Matthew Grisafe, President of AV Programming Associates, a company that specializes in custom Audio/Video (AV) and control systems in high-end residences and commercial buildings, discusses his approach to business and how he has succeeded despite an unfortunate launch date.
What are the primary service(s) or product(s) that your business provides?
Our primary service is to provide programming and related services to the AV automation industry.
Who’s your perfect customer? Do you work with other business (B2B), or consumers (B2C), or both?
Our perfect customer is one that we can truly partner with to provide our customers with custom and unique solutions for their AV systems. We work with both businesses and end customers.
When did you start your company? Share a little about your professional history leading up to starting your company.
We started our company back in 2001. September 11th, 2001 to be exact. Pretty crazy start. I had come off the shutdown of a dot com company and was introduced to the AV industry. I knew nothing about it, but quickly learned that my engineering background fit in well with the industry. Now, almost 14 years later, we have completed over 1,000 projects. We have expanded our services and now program automation systems for both the residential and commercial sectors.
What are one or two things that you’ve learned the hard way?
Partnerships are just like marriages. When you decide to create one, make sure all expectations are spelled out and definitions of responsibilities are created and capabilities verified. No matter what your responsibility is in the company, as a part owner, make sure you know what is happening with things outside your responsibilities.
What is one thing most people don’t know about your business or industry that you wish they did?
I wish more people knew what the AV automation industry is. It is a niche industry, but I do think that it is becoming more widely understood, as you can’t go anywhere without some sort or audio/video or both as part of a business. It is everywhere. Also, more and more, AV is becoming only a small part of the automation systems. Subsystem and building management control is becoming more of a focal point in our systems.
Where’s the best place for people to learn more about your company?
You can learn more about AVPA and contact Matt through AVPA’s website: www.avprogramming.com
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