Key Takeaways
- AVI Systems acquires CCS Southeast, expanding presence in the Southeast U.S.
- Acquisition strengthens AVI’s capabilities to serve corporate, education, and federal government customers.
- All CCS Southeast employees will become employee-owners at AVI Systems.
- AVI Systems will employ over 1,200 professionals across 40 U.S. locations post-acquisition.
Topic Summary
AVI Systems has announced its acquisition of CCS Southeast, a prominent audiovisual systems integrator serving the Southeast United States. This strategic move, set to finalize on December 2, 2024, encompasses offices in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Knoxville, and Atlanta. The acquisition significantly bolsters AVI Systems’ capabilities to cater to corporate, education, and federal government clientele in the region.
Jeff Stoebner, CEO of AVI Systems, highlighted CCS Southeast’s impressive two-decade track record in serving education and corporate enterprises. He emphasized that this expansion serves as a catalyst for future growth in the Southeast, particularly noting the enhanced ability to support federal government agencies in Florida. The integration of CCS Southeast’s expertise and regional presence aligns seamlessly with AVI Systems’ growth strategy and service capabilities.
John Doster, the founder and CEO of CCS Southeast, will transition to the role of Area Vice President at AVI Systems, continuing to lead operations from the Jacksonville office. Under Doster’s leadership, CCS Southeast has cultivated a prestigious customer base, including major institutions such as the University of Tennessee, University of North Florida, University of Florida, Web.com, and EA Sports. This acquisition marks a significant step for CCS Southeast, joining forces with a globally recognized leader in AV systems integration.
A key aspect of this merger is the integration of CCS Southeast’s workforce into AVI Systems’ employee ownership structure. Effective December 2, 2024, all CCS Southeast employees will become employee-owners at AVI Systems, fostering a unified corporate culture focused on superior service and customer support. This move aligns with both companies’ commitment to maintaining a positive work environment and delivering exceptional value to clients.
Post-acquisition, AVI Systems will boast a workforce of over 1,200 professionals across 40 U.S. locations, with plans for further expansion into strategic markets like Tampa. The company’s global reach is further enhanced through its majority stake in GPA, enabling AVI Systems to serve multinational organizations worldwide. This expansion not only strengthens AVI Systems’ market position but also reinforces its capability to provide comprehensive audiovisual and unified collaboration solutions on a global scale.
Background Information: Click Here to ViewOur Thoughts and Commentary
This one’s easy. “The best place to fish is where the fish are biting, and the best place to do business is where the customers are buying.” Obvious, but true.Back in the day, the AV industry was extremely tech-centric. Customer requirements were often difficult to understand, and the AV products needed to address those requirements required specific expertise to spec, connect, configure, and program.
Yes – AV integration was a task for trained and certified experts.
Over the last few years, things have started to change. While the tech still matters, many of the spaces customers are AV-enabling are smaller and simpler. For these spaces, the business aspects of the AV solution are as important – if not more important – than the tech itself.
And a key element of the “business” side of AV is having a local presence to install and support the AV system. That’s why the larger integrators (like AVI Systems and others) are busy acquiring smaller AV integration firms in strategic locations.
AVI Systems is one of the most active players in this area. The company is investing in a handful of markets each year, as evidenced by these announcements in the last 12 months.
- In September, the company opened a new experience center in Phoenix
- In July, the company added a new office location in Arkansas
- In June, the company acquired the commercial AV business of South Dakota-based Sound Pro
- In April, the company opened its new Velocity Logistics Center in Texas, including a 40,000 sq. ft. customer experience center
- In February, the company announced that Audio Visual Associates (AVA) will join the company, and that AVA’s New Jersey facility will become AVI Systems’ 32nd location
- In December 2023, the company celebrated the grand opening of a new office in New York
Will we see more such acquisitions and expansions in the future? We certainly hope so. Who knows, at some point we may see simple (hang and bang) AV systems that we order on Monday being installed by Wednesday with an “Amazon-prime-like” experience. But none of this will be possible without feet on the street.
As an aside, we’re not surprised to see that every CCS Southeast employee will not only join AVI Systems, but will immediately become an employee-owner at AVI Systems. No tricks. No fine print. Just honest and more than fair business. That’s who they are.
Congrats to both AVI Systems and the hard working folks at CCS Southeast. And as a Florida resident, let me be among the first to say … “Welcome to the Sunshine State!”