Category: Culture

Pavion Women’s History Month (Ep. 3)

Posted on by jason@jasoncoryinc.com

In this episode of the Pavion Women’s History Month Podcast, we feature Robin Nishiyama, Pavion Integration BU Director of Healthcare/Education Solutions, Kristina VanderBrink, Pavion Integration BU Southeast Regional Sales Director at Pavion, and Susan Post, Pavion Chief Strategy and Integration Officer.

Robin has a long history with our company, 24 and a half years to be exact. Kristina is approaching her one year anniversary and is excited to see how the company has transformed in such a short time.

Robin doesn’t recall running into many obstacles based on gender in her professional career.  She said, “times have changed, and it isn’t the way it used to be,” when asked to speak on gender bias in construction.

Kristina has been in construction as a designer for 23 years. She advised that when she was involved in the design process she felt respected, but the second she walked into the job site, and she felt like she had to work hard to earn the right to be there.

Decision makers are changing and evolving.  Today, our team doesn’t feel the need to justify holding their place as a woman in the field. However, Kristina said, “It truly is an awesome challenge, being able to surprise people, and then generate results in the field.”

Susan expands on the team’s confidence by saying “We believe in our voice and we possess the knowledge of the business. In today’s world we approach situations with confidence and come to solutions collaboratively.”

Dr. Shirley Jackson is the inventor highlighted during this episode. Shirley Jackson was a huge contributor and inventor of telecommunications. Some of her developments include the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Telecommunications connect people, which is what we do as a company. Connecting people is important at Pavion. Technology and communication allow us to work from anywhere, and Robin talked on her love for technology, thanking Shirley Jackson. Per Robin, “Many customers are excited by changing technologies, and it is our job to change with our customers, as they change on how they want to connect with each other.”

Susan Post states, “At Pavion we describe our mission of protecting and connecting, and these connections are constantly evolving. The women of Pavion are excited to encourage other women to become a part of history.  Early on, seek out mentors to help guide you through your career, and when the time comes, make yourself available to be a mentor.  It makes all the difference.”

Pavion Women’s History Month (Ep. 2)

Posted on by jason@jasoncoryinc.com

The next episode of our Pavion Women’s History Month podcast features Susan Post, Pavion Chief Strategy and Integration Officer, Sandy Wolf, Service Manager of The Protection Bureau, a Pavion Company, and Tennille Quinones, Director of Operations of Firecom, a Pavion Company.

In celebration of women’s history month, these three strong women reflect on their journey to advance their careers to the distinguished levels they’ve achieved at Pavion. Sandy Wolf has 33 years of experience in the security industry and has been an employee of The Protection Bureau (TPB), A Pavion Company, for 21 years. She held almost all positions possible in the operations department at TPB and is well versed in operations given the steppingstones she took leading up to her current Service Manager position. Tennille Quinones has been at Firecom, A Pavion Company, for 17 years. She began as a receptionist and worked her way through every administrative position to later reach her current Director of Operations position.

Susan, Sandy, and Tennille all recall wanting to do more than their past positions required of them.
Overcoming adversity is a theme in the professional careers of many women. Roadblocks are bound to appear. For example Tennille recalled an instance when an electrician called and refused to speak to her because she was female. She grew from this experience and knew she had to grow thick skin and make sure she didn’t take no for an answer.

Sandy heard that there was an open position, walked into her manager’s office and said, “If you give me the opportunity, I will make you proud.” Her manager replied with “What took you so long?” Sandy gained confidence in herself after this encounter. “It shows that if you want something, you have to go get it yourself, instead of waiting around for an opportunity.”
During this episode, Susan had flashbacks to memories from the past 25 years. When she was awarded General Manager of the Year, she overheard somebody say, “it’s a woman?” It was ironic hearing how surprised people in the crowd were about a woman winning this award.

Lifting others up when working on a team is crucial. Women supporting women and traditionally celebrating team wins is critically important. We are here to support, recognize, and pave a path forward.
In every episode of this series, we also highlight a female inventor that impacted our industry, and this episode’s inventor is Hedy Lamarr. Hedy Lamarr is dubbed “the mother of Wi-Fi” and other wireless communications like GPS. GPS and other wireless communications are widely used in society today. With what we do as an organization, systems have changed and we are so reliant on this technology.

