By Ryan Abeling On August 13, 2007

Acme Professional's partners, from left: Pete Cosmos, Tom Clark, Nevin Steinberg, and Mark Menard.

NEW MARKET, MD-In September of 2006, industry veterans Tom Clark, Nevin Steinberg, Mark Menard, and Pete Cosmos founded a new integration company focused on providing high quality AV performance and production systems for permanent installations. This company became the problem-solving entity Acme Professional, with presence in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington, and beyond.

Prior to the start-up, the partners often quipped about the prospect of forming a new integration company. "With our combined project experience and the success of Acme Sound partners in many major Broadway productions, it seemed like a perfect fit," Cosmos explained. After many meetings, the partners concurred. "The ability to aggressively bounce ideas between everyone has produced great results for performing arts centers and other theatrical venues, as each partner has different strength, with much overlap," Clark commented.

The partners' efforts are underway on Acme Professional's current and completed work at Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Orchestra/Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and several house of worship facilities, university, and corporate projects. "We understand how to provide many of the important elements usually only found in the big projects, to many of our customers with more modest budgets-and believe this will provide value for our customers," said Cosmos.

The partners' systems design and production experience includes major performing arts centers, corporate/government installations, house of worship, and numerous Broadway productions. With overlapping skill sets, Acme Professional's approach contrasts the typical integration house where heavy lines are drawn to separate owners and staff into sales, engineering, project management, installation, and commissioning categories. "We believe this distinction gives our company agility, enabling us to attack different types of projects," explained Cosmos.

Acme Professional is positioned to provide custom solutions its customers. "We are working on a wide range of projects, from high-fidelity performance audio systems, HD production and digital distribution, recording, acoustics, and integrating many of these aspects with a fresh twist," Steinberg commented. Acme is already working in many different capacities, depending on the specifics of each project. "Even when engaged as an 'AV contractor', we are providing additional value and input to improve the project," said Clark. "We believe this serves well for everyone on the project." The Acme Professional partners also realize the industry is constantly changing and believes this open approach will enable many opportunities both now and in the future. Aware of AV industry data, Acme desires to develop long-term relationships with its existing and future customers-a business baseline that has been often overlooked in our industry.

The future looks bright for Acme Professional, and the fresh approach the partners provide will serve their customers well. The partners all concur, "We're having fun. All of us realize that is a very important element to success in this business, and it has to be exciting and fun to be viable." The enthusiasm of the Acme Professional partners is already at work on several exciting projects and should ensure the company's success in the future.