We appreciate the additional support provided when Lex Products Corp. changed its membership level to Sustaining. Lex Products is an award-winning innovator which manufactures electrical and data products for theatre, live events, motion pictures, and convention centers. Among its products are PowerGate Company Switches, data cables for DMX, ethernet, color-changer and RFU cable. The company has won three Widget of the Year awards at LDI. Its entire line of products can be seen at www.lexproducts.com.

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We also appreciate Smooth-On, Inc. increasing its support of USITT by upgrading to a Sustaining membership. Smooth-On, based in Easton, Pennsylvania, manufactures Liquid RTV silicone and urethane rubbers, liquid urethane plastics, liquid urethane expanding foams, and numerous ancillary materials used for innovative and traditional moldmaking and casting applications. Smooth-On's products can be used for creating custom props, SPFX, sets, and themed environments, and can be found at www.smooth-on.com.

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CAST Software and BOXX Technologies Inc. have formed an alliance that lighting and event professionals everywhere need to hear about. It began with the goal in mind to enhance the overall usability of Vivien - Virtual Event Designer and WYSIWYG Production Design Suite. Testing completed by CAST revealed that running WYSIWYG on a BOXX 7400 Series Workstation increased overall functionality by producing shaded views and renderings up to four times faster, opened large files quicker, and made general application performance much more responsive.

For more information on CAST and its products, visit www.cast-soft.com.

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Leviton Manufacturing Company, North America's largest manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices, is celebrating its 100th year in business. With a rich tradition of innovation in the electrical industry, Leviton grew from its roots as a producer of mantle tips for gas lighting at the dawn of the electrical era into a giant in the electrical industry.

Leviton operates warehouses and distribution centers across the nation, has representatives in five continents and over 100 countries produces more than 25,000 different products for residential, commercial, industrial, and OEM customers. Products are marketed through electrical distributors, retailers, and direct to companies that purchase components to integrate into their own manufacturing operations.

A third generation, family-owned business, the company was founded by Isidor Leviton, father of the company's current CEO and Chairman of the Board, Harold Leviton. As part of its Centennial celebration, Leviton is offering special programs and promotions. For more information visit www.leviton.com.

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Designlab Chicago announced the addition of two experienced professionals to its production staff.

Garrison Franklin, formerly of On Location Lighting Systems, brings attention to detail, vast photometric knowledge, and easygoing people skills to the production manager position. Allen Stevens, most recently of Legacy Marketing Partners and former senior technical director of KBA Marketing, steps in to fill the vacancy of production account executive. Mr. Stevens' credits include events such as Camel Bartender's Ball (with Lenny Kravitz, James Brown, B-52's), Salem Green Ball tour (Wyclef Jean), and the Twix in the Mix tour (Mixmaster Mike).

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Stage Technologies will provide stage automation equipment onboard the latest cruise ship to be ordered by Cunard. The Queen Victoria is being built by Fincantieri in Marghera, Venice, for delivery in 2007.

Stage Technologies will supply and install the complete stage automation system. This will be the first non-Princess Lines ship to be fitted with Stage Technologies' second generation BigTow 2 winches and TanJent guidance system. The stage will be equipped with two scenery elevators, and Serapid tracks in the stage floor will be used for moving scenic items horizontally across and up/down stage. The contract includes catwalks, lighting trusses, and fixed lighting grids.

The automation control system will include an Acrobat control console with Chameleon application software, as well as the latest generation Solo hand held controllers. The position control system will use MaxisID, the latest generation of technology developed jointly by Stage Technologies and Siemens.

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Sapsis Rigging recently completed a fall arrest system for the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) in Philadelphia. The system was put into the Grand Hall, the renovated Reading Terminal Trainshed which is used for parties and events as well as larger exhibitions. Fall arrest was needed because there is not a great deal of lighting in the hall and when more is added there is lot of rigging to get those lights hung.
 
"We installed a fall arrest system for 44 purlins and five main arches," said Allison Helms, safety coordinator. This entailed 44 horizontal lifelines, eight self-retracting vertical lifelines, and five arched lifelines. The installation was completed in 11 days in March.
 
The biggest challenge of the project was the historic building itself, said Mike Yocum, project manager for Sapsis Rigging, who was in charge of the installation."Virtually every location on the steel where we put an anchor in for the lifelines is different in size or thickness. In addition there is the fact that when the whole building was restored, some repairs were done to the steel, which increased the size of steel in some areas."

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Those needing to reach Tobins Lake Sales should note that the company has moved to 11035 Hi Tech Drive, Whitmore Lake, MI 48189. Their new toll-free main telephone number is 888-525-3753 with the regular telephone number changing to 734-449-9810. The web address continues to be www.tobinslakesales.com. Bill Ebeling is president of the company.

The telephone, address, and internet access for Tobins Lake Studios, Inc. and TLS Productions has not changed.

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TOMCAT USA is providing equipment for the Soul 2 Soul II tour featuring Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The set features truss circles, including 50- and 19.5-foot OD medium duty circles and a 16-foot OD light duty circle. TOMCAT also provided the custom connections and motor pickup brackets needed to produce lighting effects. Custom four by six foot light frame pods were manufactured with special transport devises so they can move around the set.

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Altman Rentals now offers truss and chain hoists to its customers. Truss, mainly from James Thomas, Columbus McKinnon hoists plus rigging hardware and decking is now available. If needed, Altman Rental can also provide riggers for specific jobs. "We have always tried to provide our clients with everything that they need to make their lives easier," said Randy Altman, owner of Altman Rentals. "This was the next logical step for us."

For more on Altman Rental's offerings, including a large selection of LED technology, visit www.altmanrentals.com.

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