Q1 Production Technologies chairman and CEO Marc Raymond, along with president and COO Brian Konechny, are pleased to announce that Ben Kantorovich has been appointed vice president of rentals, effective January 14, 2008.
Kantorovich’s arrival at Q1 will reunite him with many of the friends and colleagues he has worked with since the beginning of his career in the industry. In his new Toronto-based position he will oversee the operation and growth of all Q1 rental activities as well as provide hands on support for the company’s valued client base in the Ontario market.
Kantorovich comes to Q1 directly following a five-year stint at Christie Lites Toronto where he focused on the local and regional theatre markets. His long history in the lighting business began in 1979 when he started a small rental operation in Winnipeg, Canada. In 1981 he held the position of rentals manager at Westsun until his move to Toronto in 1986 to pursue other business interests. In 1989, Kantorovich returned to the world of stage lighting when he returned to Westsun and the newly-created Westsun Toronto operation, established largely in response to Toronto’s growing theatre market. For more than a decade Ben oversaw operations for Westsun Toronto as it became the major theatre lighting company in Ontario. After Westsun Toronto was sold to PRG in 2002, Kantorovich joined Huntly Christie.
According to Marc Raymond, Kantorovich’s arrival at Q1 is akin to the return of a family member. “We have been really fortunate at Q1 to welcome so many of the best and brightest from the Westsun team, and having Ben here has great personal significance for me because of the integral role he played in the early days of my business career. It’s just a great way for the company to start off the New Year.”
Raymond and Konechny also announced that beginning January, 2008, Q1 veteran Craig Redden will assume the title of vice president of concert touring where he will continue to focus on expanding the company’s international client base.