Courtesy of Adirondack Studios
By Rod Bacon
For 50 years, a local company has captivated audiences around the world across live entertainment, theme parks, museums and more.
Adirondack Studios (ADKS), founded in 1975 as Adirondack Scenic, has grown from a startup operating in a 6,000-square-foot building in Warrensburg to a company headquartered in a 126,000-square-foot production facility in Argyle, with additional locations across the U.S., Europe-Middle East, and Asia-Pacific
The founding principals were Thomas Lloyd, Christopher Detmer and Walter Blake, who met in college and became friends. Post-graduation, the two worked several seasons together at Lake George Opera, and it was those summer productions that inspired them to go into business together. They chose the North Country as the site for their new company, Adirondack Scenic, .
“We secured a $35,000 loan from the First National Bank of Glens Falls and another loan from the Small Business Administration that allowed us to purchase the building in Warrensburg,” said Lloyd.
To make ends meet in those early years, the company created scenery for theater and opera productions upstate and in the city. Their first large-scale endeavor was The Bugs Bunny Follies, a touring show featuring Looney Tunes characters, that launched in 1976 and toured through North and Latin America over the next few years.
“The Bugs Bunny Follies launched a pattern that continues today, where we secure a client relationship that lasts for years or even decades through multiple projects,” said Clara Rice, ADKS Director of Global Marketing.
That philosophy has served them well, allowing them to design and produce scenic elements for such domestic clients as General Electric, Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Destinations and Experiences, Busch Gardens, Six Flags, Dollywood, Google, Christian Dior, and even Wegmans Food Markets in the United States. Overseas they’ve worked for such attractions as Motiongate Dubai, Sea World, Atlantis Resorts, Malaysia’s Genting Highlands Amusement Park, and the Universal and Disney expansions into Asia.
“We’ve expanded our global operations by providing our speciality expertise to emerging entertainment markets,” Lloyd said.
Solid, long-term relationships with these clients has allowed the company’s annual revenues to jump from $8 million to $35 million in just the last 15 years.
In addition to their design and production facility in Argyle, Adirondack Studios has design and production facilities in Orlando and Dubai, as well as a creative studio in Pasadena, California. In addition to the sales teams in each of these locations, the company has sales representatives in Shanghai and Singapore.
Depending upon the requirements of a given project, the total staff numbers 300, of which 125-150 are local to upstate New York.
During its tenure the company has completed over 5,000 projects, a number that increases by approximately 100-150 installations each year.
Recently completed projects include exhibits for the “Body Odyssey” Gallery for The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, scenic drops for the South Carolina Ballet’s productions of “Dracula” and “The Nutcracker,” Hershey Super Sweet Adventure (with Original X Productions) in Chicago, the Candylicious retail store at Dubai International Airport, chandeliers for Morimoto restaurant at Disney Springs in Orlando and the re-imagination of the Top of the Rock Visitor Experience (with THG Creative) at Rockefeller Center.
The company is nearing completion on Bavarian Blast, an indoor water park outside of Detroit, Michigan, as well as a commissioned sculpture for Brazilian artist Adriana Varejão at the Hispanic Museum & Library in New York City.
Upcoming projects include “Giselle” at South Carolina Ballet, interactive experiences for attractions company Level99, and scenic paint work for one of the most highly anticipated theme parks of the decade.
They have also enjoyed a 30-year working relationship with Wegmans Food Markets, and are completing fabrication and scenic paint work for several of their upcoming locations.
In 2003, former Creative Vice President Louie Allen convinced Michael Blau to join the team. Blau, a graduate of Siena College with a degree in marketing and management and an MFA from Syracuse University, had experience teaching theatrical design at Siena as well as working independently designing water parks around the world.
Blau originally signed on for a three-month stint at Adirondack that allowed him to continue his independent design work.
When Allen convinced him to come on board full time Blau’s remit was to expand the company’s portfolio, a task he has achieved with great success. He was responsible for establishing a dialog with Walt Disney Imagineering, which opened avenues for work with other theme parks. He also supported work in the Middle East, Malaysia, China, Japan and Singapore.
In addition to his role at ADKS, Blau is a past International Board President of the Themed Entertainment Association, the international non-profit organization that brings together creators of compelling experiences worldwide. For the past 31 years, the organization has produced the Thea Awards, considered the Oscars-equivalent of excellence in the attractions industry. The Adirondack Studios team recently received its 27th Thea Award for its fabrication work on the Fantasy Springs land at Tokyo DisneySea.
Blau sees exciting new opportunities for the company in the future. He said there is a trend in the industry toward more immersive guest experiences. He cited the example of museums offering exhibits that draw the viewer in rather than simply having them passively read the information or look at photos or videos.
To celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary they have launched Make A Scene, a branding and employee culture initiative that underlines its refreshed attitude and ethos.
“The goals of Make A Scene are to enhance recognition of our employees, forge deeper connections between our locations, recruit best-of-the-best talent, and broaden awareness of our accomplishments, services and capabilities to a global audience,” said Rice, who is largely responsible for its creation. “It consists of a series of videos on our people and processes, new social media channels, and a greater range of team members representing us at trade shows, at conferences, and in the media.”
In February, Adirondack Studios held a 50th Anniversary event for past and present employees and supporters in Glens Falls. Future celebration destinations include Dubai, Pasadena, Shanghai, and Orlando. Smaller gatherings will be held in Auckland, Barcelona, Riyadh, Blackpool UK, and Anaheim.
“We have a lot of really creative people here and these events are a really nice way to highlight their skills and talents,” noted Vice President of Business Operations Annabella Colletti.