What an unreal trip the last 7 months have been. First, I am sorry for not posting for so long. They say time flies faster and faster as you get older, I know now that it is true. The months since we moved from our office have been a complete blur. The good news is that we’re still here as a living viable business entity.
When you put what has happened to our part of the economy into real words it is frankly something of a miracle there are any companies like ours still in business. Companies in our industry created 80%-90% of their revenue from new construction, with most of us concentrating on mid to high end residential. So far all of my closest friends around the country have survived, but there have been some very good CEDIA companies that have shuttered their operations. I know that many, if not most, in the construction industry are in a similar position. It is astounding that our economy could change so dramatically so quickly.
I’ve been characterizing the time up to early March as the running backwards phase. Rick, Tom, Jonathan, Carl, Sheri and I spent those months moving, installing, servicing, and trying to make sure we were reducing everything possible to ensure our survival. I’ve re-arranged the office at least twice and Carl has done the same to our three warehouse locations. While we haven’t perfected our new operational model, we do feel like we’ve stopped running the wrong direction and are making reasonable forward progress again.
I am thankful for all of the support that we received from clients, vendors and friends. I’m not all that active a Christian, but I do believe in God. Something I remember from Sunday school says to the effect of “He will never encumber us with more than we can bear”. I know I butchered that, but the effect is accurate. This sentence along with all your support helped me through those very difficult months. I can’t thank you all enough.
That completes the going backwards update. From here on out we are determined to go forward. I’ll be posting much more often so check back soon.
Robert
