Colorado-based Logic Integration has grown significantly into one of the country’s premiere technology companies who has been recognized for numerous accolades which include being a multi-year honoree of Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S., a Colorado Company to Watch recipient, CEDIA Contractor of the Year and Integrator of the Year by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA®).
By Douglas Weinstein
One of the most critical aspects of technology design and systems integration firm Logic Integration is the incorporation of the company mission and values into virtually every aspect of the daily routine that all employees share. It is a governing manifesto that embodies their commitment to getting things right for their company, their employees and their customers.
Ensure technology is enjoyable, reliable and easy to use for every homeowner and business.
All of us embrace the talents and long-term career goals of our employees through training and growth opportunities.
Represent the quality of our brand partners in our designs and integrations.
Recognize that the trust of our customers, employees and partners is the foundation of our existence.
Utilize design-friendly brands to complement and enhance the aesthetic of every space we touch.
This philosophy has enabled Colorado-based Logic Integration to grow significantly into one of the country’s premiere technology companies who has been recognized for numerous accolades which include being a multi-year honoree of Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S., a Colorado Company to Watch recipient, CEDIA Contractor of the Year and Integrator of the Year by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA®). Their clients include Comcast, DISH Network, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Army and Air Force and locally, the Denver Broncos.
I recently sat down with Shawn Hansson, CEO and Founder, to talk about his background and journey beginning in college that set him on the path to becoming a formidable presence in the industry, as well as his thoughts on running a successful small business, and his thoughts on working with design-build trades and understanding how to create spaces that his customers enjoy being in.
Doug: How did a college major in Sound Engineering at San Jose State University end up running a large technology design firm in Lone Tree, Colorado?
Shawn: I grew up as a musician, playing piano and drums. My dad was a hi-fi enthusiast and into nice 2-channel audio systems. I had a natural curiosity about how things work and so I remember when he would be on the road for his job, I would take apart his speakers to see how they worked.
And I remember becoming enamored with ProTools, which is a digital audio workstation for music creation and production. That was the path I thought I was going to take. So, as you mentioned, Sound Engineering was my focus as I set off to college. During that time, I worked at Home Depot and we sold among other things, fax machines and basic home office-type products. A customer hired me to come to his house and hook everything up for him. As it turned out, he was the owner of Los Gatos Home Theater and after he saw that I knew what I was doing, he offered me a job.
And back then in the mid-1990s, residential technology really consisted of home theaters. So, we put in surround sound speaker systems and projectors and filmscreens. I was really just a grunt and what I called a wire monkey. But I was learning about, and excited about learning about, residential technology. I went out on a touring drumming thing (where I met my future wife!) for six months then came back and finished college.
My wife and I didn’t see how we could afford to buy a home in California, so we looked all over the country and I called up integration companies until I finally got a job in Colorado. I worked for a few years and began to learn more about technology until I got to the point where I decided it was time to go out on my own.
And like many others, I literally started our first company out of the back of my garage. Back then, I purchased parts and product through distribution because as a new company without any assets, no one was going to loan me money or set me up factory direct. And AVAD, a national distribution company with multiple locations across the country, was really my first partner in the industry.
I had some friends from church who became my installation crew and I got out and started hustling business. A friend of mine was in marketing, and I asked him to help me design business cards, a logo and a brochure. Eventually I rented a StoreQuest unit, similar to a U-Haul storage space. We had a ten-foot by forty-foot unit and then two ten by forties. We had a few lights in the space, but no AC! So we got up on the roof and tapped into a junction box and piggybacked on their electrical system. But we did put everything back as we found it when we left! [Laughs]
I had a minivan and so we’d work all day and then I’d go out and drive around looking for new homes where I’d leave my card and brochure. That’s how I started to meet builders and contractors and while many might have someone they were working with on pre-wire, eventually most of them got around to looking for someone more reliable and dependable. And that’s how I started to build the business.
So, we began Logic Integration in 2003. Let me say this about the name while I’m thinking of it – I had seen over the years how frustrated customers got when there were too many remotes, too many buttons, and no logic on how things tied together. I thought about and designed systems to be logical and to integrate as one solution. Ergo, Logic Integration. (And, the name was available in Colorado!).
Doug: So now you’re really starting to grow and put together a team. What were the next years like?
Shawn: Well, in 2005 we got our first real space in Englewood, Colorado, just south of downtown Denver. At that time, I had five employees and three vehicles. This new space was 5,500 square feet and we really grew into the space. Eventually I hired an inhouse accountant and we were developing much more professionally as a company.
By 2008, even though I did primarily residential projects, with my background, I wanted to also begin doing commercial work. So (this is just prior to the big market crash) we went and hired people who had a commercial background. Our first big project was creating a call center space and meeting rooms for Comcast. We then flew to Philadelphia and did work for their buildings there as well. We installed big displays and Crestron commercial automation and so we began to diversify our offerings. And that’s been our philosophy to this day, not putting all of our eggs into one basket.
