Employee Spotlight! Craig Donovan

Craig Donovan having fun with wiring behind the scenes at Abt; he's wrapped up in colorful scrap wires and smiling at the camera

By: Sean

Content Writer

6 min read

February is the month of love, but it's also the perfect time to stay inside and complete some home projects. That's why our February Employee Spotlight highlights Craig Donovan from Abt's Woodshop! Craig has been a familiar face at Abt for years—he's an employee who brings a smile everywhere he goes. With every project he completes at Abt, he makes the store a little (or a lot) better. And we have lots of projects and improvements lined up for 2025, so you'll be seeing his handiwork all across the store. Learn more about Craig and all that he does below.

Craig's first introduction to Abt is probably one many Chicagoland kids can relate to: shopping for a TV with family. "I'm not sure how I first heard of Abt, but my first memory here was of shopping at Abt to buy a tube TV with my parents as a little kid." The current generation of kids might associate shopping for TVs at Abt with our current location in Glenview (and its walls and walls of HD, 4K and 8K TVs, plus the Dave Abt Theater). But before the Glenview store opened in 2002, Abt's tube TVs and appliances were in Morton Grove—and that's where Employee Spotlight Craig first met Abt. He would soon become very familiar and help make the new Glenview store into the marvel that it is today.

Some people aren't sure what to do when they graduate from high school, but Craig came right to Abt in 2003. "I started at 18 years old, fresh out of high school, and here I am 23 years later." Craig hasn't always worked in the Woodshop, though. He began his career in the warehouse and worked specifically with the AV department. He spent his days handling top-tier entertainment equipment like speakers and receivers; things that you want handled with true care. All of Abt's warehouse employees take great care with our products, but it can be a different story with AV equipment—we all have that one friend who won't let you touch their turntable for fear that you'll scratch the record or mess up the cartridge. Craig's job was to take care of these delicate instruments every day. From there, Craig moved on to work on our custom AV trucks, delivering and installing products he already knew so much about. With the ability to wire together complex sound systems and build home theaters, he helped create next-level entertainment spaces. Between installing behind-the-scenes prewiring and putting the finishing touches on new TV systems, Employee Spotlight Craig learned all there is to know about what makes electricity, screens, speakers and other electronics tick.

Craig wouldn't stay on our custom AV trucks forever. Instead of continuing to install TVs and speakers, our Employee Spotlight now works in Abt's own on-site Woodshop. There, our team tackles all kinds of jobs, from building new displays to planning and executing renovations for different parts of the store. The Woodshop is where Craig puts his talents to work now, especially when it comes to installing low-voltage electrical systems as well as security camera wiring and installation. He's just one of many who help keep Abt, our products and our customers safe. And with every new upgrade or addition to the store, Craig is ready to install more low-voltage systems and security cameras. His next task is the furniture expansion on our second floor—coming this summer. An extra 30,000 square feet of space for the furniture department is going to need monitoring, and it's up to our Woodshop specialists and Craig Donovan to get everything built, installed and finished by the time our showroom is ready for the summer. The Woodshop specialists can handle all kinds of jobs, from woodcutting and wiring to painting and refurbishing. "Everyone in the shop has their own set of skills and together we can complete any project," said Craig.

With over 23 years of experience here in multiple departments, Craig has seen every nook and cranny of the store—and knows all about our values. "I love that Abt is a family-owned company and how involved the Abt family is with the business," he said. "I believe this is why the company is so successful and continues to grow. I feel blessed to work for such a strong company."

We're glad to have Craig as a member of the family, too, and we're happy he can enjoy his own life as a father. "When I started a family of my own, my wife was able to stop working so she could stay home and raise our three boys. Abt for life!"

As a dad to three boys, Craig is always ready to handle a little chaos. That might be one of the reasons why he loves action camera filming. He and his family could be snowboarding, wakeboarding, using the boat or at a cable wakeboard park—which is an adventure in itself. And when the adrenaline is surging, he's filming. His favorite action camera at the moment? The GoPro Insta360 series. These cameras film everything in 360 degrees of the camera, giving users an incredible view of what's going on around them. Combine that cam with a few snowboarding or wakeboarding stunts and you've got the perfect footage. Craig has even filmed some of our most recent viral video content for social media about Abt's very own LG Signature OLED T Transparent TV.

We're excited to spotlight Craig Donovan this month, and it's going to be amazing to see what the Woodshop team can accomplish this year. We have a lot of projects planned behind the scenes at Abt, and our 30,000-square-foot furniture expansion is just the beginning. Look out for more changes at Abt in 2025. And next time you stroll through Abt, take a look around; a lot of what you see was built, installed and wired here on site thanks to employees like Craig.