Page 98 - Lighting & Sound America (December 2019) Magazine

PEOPLE WORTH KNOWING

Chad Tiller

The new vice president, global live entertainment market
at Rosco talks about the company’s evolution and what

makes an effective salesperson.

LSA: How did you get started in the industry? oping products. My story is not unique: I started as a boots-
: While my degree is in acting, I got a day job at on-the-ground salesperson, moved to sales manager, then
Norcostco in Dallas in 2002 and fell in love with sales. My to director of sales, and now into a VP role where I’m
mentor, Paul Callihan, taught me how to help customers get focused on live entertainment. People have worked for the
what they need. Our goal was to be the place for answers, company for 25, 30, 35, even 40 years or more; it is a place
whether or not we sell something. It was less about closing where people will have not just a job but a career.
a deal and more about consultation and collaboration.
LSA: What does your new position entail?
LSA: How did you join Rosco? : The official title is vice president, global live entertain-
: In 2007, we moved to New York so my wife could pur- ment market. This is the first time Rosco has opted for spe-
sue a graduate degree. I started at Rosco as account repre- cialization in the sales team. I’m looking at theatre, concert
sentative. Until recently, Rosco has been structured as a touring, and special events lighting, and we have a team of
team of generalists; I covered the theatrical industry but also specialists who are sales reps. In this new organizational
broadcast, film/TV, and architecture, and supported our structure, we, similarly, have a film/TV and broadcast team
dealer network of retailers and rental shops. I jokingly tell and an architectural market team. Because my background
people I had five full-time jobs! is theatre and because my heart and passion lie in the the-
atre, it’s a kind of homecoming, if you will.
LSA: How has the company adapted to changing times? For the past seven years we’ve focused on growing our
: We’ve always been adapting, for over 100 years. Rosco presence as an LED manufacturer. A lot of our development
was founded in 1910 by Mr. Rosenstein, a chemist. The has been in the film and TV segments; at the same time, we
company made paint thinner, turpentines, and other chemi- were focused on building up our architectural brand associ-
cals, including a dipping lacquer to color the glass ation and recognition. Now we’re rebalancing our focus on
envelopes of light bulbs. Rosco became the ubiquitous col- the theatrical and live entertainment customer base, along
orant for the screw-in light bulbs in Times Square marquees. with core products like gel and paint and gobos.
That led to making sheets of gelatin that became the ubiqui-
tous color gel. When plastic came along, it became colored LSA: Do you think the relationship between sales and cus-
plastic. Over 109 years, we’ve picked up a number of prod- tomers has changed over the years?
ucts, including full lines of scenic paint and dance floors. We : A lot has changed as far as how people buy stuff, but I
manufacture our own dichroic filters. We manufacture don’t think there’s ever been a replacement for the fact that
gobos, both custom and standard. We have the largest customers have problems and you are trying to solve them
standard pattern catalog in the industry. And we’re in anoth- in the easiest way possible. I can make their lives easier,
er reinvention period as LEDs take to the forefront. either by presenting the right solution or connecting them to
someone who has that knowledge. Once, at a party, I had
LSA: What is it like working at Rosco, now that Stan Miller one lighting designer, recently out of a graduate program,
has transitioned to chairman and Mark Engel is CEO? tell me they were hoping to assist at a higher level. About 30
: Mr. Miller still comes into the office every day. It’s nice minutes later, I talked to another designer, who said, “You
to work at a company where the cultural figurehead of the know, I’m just looking for a good assistant who’s got XYZ
organization is down the hallway. The first thing Mark did skillset.” And I said, “Hold that thought!” I grabbed the first
when he stepped into the role of CEO was enumerate designer and said, “Have you guys met?” That has nothing
Rosco’s values. We have eight formal values, but Mr. Miller to do with selling a Rosco product, but that is exactly the
embodies them; he is the heart and soul at Rosco. role of a salesperson. That was probably true in 1950 and
Rosco is as interested in developing people as in devel- will probably be true in 2050.

98 • December 2019 • Lighting& &Sound America