Momentum continues to swell around the custom integration division within Nationwide Marketing Group. During their recent spring conferences, Azione Unlimited and Oasys Residential Technology Group — formerly Home Technology Specialists Nationwide — both offered more details around their collective drive to 1,000 member companies, which includes expanding their own membership totals and the impending launch of a new commercial integrator group.

To support the rapid expansion of the CI network, Nationwide recently added a four-person field team — the group’s first-ever dedicated field team for the CI segment.

This group of industry veterans will work closely with current dealers across Nationwide’s entire custom integration network to ensure they are taking full advantage of their membership. In addition, the team will work to identify dealers in the commercial and residential industries who would stand to benefit by aligning with the group’s custom integration network. The new team will include:

• Nicole Riddle, Member Development Director, who will call on custom integrators in the Midwest. Riddle brings nearly a decade of experience in the buying group world to the team, and recently spent a year on the manufacturing side.
• Carrie Fabrick, Member Support Manager, who will cover custom integrators in the Southeast. Fabrick recently dipped her toe into the buying group industry after working on the administrative and HR management for an AV and IT manufacturer for nearly 10 years.
• Jason Magdic, Member Support Manager, who will cover custom integrators in the West. Magdic has a strong and diverse background in the CI industry, serving as an audio engineer, account manager and regional sales manager at several AV and marketing firms before joining the Nationwide team.
• Mark Spector, Member Support Manager, who will call on custom integrators in the Northeast. A CI industry veteran, Spector brings over 20 years of experience to the team, having served in sales roles on both the manufacturer and distribution side of the business.

The team collectively brings several decades of experience driving growth within the custom integration channel, both on the vendor side of the business as well as working closely with dealers.

“We’ve compiled an all-star team that will go to bat for our custom integrators, working hand-in-hand with them to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed,” says Andy Orozco, senior vice president of custom integration for Nationwide. “I look forward to seeing them engage not only with our current custom integration members, but also those dealers out there who aren’t yet aware of the benefits and opportunities available to them by aligning with our custom integration network.”

The field team made their in-person debut at the recent Oasys Summit in Nashville and has hit the ground running in the weeks since, attending CEDIA Tech Summits and other industry events.