Azione Unlimited Amplifies Q3 Success with New Board Member, Exceeds $750 Million in Buying Power
Chester Springs, PA – (August 27, 2019) – Azione Unlimited is thrilled to announce that Ryan McDaniel has been elected to the organization’s Board of Directors. McDaniel joins the Azione Unlimited Board of Directors with more than 16 years of experience in the custom integration industry. Since 2015, McDaniel has proudly represented Azione Unlimited as the President of his Indianapolis-based firm, One-Touch Automation. Additionally, McDaniel is a Savant Ambassador, HTA Certified, and a member of The Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.
“Ryan has been a cornerstone of success for our organization and an inspiration to any aspiring dealer,” said Richard Glikes, President of Azione Unlimited. “He represents the core values of our group and is a remarkable illustration of what our members can achieve if they partner with our organization. We are pleased to have him on the board and proud of all he has accomplished.”
McDaniel will join the ten-person board in place of previous board member Chris Smith of Cloud9 Smart in New York, New York. The board consists of five vendor members and five dealer members to maintain an equal balance between the needs of the group. His elected position is effective immediately.
The current board of members includes –
- Tim Bigoness – D-Tools, CMO
- Ron Callis – One Firefly, CEO
- Gretchen Gilbertson – Seura, Co-Founder & CEO
- Jimmy Paschke – SurgeX, Director of Sales
- Frank Sterns – Sony, Vice-President
- Al Reinhard – AHT Global, Principal
- Eric Thies – DSI Luxury, President
- JW Anderson – The Integrated Home, President
- Travis Leo – Residential Systems, President
Promoting a Culture of Prosperity
In joining Azione Unlimited’s Board of Directors, McDaniel finds passion in helping dealers grow. Founded in 2006, One-Touch Automation was comprised of only two people. By developing adjacent to his Azione Unlimited peers, McDaniel now employs 13 staff and has become an authority in his community, in the CI industry, and in the association.
“What this role means to me is that I now have an opportunity to give back to an organization that has provided me so much over the last few years,” said McDaniel. “My business developed significantly since joining, and I owe that success to the bright minds in this group who helped me grow in the right direction. I’m thrilled that my position on the board can help members foster that same success.”
McDaniel hopes to identify the communication pain points that currently exist in the industry at large. Many times dealers go to events, conferences, and training seminars but don’t know how to follow through on their newly acquired guidance. As McDaniel reflects on finding himself in a similar position not too long ago, his passion will be to maintain thought leadership throughout the group.
“The most powerful aspect of Azione Unlimited is the sharing information,” McDaniel said. “I’m very passionate about continuing conversation past the conferences, past the events, past our slack channel. My initial draw to the group was to learn from my peers, and it has only benefited my business. The more real connections I can help our members make, the more confident I become in their long-term success. That’s what I’m most passionate about.”
Boasting Three-quarters Billion Dollars in Buying Power
Azione Unlimited is also proud to announce that it has added ten dealers in the third quarter of 2019 including eight Canadian dealers since the July 1st expansion into Canada. The 214 members in the Smart Home Association now command $752 million in buying power.
“We are experiencing a healthy level of year-over-year growth that continues to provide a scalable and profitable foundation for the group,” said Glikes. “Achieving three-quarters of a billion dollars is a testament to our focus on being the only buying group with vendors as equal members. We cherish having vendors contribute on our board meetings, generate meaningful business partnerships, and develop future initiatives for the group. It’s humbling to start seven years ago at zero, making our $752 million in buying power a monumental achievement.”
About Azione Unlimited
Azione Unlimited, the education and buying group for integrators, is a consortium of like-minded custom installers, home technology professionals, and vendors. The organization helps its members achieve greater levels of prosperity, technical acumen, and sophistication in running their businesses and serving customers. Founded by industry veteran Richard Glikes and headquartered in Chester Springs, PA, the organization hosts two high-energy, information-packed conferences per year, Azione provides its members with a host of benefits, from product discounts to educational meetings and marketing tool. Learn more at AzioneUnlimited.com. Follow @AzioneUnlimited on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
