D&H Distributing Co. has hired Peter Hurley to lead its push into the digital signage, unified communication, and audio-visual markets.
A 28-year industry veteran with past stints at Stampede Presentation Products, Cable & Wireless, Sharp Electronics, and Unisys Federal, Hurley will serve as director of Harrisburg, Pa.-based D&H’s ProAV business unit, which is responsible for helping channel pros deliver complete solutions for boardrooms, huddle rooms, and classrooms, as well as retail, healthcare, and hospitality environments. D&H announced its ProAV initiative last August.
“What we’re classifying as ProAV goes well beyond hardware sales of digital signage or projector products,” said Hurley in a press statement. “As the marketplace continues its digital transformation, ProAV has begun to extend to vital new areas, becoming a more critical component of the greater networking ecosystem that supports these modern business environments. Our goal is to build well-aligned collaboration offerings by engaging D&H’s already established high growth business units focused on Cisco, HP, Intel, Lenovo, and Microsoft Cloud solutions. This will allow our VARs to impact and close a greater number of ProAV, end-point, networking and collaboration projects.”
Hurley’s ProAV operation is a core part of D&H’s Solutions and Services initiative, which seeks to help VARs currently making most of their money on sales of packaged hardware and software products begin designing, implementing, and supporting end-to-end technology deployments as well.
The still young program provides not only products but accompanying services that traditional resellers may not have in house. In the case of ProAV, those include content creation, installation, and bill of material reviews, among others.
Hurley’s group will also provide training and education resources for both experienced ProAv partners and newcomers to the space via webcasts, in-person roadshow events, and certification programs delivered in association with the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) and other industry organizations.
“We’re able to deliver the acumen, services, solutions, and training our customers need to create, configure, and implement their projects. Our support will help our resellers expand their addressable markets and create new, profitable revenue streams,” said Hurley in prepared remarks. “I’m thrilled to have joined D&H to enhance our partner relationships, drive business, and help our resellers develop the cross-market expertise to capitalize on the trend.”
Manufacturers collaborating with D&H on ProAV efforts include Actiontec, ATEN, C2G, Chief, CyberPower, Da-Lite, Gefen, IOGEAR, LG, Logitech, NEC, Plantronics, Samsung, Tripp Lite, and ViewSonic.
“Contemporary businesses are becoming increasingly digital in how they implement their procedures, disseminate their messages, and interact both internally and with the public. MSPs and VARs come into these environments with varying levels of proficiency in digital signage, audio, and unified communications,” said Peter DiMarco, vice president of VAR sales at D&H and leader of the Solutions & Services initiative, in prepared remarks.
“Some VARs have greater strengths in networking, some in telecom, and some in audio visual. We’ve built a structured set of resources to guide our customers no matter what their core skills are. We’re excited to have Peter Hurley on board to spearhead this business, supporting our solution providers as they explore these new opportunities.”
D&H recently hired Ingram Micro Inc. veteran Jason Bystrak to head up an equally strategic business unit dedicated to cloud computing.
Cloud and ProAv solutions are among six markets generating strong sales growth at present for D&H and its partners.
