Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/90974
Gretchen, shares the story of how a designer with Palmer Johnson, the Sturgeon Bay yacht builder, called looking for more information about the company's waterproof televisions. "I told him I would be happy to meet with them in person and they said, 'What airport will you be flying into?' I then told them I was just down the road in Green Bay. They were stunned. Tim Gilbertson, who owns Séura with his wife, pronounced seer-ah – and what it does, it's common for people to not realize they're located in Green Bay. But as Gretchen Gilbertson puts it, that may just be the company's signature advantage. "We're small and dynamic and can easily adapt to the feedback we get from our customers and the market," she Given the company's European-sounding name – it's " ONLINE: Co-founders Gretchen and Tim Gilbertson talk about how they launched their company – and where they're headed next. says, adding the company's sales are up 67 percent from where they were a year ago. "I also think when people find out we're from Green Bay, it evokes trust and quality. "When we started, we were advised to move to Chicago or a larger area, but we are so happy we stayed." B Taking an idea and running with it mirror. "We really embraced the concept and worked to refine it, oth Gilbertsons were working in product development at different companies when they saw something on a home tour that caught their eye – a crude version of what would become their first product – a TV within a " Gretchen says. footprints" for other entrepreneurs to follow. "They are truly role models in the entrepreneurial definition of entrepreneurs – they are creating value through innovation and aren't afraid to take a risk." The first Séura TV-within-a-mirror debuted at a national world when it comes to technology transfer – which takes technology and ideas from others and creates something completely new, " he says. "To me, they are the true trade show in 2004 and immediately caught the industry's attention. The product was featured on TV design shows – HGTV's Candace Olsen has used it multiple times on her shows – and in magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens. In 2005, the company launched a commercial but we are so happy we stayed." "With our backgrounds, we were able to pull together the right people and get it developed," says Tim, who a mentor and cheerleader for multiple entrepreneurs, including the Gilbertsons. He says the duo is "putting down helped launch an under-the-counter refrigerator at his previous employer. Mark Burwell of eHub in Green Bay has served as About the name From the company website: Séura gets its name from French painter Georges-Pierre Séurat. Best known for his iconic "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, " Séurat started the pointillist movement in painting. By altering the eye's perception of a picture with tiny points of color, the method mimics the images produced by the pixels of a television. 26 | INSIGHT • November 2012 "When we started, we were advised to move to Chicago or a larger area, – Gretchen Gilbertson segment targeting the hospitality sector. "Hotels are always looking to differentiate themselves. They talk about different thread-count or mattresses, but that's not as easily discernible as a TV-within-a-mirror," Tim says. And it's not just four-star, high-end hotels looking to Séura. Comfort Suites in Green Bay purchased multiple Séura products as part of its recent renovation. The original product was designed for people who want seriously, the original product wasn't designed for people who are crazy about TVs. It's for busy people who may only have those 20 or 30 minutes in the morning while they're getting ready to catch the news. We have one in our bathroom and that's how I watch the news and find out about the weather and how to dress the kids." style and functionality, but also information, Gretchen says. "It's the TV for him and the decor for her, " she laughs. "But [continued] » www.insightonbusiness .com