In 1940, televisions were only coming into popularity, with black-and-white broadcasts on screens 10-15 inches wide, housed in large, heavy cabinets. For its part, radio was widely accepted, with 4 out of every 5 households in the United States owning a radio. Seeing a business opportunity in these two forms of home entertainment, a young entrepreneur named Verne Vlack, along with his wife Sharon, started a television and radio sales and repair business.
Over the years, the company adeptly expanded its customer base, purchasing an existing radio and television business in the early 1960s, and adapted to changes in technology, widening its scope into wireless communications. Now known as GenComm, the organization is the Midwest’s premier provider of public safety communication solutions—but it remains a family business, owned by Greg and Jenni Vlack, Verne’s son and daughter-in-law. And the younger Vlacks have genuinely embraced and retained Verne’s service-focused business model. Says Greg, “The philosophy that I was taught, way back when, was my dad saying that anyone can sell a product, but what [good business] really meant was the service and support; make sure the customer is always satisfied. That’s always been GenComm’s motto and our bedrock as to how we treat customers.”
This authentic customer service encapsulates all of GenComm’s core values. The integrity of its people, products, and services is evident throughout the organization and found within every customer interaction. By means of a partnership mentality, GenComm facilitates collaborative working relationships with its customers—and is unswervingly dedicated to their safety and success. Given GenComm’s recognized expertise in the design, integration, installation, and support of industry-leading technology products, customers can be sure the provided equipment has the absolute best performance and reliability available to private and public sector organizations.
The employees at GenComm exemplify these core values, and GenComm’s success is a byproduct of their dedication and commitment. Many employees have been with GenComm for 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years, and they are truly considered family. In fact, every day Greg Vlack personally checks in with each employee at GenComm’s Madison office. Knowledgeable, professional, and sincerely invested in customer success, the team members at GenComm are “the experts. They guarantee their work for life, that’s how good they are. We have some outstanding employees!” says Jenni Vlack.
The GenComm team is well-trained in each of the company’s high-value product lines. With its wide variety of equipment and service options, GenComm is fully versed in the newest advances in wireless communications. The company is well-positioned for future growth, but always with the priority of excellent customer service in mind. Greg Vlack elaborates: “We have a tremendous reach in Wisconsin and into Illinois with our products and services. Some dealers might be business industrial, and others focus on public safety. We’re diversified, but we support all the different entities, and potentials, in a full way. We don’t dabble.”
Indeed, GenComm knows the communication technology business, and cares about its customers. “At the end of the day, we want what’s best for the customer and will do whatever it takes to make sure everything is working to their satisfaction,” says Greg Vlack. This approach leaves customers feeling satisfied, secure, and informed. By offering sustainable products and solutions, GenComm is able to repeatedly assist in making jobs safer and easier, which gives Vlack “a tremendous amount of satisfaction.”
Vlack and the employees at GenComm truly demonstrate care and compassion in their work, with customers and with each other. Greg and Jenni Vlack consider themselves “insanely lucky” to be carrying on the business ideals started by Verne Vlack’s leap of faith so many decades ago—and their daughter Alley, who also works at GenComm in Human Resources and Accounting, shares this sentiment. The Vlacks would be honored to welcome additional customers into the family—please reach out to learn more.