Anton Nekrylov is an entrepreneur, hands-on engineer, and recognized expert in glazing, solar-shading, and energy-efficient technologies with 20 years of experience. Born in Ukraine, he now lives and works in the United States, where he designs custom window systems for Budget Blinds Arlington—part of a top-four global window-treatment franchise network.
Nekrylov’s career began in the procurement division of the Horodok chain of building-supply hypermarkets and soon led to the CEO position at the manufacturing plant Okna-Profi. In 2010 he founded his own company, OknaService, which quickly became one of the leaders of Eastern Ukraine’s window market, a partner of Oschadbank, and a certified supplier to the state “Warm House” program. While consulting for major factories such as Steko, Ekipazh, and Vikonda, he introduced innovations in commercial and large-format glazing and optimized production and logistics—expertise he now adapts to the American market through modular roller systems, local manufacturing, and a “single-installer” service model.
You began with fine-tuning warehouse logistics, but now design energy-efficient façade systems of complex geometry. What personal principle lets you manage both material flows and engineering ideas with equal success?
My first principle is a constant system of self-questioning. Most projects are complex and cannot be delivered all at once, so I break the work into a series of small tasks and, after each one, ask myself: “Where did I make a mistake? What did I do wrong?” That inner auditor removes errors at the design stage. The next question is: “How can I improve this? What can I invent that no one else has done?” I also employ a psychological maneuver: I imagine even an easy-going client as extremely demanding—he wants more than a merely good result; he needs something better than the standard solution. My second principle is to plan everything in advance and avoid hasty decisions.
The research papers I am currently preparing for Ukrainian journals help me stay focused:
“Impact of Non-Standard Glazing Shapes on the Thermal Insulation Properties of Buildings.”
“Adapting Foreign Approaches to Assessing Window Energy Efficiency as a Unified ‘Window–Fabric Covering’ System for Ukraine’s Construction Sector.”
“Experimental Determination of Insulating Glass Unit Strength Under Point Loads From Temporary Installation Tools for Blinds and Solar-Shading Systems.”
From a technology and economics standpoint, what makes your bottom-up systems especially attractive for local production in the United States? What specific benefits are American building owners already seeing?
First, given current policy and tariffs, local production makes perfect sense. Blinds made in the United States will be price-competitive with—or even cheaper than—imports from China. At the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE) in West Palm Beach, April 2025, the number-one topic was tariffs and their effect on final products. Many companies invested heavily in developing products and setting up logistics that are now becoming obsolete. Local production offers a more predictable, stable long-term strategy.
Second, production lead time matters. We’re talking about unique custom products, and technologically they take time to make. Eliminating overseas logistics is a major competitive edge.
Third, my goal is to provide seamless service for everyone in the window-treatment market. When adjustments, mis-measurements, or on-the-fly fixes are required, local manufacturing is far more convenient.
Your vacuum tool lets a single installer set a 13-foot cassette in about an hour. By how much does this cut labor and project time compared with traditional methods?
I’d actually say ten minutes, not an hour. Previously two installers set six shades in an hour; now one person installs the same six. That’s the superficial view. In reality you must count travel time to and from the site and scheduling flexibility: if someone is ill or a second job comes up, the “third hand” provides freedom.
The United States has strict energy-efficiency and building-safety codes. Which regulatory barriers seem most serious when introducing an innovative façade technology, and how will you overcome them?
I plan to introduce not a façade technology but an innovative approach to customizing solar-shading systems, so I am less exposed to government regulation. For roller shades, I focus on motorized systems with built-in lithium batteries. Unlike hard-wired shades, this approach does not require electrical wiring or an electrician’s license. The user needs to recharge the shades only once or twice a year. In more advanced systems, I intend to employ local solar panels for continuous battery charging.
This year you served on the jury of the Baltic Real Estate Awards 2025. What did that experience give you as an engineer and entrepreneur?
The Baltic Real Estate Awards 2025, organized by EuropaProperty, took place on 15 May 2025 at Radisson Blu Sopot. As jurors we evaluated projects from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Finland on four criteria: innovation and design; location and accessibility; construction quality and schedule adherence; and community impact plus ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) metrics.
My remit covered the technical and energy-efficiency review of the “Retrofit/Refurbishment Project of the Year” and “PropTech Innovation” categories, analyzing compliance with energy-efficiency requirements and the modernization of existing buildings.
One project stood out: Designer Outlet Gdańsk (DWS Group), winner of “Retrofit/Refurbishment Project of the Year” It proved that deep envelope upgrades, highly insulating glass, and automated shading can slash energy use by one-third while boosting commercial appeal.
The jury role gave me three clear results: first, a fresh snapshot of Baltic ESG trends; second, serious networking with developers already seeking partners for local manufacturing; and third, confirmation of my expertise at an international level.
Looking back on twenty years of work, which project best shows that technology can deliver both sustainable profit and tangible public benefit?
For me it’s the “Warm Loans” Energy-Efficiency Program in Ukraine. Launched in 2015, it let homeowners buy energy-saving equipment with up to 35 percent state reimbursement. I was a contractor and supplier of energy-efficient windows. It was not simple: budget funds were insufficient, the program ran only three or four months each year, and my company faced extra paperwork for certificates and invoices; Ukraine lacks a U.S.-style credit score, so we could not predict loan approvals. Still, financing let homeowners glaze an entire house at once and save on energy the very next winter. Indirectly, the process pushed me to educate consumers. Outside the program a typical pitch was “Buy a window, get a discount.” Under Warm Loans it became: “Window A has a glazing unit with an R-value of 0.6 m²·°C/W, but Window B has a double-pane argon-filled low-E unit at 0.75 m²·°C/W—Window B meets the strict program requirements and qualifies for reimbursement.” Informing the public and handling documents produced a two- to three-fold revenue surge in those months. An extra benefit was shade and blind sales: a client who bought windows already trusted us. The window-treatment world felt as close to me as glazing, because I had the good fortune to serve as CEO of a plant that produced both.
