# Barco in discussions about aquisition of High End Systems by ETC



## STEVETERRY (Mar 1, 2017)

See:

http://www.etcconnect.com/About/New...r-acquisition-of-High-End-Systems-to-ETC.aspx

ST


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## derekleffew (Mar 1, 2017)

Coming soon:
WholeGio, HogEos, HedgeIon, IntellabeamRevolution.


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## gafftaper (Mar 1, 2017)

Can you say Sola Selador 5 times fast?

Congratualations ETC! It's a great expansion move for you. I'm sure the H.E.S. family will be relieved to find themselves part of ETC and not part of a certain giant corporate monster who keeps buying companies but doesn't seem to know what to do with them afterwards.


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## SteveB (Mar 1, 2017)

gafftaper said:


> Can you say Sola Selador 5 times fast?
> 
> Congratualations ETC! It's a great expansion move for you. I'm sure the H.E.S. family will be relieved to find themselves part of ETC and not part of a certain giant corporate monster who keeps buying companies but doesn't seem to know what to do with them afterwards.



When I acquired my MAC Aura's a few years ago I thought that I wished ETC would zoom and motorize the Desire and Lustre 2 fixtures. Maybe that's all come true. As well, HES has been making some good ML gear recently, so hopefully we'll see that all merge and come together.


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## dvsDave (Mar 1, 2017)

I'm curious to see what the ETC booth at LDI 2017 is going to look like.


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## JohnD (Mar 1, 2017)

derekleffew said:


> Coming soon:
> WholeGio, HogEos, HedgeIon, IntellabeamRevolution.


Yes, but will it be the Hongo or the Hobalt?


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## Les (Mar 2, 2017)

gafftaper said:


> I'm sure the H.E.S. family will be relieved to find themselves part of ETC and not part of a certain giant corporate monster who keeps buying companies but doesn't seem to know what to do with them afterwards.



I'm not-so-secretly hoping ETC will someday take Vari-Lite off Philips' hands!


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## techieman33 (Mar 2, 2017)

Les said:


> I'm not-so-secretly hoping ETC will someday take Vari-Lite of Philips' hands!



That could be going to far. The market needs competition to keep innovating and improving.


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## Les (Mar 2, 2017)

techieman33 said:


> The market needs competition to keep innovating and improving.



That is true, and I agree in most cases, but Philips has not allowed VL to flourish. Granted they'd probably be out of business without them, but VL is not a strong competitor while in the hands of Philips IMO...


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## ruinexplorer (Mar 2, 2017)

Will they have to redesign the chassis on the EC-200? It is very Hog-ish.


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## gafftaper (Mar 2, 2017)

Les said:


> I'm not-so-secretly hoping ETC will someday take Vari-Lite of Philips' hands!


I think once ETC and HES have a few years working together you won't care what happens to VL.


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## Les (Mar 2, 2017)

gafftaper said:


> I think once ETC and HES have a few years working together you won't care what happens to VL.



Haha, that is true, and the industry's current ML offerings are more than I could ever take advantage of . But I have to admit to having a soft spot for VL – with them being such pioneers in the industry with a rich history, it would be sad to see them go.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 2, 2017)

Les said:


> Haha, that is true, and the industry's current ML offerings are more than I could ever take advantage of . But I have to admit to having a soft spot for VL – with them being such pioneers in the industry with a rich history, it would be sad to see them go.


I agree, but sad to see Strand, SECOA, Kliegl, Cinemoid, and others diminish and virtually if not actually disappear. (And I'm still waiting for Wenger to buy Strand and VL)


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## rsmentele (Mar 2, 2017)

I wouldn't be surprised if we still see some ETC branded moving LED options aside from the HES models. Maybe some shared technology on both ends


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## gafftaper (Mar 2, 2017)

rsmentele said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if we still see some ETC branded moving LED options aside from the HES models. Maybe some shared technology on both ends


That seems like the dream solution to me. Share some technology back and forth. Create a replacement product line at ETC for the Revolution at a highly competitive price point for the educational/community theater /HOW market. Then share ETC LED technology back giving HES products an even better look. 

