Category Archives: Salamander Difference

The very first design:tech connection

March 20, 2019 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

Here’s a quick shout-out to everyone who attended the very first “design:tech connection” event held on February 21 here at our Bloomfield, CT headquarters. Thank you for joining us!

The general consensus is that the division between residential and commercial is fading fast partly because more and more people are working from home offices and because spaces at both home and work are blending technology, tech-related solutions and design aesthetics.

Savvy tech companies recognize this and are tailoring product offerings to better serve this growing audience by supplying the technology and furniture to equip headquarters conference rooms and all office spaces with extended communications and collaboration capabilities.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the event, here’s what you missed. About 70 AV/IT integrators, architects, designers, press and Salamander technology partners gathered together to enjoy an evening of tech talk, networking, snacks/libations and the latest technology and furniture demonstrations. Our co-host was Massachusetts-based ACT Associates, well-known experts in the arena of corporate AV and video conferencing spaces. The fun-filled, inspiring evening included words from our founder and president Salvatore Carrabba and a tour of our 94,000 sq ft, totally solar powered factory.

You do not want to miss this one-of-a-kind event next year!

Videos

Salamander Designs Hosts Bridge-Building Event

Scott Srolis to lead the Salamander Designs Sales Team

November 20, 2017 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

Salamander Designs is proud to announce the addition of Scott Srolis to lead the Salamander Designs Sales team.

Scott is a 30 year CE industry leader in B2B, B2C sales, business development, product marketing, operations and sales training. Scott has had past success as a senior executive for Tweeter and was most recently Vice President of Sales for Universal Remote Control.

Scott’s has built high performing world-class teams, dealer programs/policies and marketing strategies that offer dealers the tools needed to ensure success.

Salvatore Carrabba, Founder and President says; “Salamander is excited to add a well-respected industry veteran to our ranks. Our company is expanding into new markets and Scott’s energy and experience is sure to help us scale.”

Scott Srolis
scott@salamanderdesigns.com

AV Cabinets, Salamander Difference

Attention to Detail: Salamander Designs Packs, Protects & Ships

October 19, 2017 Salamander Designs 2 Comments

Take a good look at this shipping carton that came back to Salamander from one of our dealers. Chances are that you’ve received cartons that look similar.

When we see shipping cartons that look like this one; we can’t help but wonder the story that our “assault victim” could share.

Fragile goods need to be treated preciously if they are to arrive at their destination in one piece. Our goods are inherently fragile and so the Salamander shipping team needs to go the extra mile in terms of anticipating what type of abuse our goods will receive when they leave our loading dock.

Fork lifts, truck loading, material handling equipment – are potentially able to deliver the type of abuse we’ve all seen in the old American Tourister luggage commercial.

Remember the commercial that featured an angry gorilla beating the bejeez out of a nice new suitcase don’t you? It wasn’t a pretty sight, and we can only imagine the cringing that went on when the product development people at America Tourister saw their pride and joy being soundly thrashed by the angry Gorilla.

Well, being the Salamander-y types we are, we figure that type of treatment is in store for our cabinets, credenza’s and stands when they leave the “nest” and so we ensure that they will arrive at their new home in sparkling new and flawless condition.

How do we ensure that our goods will arrive in good shape?

We plan, we design, we anticipate – and we test… a lot. Its no mistake our goods arrive in perfect shape.

It’s why unwrapping one of our goods, is akin to a Holiday treat, its just that much fun and satisfying.

Perfect – This is how our goods look when they leave Salamander.

People, Uncategorized

Salamander is growing, Paul Sabbah leads the International Sales team

October 7, 2017 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

Salamander is growing and proudly announces the transition of Paul Sabbah who will lead our International Sales team.

Paul joined Salamander in 2008, successfully bringing residential A/V furniture and cinema seats to our International markets.

Paul is expanding his scope within the Salamander sales team and will lead the international sales and business development effort for our Commercial and Professional product lines.

Sabbah brings a 30-year history of technical and A/V furniture product development, sales and account management to Salamander Designs, translating his love of foreign cultures, languages, and travel into selling this great American brand in 85 countries around the globe.

