Now celebrating 14-years, this Iowa-based manufacturer has grown its independent sales rep network with the appointment of four new firms; installed a robotics PNP assembly line / ANSI clean room where it is now making its all-new masking motor control system, and announces no price increases for 2024
Ames, IA – January 17, 2024 – With a reputation for performance, craftsmanship and custom capabilities, and now entering its 14th year of operation, with thousands of immersive film screens and masking systems placed across North America — many in VIP screening rooms, CEDIA Lifestyle award winning installations and post-production facilities — Seymour-Screen Excellence continues to “check all the right boxes” for discerning theater designers, acousticians, calibrators, studio engineers, and independent manufacturer rep firms.
Steadily increasing its footprint in North America since its launch in 2010, Seymour-Screen Excellence is perhaps best known for its acoustically transparent Enlightor Neo, Bright, and PRO film screen surfaces and TRIM, TAM, ART, and Retro motorized masking systems. These, along with its Reference and Series 1, 2, 3 fixed-frame designs; a multi-aspect ratio motorized retractable (MFR); Ambient-Visionaire 16K Silver / Black ALR series, plus Radiant White / Gray solid surfaces, are all available in standard and custom sizes. Comprised of premium materials, the projection systems are handmade at and ship from the company’s factory in Ames, Iowa.
Additionally, Seymour’s “Fly the Factory Guy” option brings onsite installation of motorized screen/masking systems by Managing Director Chris Seymour or other Seymour technicians.
As in the past, at 2023 CEDIA Expo, Seymour-Screen Excellence put its best foot forward. There it demonstrated its ‘build on-wall’ Adjustable Ratio Theater (ART) 4-way Masking System and Enlightor-Neo 4K HDR immersive film screen surface at 13.5 feet wide, mated to a Barco Residential Njord Cinemascope 5K 3-Chip DLP projector and high-performance TLD+ short throw lens, and madVR Envy Extreme video processor. This system was integrated with a 16,800-watts active, fully digital 11.16.6 AES67 Audio-over-IP immersive audio setup from StormAudio and Grimani Systems, for an overall system MSRP of ~$500K.
The end-result was an awe-inspiring Expo demo experienced by nearly 1,000 attendees across the 3-day show, earning it high industry praise including a Best of Show award by AVS Forum, and driving heightened interest in Seymour-Screen Excellence by dealers and sales rep firms.
This month powerhouse rep firm Morris Tait Associates began representing Seymour-Screen Excellence in Southern California and Hawaii, and starting February, in Clark County Nevada, and Arizona. MTA’s team consists of veterans John MacDonald, Darren Kolotyluk, Brenda Kehler, Jeff Malik, Kevin Whitmer, John Savali, Scott Wallis, Matthew Grover, and Alison Morgan. MTA offers dealers solutions of the same pedigree as Seymour such as StormAudio, Wisdom Audio, Sony projectors, and Sonance/James Loudspeakers, and is well-versed in film screens having represented several lines in the past.
“The Morris Tait team is really excited to able to partner with Seymour-Screen Excellence and provide top-tier projection screens to our dealer base in the Southwest US,” said MTA president John MacDonald.
Other new appointments include Nova Marketing (Michael Doperalski) which reps Expo demo partners Grimani Systems, StormAudio, Barco residential and RowOne in the Upper Midwest; Savvy Sales and Marketing (Shawn Nanney), which reps Barco residential and more in the Midwest, and MJP Marketing (Michael Pupo, Jack Rainey) which reps RowOne and other premium brands in the Mid-Atlantic.
“Everyone’s excited about these new partnerships and associated synergies,” said Chris Seymour. “Seymour-Screen Excellence takes pride in what it does, in delivering the best possible home theater experience, and one that will last in the client’s home forever. Morris Tait, Nova Marketing, Savvy Sales and Marketing and MJP Marketing – we had the good fortune to spend quality time with these folks at CEDIA Expo and it was easy to see that their passion matches ours.”
New Motor Control System
“Other big news is the launch of our Series ONE masking control system. Designed and manufactured in our facility in Ames, Iowa, this was a project spearheaded by our Operations Director Evan Zerby. We recently installed a state-of-the-art robotic PNP assembly line — to the tune of a six-figures investment — which is the centerpiece of our new ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021 PCB assembly clean room. With this investment we can iterate new product development quickly and truly say that our screens and controls are 100% Made-in-the-USA. The controls are compatible with all home automation platforms and offer connectivity with WiFi, IR and RF and will be forward compatible as well,” added Seymour.
No Price Increase for 2024 and Still Free Delivery within Continental US
“I am also thrilled to announce that we are carrying our 2023 pricing into 2024, meaning no price increases. This is quite a feat given we continue to utilize premium screen surfaces and black velvet boarders, the finest extruded aluminum for our frames, still ship our masking systems in custom-built wooden crates and do not charge our dealers for delivery. Which brands can say that?” posed Seymour.
About Seymour-Screen Excellence
Founded in 2010 as a joint venture by US-based Seymour AV (Chris Seymour) and UK-based Screen Excellence (Patrice Congard), Seymour-Screen Excellence combines the leadership and innovation of their acoustically transparent projection screen materials for high-end custom installers in N. America. The company’s state-of-the-art screens provide flawless picture quality and acoustic transparency, superior to traditional perforated screens or other less exacting woven materials. Manufacturing takes place at the company’s factory in Ames, Iowa.
In recent years S-SE has expanded its offerings with many innovative solutions created by Chris Seymour. These include:
– Ambient-Visionaire 16K ambient light-rejecting screen surfaces
– The channel’s first color temperature tunable white bias LED back lighting kits for fixed frame screens
– Entry-level TRIM masking system; the True Aspect Masking (TAM) single- and 4-way motorized masking systems
– Build-on-wall Adjustable Ratio Theater (ART) motorized masking system (2019 CEDIA Best New Hardware Product)
– Retro Masking System (2022 CEDIA Expo Best New Hardware Product) adds motorized masking to all scope screens
In 2017, S-SE, in joint-demo with Audio Excellence and Wolf Cinema, was recognized by AVS Forum as Best 2017 CEDIA Expo Home Theater Demo and again in 2023 with demo partners StormAudio, Grimani Systems and RowOne Seating.
Seymour-Screen Excellence can be reached at 515.450.5694 and 515.268.3369. For more information on the company and all its products please visit www.seymourscreenexcellence.com. Follow S-SE on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SeymourScreenExcellence/ and Twitter @SeymourScreenEx
