Our History
United Radio was established in 1923 by Jacob H. Rubenstein, a self-taught engineer and inventor who had a great passion for electronics and a strong desire to know how everything worked. In a small, one-man repair shop in downtown Syracuse, Jake assembled “cat’s whisker” radio kits for retail customers. His repair skills adapted to changes in radio and entertainment systems and the company grew to accommodate the demand for fast, skilled specialized repair services.
United Radio’s reputation for quality service generated an increasing workload. Milton, Jake’s oldest son, came into the business full time when he returned from military service in 1953. Jake’s younger son Arnold joined the company full time when he returned from military service in 1962. As the workload increased, Milt and Arnie created three divisions. Milt managed the two-way Communications business; Arnie managed the Consumer products division and Stan Marcum managed the Automotive division. As the workload increased, United Radio expanded its technical staff, and added a computer system to help control the organizational workflow. Jeff Rubenstein, a third-generation Rubenstein family member, joined as systems manager.
Phillip Rubenstein, Arnold’s son, became president of the company in 2005 and Phil’s sister Mara is the company’s vice-president and director of human resources.
The company’s commitment to its core values is clearly evident on their website, which states: “We believe that all people have inherent value; our differences make us stronger; family sustains, stabilizes and defines us; honesty and integrity will build lasting relations; we have a responsibility to each other to create a better community; learning, growing and accepting challenges enriches and fulfills our lives.”
Continued growth at United Radio required it to move to even larger quarters. Today United Radio, located on Enterprise Parkway, is a major provider of:
- electronics products and service for most major car manufacturers.
- after-the-sales service solutions for the consumer electronics industry, from large scale depot repair programs to complete reverse logistics solutions.
- complete service, installation and report excellence for first responders at one of the largest repair facilities for industry-leading manufacturers of two-way products in the United States.
United Radio has more certified electronic technicians than any other independent service center in the United States and its three divisions service more than 3,000 units every day.
The guiding principles above have worked in tandem for over 100 years, allowing us to grow from a space within an outlet store at 115 West Jefferson Street, Syracuse, to five buildings, three divisions, in two states, run by one big happy family!