Strand closing UK manufacturing plant

[paulears]

Old news really, but not seen a mention here. I hadn't realised strand were 'consolidating' - cutting their 3 locations here down to just one, closing the Kirkaldy factory. Sales remain here, but the bu**ers are pulling out!

 

I don't suppose the UK will have much sway on products, so the existing service backup will be reliant on parts coming in from the US.

 

Makes you wonder what the 500 series will be replaced with. I understand the stock of spares for the non-I versions is now running out - after all, old motherboards haven't been available for a fair while now.

 

It's very sad when old established firms 'go west', but for Strand to relegate the UK to a large office seems like the final nail going in the coffin. Still, us old Strand devotees have been replaced at the younger end of the market with new blood for whom Strand holds no 'magic'. Perhaps their sales will reflect the importance Strand now obviously place on the UK market.

[gareth]

Old news really, but not seen a mention here. I hadn't realised strand were 'consolidating' - cutting their 3 locations here down to just one, closing the Kirkaldy factory. Sales remain here, but the bu**ers are pulling out!

I knew they were closing Kirkaldy and 'consolidating' to one location, but I wasn't aware that UK-based manufacturing operations were going to cease altogether. :(

 

I don't suppose the UK will have much sway on products, so the existing service backup will be reliant on parts coming in from the US.

As if the supply of Strand spares isn't tediously slow enough already ........

 

Makes you wonder what the 500 series will be replaced with.

*cough* Big Blue? *cough* ;)

 

It's very sad when old established firms 'go west', but for Strand to relegate the UK to a large office seems like the final nail going in the coffin. Still, us old Strand devotees have been replaced at the younger end of the market with new blood for whom Strand holds no 'magic'.    Perhaps their sales will reflect the importance Strand now obviously place on the UK market.

... which is clearly not very much. :) The Floral Street / Fred Bentham days are clearly gone and forgotten. I wonder what Fred would have to say about this decision if he were still around today?

 

Edit by Bryson. I win the "Quote Tag Challenge."

[Mush]

Old news really, but not seen a mention here. I hadn't realised strand were 'consolidating' - cutting their 3 locations here down to just one, closing the Kirkaldy factory. Sales remain here, but the bu**ers are pulling out!

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Just note its KirkCaldy, pronounced Kirk-coddy.

 

Strand factory still wears the Rank Gong man on water tower above the plant, Nairn Flair, lino makers for centuries moving out as well.

 

Hyundai memory plant nearby in Dunfermline never opened after absorbing £50m in grants, Motorola phone plant in Livingston closed couple of years back when grants ran out, last person to leave Scotland switch the lights out...

 

Always thought UK`s strength was research and development seems strange that Strand should relegate UK Ltd to just another sales office. Who is left in the UK entertainment lighting industry? CCT and Celco appear to still exist but are not the household names they once were, now Strand is leaving, mebbe UK is just a bit player on the world stage nowadays.

[Graham NZ]

Hi

 

Well I am pleased to say that we have a factory in the UK, and although you may not recognise us as a household name we do OK thanks as many users here will testify.

 

We do also sell internationally and have sales staff based in several markets. We do RnD in the UK and have in the past two years released several new products. If you come to PLASA you will see at least 5 products we have released in the past year.

 

Just to let you know we are trying to keep the UK flag flying in lighting control even if I am a Kiwi we have a couple of Irish, a German and a Maltese in the company :)

 

Graham

Zero 88

[Ken Coker]

Ironic, I suppose, that Adam Smith was born in Kirkcaldy.

 

Ken

[Brian]

One of the problems is that, contrary to what they might say, the UK government does sod all to help small (0-49 staff) and medium (50-249) sized companies who want to base themselves in the UK.

 

We see a constant stream of new laws which, somehow, we are expected to be experts in once we find out about them. We also see a deluge of rubbish coming out of europe. The lastest of which is RoHS (which probably isn't too bad) but then we also get WEEE.

