Atlona has promoted industry veteran Blake Jochum to the role of Territory Manager for Florida effective immediately, following a very successful period as an Inside Sales Representative. Blake will represent Atlona’s commercial and residential AV product lines, and support David Pendleton, Southeast Regional Manager, to cover the many business opportunities that exist state-wide. Blake will also work closely with Atlona’s state-wide partner network to drive sales and business development. He reports to Scott Ettinger, Director of Sales, Eastern Region.
Blake came to Atlona last year with nearly 30 years of experience in custom installation for residential systems, specialising in audio, video, automation and motorised window treatment systems. His knowledge of a project’s evolution from specification to post-launch support leaves him uniquely qualified to understand each customer’s pain points, and recommend solutions that align with industry trends and operational requirements.
Blake has spent the majority of his career in Florida, and has developed a strong network of industry relationships along the way. Following six years as an AV programmer and lighting technician for Pensacola-area nightclubs, Blake joined All Pro Sound as Corporate Sales Manager, Integrated Systems. He spent 25 years at All Pro Sound before moving onto a Senior Systems Designer role at Tampa-based Synergy, among the top custom installation firms in the United States. Across both roles, he managed the design and installation of residential AV and automation systems, specialising in both retrofits and newly constructed homes upwards of $1 million or more.
Blake said that his knowledge of the Florida AV market, coupled with his technical experience, will help him raise awareness of Atlona’s latest generation of commercial and residential AV systems. He points to Atlona’s aggressive AV over IP product development and industry-first support of Dolby Vision as key differentiators from competitors, while also offering a far more attractive price point for complete systems.
“Atlona is outperforming its competition in the big picture across price, services and technology, and delivering futureproofed systems that are backed by the industry’s best warranty and technical support,” Blake said. “Our OmniStream AV over IP family and Velocity IP-enabled control platform are helping out customers transition to the network with streamlined configuration, integration and maintenance, while also offering simple scalability for future growth. Our ability to support today’s highest-end 4K and HDR video quality for whole-home AV distribution, further strengthened with Dolby Vision support, further sets us apart as an industry leader and innovator.”
Blake also looks forward to working with Atlona’s in-state partner network, including HWPco, which was recently appointed as Atlona’s manufacturer’s representative for commercial and residential AV businesses throughout Florida.
“Blake’s immediate success in his Inside Sales role at Atlona, along with his technical expertise, and relationship-based approach to customer interactions, positioned him an ideal candidate for an expanded sales management role,” said Scott. “His knowledge of the Florida market makes him a natural fit in his new role, and we’re confident that our customers and partners will notice an immediate impact through his presence.”
