HD Envy News » Press

Spotlight on HD Envy from Gulf Coast Business Review

Sean — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:28:00 +0000

Dave Szymanski takes a look at HD Envy’s recent success in the flat screen TV frame industry. He gives a glimpse into what HD Envy looked like in its early days – a year-long prototype in the making, using Sean and Howard’s own money to finance the project, and little money left over for advertising once the frames were ready to hit the market. Sean and Howard weren’t phased. They tackled the social web, advertising on Twitter and other media, and eventually got the word out to custom audio/video installers and interior designers alike.

Now, the word is really spreading about HD Envy’s variety of custom-built frame options. Leather, wood, 39-inches, 59-inches… HD Envy can do it all. By using industry standards and secure mounting engineering, HD Envy is proving to be a fierce competitor in the flat panel TV frame market. They have already secured a display in 12 local Best Buys, and are looking to expand by offering even more products and more customized logos. To read this article in its entirety, visit the Gulf Coast Business Review.

Spotlight on HD Envy from Inc. Magazine

Sean — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Sean Thorp , Co-Founder of HD Envy, sat down with Elizabeth Wasserman of Inc. Magazine.com recently to talk tech behind the TV frames at HD Envy. Sean was quick to point out that all of the frames are designed and produced in three facilities they occupy in Florida, but that communication between the locations proved difficult in the early days. Sean and Howard wanted to avoid costly IT professionals and pricey software licensing fees, so they did the FTP management grunt work themselves for a few weeks. This proved too time-consuming, and the pair did a little research online and found Egnyte. Once a virtual office was created using Egnyte online hard drives, mobility between branches and sharing documents that included pictures and specs became a breeze.

A truly grassroots operation, HD Envy began as an idea, a few low-cost software programs and didn’t even have four walls in which it could operate. Now it has a one-click relationship with vendors such as Best Buy, and by managing the tech side themselves, Sean and Howard are able to cut down on costs and keep their prices low – so everyone can afford a high-tech frame without the high price tag. To read the whole interview, visit the Inc Magazine article on HD Envy.

Spotlight on HD Envy from St Petersburg Times

Sean — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:30:00 +0000

It looks like news is spreading about the flat panel TV frames at HD Envy. Mark Albright, a staff writer for the St. Petersburg Times, reports on the duo behind HD Envy’s premium products, their vision for the company, and the TV frames themselves in a piece released last week. The article pinpoints what makes each frame from HD Envy both affordable and stylish: the patient, determined work of founders Howard Hochhalter and Sean Thorp. After teaming up, the pair was able to create a unique engineering process that brought the cost of the frames down to an affordable level for any family, professional or home theater enthusiast looking to add some sophisticated style to their home.

HD Envy is starting to move quickly, establishing a presence in several Best Buy stores local to the Sarasota-based company, flexing their social networking muscle in order to beef up their online presence, and expanding their custom frame options to include the University of South Florida logos for future frames. They currently have nine employees working to create and sell quality frames, as demand has rocketed from about one frame per month to one frame per day. To read more about HD Envy, its founders and its future, visit the St. Petersburg Times article here.