Reliable Design Services, (RDS) based in Quinlan TX, is a custom fabricating company. While originally founded to manufacture specialty projects for the aviation industry, production companies in the entertainment industry have sought their expertise as well.
Owner Matt Panther created RDS in 2015. It grew out of a sister company called Metroplex Conveyer. The forte of Metroplex was millwright work, stainless steel and automation in the aviation and bakery industry. Certainly diverse fields, but their commonality was in conveyer belts and airport luggage handling systems. The company developed into a successful concern during the late 1990’s. Panther became an employee in 2003, and by 2010, he was the owner.
Whereas a dedicated truss manufacturing company can offer custom products, “Reliable is primarily a high-end custom fabrication company that offers our customers trussing as well,” says Panther. “Recently, we built an ejector seat transporter for Lockheed Martin for the F35,” he adds, illustrating the company’s precise capabilities.
A certain amount of cross-pollination occurred between the aviation and entertainment industry when Panther called upon Matt Huebsch at Staging Concepts, based in Minneapolis, MN. Panther contacted Huebsch and said to him, “Hey, I need to build a platform that reaches the upper level of a 747 airplane, but all I want from you are your decks and hand rails for the system. Since then, I’ve had them call me for some very off-the-wall custom stage support projects.”
RDS went on to design and engineer several variations of the system for the A330 and 787 planes. The system was adapted for use by Staging Concepts as a stage set platform.
Panther points out the modular structures are capable of reaching up to 30 feet in the air. They crank up effortlessly and easily roll into place. Made of stainless carbon steel and rated to hold 125 PSF, they are like “scaffold systems on steroids.”
He notes that, even though the platforms are for use in completion centers that create and design interiors for VIP aircraft, “we have used the structures as viewing platforms also in rehearsal halls. They are definitely not a touring unit.”
When pressed as to how he got into such a niche business servicing two diverse industries, Panther replies, “I guess you’d say it’s being in the right place at the right time.”
Roots in Entertainment
Panther started working community theater when in junior high, and first went on the road at age 15. “StagePro, a staging company based in Kansas, came through town with a rooftop for the local festival, and I convinced them to take me on the road for three weeks, working a festival called Country Jam. Mainly lighting…. which was just the brush that got me hooked.”
After high school, he pursued the work full time with a production company out of Iowa, doing staging and rooftops. It was a full production company, handling lighting and sound as well. In 2003, an opportunity to move to Texas brought him to Metroplex Conveyer. During this time, he worked and became friends with production rigger Tim Kruse, who would later join RDS as a salesman.
When Panther took over the reins at Metroplex in 2010, he started getting repeated requests from customers to build truss. His eye, though, was on augmenting Metroplex with a company concept that would eventually become Reliable Design Systems.
“I did not necessarily want to get into the truss building business,” he says, “but after five years of saying ‘No’ I finally agreed when we opened the doors on RDS. We build standard truss product because our customers kept asking for it. We have the experience, skill set, and we have the ability.”
For those very reasons, Panther sees why that piece of his business has seen such expansion in the last year. “It has really taken off these last few months,” he says.
Touring Industry Growth
The company has doubled in size since its inception a year ago. The 13,000 square foot office, warehouse and manufacturing space are currently undergoing renovation to keep up with the company’s growth. The new 20,000 square foot facility, says Panther, “can’t happen fast enough. We are busting at the seams.”
Along with Staging Concepts, other clients/collaborators include Gemini Lighting in Dallas, TX and Feld Entertainment Studios in Palmetto, FL.
“Scott Dickerson from Feld saw these aviation access platforms we had powder coated blue to match a clients corporate colors,” Panther recalls. Impressed with their look and massive stability, Dickerson contracted RDS for black colored platforms to serve as viewing stands in their large studio rehearsal halls.
Jason Cain, operations manager with Gemini LSV (Light Sound Video) says, “Matt is my go to metal fabricator. He runs a great company, and the work is always spot on.”
For Slayer’s 2015 Mayhem Music festival, Gemini had RDS build the video wall structure for their Elation EPT6IP 6mm tiles. The wall measured 40 by 20 feet (WxH).
“He created a real neat backbone system to the entire video wall,” says Cain. “The structure is load bearing. Techs can easily climb on the backside of the wall to service the brains of the modules, if needed. Good stuff!”
Reliable created custom touring pre-rig carts for transport and fly purposes as well. Each cart holds an eight-foot truss with a permanently fixed header on which six of the two-foot square panels are mounted (two rows of three panels each). There are six header trusses in all, one header per cart, and the bottom of the LED wall, which does not require a header, also fits into the cart.
