Inside the Future of Hurricane Protection: AHT Featured on Homes.com

Inside the Future of Hurricane Protection: AHT Featured on Homes.com

by Eduardo Roman on Jun 06, 2025

Ahead of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, homeowners were looking for real, effective ways to prepare. That’s why Homes.com featured Advanced Hurricane Technology in an article spotlighting breakthrough innovations in storm protection and resilient home design.

As a family-run manufacturer based in Fort Myers, FL, AHT has long been at the forefront of storm safety, combining industry-tested systems with next-generation thinking. From motorized roll-down shutters to Kevlar-like aramid hurricane screens, our team is reimagining how homeowners protect what matters most.

Motorized shutters can also be run from a phone when they are paired with a compatible Wi-Fi hub, such as the Gaposa RollApp hub we sell, on compatible motors. Aramid is our heavy-duty hurricane screen fabric, and polypropylene is our standard one. Our guide to polypropylene vs. aramid hurricane screens explains the difference.

White roll-down shutter closed over a front door, vent row near the top, potted evergreens
A white roll-down shutter closed over a front door, with its housing above the opening and side tracks on each side.

Jaime Zabala Jr. and Fernanda Ferrell-Zabala, second-generation leaders of AHT, shared insights into how our products go beyond traditional barriers. Screens that offer fire escape access, visibility, and real-time storm readiness are just the beginning. Even more exciting is our latest R&D project, the patent-pending Emergency Storm Panel, a quick-deploy option for last-minute storm protection.

“Hurricane preparedness is no longer just about putting up plywood,” said Zabala Jr. “It’s about technology, efficiency, and giving homeowners more control with less hassle.”

The article also touches on the growing cost of innovation in this space. From lab testing to regulatory approvals, developing new hurricane solutions isn’t cheap, but at AHT we’re committed to doing what it takes to raise the bar. Our hurricane screens are made in our own Fort Myers factory, where the fabric is cut on our CNC table and sewn on our own floor.

Automated cutting head on a fabric cutting table in the AHT factory
The automated cutting head on the fabric cutting table in our Fort Myers factory.

That commitment goes back to 1994, when Advanced Hurricane Technology was founded in Fort Myers. We have more than 50,000 finished projects behind us, we serve seven counties, from Collier to Pinellas, and our products have shipped to a dozen or more countries.

AHT at a glance: founded in Fort Myers in 1994, more than 50,000 finished projects, seven counties served from Collier to Pinellas, products shipped to 12 or more countries
Advanced Hurricane Technology at a glance: founded in Fort Myers in 1994 and serving seven Florida counties.

Products in this article

Roll-down shutter with its housing and side tracks
Roll-Down ShuttersAluminum shutters that roll up into a housing above the opening. Free in-home quote.

Hurricane screen and its housing and side tracks
Hurricane ScreensCustom roll-down storm screens made in Fort Myers. Free in-home quote.

Emergency storm panel with its mounting rails
Emergency Storm PanelA storm panel you can order online.

The full article, “From smart shutters to Kevlar-like screens to home design, the latest tech for braving hurricane season” by Trevor Fraser, ran on Homes.com on May 30, 2025.

Want to see what fits your home? Book your free in-home consultation, or call (239) 251-0856. We measure each opening and quote the options side by side.

Advanced Hurricane Technology · FL Lic. CBC1258522 | SCC131153977

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