From the moment you walk through the doors of Custom Audio Video in Bluffton, South Carolina, you have the sense that you’ve just walked into the very wonderful home of a very wonderful friend. Surrounded by the latest technology, but also by luxurious custom woodwork and relaxing lighting and features, the demo spaces that simulate living rooms, libraries, and custom theaters feel a lot more like living rooms, libraries and custom theaters than demo spaces.

“We've created a showroom that conveys the comfort one would want in their home, with the cutting-edge audio video solutions that give our clients the viewing and listening experiences they dream of,” Sandy Benson, the company’s founder, explains. “Our showroom serves as a model of what we strive to provide for our customers—everything from jaw-dropping AV to remote-controlled lighting, shades, and video surveillance.”

Sandy first opened Custom Audio Video nearly 20 years ago, when her husband Rob was building custom homes and found it difficult to meet the AV needs of many clients. Since there were such limited audio resources in the Hilton Head and Bluffton area at the time, the couple’s founding premise was a solid one: to fill a niche with enormous growth potential.

“In 1996 we opened a small location in Sheridan Park, Bluffton, and shortly thereafter, in the same park, began construction on the building in which we currently reside,” Sandy says. “The plan was to have Custom Audio Video be a hands-on studio, and we built the showroom with home layouts in mind.” It was a revolutionary concept that quickly redefined the way clients expect to experience showrooms throughout the region.

But the revolutionary concept and solid foundations aren’t the only explanation for Custom Audio Video’s devoted clientele. “Having the support of a great team has been the reason for our success,” Sandy explains modestly. “Rob passed away in 2001, and I've surrounded myself with talented and committed individuals since then who helped CAV achieve the level of excellence we’re now known for.”

You can’t be in business—any business—that long without witnessing dramatic shifts in the industry. “Over the years, there have been a lot of changes,” Sandy recalls. “Things like screen materials that reduce the interference of ambient light and provide better images, and projectors that have gone from the size of a Volkswagen to the size of a fast food sandwich—and don’t even use bulbs.” Through it all, Custom Audio Video has been on the cutting edge of home theater technology.

But "home theater is a relative term,” Sandy explains. People often call a television with some speakers a home theater—and Custom Audio Video is happy to provide solutions for these settings as well—but a true home theater is much more involved, including a dedicated room with a projector, screen and surround sound system encompassing the full theatrical experience.

Of the thousands of true home theaters Custom Audio Video has created and installed, there are some that will forever stand out. In particular, Sandy remembers the "Dive-In Theatre” she and her team developed. “We were presented with the challenge of building an outdoor theater which was not only poolside, but also on the riverfront. The idea of providing our client with a premier audio/visual experience from their patio, hot tub or pool really fired us up,” she says. “Some of the unique factors we had to consider in this project were the elements. For example: the screen rises from a water-tight enclosure in the ground, but there were issues other than rain that we had to consider, and one was wind. For this reason, the screen had to be designed with a sensor that, when detecting winds exceeding a certain velocity, would trigger an automated mechanism to lower the screen back into its enclosure.”

But screens too smart to let themselves turn into sails weren’t all: “Another challenge included distances between devices, as we were working with a very large exterior space. We had a projector lowering from a porch roof, a dozen outdoor speakers, subwoofers hidden in flower beds, and more,” Sandy recalls. “It was an exciting project, not only because of its challenges, but because we lived up to the task and provided an experience that surpassed the client's expectations.”

Running a major audio/visual company is a lot to balance even when it doesn’t involve creating revolutionary waterside home theaters, so Sandy makes sure to maintain a work-life balance. “I eat a good breakfast, go to bed fairly early, and I practice Bikram hot yoga, balancing mind, body and soul,” she explains. “I also look to work for fun, every day. What we do is bring enjoyment to people's lives. Our goal is to exceed our clients’ wildest dreams, and in doing so, it brings a whole new level of feeling good about what we do.”

That sense of pride is hard-earned. “Our business suffered from the same economic challenges everyone else has in recent years, and although I had to make some very difficult decisions—part of which was a reduction of our workforce—we've been able to remain strong,” Sandy says. Now that dedication is being rewarded, as Sandy’s staff of 15 employees is once again expanding.

Having a solid team that Sandy can trust doesn’t just mean her business is thriving. “I'm at the showroom every day,” she explains, “but feel very comfortable leaving it because we have the right people in place with a wealth of information who are continually being trained and educated. It allows me to pursue philanthropic endeavors, as well as take the occasional getaway.”

Not surprisingly, then, Sandy’s advice to aspiring business owners is to “surround yourself with strong individuals and allow them to grow in their positions.” She adds: “Also, be open to advice from others in similar and bigger shoes than yours and have a mentor who is on the outside looking in.”

Sandy herself has been fortunate in the mentor department. “Over the years, I have had the honor of meeting some powerhouse women,” Sandy explains. “Not all of them were necessarily business women; some were mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, volunteers, non-profit chairs and individuals who in their own right support children, families, charities, and scores of other causes and those in need.” These friendships embodied vital examples of success for Sandy. “Women who give selflessly are our true mentors and leaders. I can only hope to follow their paths to make a difference”—something she’s already doing, every day.

But Sandy’s final word of advice is simple: “Stay true to yourself and be sincere in your motivations. Strive to be the best you can be in every situation.” If Sandy is any indication; success will follow. And in the meantime, the Custom Audio Video showroom is always waiting to welcome you in, like the home of a good friend—which, now that you've met Sandy Benson, it is.

 

About Charlotte Nauert

Charlotte Nauert is a professional writer and editor. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Rollins College and an M.F.A. in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her professional experience is in a wide range of formats and media, including magazine writing, marketing, and full-length novel and memoir. Her hobbies include cooking, yoga, reading, bicycling, and spending time with her husband and two adorable adopted dogs.