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Navigating Changes During Business Consolidation

by | Feb 7, 2023 | Uncategorized

Navigating Change During Business Consolidation

One year following a prominent merger in the Pro AV industry, three industry veterans, Darren Altman, Business Development Manager at Exertis Almo, and Sharp/NEC‘s David Lacoff and Mark Weniger, discuss the changes and opportunities that arise when navigating business consolidation.

Maintaining Patience

While significant business changes often bring stress and nervousness among team members, Darren, Dave and Mark examine the role of patience in new situations, especially during a company merger.

“Thankfully, patience is a virtue,” said Darren. “I’ve never been on [the acquiree] side of an acquisition before – we were always the acquiring partner and being that [the news] was so new, I said, ‘Let’s just see what happens.’ It was interesting to see how management was staying and learning about the buying partner, and how they acquire companies that do things correctly, keep their personnel, invest in [the company] and keep it running smoothly.”

Dave details the busy months following the merger of the two prominent companies.

“I’ve been through this once before at a prior company, and we acquired another company and let them run the ship,” he explained. “From a personal perspective, here we are – as a vendor – going through a merger, trying to figure things out, and now two of our largest customers are doing the same – it’s gone by really quickly.”

The Value of Relationships

After the acquisition was announced publicly, Mark acknowledges the value and importance of each company’s business relationships, and the challenges that arise when two influential industry players merge their teams.

“It was really just business as usual, as the core leadership [mentality] was always to stay away from rumors,” explained Darren. “The last thing you want to do, regardless of the outcome of any joint venture or acquisition, is burn a bridge.”

While the acquisition marked the start of a new era for the newly combined groups, both teams ensured that all business relationships were properly maintained as changes occurred on each side.

“The relationships that our sales teams have made are more important than just having equipment in stock,” said Darren. While knowledge about product lines is imperative for business, Darren finds that the established relationships with customers, vendors, and manufacturers truly shine through, especially in the event of a large business change.

Identifying Expanded Opportunities, Increased Capabilities, and Room for Growth

Despite the challenges of two successful (and rival) companies merging, there are numerous opportunities for expansion and growth with an impact on the industry across the world.

“2023 will be the year that we’re all rowing in the same direction,” explained Darren. For decades, [our companies] have viewed each other as competitors in the distribution industry. With the combined financial resources and impressive supply-chain logistics on one side and a family-owned history and nationwide warehousing space on the other side, the acquisition paves the way for extraordinary accomplishments as one team.

Additionally, Mark explains the new possibilities regarding the combined product lines.

“You constantly get caught in a cycle of refresh after refresh, and you reach a point in the industry when there’s nothing really new – just updates,” he explained. “Having access to different projector lines, video wall SKUs, cost-effective collaborations – it’s a different area to pull product and knowledge from. I was excited because, as we’ve come to learn and have seen progress, the product lines made sense.”

Staying Thankful

While business acquisitions are admittedly high-stress processes, Darren discuss the importance of remaining thankful for the new business opportunities to come.

“Regardless of the role that you’re in, when acquisitions happen, there are always going to be bumps in the road,” explained Darren. “These changes take time, but once everything is ironed out, I don’t see why we can’t be one of the industry’s leaders, from the feet on the street to people behind their desks, in the manufacturing world and distributing world.”

By putting their trust in the newly combined leadership, Dave found that the merger resulted in new opportunities and increased with growth combined product lines, while maintaining the same, personal approach to everyday business.

“2023 should be a big year for all of us,” said Dave. We have an amazing opportunity in the market with our full product lines and team we have in place to really do well – I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to be a market leader and really affect the business in a positive way.”

Darren Altman
About the Author

Darren Altman | CTS, DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Sharp/NEC (NE, SE, MW)

Sound System Engineering: an interview with Pat & Brenda Brown

by | Jan 26, 2023 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

Tom Kehr, Systems Designer and Trainer at Exertis Almo and host of the “Tech Tips” video series, leads and in-depth discussion with Pat and Brenda Brown of Synergetic Audio Concepts, regarding the Pro AV industry’s “identity crisis” and the importance of Synergetic Audio Concepts in audio-visual training.