We weathered the market crash, but it was tough. In 2010 I rented out a smaller space and we weathered the storm. Then in 2011 there were tons of available warehouse and office spaces, so we found a great space where we could grow into. And we began to focus more on hiring the right people, which was and continues to be the key to our success.
Today I’m proud to say we have 28 employees, 14 vehicles and do 170 projects a year, evenly split between commercial and residential. Our work is primarily centered within 50 miles of our location, just south of Denver, with 10 to 15 percent in other parts of country.
Doug: Let’s turn to how you’ve grown as a company and have integrated best business and project management practices into your culture.
Shawn: To begin with, I’ve been a member of the ProSource buying group for 12 years. When I joined, I didn’t really know what it was. I just knew I was going to get a discount by being in a large buying group. Three years into it, one of the head guys called me and asked me if I wanted to become a Power Dealer because I was doing a lot of business. And then I started to go to the events and got on a committee and began to engage. And I met so many people and began to learn a lot more about the business of running a business. And I learned an important lesson about the nature of buying groups – it’s not just buying power. There is also power in the buying group because if a manufacturer does something that’s not right, the buying group can force them to change if they want to continue to sell to the group.
I also want to give a shout out to Julie Jacobson and Jason Knott from CE Pro Magazine who helped us out and gave us some mentions in the magazine. They pointed us to other dealers who we should get to know, so within the CEDIA channel itself, there was this wonderful opportunity to meet and talk through issues.
Getting back to best practices, as a business owner, I always wanted to know how the bigger guys operated. The big commercial guys who we bid against. So, I came across a company called Navigate Consulting. They are management consultants focused on change and innovation, the way people work together, helping large and complex companies solve their most pressing problems. We hired them to teach us how to be a big boy. Growing and scaling is difficult, so we learned to document everything. From purchasing to bidding to change orders. We track hours and the money, and it has really given our team the necessary discipline to understand our business. I mean, let’s face it, selling it and figuring it out later is not a good business model!
One of the other big changes was bringing my wife into the company because we had a lot of employee turnover in the years when we took on too many jobs. So, we had to figure out what our culture was. We had to get serious about training and career paths. How do we help people grow even if that means they want to go out on their own? We took on CultureWise and to this day we talk about our culture every week. We hire people and get them aligned within the company culture. It’s about having a good work-life balance. We then implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) which is a set of simple concepts and practical tools that every small business owner should check out.
Doug: Let’s talk technology and how to expose clients and the other trades to it. What are you excited about today?
Shawn: I’m excited that there’s a greater awareness of technology and the power it has to improve lives. During the pandemic, everybody started to appreciate how a great Internet backbone was essential to improving Zoom meetings. And lighting continues to evolve as new innovative fixtures are really transforming the category.
The Integration of solar and power management and networking is huge. As we get those technologies working together, with tons of data that we can put to use, it’s really such a leap forward for the homeowner. When a big storm approaches the system knows to charge the batteries and go into low consumption mode.
A lot of what we do in the early discovery meetings with the client is walk through what is available and what might enhance the family’s security, entertainment spaces, etc. Talking through their lifestyle and whether they like music or how they entertain, it’s really having a conversation and how technology is there to enhance the overall experience. And, of course, what history they have with technology. What do they like, what don’t they like. What their budget is, etc.
We have been making a big movement in Lighting Design. We have hired multiple experienced representatives and utilized outside resources to put together full-fledged lighting designs for our clients. These designs go far beyond four cans and a fan; they redefine and enhance the space with purposeful fixture specification and tailored fixture placement. We try our best to advocate for better lighting practices and to educate members of the design-build community on the benefits of lighting design.
We do as much research on where the home or office is located and come prepared for our initial meeting. When customers come to our showroom we can walk through and run them past technologies they might not be familiar with. So, there is education and most importantly, listening to what they envision it being like in their new home. At the end of the day, we really enjoy putting a package together that meets and exceeds the customer’s expectations. That’s how we think.
And as far as technology goes, our mindset is the same with the design-build trades. We do lunch-and -learns and try to keep our partners up to speed on the ever-changing world of technology. We like to network and go to events and introduce our colleagues to each other. We’re not only collaborators but we’re also connectors.
Doug: Where will we find you when you’re not working?
Shawn: As you know, our non-denominational church is a big part of our lives. I play the drums and my wife sings regularly. In fact, my 16-year-old son is also playing drums! We have a great community there and have built life-long friends. Greg Russell is the head pastor and has been very influential in my life.
I have a side-by-side buggy, so we go off-roading a lot. We go out to Moab with staff sometimes and this year we’re just about to head out with two of our industry colleagues. We go to concerts and travel around the world. I’ve been to seven countries so far this year. Fiji, Belize and Amman, Jordan to name just a few.
