09.05.2008 — Runco is phasing out its step-down Vidikron brand.

The new "focus, focus, focus is Runco, Runco, Runco," says Andrew Ard of KA Marketing, an independent rep for Runco.

"We've decided to realign our business focus so the center of our business is Runco," says Gerry Perkel, CEO of Planar, the parent company of Runco. "Runco is the key brand, Runco is the key product portfolio. ..."

In fact, says Perkel, "We're committed to building the Best Damn Runco Ever."


That's BDRE, the new company slogan. "We're not just trying to get back to the Runco that was, but to extend that even further, to new products and new technologies," Perkel says.

Runco is not eliminating Vidikron altogether. It just doesn't plan to invest in the line going forward, which is why Vidikron is absent from Runco's booth at CEDIA Expo 2008.

Ard explains this is a custom industry and "some dealers might have spec'd Vidikron six months ago, and don't need it til November."

Runco will continue to support those dealers.

Meanwhile, Runco will be elevating some Vidikron dealers to the Runco line, and paring down the existing Runco dealer network to include only the most committed dealers.

"The top Vidikron dealers have been invited to join the Runco family," Perkel says.

"Runco has always had the best of the best," Ard says. "There were some Vidikron dealers that were out-performing Runco dealers, and some Runco dealers who weren't really performing. We will absolutely have the cream of the crop."

Then there's Planar, Runco's parent company that makes displays for industrial and mass-market applications. Earlier this year, Planar opened its line to Runco dealers and established distribution.

Planar will now offer only three projectors to the channel, which will be available only through Runco reps, not through distribution.

It's all part of the focus, focus, focus on Runco, Runco, Runco.

Planar acquired Runco for $37 million in 2007 and has been battling tough times. It announced sales of $75 million in August and a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) loss per share of $3.46 in the third quarter ended June 27, 2008.

Planar also recently sold its medical business to NDS Surgical Imaging for $34.25 million.

Opal Technology

On the technology side, Runco's blow-away technology is called Opal.

"It takes what Runco knows about light rejection and filters the ambient light away," Ard says.

"There is a 20-times reduction of ambient light," he explains. "It is that dramatic. There is a measurable three-times improvement in contrast ratio."

The Opal technology will be incorporated into Runco's new "high bright" outdoor TVs announced earlier this year. Runco's Brian Carskadon says, "You can't get higher ambient light than outside, so we've put the Opal technology in our outdoor series."

The new WP-OPAL42 will retail for $8,995 -- "the same price we had without Opal, so you get the Opal for free in this product," says Carskadon.

And, if dealers were fretting about Runco dropping its annual Mexico Getaway trip, there's no need to worry.

Runco won't be returning to Mexico. The manufacturer will be taking dealers to Maui instead.

"Dealers want to sell the heck out of this," says Ard.

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