Covering the various types of SAC educational courses, the history of audio engineering and training, recruiting new talent in the audio industry, and more, the video interview provides important insight into one of the most valuable training resources.

Tom Kehr
About the Author

Tom Kehr  

CTS-D, CTS-I, Network+, LEED Green Associate, ISF-C, ATD Master Trainer
In-House System Designer and Trainer
Supported Applications: System Design

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Assistive Listening…Have You Heard the Latest?

by | Jan 19, 2023 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

Most of us take hearing for granted these days. However, a large portion of the population in the U.S. (about 38% of those aged 12 or older) have some form of hearing loss. This equates to 1 in 8 people with some form of hearing loss. As a sound engineer who has relied on my ears for 30+ years working in the AV industry, I feel we need to take every step possible to assure those around us can hear as clearly as possible. There are more effective assistive listening technologies than ever before available today.

graph assistive listening

In the AV industry, we are in a unique position to promote products that can provide the hearing assistance needed by so many people. The choices range from loop systems to FM, IR, Bluetooth, digital, and Wi-Fi based systems, with the Wi-Fi systems gaining popularity as they allow the user to incorporate their own personal phone without need of an additional device. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) also requires public spaces to provide ALS (Assistive Listening System) to accommodate those who require it.

Not only do we provide audio systems that can amplify all content to an audience, but we also have tools to help those with more acute hearing loss. Intelligibility is one of the leading issues that ALS can help to overcome. Sound systems provide overall sound level increases but to those with hearing loss, the intelligibility of the human voice can still be a problem.

ALS systems can also have other uses. Tour guide systems and Interpretation Systems also use this technology very effectively. Let’s explore the latest technology available and how it can be both a vital addition to any audio system, as well as profit center for the integrator. The most recent addition to ALS is the BYOD solution, such as ListenEVERYWHERE® by Listen Technologies. This system utilizes Wi-Fi technology for use with any user’s personal smart device or a proprietary smart device provided, should a user require it. By using their own device, the ALS can be seamless, flexible, and invisible. This is much more desirable than a solution that forces them to use a receiver for a proprietary system.

According to Sam Nord, VP of Global Channel Sales for Listen Technologies, “Listen Everywhere has broadened the ability of venues to offer assistive listening because it allows users to choose the method in which they want to be accommodated. For example, we’ve seen a huge interest in Wi-Fi based assistive listening technology in the education sector, where so many of the students are already smartphone users, so accessing assistive listening via their Smart device is often a preferred method compared to having to ask for a hardware device and the logistics that sometimes go along with that. Similarly, in the House of Worship market, Wi-Fi based assistive listening allows venues to offer assistive listening to a much larger portion of their congregations than a hardware based system since anyone with a smart device now has access to the system. That said, the availability of Wi-Fi receivers allows those patrons who prefer to use a separate device for assistive listening to be accommodated as well.”

This has addressed some of the hurdles that remain, regarding where ALS systems are required. There is still some confusion about this. The ADA requirements vary from state to state and for different venues as well. Education, performing arts, government, and most public spaces base their system requirements on the number of attendees or a ratio of the total seating capacities. Churches, in many cases, also provide ALS systems as a part of their ministry, even if they are not required. With the more conventional systems, the facility was required to purchase a system with a percentage of receivers that are made available to those who need them. This tends to draw attention to users, and in many cases, causes some to avoid getting the hearing assistance they really need.

“The more the AV industry understands about this technology and provides for their customers rather than just checking a box of being ADA compliant, the more widely ALS will be used,” Nord continues. “With assistive listening, to make sure we are accommodating those who need this important technology, the one thing I always evangelize is being proactive in pushing assistive listening rather than being reactive. If you are specifying speakers, microphones, or other audio technology into a project, there is a high probability that there are folks who will be utilizing that system who would benefit from an assistive listening system, so ensuring there is a system available is the best thing you can do to encourage inclusion.”

The main point here is that ALS should be considered a part of any audio system in a venue when the system is in the design phase, just like loudspeakers, amplifiers, or any other components. As the AV industry fully understands the benefit of the assistive listening systems, this will encourage inclusion for all who attend an event, go to church, and learn in a classroom.

church audio solutions

The next step is easy…Contact Exertis Almo and we can assist with any Assistive Listening Technology you may need for your project or facility. We can provide complete design support and connect you with companies like Listen Technologies to assure you have the best solution for any application. There are many new products on the horizon and 2023 will include some compelling upgrades to offer even further capability for this vital technology.

References:
American Journal of Public Health
Sam Nord, VP of Global Channel Sales for Listen Technologies
John Fuqua

About the Author

John Fuqua | CTS, Dante

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Audio Applications, Amplivox, Audix, Bose, Denon, Marantz, Rane, Shure, Sennheiser, Yamaha UC

Edition 2 of “This May Be a Dumb Question, but…”

by | Jan 12, 2023 | Professional Development, Projectors, Uncategorized

This Blog Series is written by Exertis Almo's Business Development Managers: 
Ashley Nichols, CTS, DSCE, and John Borns, CTS, DSCE.

Welcome back to the 2nd edition of “This may be a dumb question, but…”, a now recurring blog series where two industry ‘veterans’ (or newbies, depending on who you talk to) help you find useful answers to the questions you’re too afraid to ask. Our 1st edition went over AV over IP, HDBaseT and RS-232, so follow this link if you want to learn more about those topics. This edition is all about Projection, so let’s get to the questions:

QUESTION
What is the difference between all of the different projector technologies? I see 3LCD, DLP, LCOS, Laser, Lamp, etc., and I don’t understand what the difference is and when to use them.

ANSWER

Hot Take: Projection is more complicated than your basic digital signage display. Yep, I said it. So many variables go into projection and choosing the right fit for your application, so it is no wonder we received so many questions around this topic. First, we need to separate the two parts of this question: the light source or light engine, and what I will refer to as the ‘color source’ or chipset1 for the purpose of this blog. I will keep this as short and simple as possible, but the two parts of this question will be broken up in this edition, and then in edition 3.

The light source, in this instance, is when you are looking at a lamp vs. a laser projector. Though there are still lamp projectors manufactured today, many of the top projection manufacturers in the professional space are moving to a laser light source. Why is this? Though lamp projectors are typically less expensive up front, the overall cost and maintenance of replacing lamp bulbs over the life of the projector brings the cost near equal. For reference, let’s say ‘Lamp-Based Projector A’ is $1,500 MSRP, and ‘Laser Projector B’ is $2,600 MSRP. The average projector lamp bulb only lasts 2,000 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week for about a year), so you will be paying to change the lamp bulb almost yearly. Additionally, the brightness (or lumens2) begins to fade over the lifetime of the bulb, which negatively affects the image and overall color accuracy. I have broken a light bulb that was $1.50 when trying to change it in my ceiling fan, so I also would not trust myself as a client to change a $900 bulb in a $3,000 projector every other year, which means someone has to roll a truck4 to change the bulb, further adding to the overall cost of ownership.

Laser projector brightness, or lumens, will eventually fade as well, but it is a much slower transition, and typical laser projectors are made to run 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for around 10 years (or 20,000 hours) with as little degradation as possible. Laser projection also runs physically cooler than a lamp bulb, which allows for higher brightness projectors to have longer lifespans, since heat and electronics don’t typically play nicely together over a long period of time. In commercial settings (read: anything other than your backyard projector movie night) I’d recommend going with a laser projector for the cleanest, longest lasting option possible.

laser projection
QUESTION
I’m overwhelmed by the screen options out there. How do I know when to use each type of screen?
ANSWER

This is a great question. I was also completely dumbfounded when I first learned that projection screens were anything more than just a piece of blank white fabric. There’s actually a surprising amount of chemistry and sorcery that goes into each screen surface. If you’re going to buy tires for your car, you need to consider several factors to come to the right choice. Are you going off-road a lot? Do you need tires that can handle the snow? How often do you compete in underground drift races? Choosing the right screen requires a similar approach. Only by knowing the intended purpose of the projection system can you come to the right surface. In some cases, a standard Matte White5 screen will work fine. However, in many cases, using those screens will create some undesirable outcomes. I’m going to highlight two of the most common challenges we face in screen surface selection below. In a future post, we will look more into optimizing your screen surfaces to really get the best results possible.

