MTI Marks 30 Years of Retail Merchandising Technology
Leadership
Las Vegas - January 8, 2007 – With the opening
of its exhibit at International CES 2007, MTI marks the beginning
of its 30th year in the retail merchandising display business.
And as has it has done at numerous points in its history, MTI
is demonstrating its commitment to innovation in retail merchandising
with an array of new products and merchandising concepts at CES
that enhance the CE shopping experience.
"MTI's history is rich in technological accomplishments that
were advanced for their time. A number of these have stood the
test of time and help to form the basis of the more advanced solutions
we are offering today," says Mike Cook, MTI's chief executive
officer. "We are proud to highlight a few of these here,
acknowledging the skills of our employees and illustrating the
foresight of both original equipment manufacturers and leading
retailers who are our customers."
•1977 marked the formation of MTI, Inc. Founders Mo Wagner
and Ted Hunt worked out of a garage in Beaverton, Oregon, where
the two engineers created Matrix and OnSite – the first
systems to enable retailers to switch signals between car radios
and speakers. These initial displays were controllable from the
earliest Apple, PC and Unix platforms, and are still in use today
in enhanced versions provided by MTI in its Audition family of
AV switching and distribution products.
• 1982 saw MTI introduce the industry's first full-scale
retail display "fixtures." They were developed primarily
to display home and car audio products – speakers and amplifiers
– and were implemented by the major retailers marketing
such products.
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• 1993 featured the debut of an innovative in-floor, glass
display at CES. Developed primarily to capitalize on unused demonstration
space, the display showcased audio amplifiers. It was installed
in more than 100 retail store locations nationwide.
• 1995 brought MTI's Highlite system, a pioneering product
lookup solution. Highlite featured a combination of static graphics,
buttons and LEDs with which to promote car alarms. It was a forerunner
in digital signage in its ability to highlight specific features
of each alarm product displayed.
• 1997 marked the introduction of audio and video signal
switching. MTI's solution pioneered the demonstration of surround
sound for cars – enabling consumers to select different
combinations of front, center and rear speakers. It also represented
the concept that led to MTI's solution for demonstrating home
theater systems being sold throughout the retail market today.
• 1999 brought MTI's M3 display to the market. This unique
display featured a full size car body that allowed customers to
test the real-life effects of radios, amplifiers and speakers.
• 2001 was a key milestone as MTI launched Freedom, a display
specifically designed for merchandising CE handheld products.
Since then, Freedom has introduced full power to displayed products,
integration with digital signage systems, and robust built-in
loss-prevention features. Today Freedom can be found selling digital
cameras in thousands of retail locations nationwide.
• 2002 saw MTI introduce the industry's first solution for
switching both digital and component video signals. It was the
forerunner of solutions retailers have embraced today to merchandise
High Definition (HD) televisions.
• 2003 marked a major technological leap for the industry
as MTI introduced its Intuition product. Intuition, winner of
the CEA’s Best of Innovations that year, represented one
of the industry's first true digital signage solutions. It pioneered
touchscreen-driven customer experiences, providing product information
and transactions, and incorporating full-motion video and live
integration with databases and POS systems.
• 2005 represented the first year of new ownership of the
firm – by a combination of the executive team and outside
investors – and the renaming of the company to Merchandising
Technologies, Inc. (MTI). At this juncture, MTI had grown to nearly
200 employees, and was the merchandising partner of choice by
five of the top six U.S. retailers.
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• 2006 saw continued growth of the product family, including
introduction of Freedom LP, a display specifically designed to
showcase the newest low power handheld CE devices including MP3
players and mobile phones. The company continued to earn industry
awards for its displays, including another prestigious CEA Best
of Innovations Award for an RFID digital signage solution, and
claimed virtually all of the major U.S. CE retailers as its customers.
"Remaining in business for 30 years is a remarkable achievement,"
says CEO, Mike Cook. "We can all be proud of what MTI has
accomplished and for helping so many retailers and OEMs increase
their success as well. Our earliest designs and ideas have all
contributed to where we are today – the leading turnkey
provider of immersive shopping experiences for shoppers of CE
products. As we branch out into wider markets in years to come,
our commitment to technology and innovation will remain the same."
About MTI
Headquartered in Hillsboro, Ore., MTI is a privately held company
that has been building interactive merchandising displays for
consumer electronics retailers since 1977. It remains the leading
provider of turnkey solutions, including design, fabrication,
installation and support. Six of the top seven consumer electronics
retailers in the U.S. build their sales with MTI displays, which
include Freedom Universal and Freedom LP™, Intuition™
(a digital signage solution family), and Audition™ (a store-wide
signal switching system) For more information, contact the company
at 1050 NW 229th Ave., Hillsboro, OR 97124, 503.648.6500 x 357,
or go to www.mti-interactive.com.
