Wenger History
When Harry Wenger was music director in the Owatonna, Minnesota, schools in the 1940s, he saw a need for improved equipment for music education. Early inventions included a more durable conductor’s baton, snare drum practice pad and a chair to help young sousaphone players hold their instrument. After founding Wenger Corporation in 1946, Harry’s spirit of innovation and commitment to quality has continued to guide the company’s growth.
His deep understanding of music education, honed through leading local school programs to national acclaim, enabled him to develop inventive products and solutions for the practical needs of music educators, students and performers.
“A chance to make music should be available to anyone who has the desire.“
– Harry Wenger
From the humble origins of Harry’s basement, Wenger Corporation expanded into various locations around Owatonna before establishing its current headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Our expanding product line now numbers over 600. Today, Wenger Corporation can outfit school music rehearsal and performance areas, professional performing arts facilities, and athletic facilities with a range of unique solutions, including custom options. Our strength is also in our expertise; whether in new construction or renovation projects, Wenger personnel often work as members of the planning team, together with end users, owners, contractors, architects, acousticians and other consultants.
Wenger Corporation now includes five product brands: Wenger, J.R. Clancy, GearBoss, Creative Conners and Lutefish. These products and solutions can be found across North America and worldwide. Recent innovations like Lutefish, a real-time remote music collaboration device, and the addition of Creative Conners, a leader in automation for live performance, reflect Wenger Corporation’s ongoing commitment to advancing the future of music, performance and education.
J.R. Clancy History
John Clancy was a young stagehand in Syracuse, New York, in the 1880s, when he recognized that standard theatre rigging equipment could not handle the complex and heavy scenery required for new, larger productions.
His creative spirit led him to his workshop, where he engineered heavy-duty pulleys, sheaves and other groundbreaking inventions. This equipment helped stagehands handle unwieldy and complex scene changes easily and safely, transforming the theatre rigging field. Soon theaters across the country were seeking John’s specialized rigging equipment and expertise. He founded J.R. Clancy, Inc., in 1885, in Syracuse, where it has operated for over 135 years.
“In the matter of workmanship, we must largely leave our goods to speak for themselves, as anything we might say would not, in our opinion, do the subject justice. An inspection of them will show the critic that everything is of the highest order, and that the utmost attention has been paid to the perfecting of every little detail.”
– John R. Clancy (1892)
Driven by its commitment to innovation, quality and safety, the company expanded rapidly. When customer needs grew more demanding and imaginative, J.R. Clancy introduced additional technological breakthroughs like fire safety systems, motorized rigging and computerized control systems. Clancy engineers also designed custom rigging solutions to meet specific, challenging applications.
Today, J.R. Clancy is a brand of Wenger Corporation, and its product line builds on John’s legacy established over a century ago. J.R. Clancy provides invaluable support to performing arts venues of all sizes and types, ensuring the magic of live performances unfolds flawlessly.
Creative Conners History
Founded in 2004, Creative Conners has become a trusted name in advanced stage automation, delivering innovative solutions that bring complex scenic motion to life with precision and reliability. With a deep foundation in engineering excellence, Creative Conners designs and manufactures a full line of automation hardware and software used by theaters, opera houses, and touring productions across the globe.
From turntables and machines to intuitive control systems, Creative Conners' products are renowned for their seamless integration, ease of use, and durable construction. Their dedication to empowering creative teams with reliable motion control makes them a vital partner in live performance. Creative Conners’ specialized expertise in scenic automation is a powerful complement to Wenger Corporation’s broad capabilities in performance and production environments.
As part of Wenger, Creative Conners reinforces a shared commitment to innovation, quality, and elevating the performing arts.
“I had a passionate idea and was just confident enough to make it move.”
– Gareth Conner
TEXAS SCENIC COMPANY HISTORY
Since its founding in 1936 by Adolph and Martha Beck in San Antonio, Texas, Texas Scenic Company has grown from a modest family-run business into a national leader in the theatrical-stage-systems industry. What began with Martha sewing custom stage curtains and Adolph installing them in local venues has become a full-service enterprise that designs, manufactures and installs everything from stage curtains, track and rigging systems to motorized automation, lighting, control systems and acoustic equipment.
TSC's passion is rooted in a clear commitment: to enable each performance space—whether it’s a school auditorium, broadcast studio, theatre, museum or live-event venue—to work safely, reliably and artistically. We do this by partnering closely with architects, engineers, venue owners and production professionals, providing engineered solutions that not only meet budget, and schedule demands but elevate the creative potential of the space.
Over the decades, TSC has embraced innovation—expanding in-house manufacturing, responding to the rise of motorized rigging and staying ahead of industry standards. All while keeping our foundational values the same: quality craftsmanship, responsive service and relentless focus on the end user’s creative vision.
Now part of Wenger Corporation, Texas Scenic Company continues its tradition of innovation and partnership, enhancing Wenger’s collective strength in advancing performance and production environments.
