Most fans of his original TLC show know Buddy Valastro as “Cake Boss,” while others probably are more familiar with his cooking show and call him “Kitchen Boss.”

A new nickname may well be in order for Valastro, owner of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., based on the massive A/V overhaul he commissioned 360 Media Innovations to oversee at his new 35,000-square-foot production facility (Carlo’s Bakery on Washington St. will remain open as a retail shop) in the historic Lackawanna Center in Jersey City.

How about Tech Boss?

“I thought of the functionality I have at my house and I wanted my employees to have that,” says Valastro, referring to the project 360 Media Innovations did for him there. “I did it because I believe in it. You can’t be afraid of technology. My house and my office have the same feel.”

After taking a tour of Carlo’s Bakery in Lackawanna, I can confirm Valastro is clearly not afraid of technology. It helps, I’m sure, that the Elan g! control system that’s the heart of operation is so intuitive that the 100 or so employees learned how to use it with no training.

Photos: Inside New “Cake Boss” iPad-Controlled Bakery

The system at the production facility includes 65 speakers distributed across 11 audio zones, allowing employees to choose what music plays in their area from two Sirius satellite radio receivers, two AM/FM radio receivers and four iPod docks. The system is also integrated with the fire alarm and sprinkler system, so if a fire is detected the system will send an audio alert through all 65 speakers to warn and inform the employees.

There are eight Elan TS7 7-inch touchscreens located throughout the building, an Elan TS10 10-inch touchscreen in Valastro’s office, two Elan HR2 remotes, with up to 22 more HR2s planned for controlling the 24 flat-screen HDTVs, and he can control it all from his iPhone and iPad, from anywhere in the world. That’s obviously a huge perk for a man who’s seemingly always on the go, especially now that he’s heading around the country on a book tour.

As employees get more comfortable with their new surroundings and the new system, both of which are only a couple of weeks old, Valastro says he may add control for the lights, heating, air conditioning, security system and surveillance cameras.

The area that seems to have the most potential is the two classrooms where Valastro, his decorators and other guest bakers will offer paid baking classes to the public. There’s talk of taking the classes to the Web too, says Chima Gale, president of 360 Media Innovations, charging attendees a small fee to watch the live feed or recordings. “I see it as a cash cow,” Gale says.

There will also be a couple of digital signage players installed in the new Carlo’s, which will show clips of Valastro’s TV and public speaking appearances and give tour attendees more information about the history and future of the operation. The new space will also allow Carlo’s to start shipping its goodies - which, of course, I sampled during my visit - across the country by the end of the year. Take it from me: That’s definitely good news for fans of cupcakes and other yummy treats.

Because Valastro is constantly thinking of new ways to maximize and add to his new space, Gale and his brother Abiose, the managing partner at 360 Media Innovations, left several extra drops throughout the building, ensuring the possibility for expansion of the system.

“You’ve got to be able to adapt quickly when you’re working with a customer who will come up with new ideas all the time,” says Abiose.

By the way, this is just a taste of what Valastro and 360 Media Innovations whipped up at Carlo’s Bakery. We’ll have much more from my day with New Jersey’s favorite son coming soon. After all, there’s no such thing as too much dessert, right?

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D. Craig MacCormack

Craig MacCormack is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years experience covering local and national news and sports as well as architecture and engineering. He joined Commercial Integrator in January 2011. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigMacCormack.

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