Robert Mokry: on lighting service, guitars, and becoming a businessman

What happens when a fixture is discontinued?  Normally manufacturers will continue support for a given length of time, but no matter how long that is, production/rental shops, venues, and other users don't stop using them.  More importantly, they don't stop needing spare parts for those fixtures – and that's where Robert Mokry and LightParts come in.  A reverse logistics company specializing in lighting equipment, their business may not be the stuff of splashy magazine features, but it is critical for their customers: they can provide new old stock parts, refurbished parts, newly manufactured parts they source, repairs for fixtures and consoles, and many other services.

We had a chance to sit down with Robert and discuss the company, how and why it was founded, and how it became as successful as it is.  We also discussed his career, his start with Blackstone A/V (which later became High End Systems), his work with products including designing the Wybron Nexera system, and how he found his place.  Robert also shared his thoughts on the present and future of the business, how others might find their own niches, and why he thinks that our industry is a solid one in an outsourced, global economy.

Thanks for downloading and listening!  Visit LightParts on the web, and hit this video link to learn more about the company.