Sep 10, 2026 • Blog
My introduction to the industry came while I was studying electrical engineering in college. I worked part-time for a family-owned business that combined a hi-fi store with a residential integration company. It was an incredible environment to learn in because I was exposed to every aspect of the business. One day I might be helping with AutoCAD drawings, another I would be attending sales meetings, and sometimes I was pulling cable on-site.
This was around 1999, when the smart home industry was still in its early stages, and I was fascinated by the scale and complexity of the projects being delivered. It gave me the opportunity to experience both the hi-fi side of the industry and the emerging world of residential integration.
After graduating, I spent some time working for a large manufacturer before realizing I missed the variety and creativity of the integration business. I eventually returned to the industry and held a number of roles before co-founding HAAS Home Technologies in 2015 with my business partner, Pierre Cloutier, who brought extensive experience from the energy trading sector.
Like many businesses, the early days involved wearing a lot of hats. I was responsible for design work, sales, project management, client meetings, and site support, often all in the same week.
At the same time, I was rebuilding relationships within the Austin design and construction community. Although people knew me from previous roles, HAAS Home Technologies was a new business, and we needed to establish our own reputation.
One thing that has always differentiated us is our engineering-led approach. My background is in electrical engineering, and today our design and engineering department is a major part of the business. We place a huge emphasis on documentation, planning, and process, which helps us deliver complex projects efficiently and consistently.
The name comes from Dr. Haas and the Haas Effect, which explores how humans perceive sound arriving from different directions.
When I was researching engineering and audio-related terms during the start-up phase, I came across it and thought it was interesting. People often assume HAAS is an acronym for something related to home automation, but it isn’t. We simply liked the connection to audio and engineering, and the story behind it has become an important part of our identity.
We joined CEDIA almost immediately after launching the business in 2015. Throughout my career, I had worked with companies that were already members, so becoming part of the association felt like a natural step.
In the early days, we made good use of training opportunities, including CEDIA boot camps and educational resources. Those programs were incredibly valuable as we built the business and developed our team.
Today, while we carry out much of our training internally, I still believe it is important to support an organization that acts as a thought leader for our industry and continues to advocate for professional standards.
Our showroom is based in downtown Austin and was designed to reflect the type of luxury living environment our clients aspire to create in their own homes. Rather than a collection of product displays, it feels like a carefully designed living space where people can experience technology in context.
Interestingly, we completed the showroom in March 2020, which wasn't ideal timing given what was happening in the world. It was a significant investment, and there was some uncertainty at the beginning, but it has proven to be one of the best decisions we have made.
While it helps clients experience technology firsthand, it has also become a hub for the design-build community. We host events, educational sessions, parties, and networking opportunities, giving architects and designers a place to connect and collaborate.
I would say that we have placed great emphasis on awards as part of our overall marketing strategy, with the CEDIA Smart Home Awards being top of the list for us.
We were fortunate that some of our earliest CEDIA Smart Home Awards submissions were successful, including winning Best Showroom and Best Documentation in 2021. We then went on to win Excellence in Documentation in 2025 and are very excited to be a finalist in Best Home Cinema and Best Integrated Home this year. We can’t wait to see if we walk away with a trophy.
We appreciate the emphasis that CEDIA puts on design, engineering and documentation as part of their awards program, as to us, these are the elements that we have always focused heavily on . Gaining recognition through CEDIA validates the processes and standards we already had in place.
One area that excites me is energy management. As our electrical division has grown, we have become increasingly involved with systems that help homeowners monitor and manage energy usage more effectively. It is a category that I think will become increasingly important in the years ahead.
I am also looking forward to seeing how the residential and commercial sectors continue to influence one another. Events such as CEDIA Expo, and increasingly ISE, provide a fantastic opportunity to see emerging technologies before they reach the residential channel.
Perhaps most of all, I enjoy seeing a renewed interest in high-quality music listening. The popularity of vinyl and dedicated listening spaces shows that people are once again engaging with music as an experience rather than simply background noise. As someone whose career began in hi-fi, I find that particularly exciting.
By providing you with specialised assistance, education, opportunities, and resources, CEDIA membership enables you to realise your full potential and progress both professionally and commercially. Find out more about how to sign up or renew right now.
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