Rob Aarnes Notes ADI | Snap One Already Delivering Customer Value
From a customer’s perspective, we’re already beginning to deliver value. One of our biggest wins is cross-selling. Previously, I shared how Snap One’s exclusive brand product WattBox was available in all ADI locations within nine days of closing.
Now, hundreds of SKUs have flowed in both directions, exceeding aggressive targets. Customers have been thrilled by the broader selection, faster access, and unified purchasing experience. And based on feedback we’ve gotten from our customers, we’ve even been accelerating some cross sell initiatives.
We’re also reimagining the retail store experience. In markets where we had both ADI and Snap stores, we’re consolidating and investing in our “stores of the future” – like Omaha and Pittsburgh – with expanded warehouse space, integrated product assortments, co-branded design, and enhanced customer services.
While these locations have exceeded our expectations from day one, we’re continuously learning and applying those insights to future openings. We’re excited to expand this successful combined store concept across more markets.
SSI: And why is that so important?
Aarnes: We want to make sure we continue to deliver value to our customers as a combined organization and address any concerns they may have. To do this, customer feedback is at the center of our integration. Since the close, we’ve conducted three customer sentiment surveys.
The insights – over 1,000 written responses in one survey alone – have directly shaped our strategy.
One of the biggest questions from legacy Snap customers was whether we would dilute inventory or lower service levels. The answer – absolutely not. In fact, we’ve expanded product depth and availability. In our new stores, we’ve added AV specialists trained to Snap’s high standards, so customers get the specialized expertise they expect.
Another concern was whether Control4 would become available to all ADI customers. Control4 continues to be a differentiated product offering that requires a very technical installation and certifications. And we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to supporting Control4 only through certified, qualified dealers.
We have a major new Control4 launch, X4, coming soon, and we’re staying true to the integrity of that channel. We’re very excited about the launch and believe our Control4 dealers will be, as well.
SSI: In that sense, it’s not purely about achieving some economy of scale but, in fact, about doing this in a mindful and partner-centric way.
Aarnes: Exactly. This is about customer-centered integration. That goes beyond our stores and sales teams – it’s support too. From technical support and customer service to sales engineering, we’ve united the best of both companies.
Snap was known for their field-level technical support, and now we’ve enhanced it further by combining with ADI’s infrastructure. We’re sharing all our software, tools, metrics, and resources – all to help elevate the entire customer experience.
We’ve made it clear that anything short of “improved” service levels post-integration is unacceptable. Our goal is for every customer, legacy Snap or ADI, to feel that our combined business is delivering more value, better support, and a stronger partnership than ever before. That’s what “1 + 1 = 9” truly means.
SSI: Talk a bit about your data-driven approach, including your use of surveys and other metrics to ensure you’re meeting your ambitious benchmarks.
Aarnes: We don’t guess; we ask. Our chief transformation officer, Allie Copeland, led the efforts to bucket customer feedback from our survey into themes. These themes were then assigned to senior leaders across the organization to act on, and report on regularly. So far, we’ve tackled many areas of the business from product availability to org structure transparency.
Rob Aarnes on ADI | Snap One Team Member Sentiment Surveys
Similarly, we’ve conducted team member sentiment surveys to proactively address concerns, foster alignment, and ensure our teams feel supported throughout the integration. We’ve used that feedback to fuel our internal integration communications strategy.
Adrienne Zimoulis, our senior director of global communications, has played a key role in driving a comprehensive communications approach alongside Allie Copeland, ensuring transparency at every step.
From update newsletters and video series to open forums and a dedicated integration hub on our intranet, we’re helping our teams understand what’s ahead. And the response to these actions has been overwhelmingly positive.
When people understand why decisions are made, they feel more confident – and that translates directly to how they support customers.
Adrienne Zimoulis: To add to that, small changes have made a big difference too – like terminology for instance. Take our retail locations, ADI called them “branches” and Snap called them “stores.” Now we ALL call them stores. It’s a simple example but reinforces unity. Our communications strategy is designed to equip our internal teams – the face of our business – with the clarity and confidence they need to serve customers at the highest level.
Aarnes: No topic has been off limits for our teams. We even shared a three-year roadmap for store consolidations – right down to locations, predicted months, and anticipated changes. Our goal is full transparency. It builds trust, fuels alignment, and ensures our team is excited for the future.
SSI: Do you have a public number in regards how many consolidated stores you plan to do by the end of the year?
Aarnes: Yes, I can provide a range – between 10 and 20 stores from now through year-end. These will be a mix between consolidations and remodels to include both Snap and ADI offerings. It’s a massive undertaking, involving training, supply chain logistics, marketing, and more. But we’ve built a team that knows how to execute – and the team is ready.
As you know, we also have another major project we’re in the middle of – our ERP transition – and that is also going very well. We transitioned our Canada business to the new system in January, and I’m proud of how the team is executing.
The U.S. business transitions this summer. Once that’s complete, we’ll free up resources to accelerate our real estate and integration milestones even more. The ERP project has been a three-year journey, and we’re now in the home stretch.
SSI: Any closing thoughts on ADI | Snap One and its “in the trenches” mentality as regards to partner relationships? That seems particularly relevant in an age of tariffs and higher prices. How does that philosophy underpin the combined business?
Aarnes: Ultimately, integrity matters. Whether it’s integration, tariffs, inflation, or uncertainty, we take a transparent and reasonable approach with both our customers and suppliers. We’ve earned a reputation for doing the right thing – not just what’s easy – and that helps build long-term trust.
Zimoulis: Our maturity, scale, and culture allow us to continue supporting our customers in times of uncertainty or disruption. We did it through COVID-19, and we’re doing it again now. We continue to monitor the situation closely and communicate regularly with our customers.
SSI: Any closing words for our readers?
Aarnes: We’ve covered a lot, and I appreciate it. We have brought together a few thousand people who are passionate, collaborative, and committed to serving our customers. It’s almost a year in and we’ve already accomplished so much, but I believe the best is yet to come. So, I encourage you to keep watching – the magic of this organization is just beginning.
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