CE Pro February 2022 - 35

and craftsmen, interior designers, realtors,
police officers, fire fighters, philanthropists
and Atlanta-based restaurant chain owners.
City Hall even came to see the spectacle. The
event wasn't even hampered by a massive
hailstorm that surged past while guests lined
up on the red carpet waiting to receive their
credentials and be checked in. Over 100
pounds of sushi were served and over 200
bottles of wine were cracked.
The music and demos were so loud that
those inside had no idea there was a tornado
warning. Guests lined up for the golf, driving
and flight simulators, as well as for the VR
exhibits that wrapped around the building.
Tesla, Maserati, Lamborghini, Slingshot, Harley
Davidson, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and
McLaren automobiles were all parked under
large white tents and giving test drives. Every
guest went home with a commemorative
bottle of AHT wine. All the theaters were
manned with manufacturers giving demos
while the AHT team mingled in ball gowns
and tuxedos and senior officers donned 007
headsets for communicating.
Three commercial projectors on scaffolding
across the street displayed a giant video
presentation on the front of the building. The
video began with a " Star Wars " tribute, which
featured AHT's history in the movie's classic
opening text scrolling in space to the original
music. The event closed with a champagne
toast from Scott and Jennifer,congratulating
the team and thanking their clients.
Becoming a Homebuilder;
Multisports Theater Provider
Every integration company works with homebuilders,
but a year ago the Rosses decided
to become custom homebuilders themselves
with the launch of Atlanta Elite Homes. " It
was a huge expansion for us to become a custom
home builder, " admits Scott. " We have
spent the last 25 years creating a well-oiled
machine and applied that experience straight
to Atlanta Elite Homes. People seek out highly
reputable companies to build their custom
homes and AHT's reputation precedes it. "
The newest venture for the Rosses is Atlanta
MultiSports Theater for both residential
and commercial applications.
" We've been installing golf-simulators for
the last decade, " states Scott. " Golf simulator
cepro.com
AHT's Dance with COVID
" WHEN COVID HIT, like all technology integrators, we were quickly
crowned 'essential' for the reason that home-office and home-schooling
networks had to be functional. Home security suddenly became a higher
priority and home entertainment became vital to keep families sane, " says
Jennifer. " Our team proceeded cautiously in their PPE (personal protection
equipment) while the castle went from smelling like a cedar-lined cigar room
to a hospital from daily sanitation. "
" Unfortunately, some members of AHT ended up contracting COVID. We
thought our team had outflanked the virus through vehement protocols,
but a year and a half later the Delta strain found its way through our kids
and teens permeating several members of the team [including the Rosses],
who quarantined together at home. Now, most of our team has been vaccinated,
had COVID, or both, " Jennifer notes.
The Rosses contend that the team appreciated being able to continue
to work with some semblance of normalcy with daily group interaction as
opposed to isolation in a home office, which was debilitating to so many.
Also, they were amazed that every AHT client was willing to continue having
the company enter their homes during the shutdowns with death tolls
rising. Scott and Jennifer believe it underscores how desperately reliant we
humans have become on technology and home entertainment where we
would gamble the risk of exposure to foster our immersive escapes.
Atlanta Home Theater's business volume and margins have grown
substantially since the viral outbreak with a 400% increase in six-figure
projects and a pipeline booked through May 2022.
To meet the relentless demand the company hired eight new employees
in operations and in the field. It keeps its hooks in the water to land rock
stars who bring great contributions and appreciate all the boxes ticked for
a long-running career opportunity at AHT as it enters the next chapter of
what Scott contends is one of the custom industry's best stories.
companies may know golf, but they know very
little about AV. They were specifying subpar
equipment to increase margin and were
consistently making rookie mistakes that our
team invested time correcting. You don't have
to know golf to design and build a simulator. It
simply requires a competent design team. "
And now, AHT MultiSports Theater packages
extend well beyond golf simulators to
include dodge ball, hockey, soccer, baseball
and even firearms training with recoil-enabled
laser shot weapons used for police training.
AHT also specializes in racing simulators, virtual
reality arenas, exercise and yoga studios,
as well as bicycle and Peloton training.
" Add to that a custom theater system in
the same arena, " Scott says, " and you have a
MultiSports Theater enriching the experience
with everything in one room. "
Atlanta Home Theater's
warehouse includes a
two-story, outdoor,
2,000-pound capacity
hydraulic cage-lift called
Hauss to help move the
company's inventory
supply.
February 2022 CE Pro | 35
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CE Pro February 2022

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