We’re really getting into some far out destinations at Ideoli. This time we are in majestic India for some business. “We are in India and if you know India, it’s physically a large country. Aside from that, there is over a billion people that live here. The market is absolutely huge, and it just makes total sense for us to want to be here,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. India has so much opportunity to offer to a growing company like ours. “This market is physically ginormous and there is over a billion people here,” says George. Looks like there is potential for Ideoli here. “The potential here is extraordinary. So from an expansion standpoint, when it comes to Ideoli and markets we want to be in, India is a market we want to be in,” says George. When we say we are a global company, we truly mean it.
Welcome to another installment of Chris’ Tech Corner. Where Chris showcases a new product, feature or technology from the world of Ideoli. Take it away Chris! “Our LED Diamond fixture is an amazing piece. We spent over one year designing and prototyping and going back and forth with the client and the architect in order to get them what they wanted,” says Chris Hartswick, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. Leading-edge technology with the end user in mind – always. “In order to make the design reality, we had to use several high-end materials. We were importing reflective and textured aluminum from Germany and we were using ultra clear optical grade acrylic. All of this was needed in order to really get that diamond to sparkle and shine like a real diamond does,” says Chris. And there you have it – something new about our products. Thanks, Chris!
Ideoli is on the move again, expanding our footprint in the Middle East. We are now doing business in the Kingdom of Bahrain – and like most of us, we had to google where this was before we got deep into it. Located in the Persian Gulf, between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands with a population of 1.5 million people. Today we’re visiting a client’s location to see our custom lighting products in action. This stunning, beautiful chandelier enhances the location and is the wow factor for customers to see when they first enter the store. Ideoli continues to grow internationally and develop new products to support our clients custom needs. We have an incredible understanding of local cultures, laws, legislation and energy codes – making the process easy for us and our clients. What a productive day in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Ideoli is committed to expanding to new markets and bringing you along for the ride to experience it with us.
It’s always important to make sure you’re getting the highest quality, bang for your buck product and materials. This is where Jess comes in, he’s one of our retail industry partners and he’s here to tell you more about this side of the business. Take it away Jess! “Hi, My name is Jess Masonheimer and I’m in the retail industry. Jess has been a player in the American retail industry for years. His expertise has helped his company expand and enter new markets that service millions of consumers. I’m responsible for finding, vetting and procuring quality fixtures and lighting products for my company.” Jess works with hundreds of vendors to help bring his retail design team’s vision to fruition – through a detailed and hands-on approach. “I come across different levels of product quality in my line of work. Jess is responsible for finding the highest quality products needed to keep his company’s stores operating – from the floor, to the ceiling, and everything in between. I’ve worked with many different foreign companies and come across a lot of different product qualities – from very low, to very high.” Jess travels to his vendor’s factories to oversee the production. His hands on approach helps guarantee that the products used to furnish his stores are of the highest quality. “We’ve worked with the team at Ideoli to help create and manufacture quality fixtures that we use in our stores nationwide.” Ideoli works hard to support Jess and his team’s fixture and lighting needs – helping with the customization of products, delivering prototypes for review, and rolling into full production to support their hundreds of locations.
St. Louis, Missouri. A city known for baseball, the gateway arch and… Barbecue! Regardless the destination, you always need to find the best of what each city has to offer… And we believe we did just that here. “It’s lunchtime here in St. Louis, what do you feel like eating?”, says George, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. “We’re in St. Louis, it’s barbecue my friend,” says Chris, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. “You don’t want gluten free salads? Okay we’re going to have some barbecue!”, says George. Warning, you are about to get really hungry while watching this. Sugarfire BBQ is a landmark in St. Louis, offering the greatest in smoked meats, BBQ and side dishes. Needless to say, the boys needed a nap after this meal.
We’re big fan of sports at Ideoli. Especially hockey! And that is why we sponsor a junior hockey team in Canada. To feel connected to the sport while watching these young kids develop. Our sponsored hockey team had their dreams come true when they got to meet and greet with members of the Toronto Maple Leafs team. Mike Babcock, the head coach of the Maple Leafs, took time out of his busy schedule to chat with the team, sign autographs and give a few pointers as well. How cool is that? Plus the team rocked it in their Ideoli-sponsored jerseys – well done boys! Thanks to the team’s manager, Bessie, for making it happen! We appreciate you!
