Jeff In Belle Magazine

Tell Belle a little about Integrity and how it got started in the Upstate

“Integrity Blinds and Shutters…not just a name, a way of doing business,” is the tagline of the window treatment venture formed by Jeff Brannon over 30 years ago.  Most entrepreneurs and their companies that have survived several decades have unique stories to tell, and Integrity is no different.

Jeff grew up on a “mill hill” in Whitney, South Carolina, a small community in Spartanburg county.  He never met his father.  Jeff and his sister were raised by their loving, dedicated mother, Ginger, who worked long hours to support them.  Due to his lack of direction and self-discipline, and coupled with negative influences, Jeff found himself as a 12-year-old embracing a world of drugs and alcohol, spiraling further and further away from a healthy, functioning society.  After spending three years as a 7th grader, he made the poor decision to quit school.  The next several years were dark.   He was a 16-year-old, drug using, 7th grade dropout who entered the workforce as a dishwasher at Quincy’s Family Steakhouse.

In 1987 at the age of 22, Jeff was presented with an opportunity to work for his roommate, selling and installing blinds.  At the same time, an individual entered his life who served as a mentor, encourager, and father figure.  Jeff attributes his success to the grace of God and this special man who poured into his life.  “Opportunity and preparedness met,” says Jeff,  “I was ready to change.”

Less than a year after starting to work for his roommate, Jeff struck out on his own and formed Brannon Installation Service.  He installed blinds and drapes, working out of a small VW Rabbit, never knowing his new endeavor would develop into a long-term career and the successful business it is today.   Jeff’s journey of personal growth began when he assumed responsibility for his poor decisions and started focusing on his business and providing for his wife, Ann, and their four children.  Integrity has weathered many storms throughout the years.  During the 2008-09 economic collapse, the Brannons nearly lost their business and home.  The advice from their accountant was, “Throw everything you can off the ship; it is sinking!”  The business managed to survive that rough time even though Jeff and his partner at the time went over a year with no income.

Since that low time, Jeff and his team have taken the business from a “mom and pop” organization to a thriving enterprise!  The name has changed four times over its 31-year history, but Jeff settled on Integrity Blinds and Shutters in 2013, because it reflected the beliefs he desired to embody to his customers and employees.

What special services are offered at Integrity?

Although its roots began in the residential market, Integrity now has a commercial-division and has become a leader in that sector as well. Integrity primarily serves the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.   Occasionally they travel to other states to serve existing customers with their second homes.  Jeff has always considered it quite a compliment that his clientele feel comfortable and confident enough in Integrity’s work that they want his team involved in their other projects.  “They know we care and will do whatever it takes to make their project a success!”