Dear Readers,

2010 has been a busy and fulfilling year for us at Shanahan. Not only did we launch our new brand to rave reviews, we had the opportunity to work on many technically challenging and aesthetically beautiful projects.

In a recent staff meeting, we discussed some of our favorite work from the year. As I listened to the team talk about the work they enjoyed most (or were most proud of), I thought it would be a great idea to share their experiences with you. So for our December newsletter, I asked each person to pick one project and tell me more about what made it his or her favorite. I can tell you this: it was no easy task for each person to pick just one!

As we close the year, thank you to all our clients and partners for choosing Shanahan. 2011 marks our 60th anniversary, and we have many exciting things planned. I look forward to sharing more of these plans with you in January. I wish you and your families a healthy, prosperous, and amazing New Year.

Thank you,

Catherine & the Shanahan Team

 

 

 

A Few of Our Favorite Projects from 2010

 

Jim Berlo

Project: Hanover Insurance Why: Jim's passion is working with people and companies that want to create the infrastructure for their organization's futures. So when the president of Hanover Insurance wanted his company cafeteria to have the flexibility to be used as a 400-seat, high-end corporate presentation space, Jim was the man for the job. He loved the challenge of designing a system that included high-definition cameras to broadcast meetings (on-site and via web streaming) and multiple displays that ensure every employee receives the best visual experience.

 

The cafeteria boasts four 60-inch television screens fed from an AV control room that allows the user to display content from multiple sources, including the cameras, computers, a cable box, DVD feeds, and more. Each screen is positioned throughout the space so that every person in this long room receives a more intimate experience. With the flip of a button, this room can now go from an everyday cafeteria with televisions for the daily news to an interactive, multi-media company meeting space.

 

"The people I work with at Hanover are forward looking," said Jim. "Working on a project that involves taking care of the needs of the organization now, while creating an infrastructure for growth is one of the most satisfying parts of the work I do. Plus, the project director, Dave, is a huge Zappa fan!"

 

Jake Burwood, Audio-Visual Integrator/Technician
Project: Lexington Christian Academy 
Why: School gymnasiums pose their own unique sound challenges. Because of the space design and the number of diverse activities and events the space accommodates, including athletics, school concerts, dances, and assemblies, special audio considerations exist. And Lexington Christian Academy's gym was no exception. This gym even had the added challenge of needing separate zones for smaller areas.

 

Jake loves working on audio jobs and willingly took on the challenge of integrating a multi-speaker voice and music system and ensuring it worked flawlessly. With speakers installed in the rafters, easy-to-use controls, and the inclusion of handheld wireless mics, the new sound system can project sound into both the main gym and a smaller section that houses rock-climbing walls.

 

"I enjoy the school sound systems," said Jake. "No project is exactly the same. You need to take the time to really understand how the space is used and then put together a solution that is easy to operate and that meets the needs of all of the room's purposes. I really like the rock climbing space."

 

Julea Carroll, Office Manager
Favorite Project: Anjumane Ezzi 
Why: As office manager, Julea orchestrates all the "behind the scenes" details of each project. She handles paperwork, purchasing, and other internal business details needed to ensure the technical staff has what they need to complete the job.

 

Her favorite project was Anjumane Ezzi, a mosque in North Billerica, which began as a smaller installation. The client was so happy with the work that the client added more and more projects over a seven-month time frame. For Julea, this meant a lot of paperwork and coordination with the client to keep everything running smoothly. It also meant Julea got to know and work with a wonderful group of people at the mosque.

 

"Everyone I worked with was so professional and responsive," said Julea. "They understood the paperwork we needed in place for ordering, and they were pleasant and always easy to work with."

 

Shaun Crossen, Senior Systems Consultant
Favorite Project: Clean Harbors 
Why: Meeting the presentation needs of the world headquarters of a multi-national environmental company was a challenge that Shaun loved. His choice -- Clean Harbors -- provides environmental, energy, and industrial services in North America to more than 50,000 customers.

Headquartered in Norwell, MA, Clean Harbors needed a flexible sound and video system installed in its brand new training room. The room was configured auditorium style, with stepped flooring and fixed seating and desk space. Most often used for weekly safety meetings, Clean Harbors wanted the flexibility to use the room for any training, presentation, or other meeting requirements. Shaun worked with them to uncover all of the requirements and put together a high-definition, multi-purpose sound and video solution.

 

The main feature in the room is a rear projection screen that displays multiple sources of content, including video, television cable feeds, and computer presentations. Now a presenter has the ability to connect locally with his laptop, use the remote PC rack mounted in the control room, plus choose from other media sources to support the presentation. In addition, Shanahan mounted projectors from the ceiling and installed two recessed screens that allow unique content from different sources to be displayed at the same time. The room also boasts conferencing capabilities that allow Clean Harbors to broadcast presentations and meetings to employees in other locations.

 

"Clean Harbors was looking for flexibility," said Shaun. "This is a beautiful room and a great environment for people to meet and learn in. I really liked being part of helping them understand all the ways this room could be used with the right sound and video solution."

 

Jess DeLuca, Technician

Favorite Project: Central Congregation Church

Why: Central Congregation Church in Chelmsford found its congregation was outgrowing the size of its church. One part of the facility, the Fellowship Hall, did not have its own independent sound system. It handled overflow from the church but could not be used effectively for other meetings or events.

 

For this project, Jess installed ceiling speakers, microphone jacks, and an equipment rack in Fellowship Hall, and she upgraded the wireless systems in the sanctuary. Now Central Congregation Church has flexibility in how its spaces are used and everyone can more fully enjoy services as well as other events.

 

"I picked this project because I really liked being involved in creating such a versatile environment," said Jess. "The work I did can easily be expanded or upgraded to include additional microphones or other audio equipment as the congregation's needs continue to grow."  

 

Brendan Philbrick, Technician

Project: Temple Beth Elohim Why:  Brendan loved the scale of the Temple Beth Elohim's project and the challenge of a construction installation. The solution delivered was very intricate and included multiple projectors and video screens, integrated sound systems, and the latest technology from Crestron.

 

Before Brendan became part of the team, Shanahan had installed a sound and video system in the old temple. "I am amazed at how often I find out that we are working with a repeat customer," said Brendan. He knows this only happens if the work is exceptional and he is proud to be part of a team that delivers this kind of quality.

 

This project allowed Brendan to work on a multifaceted installation in the temple -- including separate meeting rooms and classrooms -- supported by fiber optic cabling and all controlled by a Crestron digital media panel.

 

"This is going to be an amazing space," Brendan said. "The architect's design and the features of the system we installed - it all comes together so well."


Ryan Shanahan, Technician
Project: Chariho Middle School

Why: Who wouldn't love the challenge of flying speaker clusters? That was just one part of delivering an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art sound system for Chariho Middle School in Wood River Junction, Rhode Island.

 

This school's original sound system was close to 30 years old when Shanahan was brought in, and Ryan had the pleasure of taking it into the 21st century. Ryan showed off his mechanical abilities with the installation of five high-quality speakers. But this job also let him show off his attention to details -- the project included soldering wires to a 250 multi-pin connector. For this work, precision and concentration are a must to ensure the job is done right the first time.

 

"This project brought together so many of the elements I love," said Ryan. "Beside the technical aspects of the job, my work needed to blend in with the overall aesthetics of the auditorium while delivering the highest quality sound."