AUSTIN, TX — March 12, 2012 — Screen Innovations (SI), a leading US-based projection screen manufacturer, today announces that the company is experiencing explosive 40% growth, citing both domestic and international sales expansion and strategic employee appointments as the primary catalyst.
A relative newcomer to the projection screen category, SI has amassed a cult-like following that can be directly tied to the value and virtue of its innovative product offering. While much has been recently written about two-piece projection, unique, multi-purpose screen technologies such as those found in Screen Innovations’ Black Diamond screens represent a game-changing opportunity for integrators and designers worldwide.
SI attributes some of the explosive growth to the lack of margin found in traditional pixel-based flat panel displays. “TVs still have a place in the world for sure, but they are being replaced by larger, more energy efficient display technologies, and projection screens are now part of that equation” says SI President Ryan Gustafson. “We knew we were on to something big back in 2005 when we manufactured and sold our first screens to Gary Wermuth at WAVE Electronics in Houston, Texas. Since then, we’ve expanded the scope of our operation significantly, and continue to evolve our product line at a feverish pace in order to meet market needs.”
To support their explosive growth, SI has made several strategic personnel appointments:
Brandon Holmes and Dan Poirier join the SI Engineering team, providing needed skills and intelligence to further develop and expand the line.
Brandon Holmes brings more than a decade’s worth of engineering and technical sales experience in the commercial screen industry (LCD/Plasma/Projector) to the SI team. Culminating from many years as the principle Engineer for highly reliably outdoor LCD displays and Digital Signage Solutions architecture, Holmes demonstrates “solid design and testing fundamentals which lend well to SI’s commitment of delivering perfectly reliable and finished products.“
Dan Poirier possesses nearly 30 years of invention, manufacturing, engineering, product and process equipment development, plus precision machining and fabrication skills to Screen Innovations. Poirier’s prior creative accomplishments include the invention of processing equipment using linear servos, rotary servos, and piezo linear actuators, as well as Pneumatic Logic, Stepper and PLC controls. This, plus his background with consumer product development and custom thin film manufacturing process equipment design and build fits perfectly with SI’s initiatives, make him a valuable addition to the Engineering team.
Shannon Gustafson and Jay Biedermann join Blake Vackar in leading the Sales team, managing accounts for their respective territories, further developing the company’s network and reach through strategic partnerships.
Shannon Gustafson recently made her re-entry back into the SI workforce after a brief stint away to start a family. The proud mother of three-year old twins, Taylor and Austin, Shannon manages all aspects of the company’s international sales and marketing efforts. Living abroad for much of her life, Shannon has a unique ability to successfully manage a diverse international clientele. Boasting impressive double-digit growth figures during challenging economic times, Shannon has truly made her mark on the company and serves as an inspiration to those around her. “As a woman, wife, and mother, I appreciate the products we design and sell. As an employee, I am thrilled at the solutions we provide. By increasing our international presence, dealers and distributors worldwide now recognize that SI represents an unparalleled opportunity to provide their customers a superior entertainment experience.”
Jay Biedermann joined SI in January as the company’s Director of Commercial Sales Development. Formerly with DMX Music, where he won the Annual Circle of Excellence Award several years in a row, Jay brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the newly formed position. Already familiar with the SI line and market strategies, Jay has developed a keen strategy to expand SI’s reach into the commercial market. With a consultative approach and an eye for detail, he works closely with integrators and systems designers to ensure they have the tools and resources needed to properly design, specify, and install two-piece projection systems utilizing Screen Innovations screens. “SI’s technological prowess is virtually unmatched in the field. Revolutionary products like Black Diamond make my job especially fulfilling, as they allow me to demonstrate the innumerable ways these screens outperform the competition on a daily basis.”
Blake Vackar, who is now a well-known face for the SI brand, joined the company from D-Tools, and serves as the Director of US Sales. Managing all aspects of the company’s domestic sales strategy, Blake spends his time educating and inspiring others on the virtues and benefits of using Screen Innovations’ products. The face and voice behind many of the company’s educational videos that are showcased on the SI website, Blake utilizes his prior experience as an integrator to guide dealers to projection screen technology bliss, enjoying the fruits of his labor immensely. “To work with such a capable and creative group is just so cool,” he says, furthering “I get to show dealers how to reinvent themselves through two-piece projection, during the most expansive time the category has ever witnessed. To say our projection screens are life-changing may seem a little over the top, but there are times when it feels that way, based on the overwhelming response we get on a fairly regular basis.”
