Where We’ve Been
PowerHouse Sound opened in 1987 as a music recording studio. In 1989, the company entered the then-new On Hold Messaging industry, changing its name to PowerHouse Productions. With a continued focus on growth, the name was changed once again in 1998 to better reflect the nature of the company’s services. The name was BusinessVoice.
President Jerry Brown founded the agency after spending more than a decade in telecommunication sales. First, as a Major Account Executive with Norstan Communications, and now in the same role with BusinessVoice, Brown subscribes to Ken Blanchard's "Fortunate 500" concept of building win-win relationships. It was this underlying philosophy that served as the basis for the agency’s success and rise to prominence in the OHM industry.
As the years passed, BusinessVoice collected dozens of awards for creative and marketing excellence. We also added new services, such as the scripting and production of Automated Attendant Recordings, as well as Background Music, Telephone Skills and Etiquette Training and Point-Of-Purchase Audio Marketing (or in-store messaging).
In 1998, BusinessVoice created its own Web Design and Development arm. The department's flagship service, Web Audio Messaging, applies the human voice to websites as a navigation and marketing tool.
In the fall of 2000, BusinessVoice purchased new headquarters, a four-story building in the heart of Toledo’s uptown district.
We joined the fledgling On Hold Messaging Association in 2002, a year after it was formed. BusinessVoice President Jerry Brown served as OHMA Vice-Chair in 2003 and 2004, OHMA Chairman in 2005, and as the Marketing Committee Chairman from 2003 to 2006. He continues to be one of the organization’s guiding forces.
In 2003, BusinessVoice began stressing the importance of “meeting” clients and prospects at the entry points to a business, whether with information, guidance, or marketing messages. We coined the term Point-Of-Entry Marketing to describe this concept.
Today, BusinessVoice serves 6,000 client locations worldwide in a number of industries, including:
- Financial (Banks / Credit unions / Investment firms)
- Medical (Major hospitals / Clinics / Doctors’ offices / Insurance providers)
- Elder Care (Retirement Centers / Rehabilitation facilities)
- Automotive (Aftermarket auto parts / Automotive sales / Repair / Glass parts / Tires)
- Manufacturing (Steel / Cement / Fluid control)
- Retail (Grocery stores / Printers / Hardware stores / Outlet stores)
- Hospitality (Hotels / Convention centers / Restaurants / Travel agencies)
- Sports (Cable TV sports network / Baseball team / College athletic conference)
- Service Providers (Communication / Data and network services / Technical support)
- Wholesale (Gas and oil distributors / Chemicals / Computers)
- Academic (Colleges / Private high schools)
Our clients include regional and national companies such as HCR, UBS, NAPA, Holcim, All Crane, Smith Barney, Pilkington, Valley National Gases, and many others.