GEARHOUSE BITTEN BY VIPERS
About eighteen months ago Gearhouse South Africa's Ofer Lapid (Founder and Managing Director) and Tim Dunn (Design and Concept) accompanied Bruce Schwartz (Entertainment Lighting Manager of Electrosonic SA) on a trip to Arhus, Denmark.
Arhus is Denmark's second biggest city and home to 1.25 million people; it's also home to one of the world's top automated lighting and control manufacturers - Martin Professional. Their mission was to check out Martin's new range of automated fixtures. After eight years of faithful service Gearhouse's ever-reliable Martin MAC 2000s were starting to take strain.
The intrepid three were fortified against the Scandinavian winter chill with plenty of tasty food and good wine. But merrymaking was not the main purpose of the trip: there was serious work to be done. Peter Skytte and Peter Dahlin from Martin Professional treated Ofer, Tim and Bruce to a sneak preview of the Viper series. Back then there were only two early prototypes and these units were still some way from completion; the two Peters had to be careful not to damage the fragile mockup on the bench. The preview was a success and Ofer and Tim were delighted that they'd found a worthy replacement for their treasured '2ks'.
Many automated lighting manufacturers make the mistake of trying to over-stuff fixtures with too many options. Martin stuck to the basics: a solid, compact, very bright light that offers superb optics and a range of compatible fixtures. Like its legendary predecessor - a real touring workhorse. Martin has unveiled a viper worthy of the name: a supreme competitor with bite and venom.
The only problem for Ofer and Tim was that they would have to wait out the field tests, and the spec'ing of the units on international riders, before the Vipers could go into commercial production. So they used the trip as an opportunity to get a bit of TLC for the 2ks. A spreadsheet was compiled in which each and every MAC 2k in Gearhouse's inventory was recorded and the necessary spares applied. The Danes also helped out by hastily assembling some emergency spare parts.
By the time January 2013 rolled around Gearhouse's Durban branch was in dire need of larger format fixtures. Ofer, and Branch Manager Ashley Singh, took this as an opportunity to trial run the Vipers in sunny South Africa – and so they invested in twelve Martin MAC Viper Profiles and some Martin M-Series Desks. Like its venomous namesake, the Vipers showed that they are as comfortable in Africa as they are in other parts of the world. Many South African LDs (Lighting Designers) got the chance to work with the Vipers, and they were mightily impressed. The comments followed a familiar theme: "Vipers are a winner". LDs consistently praised them; using terms like: 'bright', 'compact', 'versatile', 'amazingly simple workhorses'.
In March 2013 the range of Viper Fixtures was up to 6 variations (Profile, Wash, Wash with Internal Barndoors, Air FX, Air FX with Quad array) and it was clear that Martin Vipers were fast establishing themselves as the fixture of choice for many international riders. The Prolight + Sound International Trade Fair in Frankfurt in April 2013 proved a good time for the South Africans to lock down some deals with Martin Professional. The audio and infotainment group, Harman, had acquired Martin Professional in late 2012. But this was no obstacle to some fruitful negotiations a few months later where Electrosonic SA and Gearhouse (represented by joint Managing Directors, Ofer Lapid and Nasser Abbas) met with the Martin team. A deal was struck and the Vipers started to make their way to South Africa.
Gearhouse now has 72 Viper Profiles in its inventory with plans for more units. Gearhouse is currently the sole member in Africa of the growing MGAP (Martin Global Alliance Partner). This partnership has many benefits for both members and non-members who are looking for a trusted, accredited and up-to-date rental house to supply fixtures and staff on world tours. By networking with other MGAP members Gearhouse is in a unique position to leverage knowledge and also share its vast knowledge gained over the years.
The new Gearhouse Vipers barely touched the ground before they were checked and deployed on their first job, The Bidvest Annual Chairman's Awards at the Sandton Convention Centre.
THE HISTORY OF GEARHOUSE SA
Gearhouse South Africa was founded by Israeli-born Ofer Lapid. As a youngster Ofer was passionate about working backstage on gigs and live events. In the mid-eighties he toured South Africa with an Israeli act and developed a kinship with the African continent. He stayed on to work on a show at the Civic Theatre (now Johannesburg Theatre) before landing a job at the State Theatre, followed by a position at Sun City.
After a year at Sun City, Ofer recognised the importance of constantly investing in equipment and keeping pace with technological change. It was a seed of an idea that germinated when Ofer was invited to tour with Johnny Clegg in 1989. It was in that year that he started Lighting Unlimited. In 1993 Ofer expanded his offering by founding Stage Design; and then in 1995 he bought four generators and founded Woza Power.
In 1996 Ofer sold the three businesses to Gearhouse, a UK based company that had dozens of branches around the world, but stayed on to run the South African operation. When, in 2001, Gearhouse went into receivership in the UK, it seemed the end of the road for the South African branch, but Ofer had other ideas. The easy solution would have been to allow the business to go bankrupt and then buy the gear off the liquidators. Ofer's sense of loyalty to his crew, to his suppliers, and to the industry resulted in a management buy-out of the South African division of Gearhouse, which has since continued as a privately-owned entity known as Gearhouse South Africa. Lapid remains the Managing Director of the company.
Gearhouse describes itself as a locally based, proudly South African, Total Technical Solution Group. The company has branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban and a fleet of trucks and vehicles that crisscross Southern Africa bringing top-class technical solutions to myriad events. Such is Gearhouse SA's reputation that they even provide services into other parts of Africa, and indeed worldwide.
The environment at the company is a nurturing one, both professionally and personally. There is a commitment to growing people by giving them on-going training and skills development.
Little wonder that Gearhouse is the service provider of choice for international events taking place in South Africa.