Kalamazoo WaterJet is Proud to be Part of ABC TV’s Battlebots!

         

Thursday, June 30^rd at 8PM EST will be the second episode of “Battlebots – Season 2”. And, Consort’s very own Bryan Lepley may be glimpsed on-camera at the Los Angeles ABC studio’s taping of the show. Consort’s Kalamazoo Waterjet division is, for the second year in a row, a major sponsor for the “WitchDoctor” crew and Bryan was invited to attend the competition in late May. But, “Mum is the word about who won and how Witch Doctor came out,” says Bryan. “Everyone signed a non-disclosure so I can’t say a thing! Just watch the show and find out. I can tell you that our Witch Doctor is supposed to appear on episode two, on the 30^th.”

            So, what is Battlebots? Here’s a brief overview: “The homemade robots are back for season two, where they will battle against each other in a single elimination tournament until there is one champion. The ten episode series will feature next generation robots – bigger, faster and stronger than ever before. The show will continue to emphasize the design and build elements of each robot, the bot builder backstories, their intense pursuit of the championship and the spectacle of the event. While there's only one weight class, there are a huge variety of deadly weapons. Forty-eight robots will enter, but in the end, only one will win the final trophy.”

            Until you see these robots in action you can’t imagine what this is all about, but check out this Youtube video of last year’s battle between Witch Doctor and Tombstone and you’ll get the idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4AAIfQD8ew . According to Bryan, all robots were redesigned and are generally tougher and proved to be more aggressive, especially Witch Doctor. Each entry has a weight limit and if there is an accompanying smaller robot or drone with the main entry, the total weight of the two cannot exceed 250 pounds. Witch Doctor has a little buddy, named Shaman, and there are flying drones with other entries. The drones are new for this year.

            The show is ten episodes and you’ll find that it’s somewhat addicting to see how the different designs and structures hold up against each other. “These folks are all nuts, but in a good way!,” says Bryan.

            Through Bryan’s efforts Kalamazoo’s own Schupan and Sons and Good Metals Company of Grand Rapid are also a Witch Doctor sponsors, making Southwest Michigan well-represented at this amazing battleground. 
Roger Lepley

Bacon, High in the Sky!

Well, as we say here at Consort, "What's Next?!"  How about bacon images on your Dori Pole pennants? 'Bet you never thought of that!

Yes, it's true, in Consort's home town of Kalamazoo, the annual 26.2 marathon has been a major community event near the first part of May for many years. For the past four years the inspired and enthusiastic neighbors that live near the halfway point have sponsored what every creative marathon needs, a Bacon Station! With porcine delights of many forms the racers are enticed to drop their racer-motivated diets for just the opposite. Of course, most of the bacon and bacon muffins, cookies, fudge, and so on are eagerly consumed by the cheering spectators. But, a surprising amount of the meat-candy is taken up by the racers,usually to be tossed aside 50 yards later where the neighborhood dogs have taken up their cheering section. Ruff! More! Ruff! More!

A delightful time for all and the racers appreciate the attention and support, even if they aren't into the dubious nutrition being offered them.

The bacon pennants are not a stock item in our array of available pennants, but if you're interested in those or have an idea for a specialty pennant design, contact your Consort sales rep today.
Submitted by Roger Lepley

Consort's Abstracta Shares Silver Award at GlobalShop 2015!

With the recent “Silver Award’ from the juried competition during the 2015 GlobalShop Show, our Abstracta Modular Display System is once again recognized as a world player! GlobalShop, the world's largest trade show for retail design and shopper marketing, is held in Las Vegas each March. The competition has become a much-anticipated event for showcasing outstanding recent retail-oriented projects around the world.

Our Abstracta system was the primary display medium for the Herman Miller “pop-up” store in New York City during May, 2014 where the large Michigan-based contract furniture company presented a striking, colorful and textural retrospective of Alexander Girard’s significant contribution to Herman Miller’s decades long success as an industry innovator.

In the words of a Metropolis Magazine editor, “The new Alexander Girard pop-up exhibit in New York’s Meatpacking District is a three-part celebration of all things Girard. The showcase highlights the architect and designer's fabric work, developed during his time as design director of the textiles department at Herman Miller from 1952 to 1973. Then there are the lounge pieces Girard produced for Braniff Airlines in the late 60s, a small number of the 17,000+ items he designed for the project. The third element is the striking exhibit installation, a Girard-esque living room, bursting with color and populated with period affects.”

The store layout was designed by Michael McGinn and his team at Standard Issue Design, of Brooklyn, New York and featured Girard’s most significant designs and patterns. For Consort, this was our second opportunity to work with Michael for a Herman Miller project with the first one

involving a 1,000 square foot portion of the company’s showroom at their massive showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in 2012.

Abstracta was chosen for its simple and classic features that inherently take a back seat to displayed objects, such as Girard’s work, to be elegantly featured.  It was the perfect choice for the incredibly eye-catching array of Girard’s brilliant work. 

Thank you Michael and Herman Miller for again choosing Abstracta!

Roger Lepley

Outdoor Ground Mounted Banner Stand (GMS) Has a New Size Feature!

Bank and credit union drive-throughs have been around for decades and most bankers will tell you that drive-throughs continue to be their customers’ preferred method for on-site transactions. Much like with the fast food industry, customers would rather wait in their cars. So, while they’re waiting…

Our popular specialty banner stand, the Messenger® GMS, can provide important information about bank services. And now, banks have the option to alternate banner lengths from 48” to 72”, as they please. The new standard Messenger® GMS will accommodate either of those sizes simply by moving the bottom bar up or down. 

Why is this good idea?  Well, sometimes we have more to say than other times. Sometimes the message is short and sweet like, “Thank you for
choosing Fifth Financial”. And, sometimes, we want to include more information about new services for example, along with images. Also, a 48” banner is a bit less expensive than a 72” banner.

Of course, this new feature isn’t just for the financial industry. Shopping centers, automobile dealers and service stations, drive-through lanes for restaurants and many others can now take advantage of the new banner size option. By the way, the "GMS" stands for Ground Mount System and widths of stands can be ordered to fit 16", 18", 20", 22" or 24" banners.

Thank you for your interest in Consort products! Please contact your sales representative for more information.

Roger Lepley

Tabletop Beer Menus Help Patrons Make Quick, Informed, Beer Selections!

Next time you visit a brewpup or bar, take a look at how they tell you about all the beers they offer. If they have to verbally recite the never ending list that numbs your brain or they point to some chalk board 15’ away, tell them they’re missing a super opportunity to make beer ordering simpler and quicker.

They need “Podia®Tabletop Display”!

Our Podia Tabletop Menu Holder is quickly becoming popular with breweries, brewpubs and bars because they’re durable, instantly changed and encourage customers to pick out their next beer before they finished the last. Simple and easy, right?! Servers and wait staff are often barraged with
questions like, “What’s on tap” and “Any

specials? “What’s Olde Frothingslosh taste like?” “Is that a strong beer?” and so on.

With Podia, the daily beer list can be printed and displayed in an a two-sided, unbreakable capsule to detail the type of beer, cost, alcohol percent and whatever information would help to have bar patrons make quick, informed decisions.

What's more it's unbreakable! Check out the Demo videos HERE and see for yourself.

Please tell your local brewpub about Podia.


Roger Lepley