# Orchestra Pit Net Vendors



## blueeyesdesigns (Jan 31, 2022)

My venue has an orchestra pit lift (Gala) that spends the majority of its time at audience level (~-2') as home to our first two rows of seats. I've installed retractable warning lines for when the lift is down in a working or maintenance situation to access the pit. Very, very rarely, it does actually get lowered down completely and used as a traditional orchestra pit. We'd like to install a removable pit net, like the InCord solutions, to use for those shows. I've gotten an estimate from InCord, but the problem is, we're state-financed and our purchasing rules require multiple quotes from different vendors for a project this size. Does anyone know of another vendor that does nets like that? My googling is turning up a lot of hard platforms or industrial/worksite net solutions, but I'm struggling to find someone with similar products in their portfolios.


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## avkid (Jan 31, 2022)

Many installers custom make them per job.
Maybe solicit a few of them.
https://www.smitheater.com/fall-protection-safety-netting/


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## TheaterEd (Jan 31, 2022)

I will make one for you for One Million Dollars!!! I understand if you need to go with a lower bid....


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## MNicolai (Feb 1, 2022)

You get could get 3 contractors to all price an Incord "or approved equal" solution. Everyone will probably bid Incord for the product and then put their own labor on it. Reality is Incord may give you an _estimate_, but they are not the ones performing the actual installation. You will need a contractor engaged for physical installation and to get actual quotes.


avkid said:


> Many installers custom make them per job.
> Maybe solicit a few of them.
> https://www.smitheater.com/fall-protection-safety-netting/



The photos on their site are from Incord. They may not come right out and say it, but they are selling Incord systems that they just provide the installation of.


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## SteveB (Feb 1, 2022)

Does Inchord have a dealer network ?, You could get quotes for an Inchord from 3 vendors, all saying "approved equal" which gives the option for a vendor to source a different manufacturer.


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## Colin (Feb 1, 2022)

My landlord happens to own InCord. Sent her this thread to see if they can facilitate; not sure how far they'd wade into arranging bids, but if they do have dealers they work with then...


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## Joe Menhart (Feb 2, 2022)

Hello everyone. I am Joe Menhart, the Theatre Division Sales Manager at InCord. Please contact me directly and I would be happy to help. [email protected]. 860-531-1046. Listed on our website https://incord.com/theatre-division/ you can find over 35 distributors who are trained and authorized to sell, service and install authentic InCord orchestra pit nets. InCord is the manufacturer. We are not aware of any known equal product for safety netting to cover an orchestra pit. Each orchestra pit net is custom made by our skilled artisans to the exact shape and size as specified after a thorough site survey and field check. For a quote, please contact one of our theatre partners with whom you may already do business. We often provide bid pricing to multiple distributors for the same project. I would enjoy meeting you in person at USITT, NAMM, or LDI.


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## Joe Menhart (Feb 2, 2022)

SMI is one of our Partners. We make nets for them. They use our pictures on their site with our permission. SMI does site surveys and installations for us. Please contact me directly and I would be happy to discuss this further.


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## Van (Feb 3, 2022)

We use Incord and appreciate the heck out of them!


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## Ted jones (Feb 9, 2022)

Van said:


> We use Incord and appreciate the heck out of them!


Us too!

T


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## Bob Musser (Feb 9, 2022)

blueeyesdesigns said:


> My venue has an orchestra pit lift (Gala) that spends the majority of its time at audience level (~-2') as home to our first two rows of seats. I've installed retractable warning lines for when the lift is down in a working or maintenance situation to access the pit. Very, very rarely, it does actually get lowered down completely and used as a traditional orchestra pit. We'd like to install a removable pit net, like the InCord solutions, to use for those shows. I've gotten an estimate from InCord, but the problem is, we're state-financed and our purchasing rules require multiple quotes from different vendors for a project this size. Does anyone know of another vendor that does nets like that? My googling is turning up a lot of hard platforms or industrial/worksite net solutions, but I'm struggling to find someone with similar products in their portfolios.


I work at a college, and we can get a "sole source waiver" for specialized equipment or services where there is only a single vendor. Might want to check with your purchasing people and see if that is an option.


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## Joe Menhart (Feb 9, 2022)

Bob Musser said:


> I work at a college, and we can get a "sole source waiver" for specialized equipment or services where there is only a single vendor. Might want to check with your purchasing people and see if that is an option.


Check out the InCord website. Many theater distributors are listed who can quote an InCord OPN. More information is also above in this same thread.


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## MNicolai (Feb 9, 2022)

Yeah, just to be clear, sole source limitations are generally when you are supplying products from a single vendor. In this case the vendor is an installation contractor, which InCord is not. You are not purchasing the product directly from InCord. You are purchasing it from any number of possible installation contractors.

You would write an RFP and distribute to a half-dozen theater contractors, receive multiple bids even if it is the same core product all are bidding on, and proceed from there. For fairness, you want to make sure you are issuing the _same _RFP to multiple vendors -- not opening 7 email chains with each of the different vendors who then all get a different idea of what the project scope actually is. Everybody should be bidding on the same set of facts and requirements.

Now if there was some other pit net vendor that wanted to have their product considered for substitution and you did not offer them the opportunity to have that be considered, then that could invite some complaints, but if you list the RFP spec as "InCord or approved equal", you are in the clear and anyone is welcome to propose a suitable equal -- almost certainly no one will because it's a very niche market -- and just because someone submits a substitution request does not obligate you to approve them.

State procurement policies can still be very finicky and detailed and should be reviewed prior to issuing an RFP, but you do not need to search high and low for 2 other manufacturers of netting systems for the purpose of issuing a fair and competitive RFP.


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## J Katz (Feb 10, 2022)

All Broadway nets are InCord. I cant recommend them enough!

If you need a second quote call Pucuda Leading Edge in Madison CT 

Also Hire McLaren Engineering in Woodcliff NJ to do all the fall arrest calculations.

Post a picture once you are done!


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## Jay Ashworth (Feb 16, 2022)

Sidebar: if you don't run that lift up and down in anger much, do you do it regularly so as to keep it from dying in place?


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