Commercial Integrator April 2023 - 46

INTEGRATOR PROFILE Inside PTG
PTG, a Wixom, Mich.-headquartered integration firm, creates, installs and services commercial audio, video and interactive experiences
for some of the world's most prestigious restaurant and retail brands. Indeed, the company has installed videowalls for brands
such as American Eagle (left) and Mercedes-Benz (right).
right.' [We] are getting it right, and that, to
me, meant more than anything. "
A Best and Brightest Award isn't just a
trophy or plaque, though; more importantly,
these recognitions can be magnets
to attract talent, thus setting companies
like PTG on a course for continued
success. As Zupancic observes, " [These
awards] can be used as recruiting tools.
It has created a buzz throughout the
industry. " Reflecting on a longstanding
challenge for integration businesses, she
adds, " There was a moment when everyone
was having trouble getting talent into
the building. We're bringing in top talent
now. People want to be part of what we
have going on here. "
A good example of PTG's ability to
secure top talent is Katelyn Kazanowski,
who was honored as one of Commercial
Integrator's 40 Influencers Under 40
last year, and who serves as director of
sales. She says, " At the end of the day,
we all have a lot of fun together. We
laugh a lot - we never take ourselves too
seriously. " Kazanowski thinks that energy
shines through to PTG's clients, as well
as stakeholders up and down the line.
" It makes doing business much easier, "
she declares. " If you're having fun while
you're doing it, it doesn't really feel like
work. " Positing the analogy of flies being
attracted to light, she says talent is drawn
to the aura of PTG, where team members
truly seem to like what they're doing -
and whom they're working with.
46
Commercial Integrator APRIL 2023
Implementing Key Principles
The focus for PTG this year revolves
around three key principles: Innovation,
Customer experience and Efficiency
(ICE). " We need to be more innovative
with our customers, " Fons states plainly,
adding that PTG has oriented itself
around a focus on the customer experience
that it delivers. What's more, the
company has invested in a new ERP platform,
Solutions360, to help maximize
business efficiency. As just one example
of this, the company now has one login
for the whole business, as opposed to
having 12 different logins.
This constant drive for self-betterment
stems not only from Fons' and the leadership
team's desire for excellence but also
from a recognition that macroeconomic
challenges will continue. Fons says that
supply-chain difficulties are far from over,
and they have compelled PTG to be
strategic. " The resilience of our industry
on the integration side could not be more
apparent, " he enthuses. " Companies like
us have found a way to direct [clients] to
the 'B product' or the 'C product' - not
what I'll call our habit brands. "
In addition, inflation remains a challenge,
not least because it's something
that's entirely outside a business' control.
This has caused many integrators to strictly
time-limit proposals or to try to pull
them back in response to price increases.
PTG is in an advantageous position, however,
in that it's debt free and financially
stable. Thus, the company can reliably
weather these storms. " We know how fortunate
we are not to have to worry, " Fons
acknowledges.
Continuing the thought, Fons explains,
Fun Fact: PTG's headquarters,
located in Wixom, Mich., is a
70,000-square-foot building,
which is comparable in size to
a Costco warehouse!
" There's almost this whole other category
of nuisance that you must deal with when
you're having cashflow problems and
when you're having issues regarding your
finances. And that is just completely off
the table [for PTG]. " Indeed, the company
stands apart from many with respect to
how it conducts its finances. " It could be
a whole lot worse for us, and a lot more
difficult, if we had to worry about lines of
credit and things like that, " he reflects.
" We haven't used [our line of credit] in the
last three years. "
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Commercial Integrator April 2023

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