02October
CRESTRON IN THE HOUSE - COCKTAIL PARTY
The world may be in recession, but that doesn’t mean all businesses are suffering. If your product helps cut costs then a recession could actually be good for business. Crestron Electronics, a world leader in control and automation systems, has enjoyed double digit growth in South Africa over the past decade; and this year growth peaked at around 30%. Crestron offers recession busting products that cut down on travel time, boost efficiency, and save money.
Such has been the rise of Crestron in South Africa that they have seen fit to move into their own premises (from the Electrosonic SA premises). Wednesday, 15 May, saw the official opening of Crestron House in Blackheath, Johannesburg. Robin van Meeuwen, Vice President of Crestron International; and Steven Dullaert, Director of Distributor Sales at Crestron International, flew from Europe to celebrate with the South African Crestron team. PROMAG interviewed Robin and Steve about the opening, and about Crestron’s future.
PROMAG: So Steven, you’re based in Belgium right?
SD: Yes, I’m based at the Crestron head office in Brussels. As Director for Distribution Sales I’m responsible for distribution in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) regions; this includes Scandinavia, Switzerland and South Africa.
PROMAG: Are you enjoying sunny South Africa?
SD: The weather conditions here are great compared to Europe. For us this is summer time. This is my third time in the country and I always love coming here, it’s very diverse; Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg – they’re like different worlds.
PROMAG: Robin, are you also enjoying your stay?
RvM: Yes, I was last here six years ago – and one forgets how far away South Africa is from the rest of the world. Ten hours on a plane is a long time, but at least the time zone is the same as Belgium, and that’s an advantage. But I love being here, and we have a fantastic team taking care of things here.
PROMAG: How long have you been in your current position as Vice President of Crestron International?
RvM: Since 2007; which is when I was last here.
PROMAG: So it was important for you to attend this opening?
RvM: Absolutely, it was important that both Steve and I come over to show our encouragement and support. The whole philosophy of the company going forward is to focus on each region around the world. It can be tough servicing markets that are far away, and that’s why it’s important to work closely with local partners.
PROMAG: Crestron House will help with that?
RvM: Yes; the Crestron product portfolio has grown so big and there are now about three-and-a-half thousand products in eight different vertical markets. Crestron South Africa needs a focussed building and a focussed effort into the market so that dealers and end users enjoy the best possible service. Crestron House will have a profoundly positive impact on our business.
We now have a really good foundation; a dedicated team of people, in a dedicated building, giving the right support, energy, and focus on the product range. We foresee an increase in stock and better repair return times. It’s good for customers.
SD: Crestron is all about support. Training is very important and it’s vital that the regions are kept up to date with what is happening at Crestron. We must be able to inform dealers as to what the product can do and how to sell it to end users. They must also understand where we are headed; and Crestron’s whole philosophy behind the products. This way they can really serve the end users.
PROMAG: You’ve been working with the team here?
RvM: We spent time analysing team structure and starting to plan the next twelve months and what we’re going to focus on to grow the business. We have a very good strategy in place and I’m very impressed with the amount of stock carried here. So we’re going to increase that, we’re going to increase training, we’re going to give Crestron in Johannesburg more tools so that they can be successful.
PROMAG: Robin you’ve been with Crestron for some time?
RvM: I’ve been with the company since 1997, and when I joined we were only 35 people. Now we are more than three-and-a-half thousand around the world. I was over in the factory only a few weeks ago and every time I go there I see huge changes: new people, a new part for this or for that - it’s unbelievable the pace of the company.
PROMAG: Yes, it’s an industry that moves very fast - where are things headed at the moment?
RvM: The big growth is in digital media. It’s a high ticket value product range, which distributes video or audio signal over fibre or CAT. Crestron’s offering (DigitalMedia™) is unique and in the last twelve months we’ve focussed on our digital media product range; and on getting distributors and dealers trained up so that we really push into the market here.
PROMAG: What are the results of that push?
RvM: In the last year South Africa has grown from zero to 50% in digital media. If it wasn’t for digital media we would not have experienced such high growth in this country; so it has been a very important part of our business here.
PROMAG: I see the Crestron website notes that DigitalMedia™ is, “The only proven, complete, engineered analogue to digital solution.”
RvM: Yes, we’re grateful we have this product range and we’re expanding it; Crestron will be launching another thirty products related to digital media at InfoComm 2013.
PROMAG: What makes Crestron so well placed to embrace technological change?
RvM: Crestron is a leading manufacturer of control and automation systems and we have the biggest Research and Development (R&D) department in the industry. Everything is engineered and produced in the US (New Jersey) and in Mexico; and shipped out from there.
PROMAG: And what’s the next wave?
RvM: There is new technology coming out, and we’re tying up with Microsoft Lync. With Microsoft Lync you can share any Microsoft document with anyone in the world like they’re sitting opposite you. That’s where things are headed: being able to share the information on your desktop with anyone in the world. The solution includes instant messaging, presence and VoIP and is set to supersede video conferencing. The exciting part is that Crestron is the only company in the world that has an agreement with Microsoft in terms of control systems and signal distribution manufacturing.
PROMAG: So IT is where it’s at?
RvM: Yes, we’re pushing more and more towards IT – especially in the commercial sector.
PROMAG: Steve, your final words?
SD: We are ready now to go to the next level. Education and knowledge are key for getting us there, and so we will be working hard on keeping our sales force and technical people fully up to date on what is happening in the business, and how best to service the end user.
RvM: When I see the commitment, passion and drive for the business and for what we stand for, it makes me even more proud to have a team tucked away in this corner of the world; who I can tell from my heart – “You are a very important part of Crestron.”
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