A Long Way from Vinyl and Turntables
Jamiesons's Audio/Video has seen it all in its 50-plus years, and with its growing focus on custom, it's already at work on the next 50

We have different personalities and styles, but we share a passion for serving our customers well. That’s quite likely why Jamiesons’ Audio/Video has been successful for so long and continues to thrive.

David’s father and uncle opened a hi-fi shop in Toledo’s Old West End in 1954, selling amps, turntables, speakers and records. Now Jamiesons’ is a full-service A/V specialty retailer that offers not only products but also system design and installation.

Our current location, the third for Jamiesons’, is in a strip center not far from a major shopping mall. Although the usual big-box stores are located nearby, we compete more directly with several other A/V specialty stores and custom showrooms.

David started with the company right out of college in 1977; Ric joined in 1991, when the home audio installation business was in its infancy and retail audio was still king. Today, we’re primarily dealing with A/V installations.

We’re fortunate to possess complementary skills. David is more attuned to administration and management, talented in overseeing retail operations and purchasing. Ric is the more creative partner, excelling in system design, customer relations and running the custom sales and installation division.

Our business has grown tenfold in the past 15 years, to over $5 million in annual sales. We’ve accomplished this by hiring and retaining talented people who are dedicated to delivering great A/V systems and the highest level of service to our customers. We now have a staff of 20 who work in a 9,500-square-foot facility. Many have been with us for at least 10 years, and all of them—from sales consultants to office staff to custom installers—are a big part of our success.

Sometimes we’re asked how our retail sales compare to our custom installation sales. Over 60 percent of our sales are derived from true custom system design and installation. As for the remainder, we seldom just hand someone a product over the counter. Whether it’s a TV delivery, DVD hook-up, component replacement or programming of a remote control, more than 90 percent of our sales involve some contact with our custom staff.

We feature Sony, LG, Hitachi, Pioneer Elite, Niles, Paradigm, B&W, Klipsch, Yamaha, Integra, Denon, Rotel and BDI. It’s been part of our history to have good partners with quality products.

We’ve been members of the Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association (PARA) for three years. David has attended two PARA conferences, and we both find the education and networking opportunities extremely valuable. We’re looking forward to taking advantage of the online educational and research capabilities that PARA’s relationship with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) now affords.

Due to our growth in custom installation, we maintain steady business year-round. Our existing customer base consists of 12,000 clients, and we work with architects, designers and builders that generate a steady stream of referrals and repeat business.

Ric likes to say, “We don’t have a slow season but we definitely have a busy one!” That’s from October through December, when we have a 20 percent bump in sales because of the holiday shopping season. During this period, we increase advertising, stock extra inventory to guard against shortages and to accommodate our customers, and install systems on weekends.

Overall, we’re conservative in our business planning. It’s a strategy that’s been pretty successful for us for more than 50 years.

And we concentrate on doing what we do best: Installing great A/V systems while making it a fun experience for our clients.

David Jamieson is president and Ric Clark is vice president of Jamiesons’ Audio/Video in Toledo, Ohio.