Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTN), a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services, cinema screens and other cinema products, announced today that it will provide NEC Digital Cinema projection systems along with GDC Technology’s digital cinema servers and Ballantyne’s own ‘silver’ or ‘gain’ screens to outfit 20 auditoriums for Caribbean Cinemas, the largest motion picture exhibitor in the Caribbean Islands.
This most recent deployment brings Ballantyne’s total installed base for Caribbean Cinemas to 62 NEC systems, or approximately 15 percent of Caribbean’s total footprint. Caribbean expects to convert the remainder of its screens to digital over the next several years and anticipates that Ballantyne will continue to play a leadership role in that process.
Robert Carrady, President and CEO of Caribbean Cinemas, stated, “We have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with the folks at Ballantyne Strong and greatly value their outstanding service that has helped facilitate our strong growth in the region. We began our relationship by purchasing Strong 35 mm projectors over a decade ago, and their reliability and customer support was a key reason we have entrusted Ballantyne with Caribbean’s expanding digital cinema rollout.”
John P. Wilmers, Ballantyne’s CEO, commented, “It is particularly satisfying to work with exhibitors over an extended time period and to watch them succeed and expand their footprints. Caribbean Cinemas, led by Robert and his team, has truly done an excellent job of bringing affordable entertainment to their part of the world. With the rapid transformation to digital entertainment via 3D and alternative content, we look forward to working closely with them for many years to come.”
