Residential Tech Talks

On this week’s podcast, John Sciacca joins us from Myrtle Beach, SC, where he co-owner of Custom Theater and Audio. When it comes to people that Jeremy has met through his job over the years, John is at the top of the list as one his favorites. So, following a short summer hiatus from podcast recording, Jeremy thought he should start with a fun one, inviting back one of his most entertaining guests. In a wide-ranging chat, they cover some residential tech topics, but also their favorite current movies, the latest on the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, and even John’s borderline obsession with pickleball.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Craig Spinner joins us from Osterville, MA, where is general manager for Savant Power within Savant Systems Inc.

Savant is a leader in both smart home and smart power solutions, as well as a provider of energy efficient smart LED fixtures and bulbs through its GE Lighting brand. Savant Power systems provide homeowners with visibility into their energy production and consumption, help them weather power outages, and offset peak utility rates when ON the grid or optimize energy usage when OFF the grid.

Last month, the company acquired POMCube Inc., which has been at the forefront of developing and deploying energy storage systems for the past 10 years. I’ve known today’s guest probably for as long as Savant Systems has been in business, but this is the first time having him on the podcast. With hot summer weather upon and hot news from his company in our email in-box, we thought it was a great time to have Craig on to discuss residential managed power and Savant’s growing slate of solutions.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, James Garrett joins us from Battle Ground, WA, where he is CEO of Garrett Integrated Systems. Our guest today recently acquired the 10-person Boise, Idaho-based custom integration firm, The Loop Technologies, from former RTT podcast guest Eric Crawford. The buyout was an exit strategy for Crawford, so he can focus on his component company IFP Connect, which is a single-gang transceiver solution for connecting fiber optic cable in the home. The acquisition marks the first step in James Garrett’s quest to build a regional custom installation company in the Pacific Northwest. Today’s guest discusses how it all came together and shares more about his path into the industry.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, John Heyman joins us from Atlanta, GA, where he is CEO of Snap One, a leading manufacturer and distributor of audio video, networking, surveillance, power, and wiring products. When our guest today last appeared on the podcast, back in December of 2020, his company was still called SnapAV, none of us had received our first Covid-19 vaccine, and the University of Georgia was still seeking their first football national championship since 1980. A lot has happened since then, including back-to-back National Championships from John’s and Jeremy’s shared alma mater, UGA. Throughout it all, the custom integration industry just keeps humming along with Snap One right in the middle of it all shipping products on time and helping its dealer to innovate and become more efficient partners to their clients.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Franklin Karp joins us from Long Beach, NY, where, for the past year, he has been the principal of Franklin Karp & Co., a comprehensive consulting firm for the residential tech integration business.

A 30-year veteran of AV retail and custom integration in New York City and New York suburbs, our guest today offers services in all phases of operations management, with a particular focus in the custom integration and retail sectors.

Jeremy’s industry friendship with Franklin goes all the way to the late ’90s when he attended manufacturer press conferences at the mid-town Manhattan-based Harvey Electronics, the legendary AV retailer for which Franklin served as CEO at the time.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Jason Knott joins us from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, to discuss the surprising news last week that he will be leaving his long-time post as editor in chief of CE Pro magazine to join D-Tools, the provider of business management software for electronic systems integrators. In the newly created role of data solutions architect and evangelist, our guest today will work with a special team at D-Tools to define and deliver industry analytics and insights. Jason is a friend of Jeremy’s since they both got started in the residential tech industry back in 2000.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Dave Chace joins us from the Philadelphia area, where he is president of Cogent360. Founded in 2007, Cogent360 is a media design firm that creates interactive and immersive digital resources for the consumer electronics and home integration industries. Our guest today is a 35-year veteran of the CE and CI industries and a former director of product training for a nationwide specialty CE retailer. Dave started Cogent360 to change how organizations educate their sales channels and consumers. Over the years, the company has evolved into an industry-leading media design firm and now incorporates virtual environments and 3D modeling to help companies around the globe.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Mitchell Klein joins us from Boston, where he is executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organization dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave technology. Deployed in more than 100 million products sold worldwide, the Z-Wave protocol is an interoperable, wireless, RF-based communications technology designed specifically for control, monitoring, and status reading applications in residential and light commercial environments. Our guest today, who holds the record for the most appearances on this podcast, is a former CEDIA president and a CEDIA Lifetime Award recipient. Mitchell Klein joins us to talk about the latest Z-Wave developments and smart home tech trends.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, David Thomas joins us joins us from Austin, TX, where he was on the road participating in the Rio Grande Dealer Event. Dave is a principal at Rio Grande, as well as executive director of its sister company, the Momentum Group, both based in Denver, CO. As if that were not enough titles for one man, he is also a partner at the PureTech Alliance, the national alliance of manufacturer's representatives dedicated to bringing the best-in-class health, wellness, and quality-of-life products to the CEDIA and AVIXA channels. Momentum Group, a nationally recognized rep firm covering the Rocky Mountain market, represents multiple consumer electronics brands in the residential and commercial channels. Rio Grande Reps specializes in the residential CI markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.  

On this week’s podcast, Joe Borress joins us from Malibu, CA, where he is founder and president of Tri-Star Electric & Automation. Our guest today grew up immersed in high-end New York City construction projects, as a third-generation electrical contractor. He spent the early decades of his career navigating and troubleshooting complex job sites, working with clients and renowned architects in the ultra-luxury residential markets of New York City, the Hamptons, and Greenwich, CT. Then, in 2013, drawn to California’s sunshine and quality of life, Joe and his family moved from the east coast to Malibu, where he established his company as a sought-after designer and consultant in the most exclusive areas of Southern California, combining his qualifications as an electrical contractor, lighting designer, and low-voltage integrator.

Today’s episode of Residential Tech Talks is brought to you Nice, a global manufacturer of smart home, security, and building automation solutions. Nice is bringing together 30 years of innovation with award-winning products from ELAN, SpeakerCraft, and Panamax, to create a holistic ecosystem for builders, integrators, and consumers. Learn more about how you can create One Home with One Solution at go.niceforyou.com/rtt.