Anytime we reach the end of a year (or, to sound more optimistic, the beginning of a new year), it’s natural that we reflect back over the previous 12 months, and wonder what the next 12 will bring. Year in review posts are everywhere.
As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”
Thursday, January 1, 2015, marked the beginning of a very big year. It had to be big. We were calling it the Year of Draper.
It turns out that was an appropriate way to refer to 2015.
During the year we continued to grow as a company. We introduced four major new products—Optically Seamless TecVision, Access Fit, LightBloc Zip, and Topspin.
We inked a partnership deal with AWE for residential screen distribution in the UK, added Custom Consulting and Fielder Marketing as Manufacturers’ Rep Firms in the US, and formed Draper Canada.
Meanwhile, were named the 2015 Company of the Year by the Central Indiana Chapter of APICS, and our own Linda Brinson was named Safety Director of the Year by Gregory & Appel.
Draper and DataVisual teamed up to announce Draper Canada.
We began and ended the year in similar fashion. In late December 2014/early January 2015, Residential Systems announced we have been voted platinum award winners in three categories in their 2014 Stellar Service Awards. Then just a couple of weeks ago, Residential Systems announced that we also won three platinum awards in the 2015 competition-for Customer Service/General Communications, Sales & Marketing Support, and Web Portal!
Those are all wonderful accomplishments. Many companies would be happy with that list.
But we’re only getting started.
Draper products won 17 awards in 2015, and were shortlisted in a couple of very prestigious competitions. Optically Seamless TecVision was our biggest winner, with seven awards:
- Innovative Product Award from Sound & Video Contractor Magazine
- InfoComm 2015 Best of Show-Sound & Video Contractor Magazine
- Best Video Projection Screen 2015 – Commercial Integrator Magazine
- Smart Building Awards 2015: Best Projector Screen – Essential Install Magazine (UK)
- ISE 2015 Best of Show – AV Technology
- ISE 2015 Best of Show – Residential Systems
- Platinum ADEX Award 2015 – Design Journal
In addition, Optically Seamless TecVision was shortlisted in the AV Awards, and was a finalist for CEDIA New Product of the Year.
The Access Fit was the only other projection screen to be a finalist for CEDIA New Product of the Year. In addition, the Fit received an Integrated Systems Europe 2015 Best of Show award, an Exc!te Award from Technology Integrator Magazine, and CEDIA 2015 “Best of Show” Award from Residential Systems Magazine.
We could go on and on. Our window shade and solar control products received five awards for design and innovation, and there were others, as well.
We documented the #YearOfDraper on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. We hope you enjoyed seeing the people of Draper working and enjoying life. We are currently gathering up the best of the photos we shared in 2015 and will soon have a Year of Draper video to unveil.
Honestly, there were so many highlights, hellos, and goodbyes that we could spend several posts discussing them. But now is the time to move on. To look ahead.
So what will 2016 hold in store for Draper? We’ll get more into that in the coming weeks. 2015 will be a hard act to follow, but if anyone can do it, it’s our awesome Draper people!
