The CTI Story

Or, How Four Men with Foresight Created a Company with Vision

Ben Schoolsky, Kenneth Heitner, David Blau and Robert Shabin

One day in the early Spring of 1996, David Blau got an idea. An idea about how to leverage his telecom experience with the technical expertise of his friend-and-sometimes-business-associate, Robert Shabin. As a telecom equipment provider, David knew the Tri-State market for telecom sales and service.  It was highly fragmented and the competing companies offered service levels and technical capabilities that left customers wanting more. With Robert’s talent and customer focus as an engine, David knew there was an opportunity to build the premier company in the marketplace. The two had worked very well together on a number of projects, and David felt it was a good time to unify their efforts on a permanent basis. David would handle the business side of such a partnership, while Robert would manage the areas of service and support. It seemed like a perfect fit.

David proposed his idea to Robert a few weeks later, who responded to the idea with a definite “maybe.” Robert already had a successful business of his own, and was hesitant to leave his loyal customers behind for the prospect of something bigger. But David was undeterred. If anything, Robert’s hesitation only added fuel to David’s idea. He knew the partnership could work, but he also realized there was still a missing piece to their team--someone who would handle the sales and customer service portion of the business. They would need to find someone bright and energetic, someone with a proven track record who could get up-to-speed quickly. Someone like Kenneth Heitner. (Or “Kenny” to everyone who knows him.)

David was introduced to Kenny through a mutual business associate, and the two had chatted occasionally at social functions. But it wasn’t until David needed someone to head up his sales team that he realized what a perfect fit Kenny would be. Kenny was enthusiastic about the concept, even though he'd be assuming some large risks. In the previous 13 months Kenny had gotten married, had his first child, and purchased a home. It was not a good time to embark on a new venture--One without a sure and steady income.  But as a natural risk taker, Kenny felt the opportunity was too perfect to pass up. He was in.

So one rainy night in the summer of 1996, David, Robert and Kenny got together in a small cafe on Manhattan’s lower west side to discuss the logistics of such a partnership. The men talked for hours, swapping stories and observations on the state of the communications industry. They found they not only had a lot in common, but they also had similar visions as to where the industry was moving. And for the first time, Robert changed his “maybe” to a “probably.”

Eventually David, Kenny and Robert were kicked out of the café when the restaurant closed its doors at 2 am. So the men simply moved their meeting from the café table to the inside of David’s 1975 Chevy convertible, talking for several hours more. When they were finally done, the rain had stopped, the sky was clear and the sun was just beginning to rise. A perfect end to a promising start. This early-morning meeting marked the beginning of CTI.

Shortly thereafter, Robert changed his “probably” to a “definitely” and Consolidated Technologies, Inc. (CTI) was soon opened in a cozy little office in Harrison, NY. The accommodations were cramped, but the ideas were big.

CTI grew quickly, gaining a solid customer base through referrals and recommendations. The company turned a profit in its first year, and has continued to show a profit ever since. CTI became so successful that Kenny found he was spending less of his time in sales and more of his time running the business. Once again, the men of CTI decided they needed one more crucial addition to their management team. And that’s when they found Ben Schoolsky.

Ken had met Ben at a networking party, where Ben had mentioned that he was considering starting his own business. Ken passed this information on to David, who suggested inviting Ben to the company’s upcoming Holiday party at Mickey Mantles. The three men hit it off at the party, especially Ken and Ben, who discovered they were both huge Yankees fans. As the men discussed their favorite team, Paul O’Neil (from the Yankees) walked into the restaurant for dinner. The men took that as a good omen, and agreed to meet later to discuss the possibility of bringing Ben on as a partner.

The rest is history. With Ben on board, the synergy of CTI was complete. Kenny would run the company, David would continue to be the strategic planner, Robert would handle all service and support issues, and Ben would head up a newly-expanded sales staff.

As CTI moves into its second decade of superior service, we welcome you to join our family of loyal and satisfied customers.

 
Because anyone can provide you with good service.

At CTI, we make it a point to be exceptional.

That’s the CTI ADVANTAGE.

Kenneth Heitner
David Blau
Robert Shabin
Ben Schoolsky