We are happy to have Paul serve the brand in this new role. He brings a sense of humor, a strong network and a great reputation to our team and we are thrilled to have him leading our International growth effort.

If you are interested in purchasing Salamander products and are based in EMEA, APAC or LATAM, please reach out and connect with Paul, we guarantee you’ll love working with him!

CONTACT:
Paul M. Sabbah
International Sales/Business Development
P: 860-761-9540
M: 203-550-6400
p.sabbah@salamanderdesigns.com

Salamander Difference, Sustainability

Sustainable Salamander – Earth Day 2015

April 22, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

With this being Earth Day, we wanted to share a bit about our passion for sustainability and how it’s woven into the Salamander DNA. We build things to last a lifetime. And we strive to tread lightly on our environment, from the furniture materials we select, to the manufacturing processes we employ, to the fact that our factory runs completely on solar generated power.

Over the past year, the photovoltaic solar cells on our roof have generated some 174,340 kilowatt hours of power. That’s enough clean energy to equal almost 1,000 60-watt light bulbs (1 year of use, 8 hours per day), 125 tons of CO2 eliminated, or 14,120 gallons of gas saved. Technically, we’re still connected to the grid, as we purchase power from the utility company at night and on cloudy days. However, on sunny days and when usage is low, we send power back to the grid, and over a year the net is zero.

You’ve most likely heard of the three “R’s of going green” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). We’d like to show you what that means to the environment when you purchase a Salamander product. Visit our Sustainable Salamander page to learn more!

Audiophiles, Customer Experience, Salamander Difference

Customer Experience Spotlight: Synergy 703 Audio Tower

March 16, 2015 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

We love getting feedback from our customers! It’s one of the keys to our innovation process, since the more we learn what people like and dislike about our products, the more we can develop new audio visual furniture products that meet the needs of AV enthusiasts. And the more we learn about the end-to-end customer experience, the more we can look for ways to improve that experience.

With that backdrop we wanted to pass along this kind note Sal recently received from a customer named Duane, who wanted to share his experience after purchasing and assembling a Synergy 703 Audio Tower. We trust that Duane is sitting comfortably in his man cave right now, enjoying good music, good wine, and a happy retirement!

Salvatore,
When my wife and left our California home after many decades to move to a retirement community in Scottsdale, AZ, I brought with me my old stereo equipment: turntable, cassette player, CD player, tuner, and JBL Studio Monitor speakers. My wife outfitted my ‘man cave’ with good Ethan Allen furniture so I started a search for a cabinet for my equipment, but most of the things I saw were cheap or glass/chrome, etc., and not up to the other furnishings. Someone tipped me off that if I wanted top of the line I should check out Salamander Designs, which I did. I found your local dealer, Dedicated Audio, LLC here in Scottsdale and called them. A most friendly and competent salesman, Matt Wyatt, took my call and order over the phone. To save shipping expense he thought I’d like to assemble the cabinet. Normally I’d decline but the money made the decision for me.

I charged the $1,835 and waited only a couple of weeks before the two boxes arrived, weighing 200+ pounds. I’m ‘retired’ and decided that Matt’s comments of “a couple of hours to assemble” might apply to a more handy, younger man than I … and what the hell, I’m supposed to be retired so I decided to take my time. I did just that! Think two weeks.

I was impressed with the quality of the materials and the excellent and clear assembly instructions. I got to the last step and realized I didn’t have the top four bolts to secure the top piece. I called your factory rather than the dealer and talked to Joe. He couldn’t have been nicer and somehow we established that we both had a Syracuse, NY connection. Central New York folks take care of each other! Anyway, Joe said that he’d send the missing bolts via 2nd Day Air. Would you call that SERVICE? Got them and finished the job, and here’s the proof:

I normally wouldn’t take the time to write such a wordy note, but I was impressed with your “Dear Valued Customer” card that came with the bolts. I spent my working life in sales/marketing so I respect good operations when I experience them. You have an excellent distributor in Dedicated Audio and you sound like a helluva executive of a quality company.

