40 Years of Recording History

Playback Now has been celebrating its 40th anniversary all year! This benchmark brings up a good question: At what point is it acceptable to start bragging about how long you’ve been in business? It’s a question worth pondering.

Seeing a sign at a restaurant recently…a simple burger joint no less that proudly proclaimed “Since 2009” below its name, it became evident to us that our standards for impressive longevity has reduced a bit. There is a breakneck pace to business today. New and trendy has replaced old and reliable. Labeling yourself with some archaic date from another century suddenly carries risk. If you’re not new, you’re old! But thankfully, at some point, pride does kick in, and a story becomes worthy of telling.

Jonathan Galucki had the idea, the vision, the patience, and the business savvy to start a conference recording company from his garage. The company began as Convention Cassettes Inc., in 1978.”It was an ingenious idea,” says Jonathan, with his trademark mix of humor and honesty. “Like any ingenious idea, it starts when you find a need that’s not being fulfilled.” He got the idea while working for an audio-visual company in downtown Atlanta. They would set up slide projectors and microphones for meetings and often clients would rent recording equipment to record their own sessions themselves. He saw the possibilities first hand and developed a plan for taking on the responsibility of offering the equipment and expertise. He would handle recording and duplicating the sessions and provide a revenue stream for the clients. “So instead of costing money, they could make money.”

We interviewed the staff to get a feel for what 40 years in this business meant to them, and many of them had similar things to say.”Constantly changing,” “new and innovative,” “exciting,” “creative,” and “family” are just a few of the words employees used to describe the company and the work they do. At the heart of this team are people who genuinely care about the work that they do, the people they are doing it for, and the process that gets the best results for their clients.

Playback Now is continually searching for elements that will keep them at the head of the pack in their industry. With innovative technology frequently arising, it can be challenging to remain at the forefront of advancements.”Each day is full of new challenges,” said Denise Hargraves, an essential part of Playback Now’s Website Development team, who joined Playback Now in 2006, “but those challenges are often the best part of the job. You find a way to make things work, and you are proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

The unpredictability of these daily challenges keeps the entire team on their toes. No matter what surprises pop up, they seem to manage it with relative ease. “My job is never boring,” says Tom Galucki, Director of Technology and Web Development, who has been with the company officially since 1985. “And we are given the freedom to search for the answers that will help solve any problems that we may encounter along the way.”

Although a technology-based company, the technology itself has been the most significant change over time. “Technology changes have led to unending adjustments in our recording process,” says Todd Galucki, a Senior Program Coordinator at Playback Now, who has been a part of the team since 1988, “but that has honestly kept the job fun and interesting!”

Over time the delivery format has changed. “In the beginning, there were cassette tapes,” says Donna Galucki, Playback Now’s Resource Director. Over time, they evolved to CDs, then USBs, and even digital files that require just a click of a mouse to access. Playback Now added Livestream, CE Credits, and LMS to their repertoire, pushing them through a ferocious storm of technology change to the forefront of a revolutionized industry.

Throughout this evolution, they have kept the same primary goal in mind: Playback Now’s clients are their partners.
“We were a company that strictly recorded audio on cassettes. Now we are capturing video, PowerPoint presentations, webinars, etc. Besides changing how we capture content, we have also changed how we deliver the content. We don’t send binders of tapes anymore. We deliver content on the internet and on USB flash drives. The same information that used to be packaged in 4 or 5 binders can now be delivered on a little flash drive,” said Doug Martin, a Senior Program Coordinator at Playback Now, who joined the team in 1997.

Playback Now strives to put the family at the center of their practices. Several of the employees have been with the company for over half of its’ existence. The team is filled with dedicated people who care about each other and the clients.”As we continue to grow, I hope that we can keep that tight bond as a group,” says Micki Keys, Playback Now’s Customer Service Director, who has been part of the company since 1989.

Playback Now is still driven by ideas, vision, and reliable work performed by employees who care. Forty years passed in the blink of an eye! They are all hands on deck to continue to evolve in the years to come!

Playback Now thanks you for going on this journey with them!