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Electronic Theatre Controls / ETC

Electronic Theatre Controls / ETC logo

1975 Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) was founded by four UW-Madison undergraduates; Fred Foster, James Bradley, Bill Foster and Gary Bewick. They decided using solid-state microprocessor controls for stage lighting was the way forward. 
1976/77 The team creates the Mega Cue, their first console, and use it in March 1977. 
1979 / 1982 ETC creates the ELC desk for Disney theme parks in Orlando (EPCOT). 
1982 Concept console launched - first product sold directly by ETC.
1992 Source Four profile launched, along with the HPL lamp. Both developed by David Cunningham at Entertec and licenced to ETC.
1995 ETC opens in Hong Kong. ETC acquires Arri GB and inherits their London office and warehouse base. 
1997 ETC opens an office in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1999 ETC opens an office in Rome.
2002 ETC acquires German lighting company Transtechnik Lichtsysteme, based in Holzkirchen
2004 ETC moves into a new 23,225 sqm building; the current headquarters.ETC also acquires Dutch sine wave dimming manufacturer IES, and its industrial weighing & measuring division PENKO Engineering BV.
2007 ETC adds 7246 sqm of factory space to its HQ. ETC CEO and founder Fred Foster wins a Wally Russell Lifetime Achievement Award.
2009 ETC acquires Selador product line as it makes its' foray into the LED market. 
2013 ETC bought a 33052 sqm factory in Mazomanie, Wisconsin to manufacture rigging equipment. 
2014 ETC purchases the Vortek rigging division of New York-based Daktronics.
2017 ETC acquired High End Systems, including LED automated lighting, Wholehog consoles and Axon media servers.
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Exhibits in the Backstage Heritage Collection


People

  • David Cunningham
  • Fred Foster (1957 - 2019)
  • Steve Terry
  • Anne Valentino

  • Documents


    Founding ETC Consoles (August 2024)
    [External Website]
    From ETC Museum Collection

    Videos

  • Source Four LED - How it is made

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