ADB Lighting has a new distributor in South Africa, namely DWR Distribution cc based in Johannesburg.
ADB Lighting is by no means an apprentice to Africa. The units made their first debut when the South African State Theatre, based in Pretoria, opened their doors in May 1981. Not long thereafter Production Projects became the official ADB agents. Rudi Kesting commented that “ADB can be compared to Rolls Royce. As an example, the State Theatre was our worst clients simply because they kept using the same equipment initially installed! You may pay more, but ABD is the very best on the market.”
However, with Production Projects’ demanding involvement in events and staging, they were open to the idea of Duncan Riley from DWR Distribution taking over ADB sales. “We became the agents because we needed access to ADB for our productions,” said Kesting, who has a range of ADB equipment in-house and has supplied various theatres and other establishments in South Africa over the years including the Civic Theatre, Natal Playhouse, Sun City, Lost City and the Wild Coast.
Duncan Riley initially met the ADB Lighting team through Mike Jones (MJ Event Gear) at an international tradeshow. “Dirk van Niewenhuysen from ADB and I got talking, and I said to him that as ADB was already represented in South Africa it wouldn’t work,” said Riley. When Riley later discussed the matter with Kesting it became clear that Production Projects had no problem with him taking over the agency as their forte was running events.
Interestingly enough, Riley’s father, Dan Riley, originally assisted with the installation and commissioning of ADB at the State Theatre all those years ago. Although Dan Riley spent most his working career representing an opposition brand in South Africa, he knew and respected Lucien Van Nieuwenhuysen, who is of course Dirk Van Neiwenhuysen’s father and represented ADB for the first time in South Africa in 1976 at a tradeshow held at the Civic Theatre. “Lucien has always been a gentleman,” commented Dan Riley.
When Dirk Van Nieuwenhuysen recently visited South African shores, he was pleasantly surprised by the increasing life and activity in the theatres and rental markets. “The last time I was in South Africa was around ten years ago, and my last deal was Vision 10 Lighting control for a theatre in Bloemfontein,” he said. “On my recent trip I saw in South Africa the rise of several lighting rental companies, which probably has to do with overseas events and concerts which also now visit South Africa on tour and which wasn’t the case before.”
ADB Lighting sales are on the increase with the Guild Theatre, Rhodes University Theatre and Westview School (work done through Dave Whitehouse from Electro-Quip) as well as Kevin Glover from the Sound Stylists all recently taking ownership of new equipment. DWR Distribution were recently awarded with the tender for the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City, where they will supply six fully motorised ADB Warp units.
DWR Distribution are also the agents for Robe Show Lighting, MA Lighting and Avolites. They believe that with the inclusion of ADB Lighting, clients will have choice solutions for various lighting applications.
