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Architectural Audio Video: Taking Fun and Games Seriously
For the owners of Architectural Audio Video, installation is more than designing systems; it's also knowing how to please.
The essence of Architectural Audio Video Corp., according to co-owners Ernie Wohlleben (right) and Jason Eckel, is entertainment (when it comes to sales presentations) and extreme details (when it comes to proposals and designs).
The thirty-something owners of Architectural Audio Video (AAV) have carved out a good life for themselves by selling the good life to their clients.
While Ernie Wohlleben and Jason Eckel take their business and the needs of their coveted clients quite seriously, they haven't forgotten that fun and games also have a place -- an important place.
Fun, in fact, figures very prominently into their business plan and hasn't hurt their bottom line any either.
Walking into their Huntington Station, N.Y. showroom, that unharmed bottom line is readily apparent. A sprawling pool table summons its visitors, as do elaborate aquariums, an inviting fireplace and an impressive home theater.
Photos and memorabilia of sports and film legends (many of which are clients) line the walls and sit on shelves. Lighting is controlled and shades are cooperative.
A staircase leads up to a cozy, well-stocked bar with yet another huge aquarium hanging behind it and a stately living room/conference room rests behind it.
It's a lifestyle all right, and one that most people with the bucks to buy into would definitely not frown upon.
Wohlleben and Eckel concur that the main purpose of their showroom is to serve as an informational tool for clients.
"It's a place for us and our clients to have fun in," Wohlleben says.
"We try to mimic how a house would be set up, with a bar area or entertainment room, lounge, game room, home theater, etc. We're not selling electronics; we're selling lifestyle. And people like to have fun."
According to Wohlleben, the AAV showroom has "a very homey feel." Visiting clients, he says, "look around and say 'this would be great in my home.'"
Indeed, the lifestyle AAV sells is highend. Consequently, the integrators primarily court clients that most people swarm around in order to get autographs.
These clients span the circles of sports, music and entertainment luminaries, and among them are Mets third baseman David Wright, hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes and some of Oscar's most revered names -- Hollywood's top shelf of directors and actors, many of whom maintain homes in New York.
Employing about 14 people, spanning programmers, in-house engineers, sales assistants, installer technicians and a bookkeeper, Wohlleben and Eckel keep complex jobs simple.
They do everything, save alarm systems and phone programming, in-house.
They're seeing the most demand in the new-construction market for whole-home integration, encompassing multiroom audio, shading solutions and lighting. Their median projects range from $150,000 to $350,000 and filler jobs, Eckel notes, are what large jobs used to be, ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.
Wohlleben adds: "We service everyone, do all the installations and do not use subs."
The most challenging thing, the integrators say, is keeping people happy and making the products communicate correctly. To address those concerns, the company participates in manufacturer training and also takes its staff to the CEDIA Expo.
In addition to CEDIA, Wohlleben and Eckel are also members of CEA, CES and THX.
From a trade perspective, AAV is seeing three distinct trends in the smart home/home theater market, which are:
The integrators say these are predominant in home theater because the systems are "all high-def and surround, and they come with GHX certifications."
While Ernie Wohlleben and Jason Eckel take their business and the needs of their coveted clients quite seriously, they haven't forgotten that fun and games also have a place -- an important place.
Fun, in fact, figures very prominently into their business plan and hasn't hurt their bottom line any either.
Walking into their Huntington Station, N.Y. showroom, that unharmed bottom line is readily apparent. A sprawling pool table summons its visitors, as do elaborate aquariums, an inviting fireplace and an impressive home theater.
Photos and memorabilia of sports and film legends (many of which are clients) line the walls and sit on shelves. Lighting is controlled and shades are cooperative.
A staircase leads up to a cozy, well-stocked bar with yet another huge aquarium hanging behind it and a stately living room/conference room rests behind it.
It's a lifestyle all right, and one that most people with the bucks to buy into would definitely not frown upon.
Quick Stats
- Company: Architectural Audio Video
- Location: Huntington Station, N.Y.
- Web site: www.aavcorp.com
- Principals: Jason Eckel & Ernie Wohlleben, co-owners
- Total Revenue (2007): $3 million
- Projected Revenues for 2008: $5 million
- Years in Business: 15
- Number of Employees: 14
- Top Brands: Crestron, Kaleidescape, Morantz, Triad, Runco
- FYI: Job-costing is critical -- know how much you're making on a job.
The Field of Play
Wohlleben and Eckel concur that the main purpose of their showroom is to serve as an informational tool for clients.
"It's a place for us and our clients to have fun in," Wohlleben says.
"We try to mimic how a house would be set up, with a bar area or entertainment room, lounge, game room, home theater, etc. We're not selling electronics; we're selling lifestyle. And people like to have fun."
According to Wohlleben, the AAV showroom has "a very homey feel." Visiting clients, he says, "look around and say 'this would be great in my home.'"
Indeed, the lifestyle AAV sells is highend. Consequently, the integrators primarily court clients that most people swarm around in order to get autographs.
These clients span the circles of sports, music and entertainment luminaries, and among them are Mets third baseman David Wright, hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes and some of Oscar's most revered names -- Hollywood's top shelf of directors and actors, many of whom maintain homes in New York.
Employing about 14 people, spanning programmers, in-house engineers, sales assistants, installer technicians and a bookkeeper, Wohlleben and Eckel keep complex jobs simple.
They do everything, save alarm systems and phone programming, in-house.
They're seeing the most demand in the new-construction market for whole-home integration, encompassing multiroom audio, shading solutions and lighting. Their median projects range from $150,000 to $350,000 and filler jobs, Eckel notes, are what large jobs used to be, ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.
Wohlleben adds: "We service everyone, do all the installations and do not use subs."
The most challenging thing, the integrators say, is keeping people happy and making the products communicate correctly. To address those concerns, the company participates in manufacturer training and also takes its staff to the CEDIA Expo.
In addition to CEDIA, Wohlleben and Eckel are also members of CEA, CES and THX.
From a trade perspective, AAV is seeing three distinct trends in the smart home/home theater market, which are:
- Hard drive movie and music storage;
- Apple TV;
- Gaming -- Xbox 360 or Nintendo.
The integrators say these are predominant in home theater because the systems are "all high-def and surround, and they come with GHX certifications."
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