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The Passing Of Monroe Jost, Founder Of J&S Audio Visual (JSAV)

Purchased Hoover Audio Visual in 1986 and built company into a multifaceted AV (and more) communications solutions provider.

Monroe Jost, a passionate entrepreneur and the founder of J&S Audio Visual (JSAV, based in Irving, TX), passed away on April 6, 2019.

Born in 1947, Jost relished the challenges of launching new ventures, and, in 1986, purchased Hoover Audio Visual (established in 1937) by taking out a loan that had to be paid back in only 12 months. Unconcerned with the timeline, he was confident that if he focused on one aspect of the business — customer service — he would be able to quickly grow a client base and generate enough revenue to pay off the loan.

And he did just that, creating the foundation on which he would build his company.

During the next 30 years, Jost led the JSAV’s expansion into other markets in the U.S. and abroad, growing the company from a dozen employees to 650. As the company continued to expand, he stayed true to his core tenet that the business is all about people and relationships.

His son, Kevin, was named president of JSAV in 2014, while Jost continued to lead the company as CEO, cheerfully engaging employees until his last day in the office earlier this month. (He had officially announced his retirement on March 21, 2019.)

A company statement notes that his leadership was marked by a “true open door policy. There was not an employee at any level with whom Jost would refuse a personal meeting. He actively traveled the country, visiting the company’s branch offices and the many hotel and event properties where JSAV maintains on-site offices. His passion was the people, and he enthusiastically met with and encouraged the widespread but close-knit JSAV family of employees and clients.

“His legacy will continue, because of the core values he practiced and instilled in the people who comprise one of the strongest and most respected audio-visual companies in existence.”

A Kansas farm boy who served in the Vietnam War, Jost also founded SGSO (Serving God, Serving Others), a disaster relief organization. He’s survived by his wife, Karen, son Todd as well as Kevin, his wife Nicole, and their two children.

In addition to its base in Irving, JSAV has regional offices in Denver, San Antonio, and Houston, along with operations in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. As of January 2019, the company has multi-year contracts in place with over 84 hotels and convention centers in addition to regular business representing over 2,500 annual events and productions, 500 venue locations, and 650 clients.

J&S Audio Visual (JSAV)

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