DWR to Distribute Philips in South Africa

	Dan Riley with Strand dimmer

Johannesburg-based DWR Distribution has been appointed as the sole South African distributor for the Philips Selecon and Strand ranges of products.

DWR already distributes several premium brands, including Vari*Lite; and the beginnings of this latest agreement stem back to its confirmation as South Africa's Vari*Lite distributor at the end of 2008.

The real key with the Philips Strand/Selecon deal is that it enables DWR to offer full and comprehensive lighting packages to theatres, concert halls and arts centre installations, with dimmers, control, and a wide selection of luminaires.

DWR's managing director, Duncan Riley, explains that the specification, supply and installation of lighting into theatres is a currently expanding sector for the company. "With Philips Selecon and Strand on board, I have product ranges ideally suited to the caliber of projects we're working on -- whether large or small -- as the demand for either criteria is always for top-quality equipment that will be reliable and long-lasting."

Philips Strand/Selecon also slots perfectly into DWR's existing product portfolio, which includes Robe lighting, MA Lighting, Avolites, LSC, Strong, Le Maitre, MDG, Prolyte trussing, and LumenRadio.

The first DWR project to specify Philips Strand dimmers is the Natal Playhouse in Durban, which is undergoing a complete technical refurbishment. The contract involves replacing over 800 channels of dimming with the latest Philips/Strand EC21 dimmer racks and Vision.Net architectural controllers across the venue's three performance spaces (opera, drama, and loft).

A nice touch is that DWR's theatre specialist, Dan Riley, was involved in the previous dimming and control installation at Natal Playhouse back in the early 1980s when he was working for Strand. He says, "It's really great being involved with the Playhouse again with this new Philips/Strand upgrade, as many of the people who were involved with the original install are still there, and everyone is excited about the new technology."