Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2021 54 D espite the trials and tribulations of 2020, ProSource, the consumer tech affiliate of AVB/BrandSource, ended the year on a positive note, adding 11 new members in the fourth quarter and making a major contribution to a Make-a-Wish Foundation client. The A/V specialty and custom integration group said the new member contingent included 10 CI members and one new PRO member, Definitive Audio of Woodinville, Wash. The fourth-quarter additions bring to 31 the number of new ProSource members that joined the group in 2020, representing more than $250 million in new revenue. "ProSource offers all of our members exclusive programs such as ProSource Healthcare, ProSource University, ProSource Marketing and the new McQuaig Institute Candidate Assessment Solution and the ThinkHR Management suite of services platform," said ProSource president/CEO Dave Workman. "When new members evaluate the impact of these opportunities in addition to the negotiated pricing with our vendor partners, they appreciate the results to their bottom line." Added Sherry Dantonio, ProSource senior director of education and membership recruitment, "We are proud to introduce and engage our new members with the ProSource peer-to-peer support system that encourages education and communication throughout the year." On the charitable endeavors front, the group, along with its members and vendors, contributed $30,000 in cash, equipment, design and labor toward the construction of a home theater for "Wish Kid" Miles Embry and his family in Austin, Texas. Miles is a client of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas, which works to bring to life the wishes of children with critical illnesses. "Miles is a resilient boy, and he loves movies and candy," his dad Jason said. "This [home theater] is a special place in his house and serves as a reminder of the journey we have been through together and the large community of people who have supported us, from those we know to those we do not know." Despite the challenges of the pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the group's annual fundraiser, ProSource donated $10,000 during the season of giving, while members and vendors donated the balance in product and pro bono design and installation services. The project was coordinated and installed by ProSource Power member Macauley Technologies, which integrated equipment from AudioQuest, Control4/SnapAV, Origin Acoustics, Screen Innovations, Sony Electronics, Sound United and SurgeX. The Embrys surprised Miles with a Wish "Reveal" of the theater room and a time-elapsed video of the project from start to finish. "We are so fortunate to have an organization like ProSource support our mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses and, most importantly, building resilience for the family as a whole," said Kathrin Brewer, president/CEO of Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas. "They have supported our organization and families tremendously in the past, and their passion and energy making Miles' home theater wish come true despite the pandemic underscores their commitment to making sure every child can keep wishing." More recently, the specialty A/V group tapped ex-Klipsch and Dynadio exec Frank Margengo to serve as Southeast District Manager for the 10-state region. "I am very excited about working with the best integrators in the Southeast to help them become more profitable," Marengo said. He said he recommended ProSource to many dealers during his vendor days, "because the organization truly cares about the well-being of its members." Member-governed ProSource is the largest consumer electronics merchandising group in the U.S., with more than $6 billion in annual sales by its 550-plus specialty retailers and custom integrators. Alan Wolf Consumer Electronics Trends HOW PROSOURCE TURNED A LEMON OF A YEAR INTO LEMONADE Alan Wolf is Senior Communications Specialist for AVB/ BrandSource, the nation's leading merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, consumer tech and home furnishings dealers. RO Miles, second from left, and his family enjoy their new home theater, compliments of ProSource

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