Boise firm Universal Media Connections is picture of financial health

Imagine this: You´ve settled into your home theater room watching your favorite show when the doorbell rings. You press a button on the remote to call up a small inset screen on your TV that shows you exactly who is at the door.

Another salesman? No problem.

Just ignore the door and return to your show with hardly an interruption.

Julie Howard
The Idaho Statesman

An 18-month-old Boise company specializes in this type of equipment, plus a variety of high-tech audiovisual applications aimed at corporate boardrooms, workout gyms and government offices.

Nimbus 360/Universal Media Connections is a Boise company that designs and installs audiovisual equipment for companies like the new Gold´s Gym in Meridian. Some of the popular features the new company installed inside Gold´s are 50 personal viewing stations, where gym members can work out and watch their favorite TV station.

Universal Media Connections Inc., formed by four former military personnel, has seen its sales surge beyond expectations. The partners recently acquired The Sound Guys, a Boise audiovisual company that had a niche providing systems to churches.

Because of its growth, Universal Media Connections launched a new business unit this fall, called Nimbus 360, that will concentrate on churches and corporate business. A healthy portion of the company´s sales comes from the government sector, and that business will continue to be served by the Universal Media Connections brand, said company President Bernie Kattner.

“We´re creating a more structured government unit this way,” said Kattner, adding that his company also recently received a five-year contract that gives government entities clearance to purchase from the Boise firm. “We expect a big revenue stream from the government sector.”

Kattner said the government business was instrumental in pushing sales over $1 million for the private company´s first year, and he expects revenues to more than double in 2003.

The government business is a natural for Universal Media Connections since the four partners — Kattner, Gene Karren, Rob Neeley and Chris Raquepaw — each had “secret”-level clearance or above during their time in the military. Kattner´s expertise while he was based at Mountain Home Air Force Base was audiovisual installations, and the company recently received the contract to upgrade the conference room for the base commander.

The company sells to a diverse group, ranging from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Meridian School District to Gold´s Gym. For Gold´s Gym in Meridian, a significant investment in video screens — including three giant wall screens and 50 individual equipment screens — sets that facility apart from its competitors.

“It adds a special flavor to the facility,” said Rob O´Donahue, spokesman for Gold´s Gym in the Treasure Valley. “Everybody has weights and aerobics; we went the extra mile.”

The Meridian facility, which opened in April and finished its audiovisual installation over the summer, also has TVs in the aerobics room, the juice bar area and the locker rooms.

“It´s all individualized so if you´re on a piece of equipment, you can adjust the channel on that machine,” said O´Donahue, adding that two channels let parents watch their children in the gym´s day care rooms. “That´s especially nice if the kids are apprehensive; the parents can check in on them and make sure they´re doing OK.” The successful installation could bring more business to the Nimbus 360 unit, since Gold´s Gym is now considering adding such high-tech components to future facilities in the area.

“We have one opening in the southeast area, near ParkCenter and Apple, in a few months, and we´ll probably do something similar,” said O´Donahue. Another Gold´s Gym is planned in Nampa.

Under the Nimbus 360 name, the company does everything from home theaters to surveillance systems to the board room at J.R. Simplot Co.

But Universal Media is already looking beyond the Treasure Valley. The company is poised to open an office in Las Vegas and has a future eye out for the Washington state market, as well.

While Harry Potter fans will recognize the “Nimbus” name — which in the book refers to a brand of fast flying brooms that the young sorcerer prefers — the folks at Universal Media insist they were thinking about nimbus clouds.

“It was supposed to make you think of clouds, as in the sky´s the limit. And the 360 refers to our service being there all the way around,” said Kattner, adding that only after the new division was named did they hear of the Harry Potter link.

“I like Harry Potter a lot now,” he said with a chuckle.

To offer story ideas or comments, contact Julie Howard
[email protected] or 373-6618

http://www.idahostatesman.com/story.asp?ID=24939