  1. Laser Projection. Ashley just described all of the advantages of laser projection above. It’s not uncommon for an end user to upgrade to a laser projector without also upgrading their screen. This is a common mistake, and it can create some unfortunate consequences. A key concern is that here is an unwanted speckling effect when you use a laser projector on an older textured matte white screen (see image below). To solve this problem, many manufacturers have created tensioned screens with very flat surfaces. When upgrading to a new projector technology, it’s critical to also update your screen to one that is designed for that type of projection. Thankfully, our friends at Da-Lite have a screen surface technology chart available to help you with these questions.
  2. Ambient Light. Probably the biggest concern in projection is getting the system to be bright enough to get a quality image. You’re probably thinking that the best way to solve this issue is to just get a bright projector, and you’re not necessarily wrong. However, unless you have an unlimited budget (if you do, call me, I have some great ideas), that may not always be on the table. Other options here either are to use a screen that adds gain6 or to use an ambient light rejecting screen7. Screens that add gain use chemistry and witchcraft to make the screen actually appear brighter (usually done at the cost of limiting the viewing angle8). Ambient Light Rejecting Screens will block other wanted light sources (such as overhead light above the screen) from washing out the image. See Da-Lite’s Parallax screen below as an example. These are great options in rooms where there is a lot of sunlight or no controllable lights. Luckily, our friends at Da-Lite have a very handy screen brightness calculator to help you figure out the best screen for your space (notice a trend?). Again, we’ll explore some of the more application specific surfaces in a future post. There’s obviously a lot more to consider here.
laser projection

example of unwanted speckling effect on screen

ambient light

example of ambient light on Parallax screen

Vocab Test Time!

Are these the most detailed definitions? No – we are not a dictionary, nor the AVIXA CTS Prep book. Will someone message us later telling us how much we missed? Possibly. After reading this post, will you have a basic working knowledge of these terms and why they matter? We hope so. Plus, we are 99% sure they help you school your uncles while you play Trivial Pursuit during the holidays. 🎄

  1. Chipset – Another widely-used term that vaguely means a set of electronic components that are wired together on a circuit. You will hear this term in regard to projectors, displays, but also anything from PCs to cars, to the fancy $400 toasters on Amazon that have a screen to show you how ‘toasty’ your bagels can get. You will hear this term more in Edition 3 if you want to Google it now.
  2. Lumens – Basically, this is a measurement of the light visible to the human eye. If you Google it, you will see some of the below terms, as well as more knowledge into the specifics of this term.
  3. ‘Lumière – Talking candle that lives in a mansion with a reclusive beast. 🕯️
  4. Roll a Truck – Fun way to say send out a technician to do a task in person, which translates into $$.
  5. Matte White – The most common, basic, and boring form of a projection screen. Probably what you had in your high school classroom.
  6. Screen Gain – The amount of additional brightness that a screen can add to the system. Usually measured as something like 1.1 or 1.3, which means that it can reflect back an additional 10% more brightness or 30% more brightness.
  7. Ambient Light Rejection (ALR) – Screens that have the ability to block out some or all light coming from top the screen. This means that sunlight or overhead ceiling light will not affect the projected image.
  8. Viewing Angle – A measurement of how far off to either side of the screen you can stand and still be able to see the projected image well.

Thanks for Reading and Asking Your Questions!

Do you have more ‘dumb’ questions? Share your questions here and we will get you an answer.

