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Guest Commentary: New Name Changes the Game (2/8/2010)

By John Dace, Liberty AV Solutions

Having moved quickly through the ranks at Liberty Wire & Cable, starting as VP of Sales before being promoted to General Manager, I am now President of Liberty AV Solutions. Earlier in my professional life, I directed three sales divisions at Chief Manufacturing, and served as National Sales Manager at 3M, a US$19 billion Fortune 100 company. I am a graduate of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, and also held a commission as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

A subsidiary of Communications Supply Corporation, Liberty Wire & Cable has long been recognised as a leader among suppliers of wire and cable. In a move that surprised many recently, we broadened our reach with the unveiling of our Dedicated to Digital commitment (which is backed by a line of products designed to easily facilitate the transition from analogue to digital), SpeedRax rack and mount line, Tripp Lite power protection units, and satellite connectivity technology from Holland Electronics.

To coincide with this expansion of our product catalogue and services, earlier this summer we also changed the company name to Liberty AV Solutions - reflecting our new position as a leader in connectivity infrastructure AV solutions.

A one-stop shop

We're now the 'go to' place for successfully navigating the analogue-to-digital transition. In terms of install dollar revenue, we're a single source for not only wire and cable, but racks, mounts, and wide-ranging electronics. The new name embodies our ability and continuing commitment to help our customers find labour savings, as well as one-stop-shop solutions through a unique combination of products and expertise. It also accurately reflects our catalogue of new product advancements that provide AV professionals with what they need to maintain an edge in today's market.

Customer support

We remain very committed to the manufacturer's rep model, and we are adding resources to help make sure we will always take care of our customers first. You can do great work upfront within the sales process, but if you don't have support functions managed properly, failure will follow. Our whole company culture is focused upon avoiding this pitfall. In today's business climate, it's still all about the customer. That concept may sound like a platitude, but it really and truly is what guides everything.

Trends and opportunities

I think that the technology shift is just going to continue to accelerate at a rapid pace. In a perfect vision of the future - or at least one that's ideally manageable - technology will become easier and easier to use. The one opportunity that holds the most promise is probably available to those who come up with the best plug-and-play solutions.

Health of the custom installation marketplace

Our international business continues to go up year after year. In the US, the eastern regions remain stable in terms of sales, but it doesn't seem that the western portions of the country are responding as well. Overall, there's still a higher level of activity going on at the high-end of the market, and that's the top 15% for which money is really not an issue. Then there's this middle group extending down to the lower 20% of the market that is showing signs of strengthening. There's a lot of opportunity here if you can show these people the right solution that's cost effective. You may read a lot these days about how people are not spending money, but we were on a record pace in July in terms of order dollars per day.

Advice to the industry

My advice to the industry is to work on your sales skills, and align yourself with those who share the same values and an intent to take care of customers at all levels. You have to fully understand what your market's real needs are, and then meet them.

John Dace is President of Liberty AV Solutions, manufacturer and supplier of connectivity infrastructure AV solutions.

www.libav.com