ROAD TRIP! Nexus 21 BBQ's with Calise Outdoor Kitchens

We love Phoenix - the sunshine, the blue sky, the cactus. But we also love Las Vegas, and one of Nexus 21's coolest OEM's, Calise Outdoor Kitchens, is located in the heart of the desert.

If you are ready for the outdoor kitchen of your dreams, put Calise Outdoor Kitchens on your speed dial. They are the leader in manufacturing the highest quality outdoor ModularTM cabinets, ModbarTM, stainless steel gourmet grills, integrated stainless steel products and matching accessories. Their patent-pending ModularTM cabinet offers more than 1.9 million possible configurations and every single one of them is made right here in the USA.

The Nexus 21 L-27 TV Lift System is featured inside a Calise "moveable island."

What's even more exciting? We sprayed the TV island down with a hose because the whole system is completely (goofball-with-a-hose) weather resistant inlcuding the TV! Calise uses Mirage Vision televisions which are wireless and weatherproof. The entire outdoor integration of the cabinet, TV lift and TV is a finished product and an outdoor success!

President of Calise Outdoor Kitchens, Bruce Spangrud, teaches Jeff Meskan and
Heather Sanders of Nexus 21 more about Modrock (Nicole McClain learns
from behind the camera lens).

Calise Outdoor Kitchen employee, Luis, polishes one of the Calise Gourmet Grills.

A diligent worker welds in the 144,000 square foot warehouse and manufacturing facility.

Top Five Reasons . . . by Nicole McClain

Top five reasons . . . customer service hardly means customer service.

1. No one answers the telephone anymore.
We live in the “Now Generation.” We want things now, expect things now, and need things now. As technology meets these needs in a very timely fashion, our expectations of “now” increase dramatically. Suddenly what used to be known as “now” isn’t fast enough. We need receive our emails faster, obtain our connections faster, and find a cure faster. Surprisingly enough, we usually get our way. And with technology advancing at a compounding rate, we can easily replace thousands of payroll dollars with the latest and greatest automated answering service. On the flipside, we end up neglecting our customers, leaving them aggravated and feeling as if they were standing at the license bureau with a paper stub.

2. Telephone systems do more transfers in a day than most banks do in a year.
How many times have you made a transfer at the bank and the teller looks at you and makes the obnoxious sound of a dial tone? No matter how savvy you might be with automated answering systems, being transferred to another department is inevitable – and being disconnected in the process usually is too. And when you get transferred, Jennifer can’t help you but gives you the telephone number of another department to call. Refer to #1 here.

3. "0” only repeats the main menu options.
Options 1 through 8 are not relevant departments for your dilemma. In hopes of reaching any human life form available, you press “0.” This option results in the same monotone recording of options 1 through 8. Refer to #1 here.

4. Companies forfeit customers rather than providing minuscule credits or replacement parts.
Both you and the customer service representative agree the rules were a little confusing. Or, even though you paid your bill in full and on time, some how finance charges were applied to your account. Worse yet, you purchase a product that doesn’t turn out to work as intended and you are required to pay a 15% restocking fee. It’s simple. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Yes, business is business and pennies make dollars, but if the customer didn’t receive the proper explanation of the rules up front, at least try to come up with a fair compromise. If the customer has an excellent payment history and misses the online deadline by an hour, remove the $50.00 finance charge and keep them a happy customer. And if a customer bought a product that doesn’t work as intended, return it and suggest an alternative. Repeat business is huge business. And huge business could mean huge dollars for your company.

5. SOS employee training programs.
These are what I call, “Sink Or Swim” training programs. Companies throw employees into the water with a few instruction manuals, an outline of company policies, and a wish of good luck. Companies follow the mentality if the job is relatively simple, the training should be relatively simple. If the job is relatively complicated, the person in position is being paid enough to figure it out along the way. Furthermore, college educated new hires should know the company before they inquire within. Here it is folks: training is training and experience should be considered superfluous. I might be college educated, but I wouldn’t have the slightest idea on the best way to run a McDonald’s kitchen or even the register for that matter. I’m sure I could figure it out, but why sacrifice customer satisfaction in the process? No matter how knowledgeable the person, take the time to train your employees properly. You’ll spend more time developing new business and less time apologizing for bad business.