A major takeaway from this episode is that you can be an ordinary person, but with determination and commitment, we can make extraordinary impacts every day.
We are extremely proud to have extraordinary women like Susan, Sandy, and Tennille working at Pavion. They make a big difference at our company and continue to make a big difference for other women at Pavion and around the world.

Pavion Celebrates Women’s History Month

Posted on by jason@jasoncoryinc.com

In March of 2023, Pavion launched a new podcast series in honor of Women’s History Month. Through this series, we reflect and learn about the women who shaped important aspects of our society and delivered technology innovations in our space.  We review their adversity, their drive, and their determination to overcome challenges, make impacts in the world, and celebrate the wins. We specifically recognize the women of Pavion, what they do in their day-to-day work life, and the strides they make every day to impact Pavion and our customers.

Our company is all about connecting and protecting people.  CSIO Susan Post and CFO Silvi Hernandez have developed a connected community of talented and strong women that help to propel our business forward and meet our objectives of delivering connection and protection to our customers and their people.

In this podcast series, you will hear from extremely talented, passionate, and inspirational women. While they are appreciated throughout the year at Pavion, we believe they absolutely deserve a month-long spotlight! Many don’t realize the contributions women have made to the fire, security, integration, operations, finance, and other aspects of our industry.  Throughout the series, Susan, Michelle, and other Pavion employees discuss how far women have progressed and look back at some of the inventions in use to this day.  It’s a very eye-opening and a great learning experience.

To kick off the first episode, Pavion podcast host Michelle Dawn Mooney speaks with Susan Post, Chief Strategy and Integration Officer (CSIO) of Pavion.

At Pavion, we are excited to bring inspiring women to light and demonstrate our appreciation for them. Susan Post is a figure in our organization highly respected and admired.

Reflecting on her background, Susan recalls a couple different times when individuals said she wasn’t a prime candidate because she “may or may not know how to calculate a battery calculation,” or “doesn’t have the sales experience to excel in that.”  Thankfully, there were also individuals that encouraged and gave her the confidence to succeed.

Susan has reached many great milestones throughout her career.  She always remembers to look back and pull forward, helping and inspiring others to achieve their goals.  Susan tells the story of being one of the few women among hundreds of men in meetings, securing positions not typically filled by women, and continually executing and driving success while pulling others forward along with her.  “We deserve a seat at the table, and at Pavion, women are given that opportunity and have a voice,” said Susan.

Overcoming challenges by working hard and staying true to herself is exactly what Susan did throughout the years. She built and maintained strong relationships, while staying accessible and being transparent.  Susan said, “Whether you work hard, are the brightest in the room, or have the best ideas… you need to be confident in who you are and have faith.” It’s important to recognize the women that set precedents before us, the women that are making achievements ahead of us, and the great contributions that happen every day.  We hope you enjoy this series and appreciate the women of Pavion as we do. 

The Pavion Difference

Posted on by jason@jasoncoryinc.com

It’s been well-documented that for workers of all ages, but for younger ones in particular, the pandemic has sparked a reevaluation of how they want to spend their time, with approximately 83 percent of employees saying they are looking for meaning and fulfillment in their day-to-day work.

It’s not a new situation. Even pre-Covid, job fulfillment and meaning, work/life balance, personal growth and a sense of purpose and belonging were moving to the forefront of employee concerns. But the last three years have accelerated these issues, causing an exodus of disenfranchised workers and worrisome labor shortages.

This has made it tough on employers who struggle to fill vacancies and keep their operations moving forward and viable. It’s been rough for consumers as well, who have had to endure less-than-optimal service and outcomes that fall short of needs and expectations.

It’s been an immense frustration for everyone. When employees leave, they take with them the knowledge and expertise they acquired on the job. Consequently, for employers it’s not just a matter of finding bodies to fill the vacancies, it’s replacing all the skills that left with those employees. This not only requires much time, effort and expense in terms of recruiting, but in training as well. In the meantime, the customer experience can’t help but suffer until the new arrivals get up to speed.

Fortunately, Pavion has been able to avoid such complications through a long-established, firmly entrenched culture that has supported employee engagement and fostered a sense of community from the very start. We have achieved this through communication strategies that not only keep everyone informed as to the organization’s goals and progress, but ones that also make each person feel part of a greater whole.

