Good Lighting Company in GTA?

[kwithnok]

Hello,
My drama teacher asked me to look into a company that we could have come in and change light bulbs on are lighting truss as well as put in LED bars on are back wall. If your wondering, the truss is about 12 feet above the audience and requires special angles scaffolding to get to, that we don't have. THe quote from Jack frost was $1500, all others were above that.
So far I have looked into:
Jack Frost
Christie Lights
Concord Production services
any input would be much appreciated

 

[Les]

Hello,
My drama teacher asked me to look into a company that we could have come in and change light bulbs on are lighting truss as well as put in LED bars on *our* back wall. If you*re* wondering, the truss is about 12 feet above the audience and requires special angles scaffolding to get to, that we don't have. THe quote from Jack frost was $1500, all others were above that.
So far I have looked into:
Jack Frost
Christie Lights
Concord Production services
any input would be much appreciated

Well, according to my somewhat-standard approach of gathering three quotes and choosing the cheapest, Jack Frost wins. I can't tell on my phone - where are you located? You definitely want to go with someone local for this.



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[kwithnok]

Well, according to my somewhat-standard approach of gathering three quotes and choosing the cheapest, Jack Frost wins. I can't tell on my phone - where are you located? You definitely want to go with someone local for this.



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Located in st catharines, we had jack frost come in last year to install some stuff under a grant we got.

 

[kwithnok]

is there anyone in toronto area that can provide some insight?

 

[Max Warasila]

Well, according to my somewhat-standard approach of gathering three quotes and choosing the cheapest, Jack Frost wins. I can't tell on my phone - where are you located? You definitely want to go with someone local for this.



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+1

 

[sk8rsdad]

What sort of insight are you looking for? Do you want to know if these are good companies? Do you want to know if $1,500 is a fair price?

 

[kwithnok]

pretty much all of the above. If its a reasonable price or if any of the companies are good. Or any recommendations for companies that people have had similar things doing.

 

[sk8rsdad]

Frost and Christie have been around for a long time so I would expect them to provide quality work. We do a fair bit of business with ChristieLites but not in Toronto. They are among the largest rental businesses in the country. I don't know Concord Production Services. I'm sort of surprised the Board of Education doesn't have a standing contract with a company or trained custodial staff that does this sort of thing for all the schools. That's how it's done at my end of the province.

Can you itemize what the $1,500 includes? It's hard to provide meaningful comments with the dirth of information provided? Are we talking 10 fixtures or 100? Will they be servicing and refocusing or just swapping lamps and walking away? Are they guaranteeing the work? Are lamps included in the quote? I assume they are expected to provide the means of access. $1,500 doesn't sound unreasonable but the higher quotes might be providing better value depending on what they believe the work entails.

 

[kwithnok]

honestly im not sure what the quote includes this was from my drama teacher. But I know it was to replace all the lights on the bar with long life light bulbs, of which there are less than 20.Pant of the cost would be them getting up, as the aud is on an angle and requires special scaffolding as well as special training I would assume. I don't think bulbs are part of the quote and I dont know what sort of guarantee there is.

As for contracts, i think this is a unique situation as most of the other schools i have worked at have cat walks or enough room to get a scissor lift in to replace lights.Its really annoying as we have half a dozen bulbs in the booth and we have a lift the janitors can use to replace house lights. Just the fact that the beam is over the audience, and not 5 feet forward to where we could use the scissor lift.It was my idea that in the design of the auditorium they ran out of money, as they were going to put a winch on the beam.

 

[James Feenstra]

There are a ton of options in the GTA in addition to what you've listed;
PRG Toronto
Ashen White
Westbury National Show Systems
Bold Productions
Apex Sound and Lighting
3L Sound and Lighting
Solotech
Soundbox (Hamilton)

 

[kwithnok]

There are a ton of options in the GTA in addition to what you've listed;
PRG Toronto
Ashen White
Westbury National Show Systems
Bold Productions
Apex Sound and Lighting
3L Sound and Lighting
Solotech
Soundbox (Hamilton)

Thanks. have you had any experiences with any of these companies?

 

[James Feenstra]

Thanks. have you had any experiences with any of these companies?

I've dealt with all of them, given my current job at AC Lighting, as they're all dealers of our products

 

[kwithnok]

I've dealt with all of them, given my current job at AC Lighting, as they're all dealers of our products

anyone you could suggest as being a good one to do are work of replacing lights on the beam?

 

[Les]

I'd just get prices from each of the above and go with whoever is cheapest. This is an easy job for any lighting company.

One thing I don't remember seeing mentioned is what kind of LED bars are being installed? That will drive the price as well since LED bars are not all created equal.

I don't understand why this isn't part of a bid process. This isn't really the kind of project a student should take on.


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[Dionysus]

I'd just get prices from each of the above and go with whoever is cheapest. This is an easy job for any lighting company.

One thing I don't remember seeing mentioned is what kind of LED bars are being installed? That will drive the price as well since LED bars are not all created equal.

I don't understand why this isn't part of a bid process. This isn't really the kind of project a student should take on.


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Unless the quote does not include the LEDs? I would imagine this is the case at $1500, or the LEDs are cheap and not many in number.

I agree an easy job for any company. I second the added list of companies, but I imagine Jack Frost would be as good as any. I also have a friend at Soundbox, and from what he's told me they are good people to deal with. Get quotes and go with the cheapest or second-cheapest (and check the quotes for content as well, details are everything). I help out a number of highschool drama teachers so I know what it's like and typically help them to facilitate things like this (I am of course on the other side of the Provence).

 

[kwithnok]

thanks for all the help guys, I think there is more than enough to go to my drama teacher with

 

[Edrick]

You guys really recommend going with the cheapest bidder? Is that the usual practice you take or just with this kind of scenario? I mean sure someone could be the cheapest bidder and still do a great job. But to just blindly say just go for the cheapest?

 

[robartsd]

You guys really recommend going with the cheapest bidder? Is that the usual practice you take or just with this kind of scenario? I mean sure someone could be the cheapest bidder and still do a great job. But to just blindly say just go for the cheapest?

The OP stated that they have had good experiences working with the cheapest bidder in this case previously. Perhaps it would be more accurate to recommend going with the cheapest qualified bidder. After defining bidder qualfications and writing a decent spec for the work to be done, selecting the cheapest qualifying bidder should get the job done at a reasonable price.

 

[Les]

The OP stated that they have had good experiences working with the cheapest bidder in this case previously. Perhaps it would be more accurate to recommend going with the cheapest qualified bidder. After defining bidder qualfications and writing a decent spec for the work to be done, selecting the cheapest qualifying bidder should get the job done at a reasonable price.

Exactly. You don't go through a bid/quote process to find the most expensive company. Hopefully the OP's institution has taken the time to write decent specs for the scope of work to be performed.

 

[Edrick]

I was just confused for a second as this is a student asking for help. We want to make sure they're going through the proper procees. As their drama teacher asked them for recommendations it sounds like they weren't going through the bid process.

Just got to be careful saying go for the cheapest bidder.

As was said after cheapest qualified bidder might be better. However I see far too many school districts that go with the cheapest "qualified bidder" and do get screwed also. So the words cheapest bidder hit close to home.

Sometime the cheapest bidder is cheap for a reason. Will the product they spec be as reliable? Did the other bidders notice something or account for something the lowest guy didn't? How big of a difference is there between the bidders?

IE: if bidder two and three are close to each other. Four is way above and one is way lower. I'd be more prone to look at the middle bidders and see why they're both close and why the one guy is way lower than the other three.