Gretchen’s keen instinct for trends and trend-making are a driving force in Séura’s success.  The ability to assess product development and translate the merest of ideas into viable, future technology makes Gretchen a powerful asset to the company – and someone who energizes those around her to aspire to their highest potential with her.   Séura’s small and humble beginnings have never defined its commitment to growth.  In a few short years, Gretchen’s intense determination launched Séura into a powerhouse national brand and continues to propel the company’s growing success.“Gretchen has been a visionary for Séura since its inception nearly 10 years ago,” said Séura co-founder and partner Tim Gilbertson. “From a shoe-string operation in 2003 to the globally recognized luxury brand it is today, Gretchen’s aptitude for innovation has catapulted the success of the company. Séura’s domestic manufacturing initiatives have put Green Bay on the map for the electronics industry and we’re all honored by the recognition received by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.”
Award criteria included innovation and creativity exhibited by the individual, particularly in the business setting; the “calculated risk” this person took in being innovative; the impact/relevance of the individual’s innovativeness on the business, including specific, tangible examples; and impact/relevance of the individual’s innovativeness on the business community and/or community at large.This year’s awards, entitled “The Innovators: The People You Should Know,” honored 20 individuals who were selected by a panel of judges for demonstrating initiative, innovation and creativity in tackling problems and delivering solutions.

These honorees – and the February/March 2012 issue of the BBJ magazine – were unveiled at a reception hosted at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay. In addition, all honorees are employed by Chamber members and live or work in Brown County.

“I’m pleased to celebrate these area innovators in our BBJ magazine’s ‘People You Should Know’,” said Laurie Radke, president, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “Many of these individuals live and breathe innovativeness in their everyday work life, and I’m pleased to have a venue through to which to honor their efforts and accomplishments.”

Profiles on the all the honored individuals – including their photos – are featured in an online version of the BBJ magazine, available at www.titletown.org.

***From BBJ’s annual people you should know issue featuring 20 innovative individuals in the area.***

Wildly imaginative, Gretchen Gilbertson gives life to cutting-edge designs. While she’s very creative, she also has the power to inspire others to be inventive.

Gilbertson grew up in an entrepreneurial family. Following in her parents’ footsteps, Gilbertson and her husband founded Séura seven years ago and have since become a force to be reckoned with in the consumer electronics industry. As the mogul behind new product development, Gilbertson attributes their original products for propelling the company’s growth and allowing them to thrive in the fast-paced consumer environment. She says, “It is our company’s way of innovating in every aspect of our business, not just product development, that makes us unique.”

Determined to establish an open forum for ideas, Gilbertson established company-wide “ideation” sessions to expand on product ideas and cultivate a new product development plan with engineers and technical staff. She instituted an “idea board,” open to all employees, welcoming product ideas and practical office suggestions on ways to save money and stay lean.

Séura set out to bridge the gap between technology and home décor, which blossomed into the creation of revolutionary electronics. Vanishing and non-vanishing television mirrors and lighted mirrors were just the beginning. Gilbertson was responsible for designing and engineering Séura’s own 19-inch LCD television, developed specifically for optimized performance and its ultra-slim profile. Other showstoppers include a compact and innovative waterproof LCD and the most recently unveiled waterproof television for outdoor use.

Séura started out of a garage and has grown into a business that stands proudly on Ontario Road with corporate offices and manufacturing space. It began with one-off products for residential use and has expanded to commercial and hospitality markets. Gilbertson was integral in identifying and pursuing growth opportunities, which placed Séura on the map. “While our products continue to meet the discriminating demands of our customers, our way of conducting business and positioning ourselves in our industries has shaped the future of Séura,” adds Gilbertson.

How one Long Island, N.Y. installer outfitted a room that can impress his elite clientele. By Jason Knott

Not many integrators are building new showrooms these days, but if you are and your territory happens to be located in one of the most affluent zip codes in the nation, you’d better make it a lavish one.

That’s what Chris Brody, president of Crescendo Designs Ltd., did. The company is located in the prestigious Hamptons area of Long Island, N.Y., where being “elite” doesn’t even cut it…. you have to be among the “super elite” to make it here.

See Seura’s luxurious bathroom installation in the January 2012 issue of CE Pro (Page 70)

CEPro.com

Mason City, Iowa(November 21, 2011) — Renowned as the last remaining hotel designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright, Mason City’s Historic Park Inn has recently been restored to its original beauty. Reflecting the architecture and décor of the Prairie School movement of the early 20th century, the 27-room boutique hotel boasts the luxury of historic authenticity with cleverly integrated modern technology – including Séura television mirrors.