At the same time, we emphasize the importance of their individual contributions, encouraging growth by creating an environment where people are not afraid to make mistakes, to tackle new projects and expand skill sets. And as our company has grown, opportunities for advancement have multiplied as well, providing a vehicle for those who do want to move forward.

We also recognize the value of showing appreciation, of saying “thanks,” and we try to be flexible, working with people based on their situations. All of this has resulted in an extremely stable workforce—even during Covid—that has enabled us to consistently achieve outstanding deliverables. And although our staff is extremely diverse, every one of our employees is driven by the same singular vision and purpose: connecting to and protecting our customers. This is the Pavion difference. We invite you to learn more about how we can make a difference to your organization.

Protection in Motion: Pavion Recognized as the 2022 SDM Systems Integrator of the Year

Posted on by jason@jasoncoryinc.com

“In an era of constant disruption, this year’s SDM Systems Integrator of the Year organizes big changes like few others — tackling enormous acquisition challenges without compromising customer service or employee satisfaction, all while rolling out new offerings, systems and a new name.”

Read the Full Article in SDM Magazine Here

Pavion culture

Posted on by team@devphase.io

At Pavion we don’t just say “our people are our greatest asset” we put action behind those words, creating a culture that intentionally fosters engagement, inclusion and diversity. These comprise pillars behind our success and are why we’ve been able to maintain such stability in our workforce—some employees have been with us for over 40 years—even as other companies struggle to retain workers. This has enabled Pavion to deliver a consistently outstanding customer experience regardless of any outside challenges.

Our diversity, achieved through seamlessly bringing together multiple acquisitions under one umbrella, has been one of our biggest strengths, generating an unrivaled depth of knowledge, expertise and range of experience. Comprised of industry- and-manufacturer-certified engineers, certified programmers, project managers, designers, technicians, workforce optimization specialists, electrical engineers, central station monitors and dedicated support staff, we have a nearly limitless pool of talent and perspectives to tap into and utilize.

We’ve built an environment of engagement and appreciation, where saying “thanks” and acknowledging contributions is the norm. We encourage employees to grow by stepping into unfamiliar territory, taking on new projects or roles, without fear of making a mistake or having a setback. We want people to feel comfortable learning by doing, becoming more self-directed and decisive, expanding their skill sets, fueling our company’s growth in the process.

And although we are currently over 2000 employees strong (and counting), we keep our staff included through communication strategies that make them feel part of a larger whole, ensuring that everyone stays informed and on the same page. As a result, despite our diversity, every employee is driven by the same unifying vision: connecting and protecting our customer while accelerating their transformation.

Importance of user experience when adopting new business technologies

Posted on by team@devphase.io

For a broad spectrum of businesses, bringing on new technology is essential to survival, not only to ensure that their operations function more efficiently but to also remain strong competitors in their marketplaces. However, all too often what companies discover instead is that the technology they have onboarded isn’t an exact fit for their requirements, resulting in frustration for their staffs, less-than optimal results and underutilization of the very tool they were hoping would enhance their workflows and help propel their growth.

The reality is, in order to gain the most benefit from any advanced technology, it must be closely aligned to the business’s needs and how it actually functions. Its integration into that environment must be seamless. And—at least of equal, if not greater, importance—employees must receive the level of training and support necessary to create empowered users, confident enough to make full use of the technology’s capabilities.

Pavion created its User Experience (UX) team of professionals with the above in mind. Entirely focused on the customer experience and comprised of subject-matter experts in all of the fields we serve—healthcare, education, technology, government, corporate and retail sectors—they are trained to ensure that workflows and outcomes match your needs and vision.

The UX team will observe your workflows and current technology, identifying your requirements and assessing challenges and areas of concern in your infrastructure and processes. Then, the team will collaborate with you to discuss your goals and objectives for technology and process improvements.

Next, working in conjunction with Pavion’s certified design engineers, the team will develop an integrated solution tailored to your business. They will create a detailed project scope, along with a quality control checklist and integration drawings to provide a full picture of the proposed solution(s). Once approved, implementation begins under the direction of our certified project management team. Weekly integration updates, in-house build and fabrication and in-house shop testing are all part of this phase.

