Jan. 16, 2024 - Fairfield, NJ - Comprehensive Connectivity Company, the tested and trusted commercial connectivity solutions manufacturer to the Pro AV/IT markets since 1974, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary throughout 2024.
Comprehensive, which was originally founded as “Comprehensive Video Supply Corporation” back in 1974 by Jules Leni, was briefly in NYC before settling into Northvale, New Jersey in 1974. In its early days, Comprehensive was a distributor of motion picture film and accessories before expanding their product line to include a wide variety of video and audio supplies and accessories to fill a growing need in the up-and-coming A/V market.
Through a network of new and growing nationwide A/V dealers, Comprehensive moved quickly to provide the market with hard-to-find video and audio accessories via their Comprehensive Accessories Catalog, which was originally printed in black and white.
During those first few years, the Comprehensive catalog quickly expanded and became a necessity for anyone and everyone in the A/V industry. Now at over 200 pages, the Comprehensive catalog was packed with thousands of hard-to-find A/V accessories including signal converters, adapters, production slates, gaffers tape, stickers, lighting kits, camera cases, production music and a little up and coming category called “molded video cables”. Dealers could even custom imprint their logos and contact information on the cover and give the Comprehensive catalog out to all their clients as a selling business card.
A Comprehensive pegboard rack filled with neatly bagged cables and adapters was also a common site across the country when visiting any A/V dealer. During this time, Comprehensive also began selling its own line of A/V hardware including switchers, splitters and converters which would soon gain nationwide popularity.
As Comprehensive moved into the 1980’s the product line expanded into Computer Accessories including editing and script writing software. During this time, the popularity of Comprehensive’s cables, connectors and adapters continued to grow and soon became their largest sales category, (followed closely by their new A/V hardware line). Popular items included broadcast BNC and RCA cables, and later was expanded to include XLR microphone and other audio cables too. Ultimately, demand was so great that Comprehensive created an in-house custom cable manufacturing business to support its overwhelming demand. Specialties were custom cables, multi-pin camera cables for Sony, Panasonic and Hitachi cameras and VCR’s as well as their immensely popular RGB and VGA cables for installation. In the mid 1990’s, Comprehensive had become the leading brand of commercial connectivity and would ultimately be acquired by Vcom International Multimedia Corporation who also owned competitor Quality Video Supply. Under new leadership Comprehensive would look to focus on its core strengths and take the business to the next level.
Current President Scott Schaefer, who has been with the company since 1990 commented: “It was abundantly clear that the reason people came to Comprehensive above all else, was for the premium quality, commercial grade connectivity products that Comprehensive was famous for. So we ultimately decided to go all-in on our Connectivity products and we never looked back.”
With the help of a hardworking team, and the support of our customer and supplier partners, Comprehensive was able to build upon its original legacy to achieve new heights never imagined back in 1974. Schaefer added “Over the years, many have tried to copy Comprehensive’s success, but as millions of A/V specialists and integrators will tell you, “Nobody makes connectivity products like Comprehensive”.”
Fifty years later, Comprehensive is still the industry standard of connectivity reliability, performance, and value. “We are very humbled by this milestone and we owe everything to our customers, staff and partners - both past and present. Without them, we wouldn’t be here, so this celebration is for all who made it possible, including our owners who have always been very supportive.” Schaefer said.
So, what’s next? “The best is yet to come. We’re so excited about all the things we have planned for 2024 and beyond” adds Schaefer. “Comprehensive will continue to raise the bar and work tirelessly to provide our customers with the best, most reliable connectivity products that they know they can always count on. Stay tuned.”