The future could be very bright!


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## TheaterEd (Mar 2, 2017)

gafftaper said:


> The future could be very bright!


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## MikeJ (Mar 9, 2017)

Well seeing as ETC sucks at making moving lights, and Hog Sucks at running a theater show, it seems like a good fit. ETC has Control systems, consoles, rigging systems, LEDs and dimming. Really the only thing lacking as far as selling a turn key theater is moving lights. Well and audio, but they should probably just work on the moving light part for now.


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## Jay Ashworth (Mar 10, 2017)

And maybe they'll even fix the spelling of Intellibeam.


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## Footer (Mar 10, 2017)

Next up on the block will no doubt be Martin. Martin is owned by Harman (who also owns and destroyed soundcraft, JBL, AKG, and BSS). Harman is currently being bought by Samsung solely for their car tech. So, pretty soon both the phone in your pocket and the moving light on your truss will be Samsung. So, I forsee a fire sale of all of those brands in the near future.... and I bet they go cheap. 

The other thing this buy gets ETC is a programmer based moving light desk with a long heritage. That is certainly worth something in an age where GrandMA 2's are just as popular at FOH in a theatre as they are at a rock show.


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## RickR (Mar 10, 2017)

A year or so ago ETC put out a call for moving light experts and innovators. I read the notice as them looking for the next Big Thing in fixtures. Maybe they need someone that knows how to manufacture one and some tools and space to do so.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 10, 2017)

RickR said:


> A year or so ago ETC put out a call for moving light experts and innovators. I read the notice as them looking for the next Big Thing in fixtures. Maybe they need someone that knows how to manufacture one and some tools and space to do so.


Maybe they're just really smart and know a good deal when they can make it.


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## MNicolai (Mar 10, 2017)

Can't say I'm surprised. Irideon, LMI, Congo, Selador, and Vortek all seemed to be existing products that ETC decided to acquire and collaborate on to improve rather than cook up on their own.

Is it weird that my only real question about this is whether or not ETC will bridge the tech support gap between the two brands they've done in the past, or if they'll keep HES support a separate phone number from ETC?


Footer said:


> Next up on the block will no doubt be Martin. Martin is owned by Harman (who also owns and destroyed soundcraft, JBL, AKG, and BSS). Harman is currently being bought by Samsung solely for their car tech. So, pretty soon both the phone in your pocket and the moving light on your truss will be Samsung. So, I forsee a fire sale of all of those brands in the near future.... and I bet they go cheap.



From inside of Harman I've heard that Samsung is actually quite interested in these offerings, even though they intend to leave them pretty independent. I'm sure nobody will actually know how this shakes out though until it does (or doesn't). Harman is a mixed bag and the advantage they claim of being one provider that can handle everything is great for the sales part of project but blows up on the support side. Their brands simply don't talk to each other, collaborate, and verify compatibility. For years I've been told this is being taken care of but I have yet to see it actualize. The whole "shareholders' against the board of directors over the merger" class action lawsuit is pretty wild though, and an extension of the idea that within Harman, the left hand doesn't know, care, or accept what the right hand is doing.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Mar 10, 2017)

Well, ETC is a lighting and controls company, so a little more focused than the squeak business. TG.


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## gafftaper (Mar 12, 2017)

The word on the street at USITT is that things are progressing but not complete yet. Everyone seems very happy about the merger being great for both companies.


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## jxgriffi (Mar 24, 2017)

Talked to a few friends yesterday...word on the street is that it might be finalized in the next week or two.


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## JJBerman (Mar 31, 2017)

On the ETC website this morning:
https://www.etcconnect.com/About/News/ETC-acquires-High-End-Systems.aspx


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