Going Where the Technology Is (Part I)
P1 Building Technologies Division Sees Expansive Future
鈥淥ur job is to always know where the technology is going 鈥� and make sure we鈥檙e ready for the opportunities.鈥�
Led by Operations Manager Danny Farnan, the Building Technologies division at P1 Group is growing, and they see a bright future for the low voltage/special systems in which they specialize.
One major capability that has been recently brought in-house to the group is Audio/Visual (A/V). This is due in large part to the hiring of Client Development Manager Mark Rau.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have Mark on board. His long tenure in the AV business brings an expertise that allows us to go after more global AV opportunities,鈥� Danny said.
THE BIG 3
P1 Building Technologies Capabilities
Structured Cabling, Fiber & Networking
- Inside & outside plant structured cabling
- Copper/fiber optic splicing & testing
- Wireless Networks
Security systems
- Surveillance CCTV and Access Control systems
- Intrusion detection systems
- Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
- Data center solutions
Audio/Visual
- Sound systems
- Video teleconferencing systems
- Digital signage
- Sound masking systems
- LED video wall systems
- Emergency notification & paging systems
- Video presentation systems
- K-12 intercom & clock systems
Senior Project Manager Jeff Dallas notes that P1 Building Technologies has always been performing (but not necessarily self-performing) much of the work listed above.
鈥淲e have been the installer for the 鈥榩arts and smarts鈥�, but what we wanted was to bring more of that in house,鈥� Jeff said. 鈥淣ow, more of that specialty work has been integrated internally so we can self-perform it.鈥�
鈥淭he markets in which we鈥檙e specifically expanding include access controls, CCTV and special systems, and especially A/V,鈥� Mark added.
Partnerships Play a Critical Role
鈥淚n any business, relationships drive revenue,鈥� Danny said.
鈥淲e have, and will continue, our solid relationships as subcontractors to partners like Johnson Controls, Siemen鈥檚, Securitas, and other electrical contractors.鈥�
But for Building Technologies, relationships go one step deeper to ensure our technicians provide a level of expertise and quality others can鈥檛.
鈥淚n our particular business, we must have strong relationships with our industry supplier partners, like American Dynamics, Avigilon, and RS2 to name just a few,鈥� Danny said.
鈥淥ur technicians are highly certified which provides a strong value-add to our offerings.鈥�
Danny says through strong partnerships with these suppliers, P1 technicians become certified, trained experts who can assess customer needs and expertly install the technology that best meets those needs.
Infrastructure and Internal Customers
Within large P1 electrical projects, Building Technologies has had scopes of work the size of the electrical capacity or, in some cases, larger.
This drives home the fact that, at the end of the day, the internal P1 network is where the best leads often come from.
鈥淲e are our own best salesmen,鈥� Mark said. 鈥淲hen internal P1 divisions understand what we do, and vice versa, we can make those connections and generate more opportunities for each other.鈥�
Building Technologies has grown in conjunction with the Electrical division of P1, and will continue to be a close partner in many electrical jobs.
But Mark says the division also hopes to develop its identity specifically within low voltage/special systems.
鈥淲here we fall is the infrastructure of communications and special systems within the Electrical division,鈥� Mark said.
And 鈥渋nfrastructure鈥� is often as big as it sounds.
鈥淪olar, electric vehicles, charging stations with digital signage, are all examples of rapidly growing markets,鈥� Mark said.
Danny notes that infrastructure around these growing markets is where the work is.
鈥淭he infrastructure required for these technologies markets generates work not only for Building Technologies, but for the other divisions at P1, from fabrication to electrical to Millwright and beyond,鈥� he said.
Mark Rau recently demonstrated the capabilities of Acclaim Plus series (Absen) LED video board technology in the Lenexa Training Room. The flexible signage allows customers to build to whatever specifications they desire with the 鈥渂ox moving鈥� distribution concept. It can be wall-mounted, hung, or stacked from the floor, built in a variety of shapes and sizes using a series of smaller units that create one seamless digital art experience.
Big Goals for the Future
Danny says the division鈥檚 growth goal is to double in size over the next three years.
鈥淲e鈥檙e expanding our capabilities to better serve existing customers and generate new ones,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e want to be able to serve our existing customers in any location they need across the U.S.
The opportunities are all around. Not only does Building Technologies hope to move into more national markets in tandem with P1鈥檚 expected growth, there are untapped prospects in P1鈥檚 already established markets.
鈥淲e have great offices in areas with a need for what we do, including Wichita, Las Vegas, and St. Joseph. We haven鈥檛 even tapped those markets yet,鈥� Danny said.
Technology is the future, so we鈥檙e all looking forward to seeing what鈥檚 next for P1 Building Technologies.
The Building Technologies Team is:
Danny Farnan, Operations Manager; Jeff Dallas, Senior Project Manager, RCDD; Mark Rau, Client Development Manager; Mike McClammer, Building Technologies Project Manager; David Becerra, Superintendent, RCDD; Kristi Berglund, Electrical Engineer/Estimator
