Clair Solutions is Called on to Install Conferencing Systems that Shine for Harrington Hoists, Inc.

Founded in 1867 and headquartered in Manheim, Pennsylvania, Harrington Hoists, Inc. is an international leader in the manufacture of industrial hoists, cranes, below-the-hook lifting devices, and material handling equipment, the company says. Part of the reason for its longevity and success is a company culture that prioritizes client satisfaction above all else. In order to stay ahead of the curve, Harrington Hoists, Inc. recently renovated adjacent portions of its Manheim manufacturing space to serve as a training facility and as a conference room. In addition to failsafe and foolproof teleconferencing capabilities in both spaces, management and staff wanted state-of-the-art audio-visual systems. AVL design-build firm Clair Solutions stepped up to exceed expectations using a strategic combination of pro components designed to leave a real and lasting impression on those who experience the entire system in action.

"Aesthetically, Harrington wanted to keep the industrial feel of the space for the training facility and conference room," says Herb Suereth, regional sales manager at Clair Solutions. "After all, their clients are in the construction trades and industrial markets, and their entire business is built on the need to move large, heavy, or awkward items with industrial equipment. They had two major requests. First, they wanted an AV system that would work, and work well, every single time, no matter how technically savvy (or not) the user was. Second, they wanted a sound and video system that would truly rock for the training facility. They wanted to entertain and impress their trainees and to also have the ability to host listening events and movies for Harrington staff. They wanted these rooms to be a point of pride."

Although Clair Solutions has national and international reach, it's also headquartered in Manheim, Pennsylvania, and its reputation and local presence made it a natural choice for Harrington Hoists, Inc. "Perhaps because of the Clair companies' history, which started in live sound production in the 1960s we're well known in the industry for designing and installing AVL systems in concert halls, theaters, and other event spaces," Suereth says. "The system is bulletproof and simple to use with the cream on top being great sound!"

Joe Holcomb, project manager and systems designer at Clair Solutions, designed and led the installation of both systems at Harrington. The timeline was short. Walls were already open when Clair Solutions joined the project, and they were slated to close in a matter of weeks to be ready for a previously-scheduled international training event. Because the budget was tight, Holcomb worked with Harrington staff to deliver well on the essentials. First and foremost, Holcomb specified a fully-integrated QSC video conferencing system centered on a QSC CORE 110f Q-SYS DSP engine and QSC TSC touchscreen controllers. A QSC I/O USB Bridge allows users to hook up any computer to the system and the professional-grade camera and microphone systems immediately become an extension of the computer's AV systems. Importantly, the system works with any computer and any virtual meeting software.

"They really wanted to be able to wow people," Holcomb says. "The Clair Brothers R2D-III full-range loudspeakers and the Clair Brothers CS18-II subwoofer are powered by a four-channel Lab.gruppen CB-D 40:4L amplifier. They can fire that system up and hear it literally throughout the factory!" That substantive audio system is complemented by a Digital Projection E-Vision Laser 10K digital projector firing on a 16' screen and flanked by two 75" Samsung monitors. A QSC PTZ-Series camera delivers HD video via the I/O-USB Bridge. An Atlona vid switcher handles video switching duties in the training room and is controlled by the QSys Core. A combination of Sennheiser wireless and Countryman microphones ensure excellent audio capture of key meeting participants. Via the QSC I/O-USB Bridge, any modern device can host a meeting with truly professional-grade quality and reliability.

The conference room is used more for executive-level meetings, but it still makes good use of the authentic industrial aesthetic preserved from the space's former use. QSC AC-C8T in ceiling loudspeakers provide clean, intelligible output, and a QSC AD-C81Tw subwoofer brings the bass when needed. A 75" Avocor touchscreen display with a built-in PC serves as the main video output flanked by a 75" Samsung standard display. Again, a QSC PTZ-Series camera delivers HD video via the I/O USB. Finally, a Shure MXA910W microphone ceiling array gives Harrington executives highly-intelligible voice capture for transparent, effortless teleconferencing sessions.