For Immediate Release
March 31, 2005
Press Contacts:
Jamie Antcliff, CEDIA
jantcliff@cedia.org
(317) 328-4336
CEDIA announces second phase of new requirements for association
membership
Indianapolis, Ind. – The Custom Electronic
Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) announced the second phase
of new requirements for association membership that raises the affiliation
standards for member companies while building a new foundation that
further develops the expanding custom electronics industry.
Set to take effect January 31, 2006, the second phase
will require all member companies to employ at least one full-time
CEDIA Certified Professional. Companies who qualify will be considered “Full” members
of the association. This ensures that CEDIA members represent the highest
level of excellence in the custom electronics industry and bring a
significant competitive advantage to the marketplace.
“CEDIA membership is growing tremendously, and
we want to make sure we present the ‘cream of the crop’ for
our members,” said Ray Lepper, president of CEDIA and owner of
Home Media Stores in Richmond, Va. “Requiring companies to employ
a full-time CEDIA Certified Professional will allow the association
to emphasize its brand essence within the custom electronics industry
and raise the standards for non-members who are striving to achieve
excellence in their work. This can only be obtained if the company
is a CEDIA member.”
Employing a CEDIA Certified Professional will provide
a clear, objective standard by which companies can evaluate their employees’ skills.
It will demonstrate the company’s superior value and credibility
to prospective customers, including architects, builders, interior
designers, and consumers. In addition, employing a CEDIA Certified
Professional will provide a basis for customers to choose their company
over others lacking CEDIA certification.
Beyond the essential benefits of being a CEDIA member,
the 2004 CEDIA Member Survey shows companies with three (3) to thirty
(30) employees with at least one CEDIA Certified Professional have
higher gross revenues than those without certified employees. The result
is qualified companies with greater chances of achieving financial
success through its CEDIA affiliation and employment of a CEDIA Certified
Professional.
Current CEDIA members that do not comply by January 31,
2006, will be placed at the Provisional Membership class. They will
be removed from the Finder Service on CEDIA’s Web site and will
have until March 31, 2006, to relinquish all CEDIA branding from all
company material.
CEDIA introduced the first phase of membership requirements
in 2004. The new Provisional Membership class is a place for both new
companies to get on board with CEDIA and for non-compliant companies
who are not full CEDIA members. Companies at the Provisional level
share some of the benefits of Full members but are encouraged to be
a Full CEDIA member because of the numerous advantages that apply.
To help obtain CEDIA Certification, CEDIA throughout
the year provides many opportunities through CEDIA University education,
certification reviews and exams.
“I am confident that by 2006, CEDIA membership
will stand even more clearly for industry prestige, proven skills,
significant competitive advantage and greater sales potential,” said
Lepper. “Companies in the custom electronics industry are thriving,
and we want to offer our services to them as the ticket to success.”
CEDIA is an international trade association of companies
that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for
the home. The association was founded in September 1989 and has more
than 3,000 member companies worldwide. CEDIA members are established
and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience
in this specialized field. CEDIA members include Residential Electronics
Systems Professionals who have emerged as the “fourth contractor” in
the building and remodeling industries alongside electrical, plumbing
and HVAC professionals. For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s
Web site at www.cedia.org.
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