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Customer service means providing service to your customers. What kind of service, meaning quality of service, does your company want to provide to your customers? If this question cannot be answered promptly and precisely, I can almost guarantee one of your customers is being dissatisfied at this very moment. If you can answer this question, are you sure this vision is being implemented throughout various departments of the company? And are those procedures relevant to each department in the same way? I understand it is nearly impossible to have all ducks in a row at every place every time. But what can you “do better” to make sure your ducks are at least wading in the same pond, and when they are not, maintain customer satisfaction while they migrate?

At Nexus 21, we strive to meet customer expectations . . . and then exceed them. If you’re not sure what to order, tell us about your situation and we’ll recommend a solution. If your TV lift isn’t fitting right, call us and we’ll provide guidance in any way we can to help you. If you’re having technical problems, call us and if needed we will offer a replacement. And while we can’t be here to answer the phone 24 hours a day, we will run to answer the phone when we are here or promptly return your call when we return.

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The L-27 Lifts Spirits on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!

Watch Exteme Home Makeover: Home Edition
Sundays 8/7c on ABC

You heard it right! The Nexus 21 L-27 TV Lift System has turned Hollywood and left all of us star struck!

Nexus 21 has partnered with ABC’s hit television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help improve a deserving Oklahoma family’s life at home.

“I feel privileged and grateful that we are being included in this experience,” said Jeff Meskan, founder and CEO of Nexus 21. “Knowing that we can do anything at all to help ease the strain of day to day life for this family is gratifying.”

The father of the selected family is a veteran of Project Iraqi Freedom. He was discharged from the Army after being injured in Iraq. Nine months ago, he and his family survived a tragic car accident that left him and his 8-year-old son paralyzed, and his youngest daughter suffering from severe organ damage.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode featuring Nexus 21’s products will air Sunday, April 22 at 7p.m. on ABC 15.

Nexus 21 Gets "Juiced Up" at EHX!

Thousands of CE Professionals from across the U.S. and around the world came to “get juiced” at EHX in Orlando, Florida. Nearly 350 exhibitors packed the Expo Floor and showcased the coolest products, services and solutions for the CE market - Panasonic, JVC, Polk, Philips, Universal, AVAD, Logitech, Monster and Lifeware just to name a few. A team of Editors from CE Pro magazine was on-hand, providing live news coverage throughout the show. Click here for highlights and analysis posted to The CE Pro Weblog. The complete CE Pro Post-Show Wrap Up will be featured in the May issue of CE Pro magazine.

Left to Right: Nicole McClain, Ray Wright, Jeff Meskan

Nicole McClain and Jeff Meskan of Nexus 21 meet with Ray Wright at EHX in Orlando. Ray Wright is the Executive Director of IPRO, a professional sales representative organization, with key industry affiliations to CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) and CEA (Consumer Electronics Association).

Nicole McClain & Jeff Meskan

Nicole checking out Panasonic's tradeshow booth

Jeff decides to find out where all the hot spots in Orlando are located. Who knew the Crab House would be a winner! The crab, avocado & mango stack turned out be one of Nicole's favorites!

Roll In the Team Efforts

Nexus 21 Gets Creative with New Business Development Manager, Nicole McClain

Nexus 21 has made an exciting decision to roll in (or should we say fly??) new talent by hiring Nicole McClain as the Business Development Manager and IT Marketing Manager. Nicole is dedicated to managing Nexus 21’s marketing campaign, website design and development, and sales east of the Mississippi. Prior to joining Nexus 21, Nicole was a Project Manager for a Cleveland Web development company and expanded her knowledge of the Internet, Web development, and Web-based applications. She also served as the lead role for managing the research and implementation of Hacker Safe and PCI Compliance Standards ensuring the company, employees, and clients maintained the highest internet information security standards.