Cain adds, “The structure nestles in a cart so that chain hoists can pick it straight out of the cart. Then the next set of carts rolls in to pin more rows until complete.”
“It’s a brilliant system,” Cain tells PLSN. “Once motors are in place, it takes just over an hour to assemble, and about 45 minutes to hit the deck and load into the truck.”
Gemini LSV owns more than 600 of the ETPI6 tiles for which Reliable will fabricate more of the cart and grid systems. Gemini’s summer tour roster includes Lamb of God, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Taste of Chaos with Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday. “All those tours will be outfitted with the 6mm tiles and system,” says Cain.
Reliable created several structures to implement the lighting design on last year’s Slipknot and Korn tour. Korn opened the show. To accommodate a quick set change and an additional floor lighting package, rolling risers were called for.
“Matt made these four-by-eight-foot clear acrylic top stage decks,” recalls Cain. “We installed eight Chauvet Nexus 4×4 LED tiles for each to illuminate the artist from underneath. The pieces bolt easily to the standard Staging Concept black decks we own. The acrylics line up with the same coffin locks, so we could intersperse clear deck with solid black if we wanted to in the future.” The finished Korn rolling risers measured 8 by 32 feet.
RDS manufactured aluminum frame structures for flown lighting on the tour as well. The custom lighting pods rolled on wheels and could then fly out on chain hoists when stood upright. Gemini mounted 16 Aryton MagicPanels in each.
Custom Prototypes
3D printing is available from RDS as well. The ABS plastic applied in the process has mechanical properties, which help prevent metal-on-metal contact. Panther praises the 3D printing as an economical way for concept-proofing and prototypes. The 3D printers manufacture end user parts as well.
“What sets us apart is that we are custom fabrication company,” Panther says. “We are able to cater to the touring market to meet custom needs. Yes, we build truss. Many companies provide that commodity, but it is not our specialty. It is an added convenience for our customers.
“We have a broad range of custom manufacturing capabilities,” Panther adds. A diverse spectrum of vendors has sought those capabilities for the wide range of solutions that RDS brings to a project.
“Technotrix is a great customer of ours, out of Chicago,” says Panther, of the nationwide provider of audio, lighting, staging and rigging services. RDS fabricated such items as lighting hang rails, P.A. fly bar headers, line array carts and custom speaker carts for them.
“We even built a custom drum cage to spin a drum set a la Keith Emerson and his piano in the ‘70’s,” smiles Panther, “for the Mötley Crüe tribute band Crüed and Tattooed.”
Other Projects
Recently, RDS started building support structures for line array systems in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. The Miami Dolphins home is undergoing a huge renovation, which includes a roof.
ProRig (Production and Rigging Resources), a diversified company providing equipment, personnel and services to the entertainment and construction industries based in Dallas, TX is practically a neighbor to RDS. Keith Bohn, business development manager for ProRig, tells PLSN how the two companies have been working together.
“We have a couple of new construction installation projects right now that are high profile professional sports venues,” says Bohn.
“Having used other fabricators for similar projects, Matt’s approach has been refreshing right from the start. Not all fabricators will dedicate the attention needed to be a partner in solving issues, but that helpful partnership is exactly how we view Matt and RDS. Matt takes great interest in what we need and provides an extra level of attention to detail. We view his involvement as an insurance policy of sorts.”
The company has several ongoing custom truss builds for church applications, too.
Looking Ahead
When asked about plans for the company’s future or a “mission statement,” Panther replies, “It’s pretty simple really; just continue to provide timely and quality service by doing what we have been doing and don’t be late on their jobs. We take care of our customer, whatever they may need.”
As a final note he adds, “it has been phenomenal. Five years ago, I would never have suspected we would be where we are at today.”
Reliable Design Leverages Know-how from Other Industries
Reliable Design Services (RDS) is a premier fabricator of high quality, custom-built solutions. The company’s specialty is the development of solutions for the entertainment and aviation industries. It also has a considerable background in other industries, including industrial and food and bakery production, which it can leverage to tackle custom projects.
RDS can also draw upon the resources of its sister company Metroplex Conveyor & Services, LLC (MCS), which was founded in 1996 to serve food/bakery and aviation industries. Longtime Metroplex clients include Sara Lee, Hostess, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and TetraPak.
Company Snapshot:
- Reliable Design Services (RDS)
- Founder: Matt Panther
- When Founded: 2015
- Number Employees: 14
- Warehouse/Facility Size: 20,000 sq. ft.
- Address: 5710 Highway 34 South, Quinlan TX 75474
- Phone: 972.584.0551
- Affiliated With: Metroplex Conveyor & Services, LLC (founded in 1996)
- More Info: www.rds-web.com
