05.01.2007 — Profit, not revenues appear to be the focus for this year's CE Pro 100.

Over the past few years, a handful of CE Pro 100 list members have filed for bankruptcy, supporting the old adage that "revenues do not equal profits."

However, it appears that this year's list of the CE Pro 100 might be headed in the right direction, as average price per installation grew by an incredible 104 percent, while the average revenue per employee grew a whopping 140 percent.

Last year's most identifiable trend was an increasing reliance on production builders, with structured wiring installations leading the way. Of course, with the softening of the new-home building market, integrators this year appear to have opted to try to get more money for their services vs. pursuing a low-dollar entry strategy. This increased pricing trend comes despite the continued drop in flat-panel prices and margins, much to the detriment of many bottom lines.

Overall, the entire CE Pro 100 reported a 2.7 percent decrease in total revenues in 2006 from 2005. The ninth annual list includes companies with their roots in audio/video, hybrid retail, automation, structured wiring, security, high-voltage electrical and HVAC. In total, the CE Pro 100 logged gross custom revenues of $684.8 million.

The average CE Pro 100 firm produced $6.8 million in revenue in 2006, down slightly from the $6.9 million average last year, but way up from the $3.9 million average just three years ago. This year's list is led by Houston-based Home Theater Store, a regional hybrid retailer with 11 stores.

View the entire CE Pro 100 list.