Nicole is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College having earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in marketing and management as well as a certificate in human resources. "I'm looking forward to creating some hott new ideas for the company that really revamp the marketing campaign and showcase how talented our TV lift truly is," Nicole said. "Nexus 21 will have a complete redesign and rebuild of the web site as well as all new collateral materials." But the action doesn't stop there. Nexus 21 will feature a completely new tradeshow booth in the upcoming months that Nicole promises will be jazzy and fun. "I think our clients and reps will be impressed when they see the new booth at the shows. We're boxing up the old banners and traditional tradeshow display. I can't give you all the details just yet, but the booth will not only show the value and quality of the TV lift, but showcase the lift in a 'natural setting.'"

Where does all this spark and colorful energy come from? Surrounded by creativity at a young age and involved in the fundamentals of art throughout her education, Nicole has more than just creative and flowing ideas up her sleeve. "There's something to be said about how colors can make a person feel. They have a reflection on each of us and I love the intense feeling that is created from a talented piece of artwork. It's like wearing your favorite shirt - it just makes you feel good." She has won several awards recognizing her talents including but not limited to the Ohio Governor’s Art Exhibition Award, the Wall of Fame Artist Exhibition Award, and the War Against Drugs Art Exhibition Award.

But it's not all primary colors and kaleidoscopes with Nicole. She served on the board for the National Association of Business Communicators Cleveland Chapter and received the President’s Award of Educational Excellence. She was also awarded the Ohio Award of Merit, the State Board of Education Recognition of Honors, the Ohio Skill Gap Initiative Award, and the Ohio Business Roundtable Award. Nicole also teaches computer classes to senior citizens, served as a chair and member of the PTA in her community, and is a volunteer for Special Olympics.

When the work day is finally over, she enjoys her family, hunting, rock climbing, studying karate, working out at the gym, and working on her, "ESC" campaign to get a Starbucks on Every Single Corner across the country.

For tv lift sales information, a free 30-day trial, or to find out Nicole's favorite coffee, contact Nicole at 866.500.LIFT (5438) or visit Nexus 21.

Our Octopus - Fewer Arms, More Purpose

This is the "Current Sensor" that we affectionately call the "Octopus." It works in conjunction with the remote control so that when you start the lift "Up," the TV turns on automatically. When you start the lift "Down," the TV turns off automatically. That means less buttons and less figuring out how to make it work - just push the button and the Octopus knows what to do!

This is a safety device as well as a convenience: It eliminates the possibility of the TV being on while in the cabinet. LCDs and Plasma TVs generate a considerable amount of heat. When the lift is powered down, if the user forgets to turn off the TV or somehow the TV is turned on inside the cabinet, the amount of heat generated by the TV itself could reach up to 180 degrees. Being that cabinet is closed, the heat has no where to escape and may damage the mechanical components of the TV, the TV lift system or cabinet itself. Most televisions come equipt with a shut-off mechanism to power off when too much heat is generated, However, if the shut-off mechanism is not included in the TV, damage could result. The "Octopus," or Current Sensor, eliminates this concern.

Click here to learn more about other cool gadgets at like the Current Sensor at Nexus 21.

What's In Your Bag?

Why, it's the Nexus 21 L-27 TV lift of course! In demo size! Well, actually, the lift size hasn't changed, but our sales reps can now easily transport the TV lift just like a piece of luggage.

It's compact, meets airline requirements, and even has a little bit of room for a extra packing space for collateral materials, business cards, or a fancy pair of shoes...

Click here to visit Nexus 21.

Can't Find the Cookies!

At Nexus21 we do not own a cookie cutting machine (although our employees would love that!). Just like each snowflake is a different shape, each piece of hardwood is a little different. For this reason, the staining process produces slightly varying results for each cabinet that we make. Therefore, we cannot guarantee color matching. Rest assured, however, that your custom cabinet will be one-of-a-kind - a true work of art!

Each TV lift cabinet that you buy is made to your specifications. Choose from six different finishes and a variety of trim options to suit your taste and match the style of your room.

