HTSA Dealers: Supporting Vendors Brings Big Rewards
By Julie Jacobson
May 16, 2006
The Home Theater Specialists of America wrapped up another successful annual spring meeting in April. True to form, executive director Richard Glikes created another colorful theme for this' year's event, "The Whanging Whopper at Wild Horse Pass."
The four-day gathering at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz., drew HTSA's 57 dealer members, dozens of the organization's vendor partners, some press, friends of the industry, and plenty of spouses and tykes.
In Arizona, I asked a few dealers some pointed questions about HTSA product lines.
One of the biggest benefits of HTSA is its role as a buying group. HTSA partners with just a few dozen manufacturers who offer special support and significant pricing concessions in return for the commitment of HTSA dealers. HTSA members receive automated report cards charting their business with the vendors and highlighting their cost savings.
I wondered if dealers found the pressure to patronize select vendors to be overwhelming, or at the very least annoying. Apparently not. Even switching product lines in order to support HTSA vendors seems to be at worst painless, at most extremely rewarding, for the dealers.
Here's what some HTSA members had to say in Arizona.
O'meara, left, with URC's Doug Cole.
Charles O'Meara
Absolute Sound, Winter Park, Fla.
Plenty of HTSA members embrace the organization, but one particularly big champion of the group is Charles O'Meara, president of Absolute Sound.
During the Arizona event, O'Meara was all too pleased to share some of the secrets of his success with his colleagues, in a presentation called, "Our One-Day Private
Sale Generated $171,000. I'll Show You How We Did It!"
Absolute Sound is going up-market, says O'Meara, who is transitioning his store to be "more of a design center." With this transition, HTSA vendors Rotel and Equity "have become more important" to Absolute Sound. The company picked up LG Electronics as a result of the HTSA connection, and got "reintroduced" to McIntosh. "We're digging it," says O'Meara. "We just sold a boatload of it."
Likewise, O'Meara brought on Monster Cable "again," says O'Meara, adding. "We're dropping our other cable lines."
HTSA, too, dropped other cable vendors from its roster recently, thanks to a particularly attractive bid from Monster, which is inviting HTSA members to join the exclusive Monster M4 sales program.
HTSA also turned Absolute Sound on to Universal Remote Control (URC), "which has stepped up big time," O'Meara says. The manufacturer donated 20 of its MX3000 remotes for player gift bags for a golf tournament sponsored by Absolute Sound.
"We do our shopping based on the group," says O'Meara. "That's what a group is for."
Jared Kaiser
Wild West, Reno, Nev.
Jared Kaiser of Wild West, an HTSA founding member, says it's "difficult to switch audio lines, but easier to switch ancillary products and accessories, like furniture and brackets."
In the furniture and mount categories, Kaiser points to Chief and Sanus, two lines just adopted by Wild West. HTSA vendor Salamander has been a strong addition to Wild West as well. "I really like that we can design a system with the customer and turn around and order it. It's all computerized including the cost. There's never any wrong colors or wrong parts."
Wild West brought on Fujitsu plasma TVs "because they were in the group," Kaiser says, noting that he discussed the line with several other HTSA dealers before committing to the vendor: "Are there any quality problems? Availability problems? How do they look on the show floor?"
Cliff Abbott
Abbott's Audio Video, Las Vegas
Abbott's AV is always reviewing HTSA vendors for good deals, according to Cliff Abbott. Most recently, Abbott says he's taken a look at Signal Path's, Era speakers "They're one of the best four-inch speakers, rated even better than Bang & Olufsen."
Abbott also touts HTSA vendor Kaleidescape, with which the dealer has had a long-standing relationship. The relationship is even sweeter now that Kaleidescape, a developer of high-end video servers, is part of HTSA.
Paul Gerrity
The Little Guys, Glenwood, Ill.
Rotel's participation in HTSA (via B&W) encouraged The Little Guys to pick up that line. "They have a solid separates line that we felt would round up our offerings to mid- and high-end customers," says principal Paul Gerrity.
The Little Guys has also cozied up to Marantz and Integra. Their products are excellent, says Gerrity, but it doesn't hurt that the HTSA connection improves the profit margin on these lines.
In turn, The Little Guys has helped bring products lines to HTSA. Gerrity cites Klipsch and Richard Gray's Power Company as two of the vendors he encouraged to join. "We're always on the lookout," he says.
HTSA makes it pretty simple to switch lines, says Gerrity, who appreciates the quick and honest feedback he gets from other members. "I just put out an email and ask if anyone has experience with the products."
FROM THE WHANGING WHOPPER
B&W, Rotel and Equity.
Kaleidescape schmoozes HTSA dealers.
Richard Glikes' daughter steals the show.
Bob Gullo's son steals the rodeo.
They start 'em young in Louisiana.
Larry Dashiell and a future CEDIA board member.
This can't be a good thing.
Future HTSA leaders.
Seeking matzoh.
An homage to St. Louis.