Screen Innovations’ trajectory from a garage-based business to a well-established internationally recognized projection screen powerhouse has been “a labor of love,” according to SI President Ryan Gustafson. “It has been incredibly fulfilling, and I am both proud and humbled at the same time whenever I think about how far we have come in such a short time,” said Gustafson. “Projection screen technology is finally hitting the mainstream now, and although we’ve been banging on this drum for many years, the technology has finally progressed to a state where it is truly a viable and appealing solution for many of today’s video-centric installations. In fact, this evolution is what motivates and drives us. While we understand and appreciate the world’s dependence on pixel-based displays, we believe that two-piece projection can -and will- justifiably surpass those technologies in both the residential and commercial spaces in the near future.”
Bringing a lifetime of inspired innovation to the SI team, Ryan Gustafson is the grandson of an inventor and is a consummate innovator himself. Spearheading many of the design and engineering initiatives, Ryan works closely with his teams to ensure the unique needs of SI’s diverse clientele is being met with each product delivered. “We are returning profitability to our dealers by providing them the solutions they need at an affordable price, backed by the best warranty in the business, and supported by a great group of people who are truly dedicated to their success,” he says.
An insatiable force behind the enterprising young company, Gustafson works tirelessly to promote SI technologies, initiatives, and accomplishments, often finding inspiration from family, friends, or during his time spent in the field. “I see opportunity everywhere I go. Sure, I don’t sleep much, but then again, does any father of three-year old twins?” he jokes.
Black Diamond, SI’s flagship projection screen, stormed onto the scene last year, upping the category’s ante significantly. Zero Edge designs introduced at CEDIA Expo (2011) added a plasma TV-like viewing experience to the Black Diamond line. Because of their pencil-thin bezel, projected images seem to ‘float’ off the wall, as though not restricted by any bounds. Representing a unique opportunity for dealers and consumers alike, Black Diamond Zero Edge price-points rival -or often beat- traditional flat panel displays, and the screens work brilliantly in either light or dark, dedicated or multi-use spaces in either residential or commercial environments. They are currently the only native black projection screens on the market.
Not one to sit idle, Screen Innovations will announce new product designs in the upcoming months. In fact, several new residential and commercial products are set for unveiling at Infocomm, June 13-15, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV, and CEDIA Expo, September 5-8, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN. SI will make pre-show product announcements the week prior to each event.
Serving as Screen Innovations’ newly appointed PR firm of record, Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications will spearhead SI’s communications efforts, working closely with Gustafson and the team to execute strategically targeted PR, marketing, and promotional endeavors. Bennett, who has been in the Consumer Electronics industry for nearly 20 years, brings hands-on experience with retail, distribution, light manufacturing, and supply chain and event logistics that not only complements, but also serves the diverse needs of the company well. “I started KMB Communications last year on the heels of my wedding and on the eve of CEDIA, knowing that I wanted to work with uniquely positioned, entrepreneurial innovators in the industry. It is an honor and an inspiration to work with the Screen Innovations team.”
About Screen Innovations
Screen Innovations (SI) is a leading manufacturer of projection screen technologies for residential and commercial applications. Delivering needed solutions, aesthetically pleasing designs, and competitive price points, SI screens provide unparalleled ambient light rejection and video image reproduction.
A highly innovative, industry-specific Screen Innovations design and engineering team works tirelessly, constantly evolving the category in order to effectively bring projection to the mainstream. Operating under the principle that, “No matter the budget, Screen Innovations has the best available screen solution to suit your needs,” SI aims to resolve the issues that have historically hamstrung the projection screen industry.
Handcrafted in the USA, each Screen Innovations product carries a lifetime replacement policy, and is produced utilizing advanced custom robotics and green manufacturing practices. Dedicated to corporate and consumer responsibility, every SI screen is manufactured in the most efficient manner possible.
For more information about Screen Innovations, visit: www.screeninnovations.com/.
Screen Innovations Media Contact:
Katye (McGregor) Bennett
KMB Communications
E. Katye@kmbcomm.com
O. (406) 446-1283
C. (425) 328-8640
T. @katyemcgregor
W. www.kmbcomm.com
Press kits: www.kmbcomm.com/press