Pavion’s highly trained field technicians carry out the installation, programing, system optimization and final testing. But our relationship with you and your employees doesn’t end there. Instead, the UX team will deliver multi-platform training tailored to your workforce needs, also developing a change-management strategy that leaders and managers can follow, facilitating adoption throughout the organization. Additional resources include access to our engineering help desk and to our field service technicians.

By maximizing the value of technology through focusing on the user experience and putting people first, Pavion’s UX team’s scalable solutions transform any environment into one that achieves greater efficiencies, higher productivity and measurable improvements, helping you attain a robust return on your technology investment in the process. (Call to action here)

Amidst-triple digit business growth CTSI relaunches as Pavion

Posted on by team@devphase.io

Corbett Technology Solutions, Inc. (“CTSI”) and its portfolio of recently acquired companies have relaunched as Pavion. Pavion provides customers with access to best-in-class products and services to connect and protect their people and assets in three key business units: fire, security and critical communications integration. Pavion is now the third-largest safety and communications
systems integrator in the U.S.

More information about the $500+ million company and its new brand, strategic vision and growth initiatives will be shared during a webinar on Thurs., Oct. 20 at 11 a.m. ET. Interested attendees are invited to register here.

The shift from CTSI to Pavion is the result of significant and unprecedented growth over the past 15 months. Since 2020, CTSI has grown over 400% and acquired 10 companies: The Security Division of EC&M Electrical, DavEd Fire Systems, Collaborative Technology Solutions, The Protection Bureau, Star Asset Security/Ion247, AFA Protective Systems, Structure Works, Enterprise Security Solutions, Systems Electronics and Firecom. Uniting under the Pavion umbrella allows each company to continue delivering core offerings while expanding services, impact and geographic reach—essentially providing more of what already makes them great.

While the introduction of the Pavion brand becomes official today, CTSI and its portfolio have already begun successfully integrating IT, enterprise resource planning (ERP), quoting, payroll, HR information systems (HRIS), safety and other management systems to optimize their business operations and the resulting customer experience. The company was even today awarded the prestigious Systems Integrator of the Year award from SDM Magazine.

Structure Works, a Pavion company, has been Jeffrey Reed’s primary systems integrator for a dozen years. Recently, the company implemented access control, video surveillance and intrusion alarming at PepsiCo’s beverage, foods, nutrition and headquarters locations.

“Working with Structure Works, a Pavion company, is always a seamless process from start to finish,” said Reed, Senior Security Manager for PepsiCo global security. “Pavion worked with PepsiCo to design and coordinate every aspect of the program, from configuration to installation, testing and training. For Pavion to deliver that level of service while undergoing its own major business transformation is impressive, and really speaks to its level of commitment to putting the customer first.”

“We are excited for the formation of Pavion, as it will allow us to accelerate our strategic growth,” noted Pavion President and CEO, Joe Oliveri. “We felt it was time to introduce a new brand and vision that more accurately represents the direction we’re heading. Uniting as Pavion at this moment allows us to do just that.”

Oliveri continued, “When you introduce a change like this to the market, you want to honor the legacies and relationships each company has built, while also articulating and shaping a path to the future.” He cites maintaining each company’s best practices as a key to Pavion’s ability to retain 98% of acquired employees, deepen customer relationships and restructure despite a global pandemic and supply chain crisis.

“I’m excited to lead the Pavion Security business unit and be a part of the Pavion organization. Our success is driven around our ability to think and operate with consistency as one organization across our business units and diverse geographic locations,” said Pavion Security President, Jim Muncey. Muncey joined Pavion during its acquisition of Structure Works. “Customers want and we deliver pricing, operations, service and support consistency—it takes work, but we get the job done.”

CTSI is a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm. Managing Director Nathan Brown said, “From the outset, our collective vision for the Company was built around further enhancing CTSI’s value proposition as a comprehensive solutions provider. We are excited to continue our partnership with the Pavion team as they execute their growth trajectory with a core focus on better serving more customers in more locations.

Pavion is a portmanteau of the word pavise, a full-body shield used by warriors in the 14th-16th centuries to protect themselves while moving forward in battle, an ion, an electrically charged atom that drives forward momentum. Together, the two words represent protection and connection in motion.

“We are a shield for the people we serve, protecting life and connecting customers to better outcomes, opportunity and growth,” explained Oliveri. “It’s a dynamic process.”

Read The Press Release