Did you find this blog post helpful? Connect with us over on LinkedIn.

Ashley Nichols, Dir BizDev

Ashley Nichols | CTS, DSCE

Director of Business Development

Supported Manufacturers: Sony, Panasonic and our OWN brands – Mustang

John Borns, BDM

John Borns | CTS, DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Legrand AV (NE, SE, MW) – Chief, C2G, Da-Lite, Luxul, Middle Atlantic, Vaddio, Wiremold

How to Leverage Live Product Demos to Grow Your Business

by | Dec 27, 2022 | Pro Audio, Uncategorized

When it comes to audio technology, hearing is believing. And in the age of hybrid learning and collaboration, audio quality is essential in creating a fair experience for both remote and in-person participants.

Although audio-conferencing technology is often considered complicated and costly, Nureva has developed groundbreaking solutions that deliver simplicity and value with top-notch quality. To better connect resellers with the capabilities of their audio systems prior to purchasing, Nureva experts host free product demos for resellers interested in their products – broadcast live, every day.

By hosting live product demos on a frequent and accessible schedule, Nureva ensures that viewers experience a first-hand look at their innovative audio solutions. Along with in-person demos, these remote sessions are a great first step in allowing attendees to understand Nureva’s technology in action, as they serve as a simple and effective introduction to a product.

sound targeting

During a 15-minute live product demo, Nureva experts provide resellers with an interactive, first-hand listen of the revolutionary patented Microphone Mist™ technology in a real space with glass walls and HVAC. Additionally, the demos allow listeners to hear the microphone pickup everywhere in the space and give examples of how specific organizations can benefit from their solutions. And with no pressure to purchase, resellers are encouraged to ask questions during the demonstration to determine if they would like to request additional details and information.

In fact, scheduling and attending a virtual demo from Nureva couldn’t be simpler. By visiting Nureva’s website, prospective attendees can choose from a variety of time slots on a preferred date. In fact, Nureva provides dealers with the option to mirror the official demo calendar on their own websites to encourage more widespread education about Nureva technology – a great value-added service!

So, how valuable are these live product demos? While audio quality is subjective and greatly depends on a specific listener’s goals, Nureva experts focus their demonstrations on more concrete product details, like auto-calibration and quick installation. And since Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist™ technology works in conjunction with other products, these demos serve as an excellent opportunity to show how Nureva pairs with additional communication devices, like projectors and cameras.

Although it’s too soon to track the success rate of in-person demos, Nureva’s virtual demos have a 1 out of 2 close rate, which shows the undeniable importance of live educational opportunities for prospective dealers and resellers.

For those looking to book a demo with Nureva, simply click here to pick a date.

Have any questions?

Feel free to reach out to me – HERE.

Angie Greene
About the Author

Angie Greene | DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: ScreenBeam and Panasonic

Behind the Panel: Commercial vs. Consumer Mounts

by | Dec 22, 2022 | Digital Signage, Uncategorized

What’s behind your display?

I have been in the Pro AV industry for almost 15 years now, and many of those years have been spent working around the many accessories that help make a total solution come together. With the trend in recent years being so focused on TV/Display/Panel solutions, I thought I would spend a little time talking about everything else “behind the panel” – which is how we got here!

Why the mount matters

Why not start simple? Let’s look (literally) behind the panel at one of the most important accessories that can be included in your solution – a wall mount for the professional display that you are installing. The question comes up often – why do I need a commercial grade mount when I can go to “ABC” website and buy one that is half the cost? Great question. Let’s take a look at some reasons why you need to “go pro” when it comes to mounts.

The many mount options

First, a look at the type of mounting solutions available:

flat wall and tilt wall mounts

Static or Flat Wall

The name says it all! These mounts simply hang on the wall horizontally, with no tilt or shift. Keep in mind, you may need locking mechanisms to prevent tampering, or brackets that can hold a media player.

Tilt Wall

These mounts work very similarly to flat mounts, except they have the ability to tilt up or down based on the user’s line of sight.

