07.11.2008 — Being the go-to A/V installer for funeral homes on the West Coast wasn't John Rudow's career goal.

It's fortunate, however, it worked out that way, says the owner of Upland, Calif.-based Exclusive Audio Imaging (EAI).

Rudow expects a lot of his fellow California integrators won't survive the current economic downturn.

Despite his eight-employee company doing 115 funeral home installations last year, Rudow sees potential for a big rise in business.

"It's been a blessing," he says.

When Rudow started EAI in 2003, he wanted to do 95 percent residential. "Last year, we probably did 25 percent residential."

Most of the balance was funeral homes and mortuaries. EAI stumbled into the funeral home niche at the right time. A big spark, Rudow says, was the acceptance of technology into chapels.

"Today they're doing more video tributes — focusing on the life, rather than the body in the casket."

There are many opportunities in funeral homes for integrators up to the challenge, Rudow says. But it's not for everyone.

Installations can be difficult since funeral homes are often extremely old houses. "We've become really good at doing retrofits," Rudow says.

It's also important to be flexible. Funeral directors frequently scramble to arrange a viewing, and their installers need to be ready to accommodate.

"We made some changes to become adaptable and that's one reason we've been successful," Rudow explains.

"We have a 26-foot trailer that's outfitted with everything we need to do business on the road — wireless Internet, printing so we can do invoices if they change orders."

Then there's the matter of sensitivity. Rudow recalls one of his early funeral home installations where he noticed an installer's rubber glove in a wastebasket.

"I thought that if a family member noticed that glove they'd wonder what it was for and they wouldn't understand," he says. "It's little things like that."