Epson has been a long-standing partner with Projector Reviews, so when they invited us to come to their ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of their new Los Alamitos-based headquarters, of course we wanted to be there. Not only were we part of the ribbon-cutting, but we were also given a tour by Epson America president and CEO Keith Kratzberg. This facility will serve as the corporate headquarters for Epson’s US, Canada, and Latin America operations.
The campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities designed to optimize productivity, sustainability, and hybrid collaboration while underscoring Epson's commitment to technology innovation, teamwork, sustainability, and employee work-life balance.
The new campus features two distinct buildings with a very cool architectural bridge connecting them. It also features an expanded Executive Briefing Center, serving as a state-of-the-art destination to host customers, partners, and community members where you can learn a bit about Epson’s history and see some of its innovative products firsthand.
What struck me when I first entered the building was an awe-inspiring digital art display front and center in the lobby. This display uses multiple Epson projectors mapped to create one seamless image on both sides of the wall. It's organic colors and movement are beautiful, and I spent many minutes just watching the changing image.
As you approach their Executive Briefing Center, a display highlights some of Epson’s latest 3-chip 3LCD modules. While many Epson projectors utilize their 4K PRO UHD pixel shifting technology to display 4K resolution, the display also included a native 4K unit. The native 4K module was noticeably larger and probably much more expensive than the 4K PRO UHD, so it was probably developed for their high-end large venue projectors.
Epson highlighted several models in their current projector lineup in a room next to this display, reminding us of just how many projectors and Epson's deep history.
"Our newly established Executive Briefing Center serves as a hub for Epson team members and partners, providing an environment in which we can envision and develop effective strategies for future business achievements," said Kratzberg.
Since many Epson employees will continue to work remotely, a large portion of one of the buildings has been reallocated to demo spaces for various Epson business and professional printing solutions. While printers are a massive part of their overall business, Epson is one of the leading projector manufacturers. Hence, a couple of demo spaces are also dedicated to projectors.
A large space is loaded with different types of Epson business and education projectors on several screens. This gives dealers and clients the opportunity to compare different models side by side.
Epson also has created a “dark room” on campus where they can showcase what their home theater projectors can do. We could stop by this room briefly while on tour, and I became immersed in the opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on an Epson LS1200 projector.
Epson short-throw projectors were in every office, pointing at a whiteboard to support collaboration and easy display for brainstorming sessions. In the conference rooms and meeting spaces, several Epson projectors were on hand to ensure there wasn’t a seat in the room that couldn’t see what was being presented.
After the tour, we sat down with Nils Madden and Mike Isgrig, members of the Epson Consumer Projectors leadership team, for a casual conversation about where projectors are heading and Epson’s plans for continuing their excellent projection line-up going forward. We were very happy to hear about their commitment to continue to innovate and make projection more and more common in the homes and lives of everyday people.
Overall, we were very impressed by the new campus and Epson’s focus on sustainability, with rooftop solar panels providing 100% of the company's energy needs, reduced lighting requirements, expansive water conservation, drought-tolerant landscaping, and electric vehicle charging stations for employees.
"We are better equipped to deliver world-class products and services to our customers with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology," said Kratzberg. He added that moving to the new headquarters represents a commitment to growth, innovation, and excellence.
Thank you to Epson for inviting us to this event, and congratulations on your new campus!
