High End Systems has gone west--to Los Angeles. In August, the company officially opened a West Coast sales, support, and training facility in the San Fernando Valley.
Says Grif Palmer, director of sales in the US and Americas, "As our business continues to grow, we've had our eyes on opening in major markets such as Los Angeles and New York. We're excited about our new West Coast office, and the opportunity to support our dealer network and work closely with the professionals who use our lights. A new sales, technical, and programming staff will be based there to help increase sales, exposure, and visibility of our products to our dealers and other key influencers and users. All shipping orders and factory business, however, will continue to be generated from our Austin, TX, manufacturing site."
For its new Pacific beachhead, the company has hired a familiar face in the industry, John Wiseman. Wiseman, who has spent the last two years of a 19-year career in the concert industry as the vice president of entertainment sales for The Obie Company in Torrance, CA, says, "I'm thrilled to be joining High End Systems. I like being a liaison between the manufacturing of cutting-edge technology and the end-users. I enjoy being an advocate for the lighting designers, whether it's for concerts, television, film, theme parks. My career has been based on service and my focus will be on servicing those needs of the lighting professionals and the High End dealer network."
Adds Palmer, "We're excited to have John as part of the sales staff. He'll be taking on special projects where his industry skills, contacts, and vast experience will be helpful in influencing the key decision-makers in the lighting industry." High End West Coast is based at 8200 Haskell Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406; phone: 818/947-0550, fax: 818/908-8975.
High End has also hired a veteran of the financing field, Alan Garretson, to run its new wholly owned subsidiary, High End Financial Services (HEFS). HEFS, which is developing, marketing, and administering financial programs for the domestic and international marketplace, is offering leasing to its North American customers and one- to two-year notes internationally.