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BOXLIGHT: A History of Innovation and Service
BOXLIGHT is the world’s premier resource
for digital projection equipment, presentation development services and
training. Originally founded in 1985 by Herb and Sloan Myers in the San
Francisco Bay Area, BOXLIGHT has
grown from two phone lines in a basement to an award-winning brand that has
become synonymous with excellence in
presenting.
The
company distributes advanced digital communication tools and presentation
services to a diverse and growing customer base worldwide. Today, a vast number
of professional presenters in virtually every industry and level of experience
view BOXLIGHT as the preeminent
resource for all products and services related to business presentations.
In
1989, BOXLIGHT moved to its worldwide headquarters in Poulsbo, Washington, in the
heart of the Pacific Northwest’s high tech industry near Seattle. Always poised on the cutting-edge
of technology, BOXLIGHT is
strategically positioned to lead the presentation industry into the new
millennium.
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The year 1986 was a milestone in BOXLIGHT’s history. It was then that the company
decided to sell the third liquid crystal display (LCD) projection panel ever
produced. This momentous event launched the company into selling projection
panel equipment exclusively and positioned the company at the forefront of the
presentation technology revolution. []
Success quickly
followed. Within two years, BOXLIGHT
had outgrown its humble basement office. In 1989, after an extensive national
search for a new home, BOXLIGHT
moved from Tiburon, California to Poulsbo, Washington in the dynamic Puget
Sound region of the Pacific Northwest. Poulsbo was selected because of its
close proximity to Seattle’s high tech corridor and international airport,
quality employee base, strong sense of community and numerous other factors
that the company deemed essential to building a successful organization. The
company promptly hired its first full-time employee.
Over the next few years, BOXLIGHT’s
business was built on a rock-solid foundation using three guiding principles:
1) provide each customer with expert, friendly advice regarding the best
products to suit their needs and budget; 2) offer the best selection of presentation
technology and services available at competitive prices; and 3) provide the
highest level of customer support in the industry. Our unwavering commitment to
these principles remains true today. []
The
year 1995 brought considerable growth for BOXLIGHT.
That year, BOXLIGHT introduced a
new projector that was so advanced it literally transformed the industry. As
the first practical three-path polysilicon computer projector, BOXLIGHT’s 3080 model raised projector
technology to the next level and broadened the market to include a larger range
of consumers. For the first time, a data projector was available that was
bright enough to operate in a light conference room with greater color
intensity creating a cleaner, crisper image and lighter than a slide projector. []
Only one year
after the introduction of the 3080 projector, rapid expansion required the
company to relocate again. In 1996, the company moved into its present
worldwide headquarters in Poulsbo on a high hilltop overlooking the regal
Olympic Mountain range. From this spectacular location, BOXLIGHT President and CEO Herb Myers
oversees the company’s domestic and international operations and tracks the
latest technological innovations from the region’s thriving high tech industry.
As demand for
presentation products continued to skyrocket throughout the late 1990’s, so did
BOXLIGHT's business. In response to this growth, BOXLIGHT quickly adapted its
organizational structure to meet
the diverse needs of its growing customer base. Departments became more
specialized to align with the needs of specific market segments such as
government, education, corporate, international and wholesale.
BOXLIGHT
Corporate Division sells to corporate customers in the US and Canada via direct
telephone sales targeted to various vertical markets. Corporate presenters and other customers are provided
cost-effective solutions and unlimited individual attention geared to their
type of business. Within each market,
the group has a smaller team serving corporate accounts and coordinating
purchases for companies at multiple locations.
BOXLIGHT’s
Government Division was created to assist a variety of government customers
worldwide, ranging from military field installations to the US Office of the
President. Staffed with experienced government procurement experts, this
division provides the systems and services appropriate to all applications,
including demanding scientific and technical presentations and fail-safe
products for field use. This division offers GSA scheduled pricing for this
important customer base.
The Education
Division was created to specifically address the needs of the educational
market. This division focuses on products specifically designed for classroom
use, as well as larger rooms and auditoriums. Education specialists understand
the diverse needs of the education sector and work to identify purchasing
programs that make BOXLIGHT
systems and services even more affordable.