Next time you’re in Shanghai, definitely check out Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Located in one of the poshest neighborhoods in Shanghai, this location is quite impressive and a great location to recharge, stay caffeinated and meet new people from all walks of life. If you like coffee as much as the Ideoli team, you’ll be happy you did!
Today we are visiting our glass factory in a region known for it’s superior glass manufacturing capabilities. To get the best quality glass for our LED lighting products, we only work with the best partners in this field. The process is sophisticated. The perfect mixture of several types of filtered natural sand and chemicals are used. The contents are mixed and then placed into a large furnace, transitioning molten into liquid glass. Heated to over 1400 Degrees Celsius for several hours, the liquid glass is then fed into the custom glass molds to let it start taking its shape, as specified by our clients. The final step in the glass making process is the most important. Once the mold is completed, the glass is then slowly cooled by applying controlled heat to prevent breakage. The result is a high-quality glass that will be accompanied with the greatest technologies in LED lighting in the trendiest condos. It’s what we do… and so well!
There is nothing more American than baseball, apple pie and… American Girl! Especially in the heart of New York City. Ideoli recently was part of the store opening and credited with creating the masterpiece chandeliers overlooking the incredible store in Rockefeller Center. Although we think it’s spectacular, what do the people actually buying American Girl dolls think of the space and Ideoli’s chandelier? There you have it, we interviewed random people on the street from all over the world… and they love the store, the brand and our work. A win, win, win, all around. Make sure to stop by and tell them Ideoli sent you!
New day, familiar country for Ideoli. Back in glorious Mexico for our client market expansion efforts. “It’s exciting being here is Mexico City. We started doing work in Mexico about 5 years ago from a manufacturing standpoint” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. As Ideoli continues to grow internationally, we’re expanding our client footprint throughout Mexico. “It’s really awesome being here on the client side and being able to present our products. Our leading LED lighting products and getting into various locations in the retail and commercial spaces here” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. We’re meeting with an international company to supply their commercial spaces with our LED lighting fixtures throughout Mexico. “We recognize Mexico is a key market and it’s essentially the gateway to Latin and South American. So we really need to be here” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. Our adventures in Mexico continue… wonder where Ideoli will expand to next? Stay tuned!
Back on the road, again. This time within the United States. Two separate crews from Ideoli made the trip to Chicago for a very important meeting – driving from New York City and Flying from Los Angeles. How was the drive Armando? Good, awesome. How many hours? 13 hours. From where? Connecticut, New York and Port Washington. All the way to Chicago. All the way to Chicago, non-stop. Ideoli attended an industry tradeshow in Chicago to meet up with its clients. We set up shop in their hotel and presented a mini tradeshow display for our partners to experience. We reviewed new lighting fixture prototypes for our client’s new store design – live and in person. Whether we drive, fly, bus or train… Ideoli is dedicated to making it easy for our clients to achieve all their design needs.
The distance around the world is about 25,000 miles… and Ιdeoli covered this distance in just about 4 days. From Singapore, to Thailand, to India, to Germany, and back to Los Angeles, all in about 90 hours. “Singapore – just landed after a 17 hour flight. one of the top 3 longest flights in the world from LA LAX to Singapore. Thailand – stopped off and now we are in Thailand, Bangkok and we’re here for less than a few hours. Landed and had a meeting just outside the airport with one of our suppliers here,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. “Just arrived in India. This is first on the list with a short flight over,” says George. “Back at the airport ready to head on a 10-hour flight to Germany – a quick pit stop there. Then another 11-12 hour flight to LAX,” says George. “Long security check going on right now. Probably take another hour. Its always good after a long flight. Whatever,” says George. Meeting new clients, expanding into new markets and building our global business. Red eye flights, huge ambitions and passion for what we do – that’s what is driving us at Ιdeoli.