IT
Thinking big - Chris Bibby and Chris Petty of Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions .
WORDS : GRAEME ANDERSON PICTURE : TOM BANKS
SCREEN TIME
New Cornerstone project puts you in the picture !
Award-winning IT specialist Cornerstone Business Solutions has unveiled the latest addition to its growing group of companies – Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions .
And the new company could hardly have announced its arrival in a more eyecatching fashion than with the deployment of two giant visual display screens – one at Teesside International Airport , the other at the entrance to Teesworks , the former steelworks set to become an engine of economic renewal .
The airport ’ s digital LED screen is 15 square metres in size , giving visitors and passengers instant visual information , while the Teesworks screen – at a colossal 90 square metres – is set to become a local landmark .
“ We never planned it this way – going for big impact installations ,” said Chris Bibby , who along with Chris Petty is one of the company ’ s two directors . “ It ’ s just the way it turned out .
“ Longer-term , we see Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions being primarily involved with small and practical LED screens – like the 21-inch screens you ’ ll see displayed to visitors at offices next to the hand sanitiser , or the 55-inch screens you ’ ll see increasingly installed in shops and offices and on street furniture in towns and cities .
“ It was just that our first two real orders involved these two very large ‘ statement ’ screens for the airport and Teesworks .” The giant screen components were shipped over from China in what amounted to a six-figure investment in high-quality technology for the region .
The Covid-19 pandemic meant transportation of the screens , which had to be assembled piece by piece after they arrived in the UK , was far from straightforward .
But the logistical challenges were overcome and have been worth it , both for Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions and their new clients .
Director Chris Petty reflected : “ We ’ re a new company with a ‘ can-do ’ attitude – like all the Cornerstone companies are – so this was a great learning curve for us .
“ And having successfully delivered major infrastructure projects like these , we ’ re confidently looking forward to talking to businesses across Teesside about their own needs and requirements .”
Matt Johnson , Teesworks ’ development director , said : “ Our new Teesworks gatehouse and entrance is our first chance to wow investors and visitors at the site . Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions ’ massive screen is eye-catching and modern , which brilliantly sets out our ambitions for the whole of Teesworks , while being able to promote those job opportunities being created for local people .”
Phil Forster , Teesside International Airport ’ s interim managing director , said : “ As we continue to grow our airline and route numbers , in turn increasing passengers coming through our doors , we need displays across our check-in desks fit for the 21st century . These great screens are part of our upgrade of the terminal , which will also help to bring in another crucial revenue stream through advertising .”
Chris Petty added : “ The world is changing and Covid-19 is going to change it even more .
“ The pandemic has accelerated so many processes and developments and we think the move to digital displays is one of those trends .
“ A few years ago , LED digital screens were still quite rare in the region but they ’ re about to become commonplace because the technology has improved , prices have come down and it ’ s a great way for businesses and organisations to get their messages across .
“ We think that over the course of time you ’ re going to see them on every bus corner , on shop premises , in offices and we wanted to offer people in the North- East a homegrown way to market .
“ There ’ s so much economic regeneration happening or due to happen on Teesside and it ’ s important that we have local companies offering these solutions , rather than businesses having to look abroad .
“ The fact we ’ ve just put up the biggest digital screen in the North-East and one of the biggest in the country makes a statement about what Cornerstone Visual Media Solutions can do .
“ We ’ re now actively looking for further big projects to work on but it ’ s not all about big projects . We envisage doing thousands and thousands of installations for SMEs and local organisations in the years ahead .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 65