A 40-year industry veteran, Bill Groener has just launched a new company, GRO(2)B, a systems consulting firm. I first met Bill when he was at Strand Lighting (if we don’t go back to my days at Williamstown Theatre Festival when he worked at Williams College and one of his jobs was to keep the festival from using the college theatre department’s lighting fixtures!). Over the years, he has worked for various firms, most recently 4Wall Entertainment Lighting, and he is active in industry associations. At LDI this year, he will speak on the panel, The Importance of Systems Integrators, moderated by Tobin Neis of Barbizon.
1. What are the goals of your new company?
My primary goal is to be a true resource that helps to make essential connections, provide total solutions, and help design personnel achieve their visions.
2. What is role of a systems integrator, and what kind of projects call for them?
Design personnel should be able to spend the majority of their time on creative efforts for their clients. If design personnel can provide a fairly simple narrative of what they want to accomplish with their lighting system, a good system integrator should provide the detailed plans and specs that will provide a complete working system with the best equipment from any source that meets the functional requirements at a competitive price.
3. What will the panel at LDI discuss in terms of this role?
We will talk about why a systems integrator is beneficial, what types of projects benefit most from these services, what constitutes a qualified integrator, and how best to write a specification to get the equipment and services that are needed.
4. How have LEDs and other new technologies impacted the job of the integrator?
The evolution from analog (incandescent lights controlled by dimmers) to digital (LED devices and moving lights) lighting has drastically increased the complexity of control systems and has clearly illustrated that a qualified integrator can make or break a project.
5. What advice would you give to folks just entering the lighting business?
Many people start out as designers and production personnel. In that role, they have been taught to work hard, plan ahead, and be prepared. The best of them also learn to be receptive and appreciative of “happy accidents.” That same advice holds true for the “business of lighting.” “Work hard, plan ahead, be prepared, and be receptive and appreciative of ‘happy accidents.’” God knows that I have been the recipient of more than my fair share.