2022 Achievements by Thern Stage
Among our 2022 achievements, Thern Stage enjoyed another record year of growth and new distribution. The company reorganized the entire factory to provide a more streamlined manufacturing process. Also, the sales team expanded to provide better national coverage. Finally, after several years of isolation due to the pandemic, the company held several social events, both within Thern, in the Winona community, and beyond!
A Breakdown of Our 2022 Achievements
Company Developments
Throughout 2022, our production staff made several improvements in the plant to enhance product flow and provide greater efficiency. To help improve safety, aisleways were cleaned and marked with separate lanes for forklifts and pedestrians. We relocated and consolidated several assembly cells, and the shipping warehouse was cleaned, painted, and transformed with additional racking to improve the flow and staging of products for shipment. We also added new equipment to streamline processes and add production capacity to support increased product demand. On the office side, we updated workspaces with new paint and furniture to make them lighter, brighter, and more ergonomic.
Our Vice President of Engineering, Mark Boberg, had nothing but positive things to say about the improvements: “Change is a natural part of growth. We always need to be willing to look at what’s working and what’s not working to make improvements to continually get better and better at what we do. In 2022, we launched a bold new plan to transform the way we move parts through production. Our first big step was to clear space by removing all the material and equipment we no longer used or needed. We then had teams of people working on cleaning, painting, marking aisles, moving racking, analyzing and consolidating parts, moving work cells, and more. While we completed phase one, there is always more to be done. We continue to look for ways to make our production processes safer, more reliable, and more efficient.”
Team Expansion
As Thern Stage continues to grow, so does the sales team. Our customers regularly comment on our excellent customer service, and we’re proud of our ability to respond to our customer’s needs.
The first person that we hired, Austin Utley, was back in March of 2022. Austin is our newest theatrical technical sales representative. Before joining Thern Stage, Austin worked as an installer of theatrical equipment. He is based in Texas and supports our growth in the south of the country. As a seasoned installer of rigging equipment, Austin is the perfect person to assist our customers.
Another important hire in 2022 was Jerry Colmenero. Jerry is the regional representative for theater products sold in Mexico and Latin America. He has several decades of experience in live entertainment production across the United States and Mexico. Jerry provides a full range of representation for theater facilities, which compliments Thern Stage’s product line perfectly.
Thern Stage Equipment’s team is dedicated to their fellow employees, their products, and their dealer partners. Because they lean on their shared experiences in the world of rigging, they can provide the very best and most reliable stage rigging products with unmatched customer service.
Community Involvement
2022 was a year of increased social interactions at the company, both at Thern and beyond. In Winona, we showcased product at the Goodview Days Parade. Thern representatives visited career fairs at area colleges recruiting for internship opportunities, as well as full time hires. We also held multiple fundraiser events for causes like fighting cancer and the American Heart Association.
Outside of Winona, we participated in USITT in Baltimore, Maryland. Our Business Development Manager, Paul Brunner, said: “USITT 2022 was an excellent show for Thern Stage Equipment. After a couple of years of no face-to-face trade shows, it felt wonderful to get together again with everyone from the entertainment production industry. We saw old friends and made new ones. We love talking to our customers to help them better understand the principles of stage rigging and how our products can help them solve problems and make their productions better and run smoother.”
In conjunction with our global sales and marketing meeting during the month of July, our sales and marketing representatives from around the world met to strategize about distributor development, new product concepts, and digital marketing efforts. Since we’ve been unable to meet in person recently, it was extremely exciting for so many Thern employees to participate.
As our 2022 achievements show, it’s been another successful year for Thern Stage! We continue to improve, build, and grow. Most importantly, 2022 was the year of reconnecting with both our team and the Winona community. We are certain that 2023 will be another incredible year at Thern Stage.
