Best Dealers for Supplies & Equipment

A common Question on CB is "Where should I buy from?" The majority of CB pros agree that the best place is your local dealer. While the big national dealers or Internet dealers may be able to offer you a better price at times they are not going to be able save your show if something goes wrong on a Saturday night. Having an established relationship with your local dealer will possibly save you. On more than one occasion I've had the owner (or a sales person) from my local dealer stop by on his/her way home from work to drop off another unit to get my show up and running. Finally, having a long term relationship with a local dealer will get you better prices from that dealer, that will come close to what the national and Internet dealers can offer. At the bottom of this post you will find a list of recommended local dealers.

Due to purchasing restrictions or where you are physically located, establishing a relationship with a local dealer may not be possible (or maybe you just don't like them). In that case there are several major national dealers with regional offices to consider such as:

Large National Dealers in General Theatrical Supply:

Mainstage with offices in Milwaukee, Pensacola, and Memphis.
Barbizon Lighting Company 11 US offices, an office in London plus now has an office in Australia
4Wall Locations in Las Vegas, NYC, and Phoenix
PRG 13 US offices, plus Canada, UK, and Japan
Norcostco Main Office: Minneapolis; Branches in Atlanta, Dallas, LA, Denver, and New York.
John S. Hyatt & Associates, Inc. Main office in Grand Rapids, MI, with branch offices in Madison, WI and Phoenix, AZ

Internet based general theater dealers who are trusted by CB members:
BMI Supply
Full Compass Systems
Production Advantage
Premier Lighting
Entertainment Systems Corp. The owner is CB Member BillESC.

Audio, Video, and Networking Cables:
Mono Price

Specialty Dealers:

Specializing in Lamps, with a limited selection of other lighting things:
Bultronics
BulbAmerica
Bulbman

Tools and consumables for stage technicians:
Tools for Stagecraft
Roadie Tools
Film Tools

Audio only:
Audiopile/EWI Cables & Tour Cases
Professional Studio Equipment for Audio Broadcast, Audio Recording | BSWUSA.com , Broadcast Supply Worldwide
http://www.ccisolutions.com, CCI Solutions
Sweetwater has a store in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Musician's Friend

Below please list your your favorite local Dealers:
USA: Please add your state in alphabetical order and list your favorite dealers. Please also share the cities.

California:
California Stage & Lighting, Inc. - Santa Ana

Colorado:
Barbizon Light of the Rockies - Denver

Florida:
Barbizon Lighting - Miami
Stage Equipment and Lighting, INC - Orlando, Miami, & Tampa
Mainstage Theatrical Supply- Pensacola.

Georgia:
Barbizon Lighting - Atlanta

Illinois:
Barbizon Lighting - Chicago
Chicago Spotlight - Chicago
DesignLab Chicago - Chicago
Gand Music & Sound - Chicago (Audio & Backline)
Grand Stage - Chicago
Intelligent Lighting Creations (ILC) - Chicago

Kentucky:
On Location Lighting Systems - Erlanger (see abbyt)

Louisiana:
StageLight - New Orleans

Maryland:
BSL Productions, Inc. - Baltimore (Primarily Lighting)

Michigan:
Pegasus Theatrical - Southfield
Fantasee Lighting & Sound - Yipsilanti
Tobins Lake Studios - Brighton

Minnesota:
Gopher Stage Lighting - Minneapolis.

Missouri:
Bad Dog Pictures - St. Louis
Cine Services - St. Louis
Logic Systems: Sound and Lighting - St. Louis

Nevada:
Alumifax - Las Vegas

New York:
Barbizon Electric - NYC
Syracuse Scenery and Stage Lighting - Central NY

Ohio:
Vincent Lighting Systems - Cleveland, Cincinnati, and also Pittsburgh, PA

Pennsylvania:
Vincent Lighting Systems - Pittsburgh, and also Cleveland and Cincinnati, OH.
Northern Sound and Light - Pittsburgh

Rhode Island:
ATR Treehouse - Providence
High Output - Providence

Tennessee:
Mainstage Theatrical Supply - Memphis
StageLight - Nashville

Texas:
Barbizon Lighting - Dallas
StageLight - Houston & Dallas

Utah:
General Theatrical Supply (GTS) - Salt Lake City
Oasis Stage Werks - Salt Lake City

Virginia:
Barbizon Capitol - Alexandria
Bexel ASG (Formerly Systems Wireless) - Herndon (Wireless Rentals and Purchases)
Heinz Musitronics - Charlottesville (General Audio)

Washington State:
MorganSound.com - Lynnwood, WA (Audio only)
Pacific Northwest Theater Associates (PNTA) Seattle
Stagecraft Industries Seattle, WA and also Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA

Wisconsin:
Acme Corp Production Services - Milwaukee
Mainstage Theatrical Supply - Milwaukee
Studio Gear LLC - Milwaukee

World- Please list country in alphabetical order and state or other regional description as seems most appropriate.

BELGIUM:
Candela

CANADA:
Christielites Lighting, rigging, touring

Ontario Staging Ltd Lighting, rigging, soft goods

Jack A. Frost Ltd Lighting, sound, scenic, power

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Another source of information, sometimes overlooked, is the manufacturer's list of authorized dealers, which is almost always somewhere on the manufacturer's website. See "Dealers and Distributors" for ETC. Sales for Strand. Apollo - Dealer Locator. Rosco - Where To Buy. And so on.