Why Our Screens Cost What They Do

SI was started in Ryan Gustafson’s garage in 2003, frustrated with the lack of quality and innovation in the screen markets, he ventured out to build his own. The rest is history. Ever since, we have continued his focus on quality and innovation in our hand-built product line, growing into the company we are today. We employ over 100 Americans (including some Veterans and former Military) to whom we offer competitive wages, health and dental insurance, retirement benefits and more.

Quality doesn’t come cheap. To meet our standards of quality, we’ve designed and engineered our entire screen manufacturing process from the ground-up, here in our Austin, Texas based facility. It’s literally right in our back yard, not 3,000 miles away. Keeping our manufacturing facility close to home is such an important aspect because it allows us to do what we do best – obsess over the little details. Every hand-built product we make starts here, finishes here, and nothing leaves without multiple quality checks. We are not re-branding products from other manufacturers as our own. The result? A line of ultra-high-quality products that last a life-time.

Speaking of lasting a life-time, why shouldn’t it? We’re not in the business of planned obsolescence. When our customers email us, it’s not to request a return, but to share with us pictures of a Black Diamond® screen they are still rocking from years ago. We get these all the time, validating our efforts.

Why the obsession? Why do we focus so much on the quality of our products? The use of high-quality materials is one of those areas that is so often overlooked in manufacturing today. Manufacturers used to take pride in the craft, in the components that were used. But somewhere along the way, quality components were sacrificed to meet the demand of ever cheapening products. We certainly could sacrifice quality in some “small” areas to meet a price point, but we don’t. We take pride in our craft, and we’re confident that the term “they don’t make things like they used to” is not something that will be said when installing one of our products.

We certainly could sacrifice quality in some “small” areas to meet a price point, but we don’t.

“Innovation” is our DNA, and we deliver. We are not the oldest screen manufacturer, but we are the pioneers. Creating the most unique, industry-leading products ever conceived takes countless hours in research, design, engineering, and testing.

Why do our screens cost what they do? Because we believe in a commitment to quality, to our employees, our dealers, and the industry. Our screens cost what they do because screen manufacturing is our craft, and we take pride in it.

Let’s do this.

Since the beginning, it has been our mission to bring you the big screen experience – with the lights on. Let’s work together.