If all goes according to plan, metro Grand Rapids may get a glimpse as early as next week of a new technology that may turn the city's downtown into a miniature Times Square at street level.
And that could be the leap that local entrepreneurs Marcel Thibert and Steven Miller need to take in their bid to provide inexpensive big screen advertising to vacant store fronts across the nation.
The pair are in discussions with the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority to install the first urban demo of their Vizidef technology at the northwest corner of Ottawa and Monroe Center in what formerly was Blake's Turkey Sandwich Shoppe that closed last July. Through the clever use of laser projectors and a proprietary film they developed, Thibert and Miller plan to flash informational messages of upcoming local events, public service announcements, and other sample slides on the bank of four large windows facing Monroe Center.
If that proves successful, then Vizidef hopes to roll out a program of covering the windows of as many of the more than 40 vacant storefronts throughout downtown area as possible, turning them into huge digital displays that then may generate revenue for the city.
Paper or Plastic
"Our film product can be cut into shapes and quickly installed in under two hours, and the content can be easily changed because it is digital," says Thibert, 28. "It's affordable, and it drastically reduces the labor needed to print, install, and take down paper displays. There's no waste." Vizidef can run off a laptop, media player, or a wireless network.
Packages comprising the film and laser projector range from $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the extent of customization. Sizes for the films range from 20" to 60" measured diagonally with a 16x10 aspect ratio, Thibert says. "We do custom sizes and shapes on customer request for an additional price," he says. "We can do sizes up to 200 inches (diagonally) indoors with one projector. But to do an outside window over 100 inches would require two projectors."
Although the technology is widely used in Europe, it hasn't taken off yet in many areas of the United States, he says. And Thibert and Miller say they have tweaked the technology one step better because Vizidef's projected content can be seen from inside and outside the window, even close up, without compromising the image's quality or true-to-the-eye color.
Through use of the computerized laser projectors, sign designers will have more creative freedom because letters and signage can be programmed for different effects, such as changing colors. Since the entire display is wireless, content can be controlled by computer anywhere in the world, the men say. Touch-foil can be integrated to let viewers interact with the content, and 3-D imaging can be implemented, complete with shutter glasses.
"You can even synchronize messages like Amber Alerts," says Miller, 26.
Building the User Base
Tronixr LLC, the parent company established in October that sells the Vizidef system, has been demonstrating the system on a clear bezel display at its main office in Centerpointe Mall since March. Tronixr currently manufactures the film in its own lab, and the partners are considering outsourcing the work to a manufacturer in the Grand Rapids area.
"The idea is to first build a user base and then sell advertising spots to local businesses," says Thibert. "The revenue generated from the initial phase would go back to the city."
The partners' love of technology and their vision of the future of advertising led them to research the technology of laser projection and projection products. The impetus to develop Vizidef was surprisingly simple. "We got tired of waiting for (film) samples from California," Miller says. So they "started from scratch" in about mid-December.
He says it turned out that their film was superior to a Chinese-made version of the product sold by a California company for the same application. After putting in weeks of long hours and conducting numerous tests, the partners in Tronixr developed Vizidef to the point they believe it can be commercialized, and they have applied for patents on its proprietary technology.
"It was exhausting work and stressful on our families," Thibert says. "We were extremely emotional when the product was finally done."
The development of Vizidef wouldn't have been possible without mutual respect between the partners, they say. "You have to have faith in yourself against all odds, against extreme doubt and pessimism," Miller says. "You can't care what other people think."
With Thibert, Miller, and three other full-time employees, Tronixr also is the parent corporation of other business enterprises that range from online sales of electronic goods to acting as a promoter for Funktion, a Kalamazoo-based band that plays a blend of funk and soul with a hip-hop beat.
A Different Type of Investment
Miller and Thibert say they are emotionally invested in Grand Rapids and enjoy brainstorming ways to attract and retain top talent in West Michigan.
"We want to light a fire under Grand Rapids," Miller says. "I've lived all over, and I've never been in a place more driven and with so much potential. I'm amazed at how much some people take this city for granted."
Originally from Bryant, Ark., Miller attended Ouchita Technical College and then Grand Rapids Community College when he moved to Grand Rapids in 2006 for a job opportunity in IT and advertising. He says he began building computer software and hardware packages when he was 13 and started his own computer company at 15 by building and selling low-cost, IBM-compatible PCs for the consumer market. His products carried three-year, in-home warranties, so his father had to provide transportation to service calls before he got his driver's license. Miller and his partner, Jennifer Reed, are expecting a son in late September.
A native of Elk Rapids, Thibert attended Saginaw Valley State and Northern Michigan University. He says he owned a hotel management company in the beginning of the decade and a small valet company from 2006 to 2008. Thibert became an entrepreneur last year when he turned down a job for a management position that would have required him to relocate to Boulder, Colo. He and his wife, Heather, have a son, Bryson, 3.
Call it chance, fate, or serendipity, but Thibert and Miller seemed destined to meet. While the Thiberts were on their honeymoon in July 2008, Miller and Reed moved into the house next door. The two families immediately hit it off, and the partners discovered that they shared many common interests.
Both Miller and Thibert are community-oriented and legacy-driven. "It's about integrity, not about us being remembered, but how we're remembered by our children," says Miller. "We give all the time. And we want to make people smile."
They encourage others to "do what you love. Life is happiness, not the search thereof," says Thibert. "There's a lot of passion behind our work. Having fun everyday is every guy's dream. It's important to stay cool, relaxed, and focused on the goal."
"We're chasing our dreams for the first time," says Miller. "Just wait until you see what we come up with next."
Victoria A. Mullen is (in alphabetical order) an actress, artist, attorney, photographer, and writer based in Grand Rapids. She is originally from Milwaukee.
Photos:
Marcel Thibert
Steven Miller
Marcel Thibert and Steven Miller
Photographs by Brian Kelly -All Rights Reserved