Visit our Web site to learn more about ordering your custom TV lift cabinet through Nexus 21.

Nexus 21 Exhibits at CEDIA

In September of 2006, Nexus 21 was an exhibitor at the CEDIA show in Denver, Colorado. CEDIA is the #1 show in the residential electronic systems contractor industry that includes custom home theater, multi-room audio and video, lighting control, environmental control, home networking, home automation, residential information technology and systems, security, and more. With home theatre being a priceless commodity and more people looking to have the best of the best, the Nexus 21 TV lift fit right in!

Expect to see Nexus 21 and our TV lift at the CEDIA EXPO 2007 September 5-9, in Denver, CO at the Colorado Convention Center IN OUR NEW TRADESHOW BOOTH! The show floor opens Thursday, September 6. Also, press conferences begin at noon on Wednesday, September 5.

Nexus 21 Featured in Airpark News

In May 2006, Nexus 21 was featured in Airpark News. This article, written by Sarah Laidlaw, is packed with a ton of information about Nexus 21, the unique TV lift systems, and the creators of this quiet, space-saving, must-have device...

Jeff Meskan and Steve Lewine are retirees who met on the tennis courts of Scottsdale Ranch Tennis Club. Between matches they would talk. Meskan says, "Steve was always the idea guy and this idea sounded great." The idea he speaks about is Nexus 21, which Meskan and Lewine started design and development on about one year ago.

Nexus 21, which officially opened its doors in January 2006, is the manufacturer and distributor of a unique flat-screen TV lift system and associated custom cabinets. Lewine says, "We started with a blank piece of paper and have created something that goes far beyond our closest competitor, who has been in business 50 years." The reasoning behind this statement is Nexus 21's technology allows for quieter operation, smaller necessary space and easier installation all at a lower price.

The TV lift itself is designed after those used in the hospital and medical fields, operating smoothly and quietly due to its stable, chain driven system. It can hold up to 180 pounds and up to a 45-inch LCD TV. It uses a double-telescoping quick-rise lift that vertically extends up to 26-and-a-half inches. The software involved in the lift system provides safety precautions, including a slow start and stop and collision control in that it reverses when meeting any unusual pressure. Nexus 21 also provides a five-year warranty, which is unusual in the industry, and are confident. Meskan says, "We tested the device at 30,000 cycles and there was no difference in its performance from the first cycle."

The space necessary for the TV lift can be as small as four-inches-wide and 22-inches-tall. This is due to the unique bracketing system and mechanics of the TV lift, most of which is manufactured locally. Lewine adds, "Everything is manufactured as locally as possible and only the precision mechanism that drives the unit is manufactured outside of the U.S." The small design allows for the TV lift to be placed within its stylish cabinet at the end of a bed, while appearing only as intrusive as an extension of the bed. It can be manuevered around the room and, compared to a wall-mounted TV, does not detract from the room's decor. Beyond that, the experience of watchin a plasma TV located at the foot of a bed as opposed to an adjacent wall has the clear advantage. Lewine explains, "Placing our LCD television cabinet at the foot of the bed would be the physical equivalent of watching a 65-inch screen, mounted 15-feet away. Size is important; it creates cinematic impact." The cabinets themselves may be customized to an individual taste with a variety of hardwoods, finishes and designs to match any decor.

The TV lifts are shipped UPS usually for under $50, and according to Lewine and Meskan, are easily installed. All TV lifts come with everything needed for their installation, right down to a wire management accessory. Beyond that, Nexus 21 offers follow-up customer service for any questions and in-home installation for any television sets purchased through them. Nexus 21 ships its product nationally and it is used beyond the bedroom, including in offices for video conferencing and presentations, in hotels for its sleek look and convenience, and on boats and in RVs as a space saver.

Originally a manufacturer of silk products and a retailer of office furniture by occupation, Lewine and Meskan have tasted retirement and ventured back into entrepreneurship in a new field, and look towards a bright future. They invite people to stop by their showroom, visit their Web site or just call with questions.

To learn more about Nexus 21 or to order your own TV lift system, click here.