I thought it was interesting until I saw gigantic rebar slammed through a bunch of PVC pipe. Lost its appeal with me after that. Funny though.

I thought that YOU would like to know where I stand....LOL

Wow... I started this thread because I know that the very mention of the "$20M Install" fires up some people on this forum. I originally did it for my amusement, and well, you guys did not disappoint!

I will say that I still am not convinced that this project is not a train wreck waiting to happen. In my opinion, Mark has a very loosely defined concept of a home technology consulting firm which he is trying to implement. (I do hope that it is just "loosely defined", and this "figure it out as we go" approach is not the actual business plan) If it will work or not remains to be seen, but to me it hardly seems like a gateway to profitability and affordable technology for the masses as Mark claims.

Mark does pinpoint an important issue that dealers / integrators are facing selling and installing products with disappearing margins. But I do not think he has come up with some sort of blueprint for the future leading to greater profits. IMHO what he is doing is charging a consulting fee to design and recommend inferior systems - basically skimming budget dollars a qualified integrator could have used to design and install an appropriate system.

I am not convinced that Mark is trying to design and install systems in this home that are best or most cost effective based on the budget. It rather seems that the systems being installed are the "best we can get". If you go to a Chevrolet dealer and need a new Cadillac Escalade, they are only going to be able to sell you a tricked out Tahoe - nice, but not an Escalade.

Back to the issue of margins and profit and loss vs. shiny new boxes. I will say that this model can and should be profitable. Being a consultant should be! Charge a retainer up front, and a consulting fee based on a percentage of the total project cost, and quite honestly it is hard to lose money! Heck, charge for phone calls, e-mails, and faxes and live it up like an attorney. I think Mark landed himself a great gig here, I just don't think it is a model for the integrator of the future.

I have worked in the electrical business for over 23 years. I have installed, designed, consulted, manufactured, distributed, etc. electrical high and low voltage systems, security systems, fire systems, control systems, generator systems, ups systems, every system... The design and consulting work was always profitable with very low risk. If a customer came to me today with a $20M project and wanted me to do the design and consulting work on various aspects as to which I qualified, I would be on it in a second!

So with that I will say congratulations Mark on landing a heck of a project. I really, honestly wish you 100% success.

Oh, and I did start this thread solely for my entertainment. Not to instigate any "Mark bashing".

But it's so much fun! And he deserves alot of the abuse from not answering direct questions with direct answers, but piles of BS.

He cannot answer questions since he doesn't like to talk about himself.

Besides, writing a egocentric, fairy tale (reference the 20M), magazine article should suffice. No?

It's already been pointed out the the 20M reference is the by-product of the fertile editorial minds of CE-pro's staff writers and editors. Some of the criticism being heaped upon mark really belongs to the dishonest and disreputable editors at CE-Pro who are using this controversy to drive traffic to their web site. I cannot tell you how much obloquy deserves to be thrown their way for this exaggeration.

Mark deserves a good deal of the derision cast his way. But the headline is not his fault and in many respects beyond his control. Moreover, this has been pointed out in this thread at least twice.

Alan

Seriously guys you have to lay off MArk a little bit.. It first seemed to me as criticism but it now looks like "hate" from some posts i come across.. no one is perfect, i'm sure Mark has made mistakes with this project but let's keep it professional guys.. throwing him under the bus every minute makes the industry look bad.. we should look out for one another..C.Is don't really do that... the same thing's happening in the interior design's world, we have to understand although the industry's been here for a while it's still isn't as old as Architecture, accountancy etc.. so we are relatively "young" as an industry, we should strive to get more recognition instead of being bitter at one another.. NOT cool!

Is this better?

This has been one of my complaints the entire time in regards to CePro and staff. The naming shows lack of integrity and Mark is the whipping post for the editors currently. But Mark did put himself in that position though. A big reason why I choose not to participate in their blog at the moment, they are becoming like Wal Mart to me, a place to avoid...

+1

[Link: cepro.com]

Who thought a project of this size could be finished in 18 months?!?!? I'm curious as to what the final price tag on the AV was? Doesn't seem possible to be around 1% given the scope, the time frame, and the management.

I cant get past the wire in the rack management. It looks incredible. Our racks never look like that. The reason is there is no slack for mistakes or relocating equipment. We used to do our racks like this but it turned into a nightmare of a problem when changing from a Samsung Bluray to a Sony and we didn't allow for enough slack.

I think that article states the project did not happen in 18 months. If I am reading that correctly

Do I detect a little envy here? 8>)

I know Mark and worked with him some big projects back in the 80's. One of them a $55,000,000.00 home.
Mark was pretty humble and focused. We just hired a guy about 2 years ago, whom worked for Mark's company - nothing but good things to say about Mark.

The whole $20M thing is CE Pro at work --- kind of a teaser to get you to click on the article. That's what magazine editors have to do!

Let me see your birth certificate Mark! hahaha (birther accusations will be next!)

dude...you should be flogged for reviving this dead-in-the-water thread and project....slide show image 7 says it all...the look of "why am I here and what am I doing"