Clair Companies
| Formerly | Clair Brothers Audio Systems |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Entertainment technology |
| Founded | 1989 in Lititz, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | clairbrothers.com clairsolutions.com |
Clair Companies is an entertainment technology company and the umbrella for two brands in the industry: Clair Brothers, a loudspeaker system manufacturer, and Clair Solutions, an AVL (audio, video and lighting) system design and installation company.
History
Brothers Gene Clair and Roy Clair began providing sound reinforcement services for touring bands beginning in 1966. In 1970, they formed Clair Bros. Audio Enterprises, Inc., which now operates under the name Clair Global.[1] In 1989, the company formed a spin-off, Clair Bros. Audio Systems, Inc., for designing and installing permanent audio systems in various venues, staffing the venture with employees who were not traveling with a live tour.[2] Roy's son, Barry, led this new venture to serve the fixed installation market.
This spin-off division grew and in 2009, moved to a separate location in nearby Manheim, Pennsylvania.[2]
As the installation business grew, the company formed two divisions: one for manufacturing audio equipment and one for installing AVL systems. In August 2014, the company rebranded as Clair Companies, an umbrella for these two divisions.[3] The manufacturing division operates under the shortened trade name Clair Brothers, while the installation division operates under the trade name Clair Solutions.[4]
Clair Brothers
Clair Brothers manufactures a full line of professional loudspeaker products and systems. Their products include the kiT Series and iSeries.[5][6]
Clair Solutions
Clair Solutions designs and installs integrated audio, visual, and lighting systems. Despite being under the same umbrella brand as Clair Brothers, systems installed by Clair Solutions use speakers and other audio equipment manufactured by other brands beside Clair Brothers.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Young, Clive (March 17, 2011). "ClairShowco Rebranded As Clair". Pro Sound News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Mekeel, Tim (June 15, 2009). "Clair Brothers opens $4.9M Manheim facility". LancasterOnline. Lancaster New Era (PA). Retrieved January 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Mekeel, Tim (September 5, 2014). "Clair Brothers rebrands to separate installation and audio speaker businesses". LancasterOnline. Lancaster New Era (PA). Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Clair Bros. Audio Systems, Inc. Creates Separate Manufacturing And AVL Integration Divisions". Live Design. August 1, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
- ^ Crews, Naomi (April 30, 2015). "Clair Brothers Launches Five New Self-Powered Speakers in Kit Series". FOH Online.
- ^ Petersen, George (July 13, 2015). "Technology Spotlight: Clair Brothers kiT+ Series Speakers". FOH Online. Retrieved January 12, 2016.