Daktronics
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| Daktronics | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: DAKT) |
| Founded | Brookings (1968)[1] |
| Headquarters | Brookings, South Dakota, United States |
| Key people | Aelred J. Kurtenbach, Co-Founder and Chairman Jim Morgan, CEO Bill Retterath, CFO, Treasurer |
| Industry | Audio & Visual Solutions |
| Products | Sports Venue Displays Display Marquees Sports Scoreboards Variable Message Signs Display Control Systems Stadium Sound Systems |
| Revenue | ▲ US$433.2 million (2007)[2] |
| Net income | ▲ US$24.4 million (2007)[2] |
| Employees | more than 3200 |
| Website | www.daktronics.com |
Daktronics Inc. (NASDAQ: DAKT) is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays. Founded in 1968 by two South Dakota State University professors, Daktronics grew from a provider of electronic voting systems for state legislatures to one of the world's largest suppliers of electronic signs.
[edit] History
Major milestones in the company's history included its contract to supply signage for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, its IPO in 1994, and the creation of the world's largest video display for sports in 2004 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The latter was topped with the installation of two High-Definition screens and the world's largest fascia boards at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida in 2006. Daktronics installed the world's largest high-definition screen at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, also in 2006. Recently, Daktronics has again set a new milestone by installing the world's largest High Definition lighting display at the Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium in the spring of 2008.
[edit] Major Projects
[edit] Citi Field - Flushing, NY - 2008
In August 2008, New York Mets and Daktronics will be installing 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m²) of video displays [3]
[edit] Broad and High - Columbus, OH - 2007
In August 2007, Daktronics announced that four floors of the company's video boards and one monochrome digital display will wrap the corner of the historic crossroads of Broad and High in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
[edit] Jordan-Hare Stadium - Auburn University - Auburn, AL - 2007
Jordan-Hare Stadium, home of the Auburn University Tigers, installed a 30 ft (9.1 m) by 74 ft (23 m) 2,220-square-foot (206 m²) high-definition display in the South end-zone for the 2007 football season. It is the first HD display in the Southeastern Conference, second in a college football stadium following Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas.
[edit] Grand Lisboa - Macau, China - 2007
In early 2007, Daktronics applied its LED technology to the exterior of the Grand Lisboa in Macau, China.
[edit] Dolphin Stadium - Miami Gardens, FL - 2006
Two high-definition video displays were installed in 2006. The east endzone display was the largest HD LED display in the world at the time of installation. It measures approximately 50 feet (15 m) high by 140 feet (43 m) wide (736x2112 pixels) and contains about 4.6 million LEDs. The west end-zone HD display measures approximately 50 feet (15 m) high by 100 feet (30 m) wide (736x1504 pixels). Both displays are capable of displaying 4.4 trillion colors.
A third display was installed in July 2006. The 4-foot (1.2 m) by 2,105-foot (642 m) display is primarily used to display advertisements and statistical information.[4]
[edit] Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium - University of Texas - Austin, TX - 2006
The 55-foot (17 m) high by 134-foot (41 m) wide (7,370 sq ft) Godzillatron is the largest video display in the Western hemisphere and is the largest high-definition video display in the world.
[edit] Major Product Groups
Design and manufacturing of displays is broken down into four major product groups: Video Products, Sports Products, Business Products, and Transportation Products.
[edit] Video Products
Video displays typically use red, blue, and green light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which combine to form one pixel of a video image. These displays vary in size and resolution. Some include 3-dimensional curves such as the Coca-Cola display in Times Square. These displays are commonly found in stadiums, arenas, and video advertising displays. The programs used to control these signs are called the Venus 1500 or Venus 7000 controllers.
[edit] Sports Products
Sport Products include scoreboards and sports timing systems. Scoreboards and timing systems are used by all levels of competition from public parks to the Major Leagues. The company also produces in-water, electronic touchpads for timing competitive swimming events. Daktronics has been supplying scoreboards and video displays for the Olympics for several years. However, the Olympic Games often have contracts with larger corporations, such as Swiss Timing[5], so the Daktronics name is not often used.
Daktronics has been an influence in NBA rule changes in the 2000s. The company manufactured the first backboard light strips to comply with instant replay rulings, and in 2004, developed a see-through shot clock to improve spectator visibility.[6]
[edit] Commercial Products
Commercial Products are displays for businesses, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. Daktronics commercial products division supplies signs for quick-serve restaurants, petroleum marketers, retail outlets, and many other businesses and organizations. The signs supplied to businesses typically have lower refresh rates than full video displays. These displays are typically seen in front of stores, gas stations, casinos, restaurants, and hotels.
Another important section of the commercial products division is its digital billboard division. Daktronics leads the industry in digital billboard installations with more than 450 as of September 17, 2007. Daktronics recently released a new digital billboard product, called the Valo OT digital billboard. Daktronics says the billboard is very popular among outdoor advertisers. According to Daktronics, the billboard's optimized pixel layout, lower weight, and lower power consumption make it the ideal choice for outdoor advertisers.
 745 7th Avenue Times Square - New York, New York |
 Taylor Cadillac - Toledo, Ohio |
 Valo Digital Billboard - Eatonton, Georgia |
 Coffee Cup Fuel Stop - Vivian, South Dakota |
[edit] Transportation Products
Transportation products include Variable Message Signs, which display information about upcoming traffic, parking, and weather warnings along highways, interstates, and airports. These systems include both permanently mounted and temporary, portable variable message signs.
[edit] Sportsound
Sportsound is a newly acquired division of Daktronics. According to the company, it is aimed towards providing high quality sound systems at major sports venues throughout the world. Sportsound consists of an audio technician team with more than 100 years of combined experience, and experience with more than 60 Division I installations.
[edit] Employment
Daktronics currently employs more than 3,200 people between its Brookings, SD headquarters, Sioux Falls, SD and Redwood Falls, MN manufacturing facilities, and more than 50 regional offices around the world.
[edit] See also
- Fair Play Scoreboards, a major competitor