Originally designed as a hotel and bank building by the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright, the 101-year-old building has served as a bank, law office, retail space, residences, and office space. By the 1970s, the building closed. Purchased by Wright on the Park, a non-profit organization with the mission to restore and preserve Frank Lloyd Wright properties, the hotel underwent a $20 million renovation, funded largely by a Vision Iowa grant and several generous donors.

The Historic Park Inn logo, a stylized “HPI”, is elegantly imprinted throughout the property. From signage to linens, to towels, this logo also graces the lighted television mirrors in the public restrooms. Designers chose technology from Séura’s Deco Lumination™ Collection. Each featuring a 19” LCD and graceful etched lighting, the mirrors deliver ambience and branding with the elegance only Séura could supply.

Séura’s Premier™ Series vanishing television mirror technology also adorns two reception spaces. The Skylight Room, a formal space that accommodates events, is furnished with authentic Prairie School architectural furniture and restored stained glass windows. For this boutique setting, wheeling in an unsightly AV cart for events requiring a television was not an option. Instead, the elegantly framed mirror beautifully reflects the historical space without a hint of its technical function. With a click of the remote, the 40” LED display springs to life, providing a bright, crisp picture for slideshows and event media.

The bar area of the hotel’s restaurant boasts another Premier™ Series vanishing television mirror. Elegantly framed and incorporated into sleek glass shelving and custom millwork, the television provides the option for sports and news. When off, the mirror is another authentic detail in the historical atmosphere of the property.

Steven Noto, President of the Historic Park Inn, was drawn to Séura’s custom capabilities and television quality. After working with a different television mirror manufacturer on a past project, Noto was impressed with Séura’s products, saying “The picture on the Séura products was much better,” and the importance of Séura’s “ability to customize the size, shape, TV, and variety of background lighting that was available.”

Séura’s engineers and designers worked with Noto’s team to provide the solutions that best suited the hotel’s needs. From custom sizes, to frame selection, to lighting design, Séura’s process was driven by the classic design vision.

To book your stay in Mason City or to learn more about the Historic Park Inn and Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy, visit www.historicparkinn.com.

Discover Séura’s custom capabilities and technology design services at www.seura.com or call 1-800-957-3873.

It wasn’t that long ago when downtown Miami was considered the stepchild to Miami Beach. But as Art Basel and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts lure crowds, the neighborhood’s reputation as a booming cultural enclave has become apparent. One downtown newcomer that has made a striking impression is the 44-room and suite Hotel Beaux Arts, which opened this spring on the 38th, 39th, and 40th floors of the JW Marriot Marquis, p art of the burgeoning Metropolitan Miami mixed-use development.

Read more at HospitalityDesign.com

See the full article from the CEDIA Daily Magazine

The overall scope of this system could be described as complex and multi-functional, yet simplistic for the client. The system included 8 zones of distributed audio and 8 zones of distributed video using Crestron’s state-of-the-art DigitalMedia delivered via fiber optic cabling. Over 45 intelligent wireless dimmers were used to control the lighting throughout the house. Control of the system was achieved by multiple hand-held remotes, along with a Crestron 15″ HD touch-panel in the kitchen, an Isys 9″ wall-mounted touch-panel in the foyer, a TPS-6X with a motorized docking station in the master bedroom, a TPS-6X in the great room, and an RTI U2 waterproof remote in the terrace. Displays were installed in 7 rooms, including a 70″ Runco LCD and various sizes of LG LCD panels.

See the full article from HGTVpro.com

I recently wrote about how to extend our time on the patio with an outdoor version of a home theater. Now it’s time to think about how to get all the programs, movies and other content we enjoy outside, too. This isn’t just about the hardware. We live in a world where seamless, wireless streaming entertainment is becoming the norm. Music, photos, games, videos, voice, information — you name it, and we’ve come to expect it whenever and wherever we want.

See the full article from Houzz.com

There’s no denying the fact that some of my clients simply must have a TV in the kitchen. I can fight it all I want, but I won’t win. So if I can’t beat them, should I join them? Maybe not, but I

can at least consider some acceptable options for how to design a TV into the most popular room in the house. You might think I’m crazy, but I’m not a fan of the wall-mounted TV on amovable arm — it just reminds me of a bar or a hospital room, and neither create the feel I want in a newly designed kitchen. There are other options, though.

See the full article from Houzz.com

I have always been a part of the “hide all hideous electronics in armoire-type furniture” camp. But what Candice said makes complete sense to me. And with the advent of thinner-than-thin flat screens, the options for displaying our televisions are limited only to our imaginations.

Check out some of these great ideas…and quit hiding your electronics!

Read the Full Article from Houzz.com