Glikes Exits HTSA Over Contract Dispute, Eyes New Buying Group

After 15 years, with the Home Technology Specialists of America, including a name change, Richard Glikes, executive director, resigned Wednesday over a contract dispute and is looking to start a new buying group, Glikes told Consumer Electronics Daily. Glikes’ departure comes two weeks after the exit of David Berman, HTSA’s training director, to join Texas-based AV specialty store Stereo East. “I'd been paid the same salary for the last 5 years,” Glikes said, saying the board rejected his request for a salary increase and a 3-year contract.

Despite the two recent departures of the top-level executives, HTSA is “alive and healthy,” Glikes said. He cited solid vendor relationships and a 61-member base, and said, “I'm glad to be leaving it in good shape.” Glikes said he would help in the transition to a new executive team.

Glikes said he'll explore starting a new buying group in the same specialty AV segment for dealers with annual revenue of $1.2 million to $5 million. “They're the future,” he said, and could benefit from being in a group with “a lot of sharing, good marketing and good vendor relations. There’s a definite void out there.” Dealers he’s eyeing could “possibly” be part of HES or Nationwide’s SEN buying group, he said, saying those organizations “don’t have the magic that I or HTSA has.” Glikes said he could take that type of dealer and teach them how to buy, merchandise, put a mix together, train installers and “make money.” Glikes said there’s “plenty of room” for another buying group for dealers who aren’t currently in a buying association and for those who “are unhappy in the group they're in.” He said 60-100 members would be a “really nice group” and would fill a niche. In a 500-member association, he said, “there’s no intimacy. You can’t deliver good service.”

Regarding Glikes’ departure, Bob Gullo, HTSA president, confirmed that the HTSA board and Glikes couldn’t come up with mutually acceptable terms for a contract. Typically there would be “time to reflect” and then a cooling-off off period before the parties would meet again to negotiate, he said. “However, Richard abruptly resigned without further discussions,” Gullo said. Using a baseball metaphor, Gullo said Glikes chose “free agency” and announced that he would be at CEDIA on his own next week. “He did an excellent job, and we wish him well,” Gullo said, saying HTSA has “big announcements and details forthcoming” at its fall meeting in Denver.