http://reelchicago.com/article/industry-shock-roscor-closes-rental-department
Industry shock as Roscor closes rental department
By Ruth L Ratny October 29, 2011
Approximately one hundred Roscor employees were reportedly terminated Friday, Oct. 28, as the Midwest's largest reseller and rentals of production, broadcast and AV equipment shuttered its Sales and Rental Department after more than 30 years of business.
The layoffs allegedly shrunk the total Roscor staff of 130 to 30, according to sources who were familiar with the company, but not Roscor principals who could not be reached for comment late Friday afternoon when news of the closing began making the rounds.
The remaining company employees are expected to be part of Roscor's restructure as an engineering design firm, sources said.
Paul Roston, Roscor president
Roscor Corp. is listed as being owned by Paul Roston, company president, considered one of the leading lights in AV and broadcasting engineering and systems; his brother, Mitchell Roston, is CEO and CFO.
Speculation was rife as to why the sales/rental department, representing hundreds of topline manufacturers, was disbanded, as it always had been a profit center.
"But obviously, it couldn't defray other expenses that drove down profitability," posited one source who asked not to be named.
Technology expert Gary Adcock, speaking in general about the current state of the equipment reseller/rental industry, comments that the decreasing cost of broadcast and capture equipment has negatively impacted the rental market over the past several years.
"The cost of equipment is much cheaper today than it was three to five years ago, and companies that used to rent gear for corporate projects or conventions can afford to buy, own and use their own gear," Adcock says.
It is expected that Roscor, whose corporate offices are located in Mt. Prospect, closed its regional sales offices in Milwaukee, Farmington Hills, Cincinnati and Jakarta, India, and satellite offices in LaCrosse and Cleveland.
What will or won't happen to Roscor's Discount Video Warehouse division, a provider of professional video, audio, multimedia, and computer based products and services, is also unknown at this time.
Roscor boasted roster of well-known AV manufacturers
Roscor has represented hundreds manufacturer of professional video, audio, multimedia, and computer based products and services.
They included such famous brands as Anton Bauer, Apple, Avid, AVS Graphics, Broadcast Video Systems, Canon, Cisco, Desisti Lighting, Fujinon, Hitachi, Leitch, Lowel Light, LTM Lighting, Luxor, Miller Fluid Heads, Panasonic, Philips Consumer-ITV, Pinnacle, Samson Technologies, Shure, Snell & Wilcox, Thomson consumer and multimedia broadcast, Yamaha and many others.
Six years ago, Roscor's leading reseller/rental rival, Swiderski Electronics abruptly closed without a trace after 57 years in business.
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