Return to full story:
http://www.cepro.com/article/htsa_dealers_supporting_vendors_brings_big_rewards/
May 16, 2006
The Home Theater Specialists of America wrapped up another successful annual spring meeting in April. True to form, executive director Richard Glikes created another colorful theme for this' year's event, "The Whanging Whopper at Wild Horse Pass."
The four-day gathering at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz., drew HTSA's 57 dealer members, dozens of the organization's vendor partners, some press, friends of the industry, and plenty of spouses and tykes.
In Arizona, I asked a few dealers some pointed questions about HTSA product lines.
One of the biggest benefits of HTSA is its role as a buying group. HTSA partners with just a few dozen manufacturers who offer special support and significant pricing concessions in return for the commitment of HTSA dealers. HTSA members receive automated report cards charting their business with the vendors and highlighting their cost savings.
I wondered if dealers found the pressure to patronize select vendors to be overwhelming, or at the very least annoying. Apparently not. Even switching product lines in order to support HTSA vendors seems to be at worst painless, at most extremely rewarding, for the dealers.
Here's what some HTSA members had to say in Arizona.
O'meara, left, with URC's Doug Cole.
Charles O'Meara
Absolute Sound, Winter Park, Fla.
Plenty of HTSA members embrace the organization, but one particularly big champion of the group is Charles O'Meara, president of Absolute Sound.
During the Arizona event, O'Meara was all too pleased to share some of the secrets of his success with his colleagues, in a presentation called, "Our One-Day Private
Sale Generated $171,000. I'll Show You How We Did It!"
Absolute Sound is going up-market, says O'Meara, who is transitioning his store to be "more of a design center." With this transition, HTSA vendors Rotel and Equity "have become more important" to Absolute Sound. The company picked up LG Electronics as a result of the HTSA connection, and got "reintroduced" to McIntosh. "We're digging it," says O'Meara. "We just sold a boatload of it."
Likewise, O'Meara brought on Monster Cable "again," says O'Meara, adding. "We're dropping our other cable lines."
HTSA, too, dropped other cable vendors from its roster recently, thanks to a particularly attractive bid from Monster, which is inviting HTSA members to join the exclusive Monster M4 sales program.
HTSA also turned Absolute Sound on to Universal Remote Control (URC), "which has stepped up big time," O'Meara says. The manufacturer donated 20 of its MX3000 remotes for player gift bags for a golf tournament sponsored by Absolute Sound.
"We do our shopping based on the group," says O'Meara. "That's what a group is for."
Jared Kaiser
Wild West, Reno, Nev.
Jared Kaiser of Wild West, an HTSA founding member, says it's "difficult to switch audio lines, but easier to switch ancillary products and accessories, like furniture and brackets."
In the furniture and mount categories, Kaiser points to Chief and Sanus, two lines just adopted by Wild West. HTSA vendor Salamander has been a strong addition to Wild West as well. "I really like that we can design a system with the customer and turn around and order it. It's all computerized including the cost. There's never any wrong colors or wrong parts."
Wild West brought on Fujitsu plasma TVs "because they were in the group," Kaiser says, noting that he discussed the line with several other HTSA dealers before committing to the vendor: "Are there any quality problems? Availability problems? How do they look on the show floor?"
Cliff Abbott
Abbott's Audio Video, Las Vegas
Abbott's AV is always reviewing HTSA vendors for good deals, according to Cliff Abbott. Most recently, Abbott says he's taken a look at Signal Path's, Era speakers "They're one of the best four-inch speakers, rated even better than Bang & Olufsen."
Abbott also touts HTSA vendor Kaleidescape, with which the dealer has had a long-standing relationship. The relationship is even sweeter now that Kaleidescape, a developer of high-end video servers, is part of HTSA.
Paul Gerrity
The Little Guys, Glenwood, Ill.
Rotel's participation in HTSA (via B&W) encouraged The Little Guys to pick up that line. "They have a solid separates line that we felt would round up our offerings to mid- and high-end customers," says principal Paul Gerrity.
The Little Guys has also cozied up to Marantz and Integra. Their products are excellent, says Gerrity, but it doesn't hurt that the HTSA connection improves the profit margin on these lines.
In turn, The Little Guys has helped bring products lines to HTSA. Gerrity cites Klipsch and Richard Gray's Power Company as two of the vendors he encouraged to join. "We're always on the lookout," he says.
HTSA makes it pretty simple to switch lines, says Gerrity, who appreciates the quick and honest feedback he gets from other members. "I just put out an email and ask if anyone has experience with the products."
FROM THE WHANGING WHOPPER
B&W, Rotel and Equity.
Kaleidescape schmoozes HTSA dealers.
Richard Glikes' daughter steals the show.
Bob Gullo's son steals the rodeo.
They start 'em young in Louisiana.
Larry Dashiell and a future CEDIA board member.
This can't be a good thing.
Future HTSA leaders.
Seeking matzoh.
An homage to St. Louis.
Return to full story:
http://www.cepro.com/article/htsa_dealers_supporting_vendors_brings_big_rewards/