AV System Integrator Spotlight: USIS AV

Tell me about your company and career?

[AM] USIS AV was founded by two partners, Todd Hutchins and Bill Baretz who at the time, were already well-known in the industry as exceptional partners and engineers. Over the years they built a trusted team and won customers by providing great customer care and building solid relationships. These relationships have been integral to us in surviving the challenging time we are currently living through.

How did you get started in the industry?

[AM] Well, I’ve been in the industry for about 16 years. I started off with a small company as a van driver delivering equipment and eventually worked my way up the ladder. Once I saw the power of IoT and AV and the automation that was beginning to evolve in the industry I got sucked in and I haven’t left since!

What is the most challenging project you have worked on?

[AM] Every project is unique, and the challenges vary, whether it be the environment or the technology requirements. I’ve done unique projects that get used 10 times a day or other venues that are accessed 10,000 times a day. It’s fun to have such a variety of projects, so it’s hard to pinpoint one that’s great or fun. The project in Willis Tower with LEA Professional was special, because the tower is so iconic, not to mention the large area we had to work on, all 90,000 sq ft of it!

What is the hardest part of your job? What can manufacturers do to make it easier?

[AM] I think communication with manufacturers can be tricky and I would like to see more manufactures tailor their communications to suit integrators. For me, I don’t need the high-level information and the sales decks, I want to see the technical details, in the most concise way possible. If I get a list, an email, once a month with a list of the new products and their features, I am happy. I will add that I love training sessions and I can’t wait to actually get to see those happening again when it is safe.

How do you measure success?

[AM] For me, it starts with the reaction of the customer when you hand the space over. When they get the space that they entrusted you to build and their reaction is “wow”, or “this is great”, or “my boss is going to be really happy” when you see the sigh of relief, that’s really what I enjoy the most. It’s also one thing that the space sounds amazing, but it should also be aesthetically pleasing, and most of all it should meet the customer’s requirements.

The trick to good sales and good engineering is a delicate balance of giving an opinion, but not telling the customer what they need to think. You let them dictate the path you walk down, but you tell them, “watch out for this pothole, watch out for this puddle. See that branch? It’s going to hit you later”. And that’s really the balance that you have to hit.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start off in the industry?

[AM] I would say that it’s a wonderful industry and there is a lot of room for growth, it’s definitely provided me with lifelong friendships and continuous education. My main piece of advice is to find a good environment where you can thrive. It’s integral to find a good company, where you have solid mentors, people who will challenge you, and most importantly, people who’ll stand by your side. I would advise anyone to get into it and if you don’t like it, you can still leave and do something else, but chances are you’re going to stick around.

Do you have a favorite song for system testing?

[AM] The Guns and Roses “Appetite for Destruction” album. Just because, I am familiar enough with it to play short clips and be able to recognize when it sounds right… Or I love Rush and anything from Queen works too, especially if it has an orchestral background. Orchestras are great because they cover the whole spectrum from low frequencies to high.