Further expansion at PA and PRG

Some news of note from Production Arts (PA), which this past summer became a member company of the Production Resource Group (PRG).

Most importantly, industry veteran Bill Groener has signed on as its director of Northeast sales, following stints at Strand Lighting and Barbizon, and a number of years in design and production. "I am very happy and tremendously excited about this opportunity to become a member of the Production Arts team and to play a role in its growth and development under the PRG banner," Groener says.

And, across the pond, Glenn Wade is returning to the US, as PA's film and video rentals manager for the New York area. Wade had spent more than three years in London with Production Arts Europe. Alison Gill has been appointed sales manager of PA Europe, while Paul Highfield will continue as its technical manager. Plans are afoot to expand PA's commitment to large-format projection on the continent.

The PRG Lighting Group, meanwhile, is consolidating its Northeast locations under one roof, at a 130,000-sq.-ft. (11,700 sq. m) facility just a few minutes from New York City. Jeff Turner, formerly with Vanco Lighting Services in Orlando, is the general manager of the new Northeast headquarters, and he's working closely with Production Arts-New Jersey, Bash Lighting Services-New Jersey, and Bash-Baltimore to ensure a smooth transition. Says group president Steve Terry, "We will continue to maintain our sales presence in New Jersey, New York City, and Baltimore while relocating and consolidating our entire lighting inventory in this modern facility."

PRG, meanwhile, has appointed Seth L. Klion as its chief administrative officer. Klion, most recently with New York-based management services company DDS Partners LLC, will work from PRG's headquarters in New Windsor, NY.

"We're inventing a new way for small businesses to compete in today's marketplace," says PRG CEO Jere Harris. "Seth Klion will be the systems architect for our evolving company. His ability to use standard business practices in creative new ways is exactly what's called for at PRG."

Says Klion, whose background includes stints at Collegiate Health Care, Goldman Sachs & Company, Merrill Lynch, and Bankers Trust, "I want to free our business group leaders from using their time extracting, analyzing, and presenting data so they can concentrate on enhancing PRG's client relationships."