Marc Raymond, Founder and CEO of Q1 Production Technologies, Ted Fowler, Founder and President of Ed & Ted’s Excellent Lighting and Q1 partner and President Brian Konechny are pleased to announce that the companies have merged under the newly created corporate banner Epic Production Technologies.
In a joint statement the new partners said that the merger would create a fantastic vehicle for capitalizing on each company’s previous achievements in the industry and establish solid positioning for future growth.
The combination of Ed & Ted’s major presence in the concert touring market and Q1’s depth of experience in both live theatre and system integration brings together two of the most highly recognized teams of experts in the field of lighting and production for the event and live entertainment industries.
Ed & Ted’s was established in 1994 in Salt Lake City, UT and quickly emerged from the local rental market onto the national touring scene with their first major client, Alanis Morissette. Between 1996 and 2007 the company’s steady growth led to a strategic relocation to Southern California and ultimately into a state-of-the-art 40,000 sq.ft-plus facility. Vari-Lite veteran Kevin Forster joined Ed & Ted’s in 2001 and together with Ted built the company’s reputation on valuing strong client relationships as much as state-of-the-art equipment, truly becoming a premiere lighting supplier to many of the top touring artists in the country including Bon Jovi, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, George Michael, Beyonce and Matchbox 20. The company has also built a large roster of corporate and event clients.
Marc Raymond founded Canadian-based Q1 in 2001 after gaining recognition throughout the entertainment industry for building Westsun International from a local lighting rental facility into one of North America’s leading technical suppliers. At Q1 he and Konechny gathered a team of industry experts who have collectively played integral roles in some of the most prestigious, complex and innovative productions spanning the past two-and-a-half decades including Tony Award winning musicals Showboat, Ragtime and Disney’s The Lion King and the XV Winter Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies. Q1 has focused on the live theatre and project installation markets throughout North America and the UK and most recently the company has been involved in the North American premiere stage productions of The Lord of the Rings and Dirty Dancing as well as several major installation projects for AEG including the entire lighting and rigging system for NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE. In 2008 the company’s concert touring business included such varying artists as Kelly Clarkson, Motley Crue and long-time client Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Epic Production Technologies will focus on both rentals and sales with Ed & Ted’s Forster and Q1 Concert Touring VP and industry veteran Craig Redden continuing to service and build their prestigious concert touring clientele. Q1’s Konechny will oversee the new company’s system sales and integration projects. The newly merged companies will continue to operate on both sides of the border, maintaining the current facilities in Oxnard, California; Winnipeg, Manitoba and Vancouver, British Columbia, with all business activities marketed and managed under the new corporate name and administration.
The partners also announced that concurrent with the merger, the company has received an equity injection from Miami-based H.I.G. Capital, a leading global private investment firm with over $7.5 billion under management and seven offices in major US and European financial centers. The investment was coordinated through H.I.G.’s San Francisco office and will position Epic to increase their equipment acquisition capability in order to fully service their international client base.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ted Fowler 805.844.0064
Marc Raymond 204.470.9920