Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp CEDIA 2002 Best Integrated Home /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/default.asp CEDIA 2002 Best Integrated Home WholeHome /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_AVLIntegratedHome2.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_AVLIntegratedHome1.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_AVLIntegratedHome3.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_CEDIABestIntegratedHome2LandAndSea.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_CEDIABestIntegratedHome3AVLPro.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/BestIntegratedHomeCEDIA2002/imgs/image_CEDIABestIntegratedHome4EngineeredEnvironments.jpg Time flies by when you're this successful. Only three years ago, AVL Pro Inc. established its roots in Naples, Fla., where Manny Andalia, Mary Andalia and Huell Pruitt, each principal partners, came together to not only create high-end custom home control applications, but build their company on the cornerstone of attentive customer service. "There's no doubt that AMX has supported us personnel wise," Manny said. "As a matter of fact, I was just on the phone with AMX Customer Service. The support has been phenomenal, and the product speaks for itself. As long as the products are being tested and tried, and we receive it and it works, this will help us increase our revenue. That is what we want." "We all base our work ethics on how we have approached our business in different capacities in different locations," Manny said. "When we came together, AVL catapulted onto the scene." Today, AVL employs a 14-person staff and the majority of business is attained through customer referrals. "You have to have a core group of individuals that can wear multiple hats," Manny explained. "Collectively, we are on the same page and have accomplished a lot. We don't even advertise. We go entirely on word of mouth." One of the most rewarding installations for AVL took home a CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles Award for Best Integrated Home ($130,000 - $300,000) at CEDIA EXPO 2002. AVL submitted a fully-integrated 10,000 square-foot home complete with an AMX® Landmark Control System, 10.4-inch Table Top and Flush Mount Touch Panels, and Modero ViewPoint® Wireless Touch Panel. "There's no doubt that AMX has supported us personnel wise," Manny said. "As a matter of fact, I was just on the phone with AMX Customer Service. The support has been phenomenal, and the product speaks for itself. As long as the products are being tested and tried, and we receive it and it works, this will help us increase our revenue. That is what we want." For this particular homeowner, a high-end custom residential builder, the requirements placed on AVL were just as discerning. This stunning villa paradise would not only serve to bring maximum comfort and entertainment to the three generations of family living together, it would also act as a model home for prospective clients. The perfect mix of business and pleasure. Meeting the needs of an industry professional familiar with residential construction and design presents unique challenges. "They definitely want to be able to implement things that really show off their residence," Manny said. "Sometimes, you end up making things a little more complex than they would be normally, especially since they want all the bells and whistles. You have to remember, though, that it isn't what we want to see in there. It's what your client needs in here to meet their lifestyle needs." With such a large amount of square footage to network together to achieve one-touch control and automation, AVL relied on AMX to provide the convenience, flexibility, security and simplicity the homeowner demanded. Family members of any age can navigate AMX Touch Panels to control lights, multi-room audio and family room surround sound, home theater components, motorized hurricane shutters and bug screens, as well as water fountains. To potential customers, everything operates in concert and seamlessly for a stellar first impression. To guests, managing audio/video technology is effortless and enjoyable. "It takes a team approach to make it all happen, and we accomplished that in a short time frame (under 12 months)," Manny said. "There were a number of people that played a part: Eric Eastman and Brad Dieken, our Systems Integration Specialists; Huell Pruitt and Mary Andalia, the other Principal Partners; and Tracy Oesterreicher, in Design and Support. What's truly important is being able to pull all the pieces together, making sure we get the proper handshake that follows. If you look at it in terms of trying to make as much money as you can on one project, you'll never get repeat business. We are into creating relationships." The home's lighting system includes 400 feet of outdoor cove lighting, 250 recessed lighting fixtures indoors, plus 53 lighting keypads and five panels. The home theater doubles as a hurricane-safe area room that harnesses a back-up generator. The lighting keypads manage whole-home audio by communicating directly with Landmark. The motorized bug screens and hurricane shutters are activated at the simple touch of a button. "We've been dealing with AMX for a number of years," Manny said. "I've always been a person who beat that drum, and for a while there were some issues that came up. That made us look in other areas but we still came back to AMX. This product is strong and continues to be mainstream in our office." Even the Touch Panel interfaces are designed to lessen the learning curve. "In general the panels remain consistent," Manny said. "If you put a button with the same operation on one page, you make sure that the same button shows up on all the other pages, in the same location on the screen. Color is equally as important. They should be subtle but still stand out so the client knows what they are controlling. I'm really excited about the new (Modero) panels. You can do a lot more with those. We're pushing in that direction." AVL's secret to success: Careful planning. It begins with detailed documentation, which includes complete CAD drawings of the project. These are presented to the client and upon approval, AVL builds the racks of audio/video and control equipment — in-house. All areas of integration must work properly before the racks ever leave. "We attempt to test all aspects as much as possible," Manny said. "Catching and fixing any hiccups ahead of time is so much better. I think we did an excellent job. It takes that extra step to make the client extremely happy."