If you ever get out to Great Scottsdale, give me a call and come by and listen to my stereo while I pour you a glass of wine and thank you and your company in person.
Ciao,
~ Duane W.

——————-

Read other Salamander stories that have been shared here, and share your own. Haven’t experienced the Salamander Difference yet? Visit a local Salamander dealer and start writing your story today …

Some details on the Synergy 703 Audio Tower:

Snap-on hinges fully extend doors, remove easily for better in-cabinet access
Doors have soft-close dampeners
Solid wood door frames with perforated steel panels permit IR signals, add ventilation, mask speakers
Infinitely adjustable shelves
Anodized aluminum support skeleton
Removable rear panels permit easy access to components and wiring
Heavy-duty, non-marking, leveling feet
Various accessories allow for great design flexiblity
Lifetime warranty

Salamander Difference

Four Reasons to Choose Our AV Furniture

December 23, 2014 Salamander Designs Leave a comment

If you’re an AV integrator or enthusiast, there are a number of furniture brands to choose from. But if you’re seeking the absolute finest furniture products to complete and enhance your audio/video system experience, Salamander Designs is the clear choice.

You could call it an obsession. At Salamander, we are relentlessly focused on the needs of our customers, and producing products that are uniquely shaped by their needs. Creating functional furniture that seamlessly integrates lifestyles with today’s technology is our mission. We consider our design philosophy to be the perfect fusion of visual design, functional engineering and solid craftsmanship. With that in mind, here are four reasons to choose our AV furniture:

Design Your Own (DYO) – Each AV enthusiast has a unique space and personal vision. Our extensive variety of styles, materials, sizes, finishes and performance options empower you to choose a design solution that fits your system and room perfectly. Design your own from the ground up, or choose from pre-designed furniture solutions. An innovative digital “DYO” process, including our award-winning Custom Configurator, assist in selecting the style, configuration and functional features that align perfectly with your desired use. And if you need customization assistance, we can help design a perfect solution.
Built To Last – We’re in a class by ourselves when it comes to building furniture, and that confidence is backed by a lifetime product guarantee. Only the finest materials, craftmanship and advanced construction methods are used to produce premium AV entertainment furniture and accessories. Careful attention is paid to each component to achieve a balance of function, durability, comfort and style. We’re obsessed with the structural integrity and flexibility of our systems. It all begins with a unique, precision-engineered aluminum chassis. With material selection, we prefer what we call “honest” materials – real and natural – for their inherent strength and beauty. And all of our finished, customized AV cabinets and seating are hand-made and built-to-order in the USA.
Engineered To Perform – Many of our customers express a “love at first sight” experience with Salamander furniture. But it goes far beyond visual appeal. Our professional grade products are designed to perform and integrate seamlessly with the latest, most advanced technology. From performance enhancing, custom AV cabinets to luxurious home theater seating, our products are engineered to perform. To comprehend the full breadth of the Salamander brand, take an inside tour of any of our products. That’s where we integrate many of our performance-enhancing features, like vibration dampening, active cooling, pull-out turntables, media storage, charging stations, cable management and more.
Superior Service – We’re committed to meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of our customers. Salamander’s professional, customer-focused team is here to help you each and every step of the process, from initial ordering to the lifetime care of the products you choose. We realize your time is valuable, and our lean manufacturing system ensures timely delivery. With our Quick Ship program, most AV furniture cabinets and seating will ship from our facility within just a few days of order, so the time between falling in love with our furniture to enjoying it in person is as minimal as possible.

Salamander Designs is a leading manufacturer of premium quality, highly customizable furniture for residential and commercial audio/video integration. Our premium, custom AV furniture lines include the Chameleon Collection, Archetype System, Synergy System and theater/lounge seating solutions. We also make a wide variety of accessory products that enhance and complement our furniture. Most products are built to order in the USA and quick ship within days. Our AV Basics line offers a pre-configured, quality selection of value-packed cabinets and seating producs. Contact us online or call (888) 650-5289. International callers, dial (860) 761-9500.