BOXLIGHT’s International Division was formed to offer our
complete line of projectors to customers around the globe. This division works
in conjunction with local dealers and distributors in more than 30 countries to
provide expert advice, support and services for our international customers.
With corporate distribution and service points strategically located in the
United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States, BOXLIGHT International can ship in-stock products to an
international customer within three working days, anywhere in the world.
Account Managers for the International Division are located in Germany, Japan
and Italy, as well as at our headquarters in Poulsbo, Washington. []
In
1998, BOXLIGHT spun off a new company called ActiveLight. ActiveLight was created to be a value-added
distributor of advanced display systems and solutions. As a national distributor of gas plasma
displays, ActiveLight helped develop the market for this exciting new technology. Plasma display technology is a new
“emissive” flat panel technology that provides rich, accurate color fidelity in
a large display that is thin enough to hang on a wall.
In early 2001,
Projector Wholesale Supply, Inc. was created from the BOXLIGHT Wholesale Division providing resellers with
expert advice, incentives and access to a broad inventory of systems and
accessories from a variety of manufacturers. Computer hardware and audio-visual
dealers have found that the technical support services, next day delivery and
generous customer satisfaction guarantees make PWS the first choice among
resellers.
BOXLIGHT’s ongoing market research
recently identified the fact that
most presenters prepare their own presentations. Many require professional assistance
with content development, speaking techniques and visual aids. Seeing an
opportunity, the company expanded its services in 1999 to include a
presentation training division, BOXLIGHT
Academy, and a Creative Services Division. Professional services are now
available to enhance every aspect of presentations from content development to
the finishing touches. These divisions
can assist presenters in polishing existing presentations, animating company
logos and developing full-blown professional presentations from scratch.
The beginning of
the new millennium brought the adoption of a dynamic new training program for
the entire BOXLIGHT organization.
Training is an integral ingredient to the BOXLIGHT philosophy of empowering our
employees to become more effective sales representatives to serve our
customers. BOXLIGHT pledges its
continuing commitment to our employees and customers for years to come, as it
has over the past sixteen years.
As technology
and the Internet become increasingly important in conducting business, so does
our commitment to serving our customers better. BOXLIGHT’s new, easy-to-navigate Web site has been designed
to serve as a research tool for presentation products and offers many
informative and timesaving features. Our new Web site is yet another example of
how our company strives to live up to its motto, “BOXLIGHT . . . Presenting
a Better Way.” []
In 2003 BOXLIGHT was proud to be a finalist for the the Governor's Trader of the Year award form the World Trade Club, which recognizes
Washington-based companies that have contributed in a substantial way to
developing or facilitating international trade in Washington State. []
RECOGNITION:
"Best New Projector of the Year" Awards - In 2000, BOXLIGHT's microportable XD-9m projector was selected as one of the "Top 100 Products of the Year" by Computer Shopper magazine and awarded "Best Ultraportable Projector of 2000" by Mobile Computing & Communications magazine.
BOXLIGHT is one of a small handful of companies in the United States to be
inducted into the Inc. 500 Hall of Fame
for being named to the Inc. 500 list for five consecutive years. This award
recognizes companies that have been on Inc.
magazine’s list of fastest growing private companies in the United States. BOXLIGHT was a member every consecutive
year from 1994 to 1998.
Deloitte & Touche “Fast 500 Technology
Companies” - BOXLIGHT has been recognized in this elite group since the program started in 1996.
Puget Sound Business Journal’s “100 Fastest
Growing Private Companies in Washington State” - BOXLIGHT has been named to this regional
business publication’s distinguished list four consecutive times.
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist - BOXLIGHT has been awarded this honor three times.
Deloitte & Touche “Washington State Fast 50
Technology Companies” - BOXLIGHT has been named as one of the fastest growing technology companies
in Washington state every year since
the program started in 1996.
Washington CEO Magazine recognized BOXLIGHT as one of the “10 Best
Companies to Work for in Washington State”.
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19462 Powder Hill Place Suite 101
Poulsbo, WA 98370