SITUATION
Instead of remodeling the existing W.R. Davies Student Center, which the students, faculty, and staff decided no longer met their needs, UWEC replaced it with a new 170,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Student Center. The challenge Audio Architects faced with this installation was providing professional audio to support over 11,500 student and business events per year, with easy zoning, room combining, complete digital signal processing and audio input/output control between all rooms, and make it user-friendly to boot.
SOLUTION
The integration team consisted of Shen Milsom & Wilke as the consultant and designer with Erik Geiger at the helm, and Audio Architects, led by Andy Pierson, as the installer. Geiger and Pierson chose Biamp Tesira as the only option for the high level of usability, flexibility, scalability, and control required by UWEC in this $2.7 million dollar installation. The Student Center features an AVB network, which supports background music (BGM) and live paging, and spans all floors, ballrooms, event/performance spaces, indoor and outdoor lounge areas.
CONCLUSIONS
The Tesira SERVER-IO provides UWEC with a single Ethernet-based DSP network that can accommodate large quantities of both analog and digital input/output. The ability to combine and separate audio and digital signal processing as needed are important functions for the university. Using Tesira, Shen Milsom & Wilke and Audio Architects enabled UWEC to meet the current and future needs of its students, staff, faculty, and business partners.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
