Carl Howell

CTS-D, CTS-I, ISF-C

Director of Audiovisual Technology

Carl started his career with Thompson Electronics in 2003. Since then, he has carved out his area of expertise designing world class technology systems for his wide variety of clientele (government, healthcare, higher education, E-sports venues, large scale manufacturing, insurance institutions, and many others). Carl loves solving difficult problems for customers and understands the need for mission critical performance. He spends a great deal of time on identifying the needs/pain points of a client while spending even more time working on the ideal solution. He has an amazing ability to take a client’s ideas and turn it into a reliable and deliverable solution. Carl is a relationship builder and looks to partner with a client for the long-term, guiding them along their technology journey. He has worked on projects all over the world for his clients doing just that.

Carl has a degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics from Columbia College and is a Syn-Aud-Con graduate. He is also accredited through AVIXA as a Certified Technology Specialist – Designer (CTS-D) as well as Certified Technology Specialist – Installer (CTS-I). To date, there are only 663 individuals in the world with this elite dual certification (CTS-D|CTS-I).

In his downtime, Carl enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters (and his dog), working on his classic cars, playing drums, designing/building custom speakers, cooking, listening to music/podcasts, hiking, and rooting for the Chicago Bears.

What I am working on

I am working on technology upgrade paths for high-level government entities that increase security, flexibility, reliability, and end user experience. I am also working on world class sound reinforcement systems for several sports venues. High intelligibility, high output, and high impact are my trio of criteria for my sound reinforcement designs.

What I'm passionate about

I am passionate about user experience. I strive to create systems that are reliable and repeatable for the client with simple user interfaces. I also love to design sound systems for larger event spaces (sport complexes, theaters, auditoriums) to create an immersive and enjoyable experience for all patrons.

Industry trends

The trends I am seeing is the demand for high-quality conferencing experiences – from a huddle room to a 500 seat auditorium to a 100 seat legislature. Everyone needs to be seen and heard with precision. Also, the continuation of smart building ecosystems and the marriage of AV and IT continues to move forward at a blazing pace. “Traditional” AV has been replaced with AV over IP, PoE speakers, PoE cameras, and network switches. Clients want ultimate flexibility and modular capabilities.

Feel free to reach out!

Carl Howell

Office: 309-633-1510

Email Carl

My favorite pages for audiovisual solutions:

Audiovisual Tech for Courtrooms

See all the options Thompson Electronics can provide for your courtroom upgrades.

Support for AV in Courthouses

Thompson Electronics is your long-term resource for technology systems in the courtroom.

Top AV System Provider

See why we’re Illinois’ top audiovisual installation and service provider.