Audio Advisors
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 8/4/2003
2273C Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Fla. 33409
561-478-3100, audioadvisors.com
Jeff Hoover, president/founder
Annual Sales (projected custom install sales only for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2003): $9 million
Number of Stores: 2
Product Mix: Custom-installation services, premium consumer electronics
West Palm Beach, Fla.—"Fantasyland" is how Jeff Hoover describes his 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located here in this posh Florida enclave, and A/V aficionados and interior design enthusiasts readily agree.
From a humble start 21 years ago as a 12-volt installer working out of his garage, to a struggling A/V retailer who caught the custom installation wave, Hoover has evolved Audio Advisors into a diversified low-voltage luxury business, winning industry and consumer accolades along the way.
Hoover's 70-person team of certified designers, installers and technicians is dedicated to creating dream systems in high-end homes, encompassing everything from multi-zone A/V, lighting control and telecommunications, to integrated security systems and motorized window treatments and gate access.
In the process, Hoover has launched three ancillary operations: custom cabinetry; his GuiFX line of graphical user interfaces; and a high-end A/V retail store that reopens next month after tripling in size to 3,000 square feet.
But the jewel in the Audio Advisors crown is the two-year old Design Center, a fully-functional, elegantly appointed multi-room recreation of a luxury home that presents those products and services in perhaps the industry's most optimized setting.
Visitors, seen by appointment only, are taken on a scripted tour that "builds from room to room," Hoover said. "Nothing is random; every touch panel works, and everything — from the fabrics to the scents to the back splashes and mahogany trim — is done for psychological effect. It's designed for women, and everyone leaves here with design ideas for their home."
The secret of his success? The current CEDIA president is quick to credit his early involvement with that group and PARA, his talented team, and an enthusiast's love of the business.