[Mush]

Hi

 

Well I am pleased to say that we have a factory in the UK, and although you may not recognise us as a household name we do OK thanks as many users here will testify.

 

We do also sell internationally and have sales staff based in several markets. We do RnD in the UK and have in the past two years released several new products. If you come to PLASA you will see at least 5 products we have released in the past year.

 

Just to let you know we are trying to keep the UK flag flying in lighting control even if I am a Kiwi we have a couple of Irish, a German and a Maltese in the company  :)

 

Graham

Zero 88

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Oooops, er, guess just getting nostalgic.

 

Always like the look of the Celco Navigator for those glowing belts, suppose didn`t have to actually use one though.

 

CCT Silhouettes were staple fair for years.

 

Of course apart from the well respected Zero 88 still have Avolites, James Thomas Engineering and others...

[Ben]

Hi

 

Well I am pleased to say that we have a factory in the UK, and although you may not recognise us as a household name we do OK thanks as many users here will testify.

 

We do also sell internationally and have sales staff based in several markets. We do RnD in the UK and have in the past two years released several new products. If you come to PLASA you will see at least 5 products we have released in the past year.

 

Just to let you know we are trying to keep the UK flag flying in lighting control even if I am a Kiwi we have a couple of Irish, a German and a Maltese in the company  :)

 

Graham

Zero 88

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

well you say you have the factory but its polarons now :( soon to be renamed polaron manifacturing...

 

But its true the factory is there and is making all the lightprocessor kit now aswell.

 

Between Zero88 and Lightprocessor there is not much that cant be done with the kit coming out of the factory, always nice when its easy to get it quick and cheap as its not got internatinal shipping charges...

 

 

Ben Kovler

Lightfactor Service Manager

[Andrew C]

Anyone noticed what Selecon UK's address is? Hint:- It's in Cwmbran.

[Stu]

I warn you all now - well and truly engaging [rant] mode...

 

Like any pretty respectable UK theatre I/we have a large stock of Strand kit alot of which harks back to the classic age of Strand, the magic era as mentioned by Paul. Alot of it also harks back to the not so classic recent age which is basically another way to say that it's utter cr@p.

 

In the last few months I've been spending more and more time attempting to maintain the Strand stock which we have in house. In the course of this time I have attempted to contact Strand via e-mail, which basically is a waste of time. 4 or 5 seperate e-mails I have sent on seperate issues have never been met with a reply. Is this anyway to treat your customers? I don't think so. Even my recent query on the ABTT stand, which resulted in an e-mail address to try has so far been met with no reply. Tried ringing the other afternoon - no reply.

 

The lanterns in question from the 'not so classic era' are SL Mk1s which are only 3 years old, yet look like they are 30. In fact this'd be an insult to some of our better looking Sil 30s. They (the SLs) fall apart, have screws which strip at the slightest sight of a screwdriver, don't hold the cable into the gland properly, are impossible to get into the lampbase as the original method of inserting the bolts has left them literally welded into the lampbase (for which I was told they have changed this in the newer ones, not that this would help me) etc etc. Out of a stock of 40, I'd say 25-30 are suffering from exposed cores, an instant PAT failure. I'd like to sort them out, but how can I when this would mean taking the rig out the air for quite some time and also spending quite a bit of money in labour hours, spares and tools, something which I find quite hard to justify to those above me. Should I really justify this anyway when alot of the issues are manufacturing faults (as since corrected), I know 3yrs is out of the warranty but you'd expect it to last alot longer than this.

 

I think a company of Strand's pedigree should be able to build something to last more than a couple of years being moved about. Our 743s, while 30yrs old, only have very minor issues which wouldn't take long to fix, not unlike the time it's going to take to sort out the SLs.

 

I find it utterly embarrasing to put these lanterns on the rig in the state they are when visiting companies arrive. I know I can laugh with the proddie, but it still looks bad on me/us.