Swing Arm or Full Motion Wall

As described, these mounts have a much larger range of motion than tilt mounts, swinging out, and then having the ability to tilt, and sometimes rotate. These need to be strong and durable, and you need to be confident that they will hold up – the more moving parts, the more points for potential failure!

Tom Keefe groom's men
tiled video wall mounts

Video Wall

These mounts are designed to be hung together, combining several displays to create a much larger overall display. These will always have several points of micro-adjustment to ensure that the displays line up seamlessly. As one of the most important features, video walls have to give technicians quick access to diagnose and service the panels. Many of them have a “pop-out” style feature to quickly get to the back of the panel – a must for saving time on service calls.

Ceiling Mount

These mounts have special brackets that allow them to be mounted to a column that is hanging from the ceilings. Often times, you will need a column that has adjustable heights based on where the display will be located – these can come in a variety of lengths, both fixed and adjustable.

ceiling mounts

Other considerations

Quality

When you are buying a less expensive mount, you can quickly see that the quality of materials in the consumer-grade models are not quite the same as commercial-grade. Usually, these are made with less expensive metals that may not have the strength to last for the long term. They are designed to be used in a stress-free environment, like a living room (except during a football game), where they really won’t get touched or have potential for people to bump into them like they would in a more public setting. They are also not usually as precisely machined, so the overall fit can be off if you were putting up a video wall for a client who requires a tight, precise, and seamless fit. When picking out a commercial mount, it is important to note if they are UL-tested, which is a testing/certification process that ensures that the mounts will hold the weight that the manufacturers state. In order to gain a UL Listing, a mount needs to be able to hold four times its listed weight capacity before failure. Like my grandmother used to say – “Penny wise, pound foolish!”

Ease of Installation

When commercial grade mounts are manufactured, one of the biggest selling points is that they are engineered with the installers in mind. Many of the jobs that installers are doing call for hanging and installing multiple displays. Let’s say it takes ten extra minutes to put up a cheaper consumer mount and make all the adjustments. What if you have a hundred displays? That’s now an extra 1,000 minutes, over 16 hours of wasted time. Quality, commercial-grade products often have many features to help make this a faster process. They allow for micro adjustments (e.g., level, pitch, etc.) to be made to ensure that fit and finish are tight but do so without special tools and allow for adjustments once the mount is installed. Whether it is tilt, flat, etc., it doesn’t matter – the commercial grade mounts will have these extra features. So, even though the consumer mount was cheaper upfront, if it takes X amount of time longer to install, it can increase labor costs and lengthen the overall time of install. Another favorite of Grandma – “Wasted time equals wasted money.”

Specialized Solutions

Are you creating a 3 x 3 video wall? A menu board for the local pizzeria? Conference room with PTZ cameras and needs for audio? You will not find much to help you in the consumer world! Sometimes installers have to attach displays to I-beams, or hang from columns in the ceiling, so in these cases, it is not simply a case of grabbing a mount off the shelf and putting it up. You need to have products designed to work together to give a complete finished look. You need to “accessorize your accessories,” if you will! That means having the ability to add a shelf for a camera, or a bracket to hold speakers, or maybe an in-wall junction box. You will find that commercial manufacturers specialize in coming up with entire solutions designed to give a complete finished look, no matter the application. Unfortunately, Grandma owned a delicatessen, and really didn’t have any cool, old-timey phrases for wall mount accessories. 😉 Sorry!

Looking for answers?

Our partner, Legrand AV, has a full line of professional mounts and accessories in their CHIEF line of products. They even have a tool to let you find a mount for a specific display or projector – check that out here.

Thank You for Reading!

If you have made it this far, thanks for reading! I look forward to continuing this series and I appreciate any feedback you might have.

Did you find this blog post helpful? Engage with us over on LinkedIn.

Patrick Booth, BDM
About the Author

Patrick Booth | CTS, DSCE

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Legrand AV (SW, W, NW) – Chief, C2G, Da-Lite, Luxul, Middle Atlantic, Vaddio, Wiremold

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