People, Process, and Technology - the Role of Buying Groups in CI
This week's show features our host Ron Callis interviewing Lani Godfrey, South East Region District Manager for Prosource from his home located in Lexington, SC. Lani has spent time during his career with Circuit City, Avad Distribution and a few CI firms. Lani currently manages client and vendor relationships within the Prosource buying group. We discuss ideas around best practices as observed by Lani during his many years in the CI space. Recorded Live on February 7th, 2018 at 12:30pm EDT.
About Lani Godfrey
Lani Godfrey began his career in 1995 at Circuit City as a retail sales associate and since then have worked in Custom Sales and Installation, Purchasing and Inventory, Operations and Process Management in Distribution. For the past 2 & 1/2 years, Lani has happily been with the ProSource buying group covering the South East region. Lani is a proud University of South Carolina Graduate, average golfer, and below average fisherman.
Interview Recap
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Lani:
- Lani’s background in the industry
- Lani’s current role at ProSource
- The value of buying groups
- What ProSource is planning for the future
- Best practices for people development
- And more!
on Thursday, 08 February 2018.
Posted in Buying Groups
A Glimpse into the Benefits of Buying Groups
In this Automation Unplugged episode, Ron Callis interviewed Richard Glikes, president of Azione Unlimited. Azione Unlimited is one of the top buying groups for CE and CI professionals. Richard and Ron talked about the advantages of joining a buying group and what's coming up at CEDIA and the Azione Fall conference.
About Richard Glikes
Richard Glikes is the President and Founder of Azione Unlimited, a consortium of like-minded dealers, customer retailers, integrators, and vendors. Richard has more than 40 years of experience in the custom integration business, with roles at Wall to Wall Sound, Hi Fi House, Bryn Mawr Stereo, Tops Appliance City, and HTSA..
Interview Recap
Here are some of the topics Ron had the opportunity to discuss with Richard:
- Richard's reasoning for starting Azione Unlimited
- What Azione Unlimited has to offer integrators
- The biggest mistakes Richard sees integrators making
- What at CEDIA has Richard excited
- What to expect at the Azione Fall conference
on Thursday, 17 August 2017.
Posted in Buying Groups
The Expert Perspective on Bi4Ci
In this Automation Unplugged episode, Ron Callis interviewed Paul Starkey, CEO of Vital Management and Bravas Group.
About Paul Starkey
Paul Starkey has been in the custom installation business for 24 years, and in that time, Paul has raised venture capital twice, acquired two companies, started two others and has in-depth knowledge of the CI business. These acquisitions and mergers exceeded $280M in value. He has business operations, sales and marketing experience. His keen insights, innovation, and creativity have been recognized by many in our industry.
Interview Recap
The live interview covers a series of topics surrounding the AV and automation industry, such as:
- Starkey's background and expertise in the industry
- The challenges currently facing integrators today
- Bi4Ci: what is it and why do CI dealers need it?
- Characteristics of successful business owners in this channel
- The three ratios integrators should definitely be watching
- Which manufacturers are starting to stand out and having staying power in this space
- Cool new technologies that are just around the corner
- Whether life exists on other planets
- And more.
on Monday, 01 May 2017.
Posted in Buying Groups, Industry Professionals
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