Daktronics

Daktronics

Type	Public (NASDAQ: DAKT)
Industry	electronics
Founded	1968[1]
Founder	Aelred J. Kurtenbach Duane Sander
Headquarters	Brookings, South Dakota, United States
Key people	Aelred J. Kurtenbach, Co-Founder and Chairman Reece Kurtenbach, President, CEO
Products	timing and display systems
Revenue	US$489.5 million (2012)[2]
Net income	US$8.5 million (2012)[2]
Number of employees	more than 2500
Website	daktronics.com

Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. The company is known for its electronic LED displays. Founded in 1968 by two South Dakota State University professors, Daktronics grew from a provider of electronic voting systems for state legislatures to one of the world's largest suppliers of electronic signs.

Park Street Station, Boston, Red Line Outbound side platform with Daktronics electronic announcement sign (November 2012)

History

Daktronics was founded in 1968 by Aelred Kurtenbach and Duane Sander, professors of electrical engineering at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. The company began with the design and manufacture of electronic voting systems for state legislatures.

• 1971 Daktronics developed the patented Matside wrestling scoreboard, the first product in the company's line.^[3]
• 1976 Daktronics scoreboards were first used at Olympics.^[4]
• 1980 Scoreboards used at 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York ^[5]
• 1984 New manufacturing facility built^[4]
• 1986 Sales Surpass $10 million
• 1987 Unique mobile scoring system for PGA tour developed
• 1992 Daktronics displays used at the Barcelona Olympics
• 1994 Daktronics, Inc. became a publicly traded company, offering shares under the symbol DAKT on the NASDAQ National Market system.^[1]
• 1996 80 Daktronics scoreboards and displays used at the Atlanta Olympics^[4]
• 1997 Daktronics upgrades the world famous “Zipper” sign in Times Square^[4]
• 1997 The first Prostar large screen video displays were installed
• 1999 First NTCIP-Compliant Vanguard VMS System Installed
• 1999 Indianapolis Motor Speedway installed the first of 18 large Prostar displays
• 2000 Daktronics displays in the spotlight at the Sydney Olympics^[6]
• 2000 Daktronics acquires Keyframe services^[7]
• 2000 Daktronics establishes an office in Canada
• 2001 Daktronics installs its first LED video display in Times Square for TDK Financial Services Firm^[8]
• 2003 Daktronics establishes an office in Germany
• 2004 Sales surpass $200 million
• 2004 Largest video board in North America installed at Jacobs Field (now known as Progressive Field) in Cleveland, Ohio by Daktronics^[9]
• 2004 Daktronics establishes offices in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom^[5]
• 2005 Daktronics system wowed fans at super bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville^[10]
• 2005 Daktronics installs multimillion-dollar system in Kuwait stock exchange^[11]
• 2005 Daktronics acquires Sportsound system designer and manufacturer^[5]
• 2006 Daktronics sales surpass $300 million
• 2006 Daktronics completes installation of largest HD LED video displays at LandShark Stadium (now Sun Life Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida)^[12]
• 2006 Daktronics acquires Vortek family of products from New York-based rigging company Hoffend and Sons^[13]
• 2006 World's largest high-definition display installed at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas by Daktronics
• 2008 Daktronics installs world’s largest high definition LED video display for the Kansas City Royals^[14]
• 2012 Daktronics establishes an office in Brazil
• 2013 Daktronics acquires OPEN Out of Home in Belgium.^[15]
• 2014 Daktronics installs world's largest HD display for the Jacksonville Jaguars^[16] at EverBank Field.

Products

• LED Video Displays^[17]
• LED Message Displays^[18]
• Scoreboards & Timing Systems^[19]
• Digital Billboards^[20]
• LED Street Furniture
• Digit & Price Displays^[21]
• ITS Dynamic Message Signs (DMS)^[22]
• Audio Systems^[23]
• Automated Rigging & Hoists^[24]
• Tote/Odd Boards^[25]
• Space Availability Displays^[26]
• Software & Controllers^[27]

Facilities

Daktronics currently has its headquarters in Brookings, SD, with other facilities in Sioux Falls, SD, Redwood Falls, MN, Shanghai, China, and Belgium, along with more than 50 regional offices around the world.^[1]

Services

Daktronics acquired Keyframe Inc., a video production and consulting company, in 2000.^[7] Today, Daktronics Creative Services designs digital content in HD video, 3D animation and motion graphics, specializing in media networks and large-scale LED displays.^[28]

Daktronics Sports Marketing

Daktronics Sports Marketing (DSM) specializes in raising advertising and sponsorship revenue for colleges, universities, high schools, municipalities and teams from all sports to fund new technology in sporting venues.^[29]

Notable

Daktronics has been supplying scoreboards and video displays for the Olympics for several years. However, the Olympic Games often have contracts with larger corporations, such as Swiss Timing, so the Daktronics name is not often used.

Daktronics has been an influence in NBA rule changes in the 2000s. The company manufactured the first backboard light strips to comply with buzzer beater instant replay rulings, and in 2004, developed a see-through shot clock to improve spectator visibility.^[30]

See also

• Aquatic timing system
• Scoreboard

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daktronics.

• Official website