Excellence Awards

We are pleased to announce the winners of Lutron’s 2011 Excellence Awards. This year, winners will receive a recognition award, a premium marketing package, and will have a winner’s logo added to their company listing on the Lutron website. The judges – six journalists from the Custom Electronics industry – have reviewed the anonymous submissions and tallied their scores to name this year’s winners.
 

Category: Best Total Home Control

Gold Award – Cliqk Digital
http://www.cliqk.com/

Project Name – Penthouse on Prince
The owner of this penthouse, which is in a historic building, wanted retrofit controls to enhance the modern interior. Cliqk Digital used a HomeWorks® 8-series system, integrating some controls into the custom furniture. For the window treatments, they used creative solutions including a bottom-up shade, curved drapery tracks, and an installation for an entire wall of historic ceiling-to-floor windows with a killer view. Cliqk was the first installer to make use of Lutron’s “Meet in the Middle” shade, a necessity for the skylight that measured 21 feet in length.  

Category: Best Business Expansion

Gold Award – Premiere Systems
http://www.premieresystems.com/

Increasing sales and revenue during an economic downturn does not happen by accident. Premiere Systems observed that most of the showrooms in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart were not making the best use of lighting, so they partnered with Bentwood Kitchens, a custom cabinet manufacturing company, to establish a showroom that would highlight the best of both companies’ offerings. A Lutron control system installed by Premiere enhances the design of the space, and the showroom has hosted several events to introduce architects, designers, contractors, and other professional groups to their products. Premiere Systems now has a dedicated manager to coordinate key business partnerships. They have also created a dedicated Service Manager position to increase field staff efficiency and to contact former clients. Adding remote rack monitoring to their services is another strategy that has helped them add value to their present clients.

Category: Best Window Systems
                 Project

Gold Award – Bay Screens and Shades
http://www.bayscreens.net/

Project Name – Nimes Road House
The owner of this home requested custom triple shades – solar filtering, blackout, and insect screens – in 60 locations, with a variety of frames and valances, including marble, steel and millwork. This required careful coordination among all of the professionals involved, from the architect and designer to the different custom integrators and craftsmen. Bay Screens and Shades worked closely with Lutron to identify fabrics, drives and hembars that would achieve the right look in each location. Some drives and headers are completely hidden into hidden pockets and panels, so the shades seem to disappear when raised. The owner is often absent, and other times many international guests visit the house, so it was important that the controls be intuitive. The project was such a success that it won a “House of the Year” designation from the 2010 Robb Report.

Category: Best Green/Energy Project

Gold Award – Coastal Carolina Specialty
http://www.coastalcarolinaspecialty.com/

Project Name – Abbink Residence
Although obtaining LEED Platinum certification was not an original goal for this project, once the idea was discussed, CCS played a major role in gaining key LEED ratings points. A Lutron HomeWorks® system controls the home’s 116 lighting zones and 29 motorized shades to minimize energy use and solar heat gain. Lutron occupancy sensors in several rooms trigger an energy recovery ventilator, which brings in fresh air as needed without running exhaust fans unnecessarily. The Lutron system is also tied into a whole-home energy monitoring system, so that the homeowners and CCS can tweak programming to further reduce power consumption. CCS has hosted a community college class on Sustainable Design in the home, demonstrating the “green” systems and strategies used in a real-life setting. Part of the success of the project was educating the homeowners on the best use of each energy-saving system in their new home.

Category: Most Unique/Creative
                 Application

Gold Award – DK Automations
http://www.dkautomation.com/

Project Name – Cave Residence
Given the challenge to replace an existing lighting and shading system with something more reliable, and to provide the proper amount and color of light for the six exotic saltwater fish tanks throughout the home, DK Automations chose Lutron HomeWorks® QS. Three appliance modules on each fish tank are scheduled through QS programming to control the red, blue and green LEDs in synch with each other. And by integrating Sivoia® QS shades into the system, the homeowners can now turn off lights, close drapes, and change LED aquarium lights—and they can do it all through an iPad® application†. Even the family’s five dogs benefited from the upgrade – a motorized dog door triggered by a proximity sensor now shuts down at night, thanks to HomeWorks QS scheduling and another appliance module. (That also means no more midnight visits from the neighborhood raccoon.)

Category: Best Retrofit Project

Gold Award – Powerfull Systems
http://www.powerfullsystems.com/

Project Name – Sunset Project
This client had a window of three weeks to upgrade an older lighting control system, adding controls for individual lights as well as replacing keypads for zone control. Powerfull Systems chose HomeWorks® QS, since it offers both wired and wireless products and iPad® integration†. Existing wire was re-run to the HomeWorks QS processor and additional points of control were added via wireless dimmers and keypads, allowing the completing of the project – including three dimming panels of landscape lighting, 70 zones in the living room, 40 zones in the dining room and 22 zones in the music room – within the allotted time. The client called this project “Phase 1.” With the HomeWorks QS infrastructure in place, Powerfull Systems will be ready for Phase 2 as soon as that call comes.

Category: Best Sales & Marketing
                 Program

Gold Award – Powerfull Systems
http://www.powerfullsystems.com/

In order to find new clients and revenue in the Los Angeles area, Powerfull Systems decided it was time to move beyond word-of-mouth referrals. Their strategy included a combination of tools, including a re-designed website, targeted e-mails, online advertising, social media, and updated branding in company uniforms and vehicles. The 2010 Lutron Hall of Fame Award they received last year during CEDIA is proudly displayed as part of their corporate logo, and incorporated into a full-body wrap design on their new Prius company cars. These marketing initiatives have led to $250K in sales so far this year, giving Powerfull Systems a great return on their investment.

Category: Best Business Practices
                 & Processes

Gold Award – Service Tech AV
http://www.servicetechav.com/

Project Name - Vallandingham
Service Tech AV wanted to develop a business model that ensured consistent, effective communication among the members of the project team, and between the team and the client. In doing so, they have increased the efficiency of their team members and delighted their clients in the process. A project for the Residences at the W in downtown Austin, Texas, proved to be the catalyst for some key process improvements. In the sales process, multiple salespeople may interact with the client, and tools such as demo boards and takeaways are provided along with their standard packages. Once a contract has been accepted, a designated Project Manager schedules a site survey with the customer. All of the inside Project Team members then meet to agree on equipment, finalize a scope of work, and develop schedules for ordering, delivery, and installation. From this point on, the customer is included on the schedule so that communication is direct. Also, Service Tech AV trains their technical staff as soon as a new product or line is brought on board so that technicians are always experts with the products used on the job. This practice has led to less wasted time in the field, and Service Tech AV has recouped training time quickly with in-field efficiency.



† iPad is a registered trademark of Apple®, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.