They wouldn’t be possible without atmospherics such as haze and fog. Ultratec Special Effects has spent the last 25 years providing our industry those types of products and more. Although they did not start with the name Ultratec Special Effects, they still hold strong to the principles they started with. Ultratec is the same people, same products and same service.
Fog, Pyro and More
Ultratec Special Effects as the name implies, is a manufacturer of atmospheric and pyrotechnics for the entertainment industry. Based in London, Ontario, Canada, Ultratec manufactures fog, low-lying fog, haze, bubbles, snow, confetti cannons and simulated flame machines. Ultratec has been manufacturing atmospherics since the early 1990s in their Ontario plant, and their pyrotechnics are now manufactured in their plant in Huntsville, AL.
After purchasing the pyro facility in 2007, Ultratec took control of the development of pyrotechnics — “something we needed to do to allow for the company to grow and prosper,” says Adrian Segeren, president of Ultratec.
Segeren is focused solely on the pyro business, and Marnie Styles, vice president of Ultratec, is focused solely on the atmospheric business. A year ago, Ultratec partnered with FireOne, a leader in the pyrotechnics control business.
“In the past year, we have introduced 15 significant new products categories with color and effect variations, delivering over 200 new products,” says Segeren, adding that Ultratec plans to continue on this aggressive path of development.
What drives Ultratec is their customers’ needs and expectations. “Anyone can produce a product, but is it something that the customer is looking for? We design and build our products based on customer responses and requests,” says Styles.
Customer requests and feedback factor into all of Ultratec’s products from the very beginning. “Users want reliable, working products,” says Styles. With more than 20 years in the business, professionals have noticed. “We have seen products bought years ago still in the field working strong just as if it came off the shelf.” With the proper care and a regular maintenance schedule, Ultratec’s products are built to last.
Of course, things break from time to time. Ultratec kept serviceability in mind when designing each of their products. “We want our products to be able to be fixed quickly and easily, either by the user or by the factory. Downtime in our industry can make or break a show — we don’t want to be the reason it doesn’t succeed.” To help keep their products up and running, Ultratec has not only made their product repairable by users, but the company offers manuals, tutorials, drawings and videos through their website to help guide users on repairing their equipment.
Some users faced with busy production schedules or lack of experience opt for an experienced repair tech to fix products. “In addition to offering replacement parts on our website, users can request repair tickets online to have our factory repair their product, find one of our many authorized dealers around the country, or call our support line for help,” says Styles. No matter the comfort level in fixing or repairing a product, Ultratec offers numerous options to get their gear back up and running.
Looking Ahead…
Ultratec products are already available across the country and around the world. With the demand increasing, Ultratec is expanding their operations across the Atlantic. Plans call for a new office in Europe within the year.
The company’s research and development team is also moving forward. Ultratec listened to their customers and released their latest fogger at USITT 2011 in Charlotte, NC, and also at Prolight+Sound 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany — the Ultra Handy Fogger. This hand-held fogger with manual pump is built inside a stainless steel chassis that holds1.5 liters of fluid. The fogger also features a microprocessor temperature control with a 1,000W heater with a detachable cord. The unit maintains heated temperature for up to 45 minutes. It is also equipped with a heat exchanger tube that is replaceable, using the company’s rapid change technology. By detaching the electrical cord when the machine is heated up, it allows individuals to walk anywhere and fog.
The Ultra Handy Fogger’s new features are just some of many product developments that Ultratec’s R&D department has been working on. Future plans for the atmospheric line include a pencil fogger, new snow machines and fan products. All are designed to meet the needs of customers while maintaining Ultratec’s philosophy of building durable, efficient and reliable high quality products.
Ultratec products can be seen around the world in concerts ranging from Nickelback to the halftime shows for the NFL to theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Many other shows include Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, WWE, live theatrical stage shows, motion pictures, TV series, corporate events and more — wherever special effects are needed.
