Dealer Profile
Whitman Automation
North Canton, Ohio
| Key Information & Statistics | |
| Owner | Joe Whitman |
| Opened | 2014 |
| HARMAN Brands Supported |
Arcam, JBL Synthesis and Revel |
The HARMAN Luxury Audio Group is proud to have some of the best high-end consumer electronics partners across the globe. Each month, we have the pleasure of learning a little bit more about one of our dealers or distributors. This time we spoke with the folks at Whitman Automation in North Canton, Ohio.
How long have you been in business?
Eight years as a company, however, our owner, Joe Whitman has been in the audio business for over 25 years.
How many locations do you have?
One location in North Canton, Stark County, Ohio.
How did Whitman Automation get its start?
After working in the A/V field for many years and with several other A/V companies, owner Joe Whitman was inspired to start his own business as a Sole Proprietor in 2014. Joe’s success is attributed to his unwavering ethical business practices, extreme passion for high quality and service, and a never-ending curiosity in the field of A/V technology.
How many people are on the Whitman Automation team?
There are two full time employees, as well as an independent contractor who specializes in lighting and shades and a Master Carpenter for our most customized projects. Combined, we bring over 75 years of experience in our areas of specialty.
Thoughts on the importance of training?
We fully support training for any of our technicians and believe it is critical for us to stay up-to-date on the constantly changing environment of technology. However, we’re selective in the training we spend our time in. Because we are a small, custom outfit, our time is at a premium. We choose to do training with the products and services that offer the best customer support and response time. We invest our time in the companies who invest their time in us.
What do you like most about HARMAN Luxury Audio products and which lines do you feature?
We mostly work with JBL Synthesis, JBL Outdoor sound and Revel. It’s great to have a high-performance speaker system outside the home as well as inside.
How do you think the luxury audio industry is currently doing?
In the area of product development, consideration should be given to the younger generation. Whatever products are available at a non-luxury big box should be available in a much higher quality luxury line. For example, there should be more choices of high-quality sound bars that match rear speakers. As well, expanding color palettes and design of speaker housing. It’s always a challenge to stay on trends but maintain the highest quality product our clients have come to expect.
What is Whitman Automation’s mission?
Our mission is to be the best, not the biggest.
You have the floor. Anything else you want to share with us about Whitman Automation that you would like the world to know?
For us, no two jobs are alike. We spend as much time as necessary getting to know our customers, what they’re looking for, their past experiences with their home or office systems, and from that, what they liked and didn’t like. We only sell customers what they need, we never over-sell with products they’ll never use or aren’t appropriate for the space they have.
This consistent business practice proves our ethical and moral business practices and thus develops a trust between our clients and our work. We cater to custom built homes and new construction, retrofits in existing homes and commercial businesses, churches, halls, vacation homes and yachts. We’ve travelled from coast to coast for existing customers who move or buy second homes, as they know they can count on us for the highest quality, honest work.