The popular U.S. field monitor company, SmallHD, has just been acquired by Vitec, a British conglomerate. Vitec owns other well-known film equipment brands such as Litepanels, Anton Bauer, Manfrotto, OConnor, and Sachtler and Teradek.
Here is the official press release for the acquisition:
LONDON (December 11, 2014) – The Vitec Group today announced that it has acquired SmallHD, the North Carolina company known for its high-quality, high-definition, on-camera field monitors used by videographers, cinematographers, camera assistants and other creative professionals across the filmmaking world.SmallHD will be incorporated into the Vitec Group‘s Videocom division, complementing its existing brands.
SmallHD pioneered the design and manufacture of rugged, future-proofed field monitors based on the company’s experience in production, collaborations with other filmmakers, and from extensive customer feedback. SmallHD‘s association with the Vitec Group will enable it to bring a new range of innovative monitors to customers.
“With the rapid increase of independent filmmakers and videographers, the need for quality, high-performing, end-to-end solutions has never been stronger,” said Vitec Videocom CEO Matt Danilowicz. “There is definite synergy betweenSmallHD and Vitec Videocom, especially given that their pioneering drive matches our own. The acquisition enables us to offer another set of professional and innovative solutions for the production workflow, and takes us a step closer to fully addressing the needs of this expanding and exciting market.”
SmallHD was officially founded in 2009 by Wes Phillips and Dale Backus. The pair, along with a group of friends, had been creating spots for local businesses and entered the Doritos-sponsored Crash The Super Bowl contest with a spot entitled Live the Flavor. The resulting notoriety from winning brought national work in for the team. The demand to complete increasingly higher-calibre work made the SmallHD creatives and production crew aware of a need for better tools. Rather than buying off-the-shelf solutions, they were inspired to create them, specifically field monitors. The DP6 field monitor, their first mainstream product, not only met their own high standards but was immediately sought after by other filmmakers. When SmallHD won an unprecedented second Doritos Crash The Super Bowl challenge in 2010, the company used the winnings to develop its product line and expand manufacturing operations.
“We are looking forward to joining the Vitec Group of companies,” said Wes Phillips, founder and CEO of SmallHD. “It’s exciting for SmallHD to be included among the great brands that they represent. We have aspirations to continue to build outstanding monitors, and Vitec not only encourages that entrepreneurial spirit but offers the support and expertise we need to move forward.”
SmallHD joins the Vitec Videocom line-up of brands that serves its users in broadcast, cinematography and professional content creation. Other Vitec Videocom brands include Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Autocue, Camera Corps, Bexel, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol Bags, Sachtler, Teradek, The Camera Store, Vinten and Vinten Radamec.
Congratulations to SmallHD! The company grew from a modest beginning with the winnings from the Doritos: Crash the Superbowl Contest. You can learn more about the incredible origin story in this video:
