25th Anniversary Q+A: Stephen Gartman

Ivan Gwynn of Serenity Studios sat down with Stephen Gartman to discuss the growth he’s experienced in his 16 years at Delta, as well as the team and company culture.

 

Getting Started in the Industry & Joining Delta AV

Ivan: What inspired you to pursue a career in the AV industry?

Stephen: I grew up with my father having his own AV repair business. As an elementary school student I was already repairing cassette players, record players, etc. So you could say AV is in my blood.

Ivan: How long have you been with Delta AV?

Stephen: I started with the company in November of 2004, so I am in the middle of my 16th year.

Ivan: What are some of the biggest accomplishments for Delta AV in your 16 years?

Stephen: I have enjoyed working on some of the “big” projects like Reser Stadium, Matthew Knight Arena, Boise Convention Center.

Lasting Relationships

Ivan: What are you most proud of?

Stephen: The relationships. I enjoy the people that I work with and value the friendships that have been built with our customers.

Ivan: Looking back on 25 years, do any memories come up that make you laugh?

Stephen: Many. Like the time we were commissioning a video wall at Intel and needed to move the lift from one side to another which required moving the sheets of plywood. As Sam R. struggled to pick one sheet up, I started to help. I leaned a sheet up against my body, and managed to pinch it with my left arm and lift it with my right arm and moved it all the way across the lobby like that. Sam was flabbergasted that a “programmer” could lift a full sheet of plywood. “HOW did you do that? Those things are heavy. Remind me not to ever mess with you again.” (haha)

Ivan: What gets you to work everyday?

Stephen: Other than a paycheck? (haha) The relationships that have been built and the challenges that will be tackled throughout the day.

Ivan: What excites you about the work that you do?

Stephen: The process of creating something. Being able to take pieces of equipment, often from different manufacturers, and make them work together as a seamless system.

Ivan: What do you most look forward to when you go to work everyday?

Stephen: Working with the teams to create functioning systems for our clients.

Ivan: How would you describe the culture at Delta AV?

Stephen: A family atmosphere and a “can do” attitude to problem solving.

Ivan: Was there a moment at Delta when you felt like you overcame a hurdle and grew as a result?

Growth & The Future

Stephen: The Reser Stadium project. I had just moved from the service department to the programming department, and this was my first major project. I was tasked with creating an interface to monitor and control the amps, in a programming language that I had never really interfaced with before. I jumped in, made some mistakes along the way, and grew and learned that I could be a valuable part of Delta.

Ivan: Did you imagine Delta AV would become what it is today?

Stephen: I have known that as long as we work at making our customers happy, we will be successful in whatever we do as a team.

Ivan: Has anything surprised you?

Stephen: Yes, the quick industry change to digital platforms. I didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it did.

Ivan: How has the industry changed over ~25 years?

Stephen: The digital transition. How many remember RGBHV? That was literally less than 5 years ago.

Ivan: Where do you see the industry headed?

Stephen: More digital and networking, everything will be on the customers networks which creates a whole new set of problems for us to learn about and come up with solutions.

Ivan: What excites you most about the future of this industry?

Stephen: The ability to provide custom and unique solutions to our clients, around the US, and maybe even around the world, from the comfort of our beautiful home in the great Pacific NW.

Ivan: What’s in store for the next 25 years?

Stephen: Three things: Life, Death, and Taxes, and maybe more Taxes (haha).