Pete Heffernan Joins Christie Lites Rentals

NASHVILLE  - Longtime industry veteran Pete Heffernan joins stage lighting industry leader Christie Lites. Heffernan was president of Bandit Lites for eight years prior to joining Christie Lites and his career spans more than three decades including as promoter of an Elvis Presley concert, lighting designer, production manager and finally as corporate executive.

Pete Heffernan has joined Christie Lites Rentals.Heffernan said, “Christie Lites is a company that puts the client first and has a methodology that in my opinion is tops in the industry. I have always placed the client’s needs first and then provided the support to make the production a success. Christie Lites is the perfect place for me to take this approach to the next level.”

Heffernan has relocated to Nashville and will focus on customer relations and market development for Christie Lites, whose scope includes concert tours, special events, corporate/industrial presentations, theater, and television & film.

Heffernan has already been introduced to the Christie Lites business model which calls for all offices in the Christie Lites rental network to work together for support - a model he admires, he said. “I am totally knocked out by the warehouse structure of Christie Lites. I have been in two and they are strikingly similar in setup, which allows the consistency of service from one shop to the next. With the many locations of Christie Lites, a job can be prepped from a nearby location, cutting down on trucking but allowing the client to know that the same top quality gear will arrive at their gig.”

The team at Christie Lites forms special relationships with lighting designers and other lighting specifiers, which they consider part of the “Christie Lites family.” Heffernan took notice of this immediately as well:

“One of the truly high points at Christie Lites is their relationship with lighting designers,” Heffernan says. “This is not just lip service - it is the way it is done. I think this culture creates the best model for business success and is one of the main reasons that I wanted to work for Huntly and his team.”

Heffernan got his start in the industry working with bands and artists such as Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Def Leppard, The Outlaws, and on support tours including Iron Maiden, AC/DC, The Scorpions, Foghat, Def Leppard, Molly Hatchet, and The Marshall Tucker Band. Pete was the Lighting Designer for Blackfoot, Production Manager for Quiet Riot, and then quickly moved up the ladder to, well, the “desk job” as an executive in senior management positions such as Director of Sales, COO and President - a role for which he’s most known.

Heffernan was also on the board of directors at his previous employer for 20 years and led the firm through many transitions including the challenging years following the great recession – as well as expansions in the US and overseas.

Ten years ago, while still working with his previous employer, he also created and ran Best Tech in Nashville, a company of skilled workers who specialized in the tech industry.

Combining decades of experience with all these varied roles in the industry, Heffernan will offer Christie Lites’ clients a variety of expertise that puts him in their shoes. “I have a great perspective that is both from a designer’s and production manager’s standpoint, which is more bang for the buck and getting the most out of every component of a job,” he notes.  

CL CEO Huntly Christie comments, “Pete is a straight shooter with an infectious out-of-the-box attitude. I personally look forward to working closely with him. His business savvy and long term industry relationships will be a great asset to the Christie Lites family. Whether close to home in Tennessee, or across the entire CL network, Pete is another great addition to our unique group of lighting industry ninjas.”

Heffernan can be reached via email at [email protected]
 

About Christie Lites:

Christie Lites is a full-service entertainment lighting and rigging company with a commitment to providing the best possible customer value through the use of focus, relationships and an efficiently systemized multi-office network. The company has been in business across the US and Canada for more than 30 years and continues to grow and expand organically as opportunities arise. www.christielites.com. Media contact: Debi Moen.