Rosco Laboratories has acquired the assets of DHA Lighting, including its extensive collection of standard steel and glass gobo designs. When combined with Rosco’s own range of several hundred designs, this strategic alliance creates a huge library of standard designs, supported by off-the-shelf inventory in sizes to fit both stationary and moving lights.
Both Rosco and DHA market their products through a world-wide network of re-sellers, mostly theatrical and film/TV lighting suppliers. This merger provides a wider range of products to all the independent re-sellers in that network.
DHA Lighting’s personnel and operations will be integrated into Rosco’s European headquarters in Sydenham, England. In a letter to Rosco customers, Kees Frijters, the company’s vice president for European operations, said: “We expect to have the people, inventory, and equipment in our facility some time over the summer. Meanwhile, DHA will continue as a Rosco company at its Emerson Street location in London, allowing all its phone, fax, and e-mail numbers to remain in place.”
DHA will continue as the UK’s largest supplier of custom gobos for theatrical and other applications. The entire staff of graphic artists and customer service people are continuing in their posts, enhanced by Rosco’s customer service and operational departments.
Rosco and DHA have a 20-year relationship during which Rosco managed distribution of the DHA brand of gobos in many parts of the world. David Hersey, the iconic lighting designer (and founder and majority shareholder in DHA Lighting) acknowledged the value of this relationship in a statement. “We’ve been together a long time and I couldn’t ask for a better partner for DHA than its biggest and longest established distributor," he says. "We know each other really well and this alliance ensures that both organizations can continue to grow.”
Rosco will manufacture and warehouse gobos and gobo-related equipment for European customers in or near its Sydenham base. Rosco’s US and Canadian customers will be serviced through its gobo-manufacturing and warehousing facility in Texas. Custom and standard products, in glass and steel, will be produced in both facilities.
“What a great blending this will be!" says Stan Miller, president, Rosco. "We welcome, with equal enthusiasm, the products and the people from DHA Lighting. This development opens lots of new opportunities in products and markets for all our agents, re-sellers, dealers, distributors, and their customers. I have firsthand experience with the magical results a company can achieve when the synergy is right and I know that this combination of Rosco and DHA will achieve those kinds of results. It will be an exciting time for us and for the entertainment community.”