Search CE Pro






Print  |  Email  |  Comments (76)  |  Share  |  News  |  Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or RSS

Tracking a $20M Project: And the Integrator Is ...

It came down to the final four integrators, and the choice wasn't easy. All the integrators are talented and the bids were close.


image
Any of the final four contractors would have done a great job on this project.

Cyber Sound, the largest integrator in Arizona, had more than enough talent to do the job. Orange ProAV would have considered this a nice simple job since we weren’t asking them to create any indoor tornados or weather systems. Automated Environments, from my experience, has always given each client a personal touch and its complete attention.

This was a tough choice, but in the end we selected CineMagic in Scottsdale, Ariz., which is only a twenty-minute drive from the project. The client made the final decision, I wanted him to meet each contractor, or at least the last two, before choosing. The bids were close, CineMagic wasn’t the lowest, but the client liked what they offered and was impressed they were the largest Control4 dealer in Ariz. and are building a name nationally.

The owner, Cary Christie II, comes from a family with a history in our industry. His father was a founder of Infinity Speakers and now owns Artison speakers. Cary has patents of his own he developed while working with his father. CineMagic has built a reputation on making things work and taking care of their clients, even when asked to take on some unique jobs. Award-winning projects and write-ups, including this beautiful desert home in Ariz., have put them on the national stage.

imageClick image to view detailed proposals, floor plans, schematics, pre-wire plans, rack elevations and more
Cary’s right-hand man, Terry Kohler, installation manager at CineMagic, has made both him and his entire crew available at a moment’s notice to support us in getting the project to the next phase. Sheetrock starts this week and, as always, I would have liked to have one more week to button everything up with additions coming in once or twice a week.

Jason Knott stopped by last week and everyone was on their best behavior. All the trades on this project have worked hard, and I feel better about the job now than I have in a while. Right now, the burden is on everyone to make the sheetrock date.

We will have a lot more on this project in the coming weeks, including photos and videos, about the prewire, design and challenges we have encountered.




Subscribe to the CE Pro Newsletter

Article Topics

News · Installation · All topics

About the Author

Mark Sipe, System Designer
Mark has been both a commercial and residential integrator and systems engineer for over 25 years. He works with Builders, Homeowners and Architects to design and support all types of projects around the world. He is also a software developer (SalezToolz) and mad scientist/inventor (Xspot Products) all developed around what he saw as a need for the businesses he works with and supports. He has been a CEA Mark of Excellence judge the last 6 years and CE Pro Best awards Judge.

76 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)

Posted by Cary  on  02/22  at  10:01 AM

We are excited to be the integrator chosen for the project.  Thank you to Mark and to the client for choosing Cinemagic for this incredible home.

Posted by chicagoinstaller  on  02/22  at  10:06 AM

Your installer says Demark

wouldn’t that be demarc.

Short for demarcation.

Just saying.

Details are important why not spelling

Posted by Mark Sipe  on  02/22  at  10:11 AM

Cary,

My pleasure, but don’t thank me yet, we have a long way to go and lots to do before this is done.  There will be plenty of times when you might think being so public isn’t a good thing.

Posted by Mark Sipe  on  02/22  at  10:13 AM

Neither demark or demarc are real words, just shorthand for for demarcation, I know what he meant.  The final as-built will use proper English, scouts honor.

Posted by 39 Cent Stamp  on  02/22  at  10:24 AM

Rack wiring @ the CineMagic site is outstanding. If the hidden stuff looks that good you can bet everything else will be great.

Clean racks means 1 (very important) thing.. the brass at the company give a damn. When the brass care the employees care and when the employees care the product will be amazing.

Posted by tom george  on  02/22  at  10:36 AM

iWired is the largest Control4 dealer in Arizona and the Western Region at least that’s what the plague from CEDIA says as does the recognition award that they delivered last week. Just sayin…..

Congratulations to Cine Magic! Should be a fun project.

Posted by Heidi Paley  on  02/22  at  11:08 AM

Cary and his team are the very best out there, particularly with Control 4 projects.

As we grow in our business in this industry we aspire to cultivate EnVizon to be as professional and talented as CineMagic!
iWired has not done any projects even close to the scope of CineMagic.

Some dealers sell C4 speakers to earn their volume or absorbed other client list from dealer who have gone out of business.

Cary and his team earned every job, every customer, every time!

Congrats Cary & Team! grin

Posted by Mark Sipe  on  02/22  at  11:46 AM

Tom, I think you meant Plaque not plague.

I did approach iWired but they weren’t interested until it was too late.

Posted by Mark Coxon  on  02/22  at  01:12 PM

Congrats CineMagic!

I remember passing your shop almost every day for years on Greenway Hayden, but never actually met any of your folks face to face.

Regardless. . .

Have fun and make us all look good as an industry.

Mark C
Orange ProAV

Posted by Terry Kohler  on  02/22  at  01:20 PM

Thank you Heidi.  We appreciate the kind words.  Last I checked Envision was no “trunk slammer” either.

We are enjoying this project already.  I am happy to be a part of it.  I believe that with Mark and our company, we can make this project a thing of beauty.

Posted by Terry Kohler  on  02/22  at  01:23 PM

@39centstamp

Thank you for the kind words.  We strive to assure that all wires, hidden or not, are dressed in a manner that the customer would be glad to show to their friends. 

We agree that if you take the time make it look good, it normally works well, also.

Posted by tom george  on  02/22  at  01:32 PM

Mark,

You are correct - nothing Bubonic going on here!

Posted by Cary Christie II  on  02/22  at  02:27 PM

@Heidi,

Thank you for the compliments, especially from one of our competitors in this area!  Envision is also a great company, good luck on your future projects.

To all,

Thank you for the support and compliments.

Posted by Mark Sipe  on  02/22  at  02:53 PM

Is this where we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya?  This is the best our channel has, no questions for the integrator, no large sharp objects you would like me to catch?
The article had been edited down and I will talk to my editor about that, the next few will be more about issues we are encountering on the project and working with the homeowner.

Posted by JD99  on  02/22  at  04:02 PM

Congrats Cinemagic.  Please use some of your profits from this job to rework that godawful website.

Page 1 of 6 comment pages  1 2 3 >  Last »
Post a comment
Name:
Email:
Choose smileys | View comment guidelines
Remember my personal information
Notify me of follow-up comments?

Sponsored Links

  About Us Customer Service Privacy Policy Contact Us Advertise With Us Dealer Services Subscribe Reprints ©2012 CE Pro
  EH Network: Electronic House CE Ideas Store Commercial Integrator ChannelPro ProSoundWeb Church Production Worship Facilities Electronic House Expo Worship Facilities Expo