I thought about carrying this over to next semester, but I’m on a roll and you need this now. Buried in the library somewhere, there must be a book called, The Rise and Fall of the Hi-fi Empire. The story outline is as easy as a Harlequin Romance. Passionate engineer, designer, retailer, salesman, entrepreneur launches Start-up Company with his life’s savings, loan, home equity, or investor. Fill in the blanks. Because of his tremendous passion, idea, product, and hard work, business begins to blossom. Soon success creeps in and expansion begins. More stores, more locations, bigger buildings, more people, more products, major ad campaigns…blah, blah, blah. Years pass, and marketing goals are surpassed, and new ones are established. Accountants, attorneys, managers, and friends begin to influence their decisions. The passion is blurred by more stores, more dealers, national recognition, and stress and pressure. Passion turns into work, overtime, fatigue, and loss of interest. The years pass quickly, and the demand increases, costs also increase, competition increases, profits decrease, and greed knocks at the door. Temptation moves in to reduce quality to save money, build product overseas, service becomes unimportant, and limited distribution is holding them back from more growth! Tell the industry, customer, client, and loyal followers we were forced to make these changes due to competition, cost, whatever!
Get the picture here? Losing sight of where one comes from is death to all. Now that highly limited, high-quality product has been shipped offshore for production to save money, to be competitive. Quality drops, distribution expands, profitability evaporates… Dealer-customer loyalty wanes. Demand falls, and Chapter 11 becomes the answer. Company reduced, liquidated, and stripped of its original glory. Company sells name to highest bidder, and the consumer gets #%$*&.
Sound familiar? It has happened in every market around the country. Remember those giant box stores in your neighborhood? How about those speakers, electronics, and other products you once revered? GONE!!
So, what is one to do? Out there among the existing giants are your passionate retailers and manufacturers, who after 30 or 40 or even 50 years are, doing what they have always done. They are living their dreams, their passion of audio and video, trying to stand in the forest of trees that block the sun. The big guys just don’t get it and never will. Getting something for nothing and our greed are what keeps them around. Find the specialist in your market who carries the finest this industry has to offer. The combination of these two will blow your mind. These dealers/manufacturers have spent their entire lives doing research, attending trainings, and loving their craft. Ask a satisfied audiophile friend. Remember…I have trusted my CPA for 29 years, and my doctor, attorney, jeweler, and mechanic have become trusted friends.
Here in the Flathead, we have a handful of dedicated experts who can fulfill your needs. Like any professional they have dedicated themselves to designing, installing and educating their clients through the entire process. Each of the business listed here are family operated by professionally trained technicians with years of service. This is not your, “do it yourself project”, trust me!
“Nobody was ever sorry for buying the best.” Oh yeah, the best does cost a little more, and it’s worth it!!
Michael Laurino CEO & President PremiereHTS Home Theater Seating https://www.premierehts.com/
