery fleet with more and larger trucks.
“We’ll be pretty much serving the entire nation,” the CEO said.