For many integration firms, rapid growth and continuing success start with technology. At McCann Systems, under newly appointed co-CEOs Josh Bittner and Tom Treichel, the story starts with people.
During a recent conversation with Commercial Integrator in New York City, the leaders discussed company culture, customer relationships and business momentum. Again and again, they pointed to one core idea: McCann Systems’ ability to retain employees has helped it deliver consistency to clients, while simultaneously laying the foundation for long-term expansion.
McCann Systems’ Employee-First Strategy Fosters Growth
The company’s remarkable tenure figures back up that thesis. Two associates have been with McCann Systems for more than 25 years. And that’s just scratching the surface! Eight have marked more than 20 years; 13 have celebrated more than 15 years; 50 have served more than 10 years; and 104 have been employed more than five years.
It’s a level of continuity that Bittner frames as a competitive advantage for a service-led business.
“We don’t have any products to sell,” Bittner explains. “We don’t manufacture anything. We only have our people to sell and present to the market. So, we hire the best people, and we keep them for long periods of time.” That means customers get a consistent experience. “They get the same team over and over again, and they can execute that across the state, across the country [or] across the world,” he adds. And when integrated technology ecosystems can rise into millions of dollars, that provides real comfort.
Asked about the underpinnings of McCann Systems’ low employee attrition rate, Bittner offers a ready response. “We make sure we take care of our employees,” he declares. “We make sure they have great benefits, they have great healthcare [and] they have a culture that allows them to grow and collaborate.” That, he says, is the secret sauce.
Client Retention Over One-Time Projects
McCann Systems draws strength from its employee retention, but it’s equally proud of its ability to retain clients. “We’re much prouder of clients that we’ve had for 10 years, 15 years [or] 20 years than one big job we might do,” Bittner says. “That’s a testament that customers keep coming back to us because they get a good, consistent experience, and they want to get it over and over again.”
Treichel delves into McCann Systems’ client-focused approach, saying it’s rooted in ongoing collaboration and consultation. “The clients have full access — not only to us but [also] to all of our people,” he says. “We’re not big score keepers as it relates to whether we have a purchase order. We’re trying to bring value as it relates to being consultative to their needs. That makes them come closer to us.”
For Bittner and Treichel, accessibility and openness aren’t just external values; they underpin their leadership approach. After all, both co-CEOs came up through the ranks, which means their perspective is more “in the trenches” than “ivory tower.”
“Tom was a warehouse guy,” Bittner reflects. “Tom drove trucks. Tom was a tech. Like, he’s done every job in the organization.” He continues, “I was a junior sales guy, and I was a lead sales guy. We’ve held a wide range of roles, so we understand to some level what they’re going through.” Lived experience breeds empathy — and any successful leader knows that organic emotional intelligence is far more important than a Harvard Business School MBA.
Empathy and humility tend to go hand-in-hand, and McCann Systems’ organization structure reflects both. “We do have multiple regional offices,” Treichel says, “and they have their own autonomy to be who they are. We’re not really dictating to try to change them. We embrace the differences between New England, to New Jersey, out to St. Louis, Las Vegas, Buffalo and soon to be Texas.”
Balancing Work and Life
Treichel believes that a key part of empathetic leadership is showing respect for employees’ entire lives — not just their professional personas. And it’s personal for Bittner and Treichel, both of whom are fathers and who are acutely aware that their associates each have families at home.
“We’re committed to turning the key on the door every Monday,” Treichel says. “But they have a lot of responsibilities at home, and we need to make sure we’re fair and firm.” He continues, “You know, there’s going to be snowstorms in the northeast and beyond. There’s going to be an oil man who may need to show up. We need to be flexible to support them and their family at all times.” The mindset that Treichel describes — family first, and then McCann — is refreshing for how uncommon it can be in today’s grind-driven professional settings.
The trial by fire for McCann Systems’ empathy-centered leadership came during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The first response out of [McCann Systems founder] Frank McCann’s mouth was, ‘Nobody loses their job,’” Treichel says. “The very first words out of his mouth.”
“We didn’t cut a single wage,” Treichel continues. “We didn’t lay a single person off. We didn’t take a car allowance away. We actually hired five people during the first months of COVID-19 because some integrators reacted and put some good talent on the street. And they still are employees today.”
Long-Term Strategy, Not Short-Term Tactics
Under Bittner and Treichel’s leadership, McCann Systems takes a distinctly long-term view of things. “It can’t be about today,” Treichel says. “What we’re building is for beyond today. We’re looking forward to 2027 and 2028. So, the decisions we make today can’t be short-sighted.” That means robustly investing in the individuals who form the backbone of the company. “They’re part of us,” Treichel declares, “and they will be part of us.”
Bittner elaborates on the freedom to be strategic, saying, “When you’re not beholden to PE and not beholden to a bank — when you’re not beholden to stakeholders — we are free to make those decisions. No one’s going to tell us we have to do something.”
McCann Systems Embraces the Experience Economy
Culture is central to McCann Systems’ value proposition, but so, too, is technology. And the company is currently seeing major growth in its experiential AV integration division, McCannX.
“We’ve always been an experiential company,” Bittner says. A few years ago, however, leadership invested in making McCannX a distinct division of the company. “[We] got the right resources in place, and we’ve had exponential growth,” he notes. “Two years ago, maybe McCannX would have been 25% of the revenue. This year, it’s probably going to be 60% of the revenue.”
Naturally, Bittner and Treichel continue to see robust growth on the UC side. But, according to Bittner, the current climate lends itself to experiential-driven opportunities. “People want to go out and do things,” he reflects. “They want to have cool experiences, right? And so, we’ve got [an exceptional team] that’s able to design, integrate and service those experiences.”
With a chuckle, Bittner says that the McCannX team will continue to “…sprinkle water on it and see how much it can grow.”
McCann Systems Growth Strategy: Storytelling Through Technology
In an integration industry landscape often shaped by consolidation, quarterly pressure and constant change, McCann Systems is making a different case for enduring growth: keep good people, support them well, let that stability compound over time and — as goes without saying — deliver technology experiences that leave an unforgettable impression.
