Futuristic Home: Connecting to the Human Element

No matter how sophisticated or futuristic technology becomes, business is still driven by people. And Steve Merola is a people-person.

As a businessman and co-owner of Futuristic Home in Point Lookout, N.Y., he's attained considerable growth and success. As a person, though, Merola has achieved far more.

A guy who still believes in firmly shaking hands and looking people square in the eyes, Merola has branded his business by developing solid relationships with customers.

"We know their likes and dislikes," he says. "We do the intangibles that many others don't and make it a personalized experience. We keep in touch to make sure that all is OK. Customers know we're always there for them."

The Migration to Integration

Schooled and trained in closed circuit TV, Merola started in the Navy, monitoring the safe landing of planes as an electronics technician.

Out of the military, Merola could see the electronics industry was "going IT," and that universal protocol would be coming into effect.



"I had to find an IT guy and knew Sunny Eng for years. I trusted him up and down and we partnered up."

Complete Suburban Electric, founded in 1987, has since been re-launched, becoming part of Futuristic Home in 2000.

"The electrical background is very useful," Merola says, "because, as an integration company, we touch everything. I have a lot of HVAC and electrical knowledge. I know how to get around a building and I pass that on to my staff."

Though his company offers a scope of services, including structured wiring networks, computer networks, Web site design, automation systems, security and surveillance, A/V systems, lighting control and lighting systems, telephone and communication systems and power management, Merola is seeing the most demand for structured wiring, A/V and surveillance.

"The home networks are pretty much the foundation," he explains. "So, we're doing that wherever go."

With installs running the gamut, from $2,000 to $200,000 jobs, about 90 percent of Futuristic Home's work is residential. The jobs are cultivated from a variety of marketing techniques, including Futuristic's trucks, referrals, the Web site and builders.

The 'Three H Club'

"When I first got started in the business," Merola recalls, "a company put me in touch with a 'smarthome' builder and I talked to him about having someone other than electricians do the [integration] work. Birchwood Homes was one of the leaders in accepting the technology."

Merola credits his being able to develop builder relationships with a part of Futuristic Home's success.

"Every time I see a builder, I shake his hand and look him in the eye," he says.

"But a lot of builders still have the lowest price mentality and don't understand that the electrician or phone guy isn't as qualified to do it. We're an integration firm. So, we can do it all. We know the value of doing it right and have seen the lack of value by not doing it right."

Futuristic Home isn't the only one that recognizes value. In fact, HAI [Home Automation Inc.] has recognized Futuristic Home Inc. every year since 2003 as one of its "Five Star Dealers."

Winners are selected based on criteria that includes the number of years a dealer has been installing HAI products, the number of systems installed in the previous year and the unique marketing or programming solutions being created with HAI products.

"It's really an honor," Merola says. "To be given any HAI award is very prestigious for me."

As part of Futuristic Home's recognition, Merola was hosted by HAI and given a tour of the company's plant. The HAI status has also given Merola great exposure on Google searches.



"It's like free advertising," he notes. "You have to create your branding and mine is HAI, Honeywell and HomeLogic -- the 'Three H Club.'"

In order to select all the products his company will recommend and install, Merola goes to trade shows, hitting every booth and meeting vendors. Training and tech support are other big sellers for Merola.

"I take companies on board for their training and support," he says, "to make my company smarter than it is without them. It's been more important than price over the years and we have left vendors because they don't have good tech support. When we select product, we put it in our tech center and, if it flies, it becomes part of Futuristic Home."

Securing Sales

Despite the glitz of some high-end home theater and automation systems, Merola refuses to overlook the importance of security.

He says that the systems are a super important aspect of any install.

"I grew up in a town where I didn't have a key to the front door," Merola explains. "People came in at will, sometimes not even bothering to knock. It was a very unique town. So, I didn't grow up with a security system."

In many places, though, there are very real security situations, he asserts, pointing out that it's often when the neighbor across the street gets broken into that people decide to get a system.

These benefit-driven motivators are key, Merola explains.

"As integrators, we have to market security systems and show the benefits ... If there's a fire, I throw safety scenarios at them. We're not just trying to secure their belongings; we're trying to keep them, as people, safe.

"They're spending the money and throwing away a lot of the value by not integrating security into the home. Plus, there's a lot of good money in it too, a lot of recurring revenues."

Demonstrations and education are other key elements he notes in regard to the sales process.

"My goal is to turn the home into a universal remote control, to simplify people's lives, not complicate them."

Expanding the Footprint

Most of Futuristic Home's clients are in the New York metropolitan area, but the company is seriously eyeing expansion.

It recently opened a North Port, Fla. location and is establishing relationships with area builders there. Staff members are being licensed to work from Virginia to Florida.

Opportunities in the states of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana are also being courted.

"It's critical to grow slowly, though," Merola adds cautiously.

"If you grow too quickly, you can staff people rashly. The experience of others is the greatest teacher."

For now, Futuristic Home has two employees in its Florida office, but Merola has eyes on a big project possibly coming up in Kissimmee.



"For that," he says, "we're going to have to pull out the guns."

Futuristic Home currently sub-contracts out some work to two other companies and a national expansion would only mean more.

"We are starting to expand nationally and partnering up with similar companies like ours around the country. We're not looking to build a big manpower base.

"If you look at how a building goes up, they hire a framer and then hire the best there is for each phase to do it well and less expensively and make it sing."

Making projects sing makes Merola happy. Making people sing makes Merola even happier.

"We did a dual home theater for a customer and they e-mailed that they love it. It's great to get compliments," he says, "especially when you do something for the first time, which we're doing a lot of, and you walk out saying, 'Yes!'"