CE Pro September 2022 - 56

Channel
Wipliance Strengthens Eastern Wash. & Idaho Footprint
PERENNIAL CE Pro 100 integrator
Wipliance has been
establishing its name in the
Seattle area for over 15 years,
and now it has bolstered
its presence in the eastern
portion of Washington by
acquiring a company that's
been around for almost a
century longer.
On July 2, Huppin's, a 114year
family-owned residential
and commercial technology
solutions provider, was
acquired by Wipliance to
combine the resources of
two of the Northwest's most
well known custom installation
companies.
Headquartered in Bellevue,
Wash., Wipliance specializes
in audio/video, theater,
automation, lighting control
and fixtures, and shading.
Since 2006, Wipliance has
been creating smart spaces
in Arizona (out of its Scottsdale
location), Washington,
and surrounding areas. It was
No. 38 in this year's CE Pro
100 list, with 2021 revenues
of $8.5 million.
Family-owned and operated
since 1908, Huppin's
has a history of innovation.
In 1994, Huppin's business
expanded online as " OneCall "
to tap into the budding
internet marketplace. OneCall
quietly grew in Spokane
to become a leading online
retailer nationally.
" Since 1908, when my
great grandfather Sam
opened his tailor shop in
downtown Spokane, the
Huppin's brand has put its
customers first, " says Murray
Huppin, Huppin's president.
" Over time, we have seen
a shift from customers wanting
traditional retail options
to either online for DIY, or
customized professionally
Lee Travis and Wipliance
will now have bases in Bellevue
and Spokane, Wash.,
and Scottsdale, Ariz.
integrated solutions. The industry
has diverged, and we
believe Wipliance is the right
choice to offer these services
to our community. "
Wipliance owner Lee Travis
immediately saw similarities
between their company and
Huppin's. " We have been
inspired by the Huppin's
brand and its legacy since we
started our company back in
2006. Our own mission statement
centers around delighting
clients. Huppin's has
operated with this mission in
mind for the last 114 years and
we are proud to be adding
their team to our family. "
Besides being among
the CE Pro 100 integrator
ranks for the past dozen
years, Travis and Wipliance
was recognized as
the Consumer Technology
Association (CTA) TechHome
Division Integrator
of the Year during the CES
2019 Mark of Excellence
Awards ceremony.
CE Pro profiled Wipliance
in June 2019, noting
how the integrator has
done especially well creating
special events, cultivating
a YouTube presence
and managing to balance
operations from locations
1,400 miles apart.
Livewire Bolsters Local Services with Avico Acquisition
Richmond, Va.-based CE Pro 100 company Livewire has
reached an agreement to acquire, Avico, a local integration
company founded by a former Livewire employee. Terms of
the transaction were not disclosed. Effective Friday, June 17, all
of Avico's customers were transferred to Livewire, which assumed
all day-to-day operations of the business. In a message
to Avico clients, Livewire noted, " We promise to deliver the
same great customer service you're accustomed to, and we're
here to make the transition as seamless as possible! "
Livewire informed Avico clients about its warranty policies,
its talented team of technicians and introduced a seamless
transition for automatic billing of security monitoring fees.
The transferred accounts will continue to be monitored by
third-party central station Security Central with Alarm.com as
the resource for automation and mobile app control.
Avico was a single-man organization founded in 2017 by
Scott McNutt, a former employee of Livewire from 2011 to
2016. McNutt decided to pursue career interests outside of
56 | CE Pro September 2022
Avico founder Scott
McNutt was a former
Livewire employee.
the AV integration industry, so he turned to Livewire, a company
he knew and trusted from his previous tenure.
" Avico shared many of the same core values and beliefs we
hold dear at Livewire, as well as the goal of simplifying technology
for our customers, " says Henry Clifford, founder and
CEO at Livewire. " Both companies have focused on providing
quality work and quality products across Central Virginia. At
Livewire, we pride ourselves on consistently providing excellent
customer service. This acquisition was an opportunity to
build additional client relationships in our region, and provide
a safety net to transitioning Avico clients who had open projects
or monthly monitoring services. "
Clifford founded Livewire in January 2002 from his Henrico,
Va., home. It has grown to more than 30 employees.
cepro.com
http://www.Alarm.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro September 2022