 

Anyway back to my point which links into this thread. Seems to me that Strand has forgotten it's past and not moved with the times. Surely this is demonstrated if they are going to move all manufacturing presence out of this country - what are we as users going to do now if spares stocks get held up in a shipment from the US?

 

Still, us old Strand devotees have been replaced at the younger end of the market with new blood for whom Strand holds no 'magic'.

Perhaps this is true of many, but as someone who has been bought up on Strand kit I know what they did in the past and that if they spent a bit of time getting it right, what they could be capable of now. The 743 is undoubtably the best 1kw fresnel, yet all that is available now from Strand is the Cantata - a solid workhorse but there is better kit out there even if you do have to pay a bit more for it (RJ). Same can be said about their profiles (as explained) and dimmers (ETC Sensors are better in my opinion). Schools market seems to be well overtaken by the Selecon Acclaims (very nice kit for what it is, the Acclaim F simply beats the Quartet F hands down) or ETC S4 Jrs (only £10-£15 more than a Quartet 15/25 & 22/40) and Zero88 who seem to be making the better lower end dimmers and desks.

 

Are Strand trying to drive themselves out of the UK market in the hope that one day they can quitely make an exit SL and no one will notice? I've been thinking that if it wasn't for the 500-series (a fine desk) their UK presence in the theatre world now would be almost non-existant.

 

They probably have shot themselves in the foot long term as the younger blood who haven't been captured by the magic of Strand aren't going to buy with them now, but with ETC or Selecon or RJ. If Strand had moved with the times, they'd have the young blood by the balls who'd be speccing equipement for many years to come. I personally have plenty of buying years ahead of me, maybe I might be buying some new stock soon, maybe I won't, but no one thing I do know is - it won't be with Strand.

 

Perhaps if anyone from Strand is reading this they could make a comment on what this move is going to mean for us end users? And also, if anyone from Strand is reading this, perhaps they'd like to get in touch with me re: the SLs issues as I'm fed up of trying to contact you.

 

[/rant]

 

Stu

[iaindennis]

All,

 

Firstly, having been speaking to Strand over the past few weeks, I think it is a little premature to assume that all manufacture will leave the UK / Europe. I understand that the final decision has not yet been made but lantern manufacture will not be going to the US.

 

On parts, its a lottery but the key is to speak to Gary Wood at Kirkcaldy. gawood@stranduk.com . My experience is that he knows every screw on every lantern and you get decisive advice, part numbers and stock level information which makes ordering through a dealer a dream.

 

Some strand products are now a little long in the tooth I have to agree. Although much of the future launch information is shrouded in secrecy, I understand that a raft of new products are close to launch.

 

Lets hope that the immenant relocation of company does not result in throwing the helpful and knowledgeable staff out of the window. However the current generation of products are percieved right now, support should continue until those products end thier useful lives.

 

Iain

[paulears]

Nice to see Iain on the list. I'd love to know how he manages to find all the interesting kit he does!

[Stu]

Just a quick update....

 

Strand gave me a call just a few minutes ago so I take back alot of what I said last night - I think spending the day sort out zoom lens with them had pushed me over the edge.

 

Strand are trying to get back in touch with the end user, after having made the change to distrubutor support a few years ago. Hopefully it'll be sorted out now, it'd would have been a shame to tar my image of Strand just because of the SLs :)

 

A suitably far more relieved Stu

 

(Post edited by OP to remove personal information)

[gareth]

Firstly, having been speaking to Strand over the past few weeks, I think it is a little premature to assume that all manufacture will leave the UK / Europe. I understand that the final decision has not yet been made but lantern manufacture will not be going to the US.

Lanterns will be manufactured in Italy, apparently. USA, mainland Europe, whereever - the fact remains that Strand's manufacturing operations in the UK, which is something that they've been doing since the very beginning, will apparently cease (with the loss of many, many jobs).

[paulears]

Well, today, while the new winches were being fitted, I threw away more Strand old kit than I'd like to talk about. It is a real shame that none of the replacements will be Strand, but another American make.