The Gerriets company has been involved in the theater and performance industry for 80 years. Originally founded by Hans Gerriets as a textile wholesale business in Germany in 1946, the company has manufactured theater fabrics and curtains, projection screens, and dance flooring. Since then, the company has shifted its focus to dance floor offerings, and is passionate about paying attention to technology, research and product development.
And now, the company has a new website, gerrietsdancefloors.com, where customers can easily order supplies and request quotes for new Marley and sprung floors. Gerriets remains to be a family-run business since its beginning days, and giving its customers personalized responses is an important part of its services.
Here, Dance Informa speaks with Molly Sugg and Bill Brown of the Sales and Marketing team at Gerriets, to learn more about the evolution of the company, its star products and more.
How did you each get your start in the dance/theater industry?
Molly Sugg
“Since I was young, I always loved to dance! I grew up as a competitive dancer and taught and assisted classes for many years. I feel like my whole childhood revolved around dance, so when I graduated college, I didn’t want to leave! I started working with Gerriets Dance Floors in the summer of 2023, and it has been so rewarding getting to see studios and performing companies bring their visions to life!”
Bill Brown
“I started doing theater in middle school with a local children’s theatre and went back and forth between acting and backstage work throughout high school. I even dabbled in dance a bit after being asked to be The Nutcracker in a local dance studio’s production. But I eventually decided to dive fully into the technical side of theater and went to Rutgers for it. After graduating and working as an overhire stagehand (and rolling my share of Marley), I got a job packing and pulling curtains and dance floors at the Gerriets Warehouse. I quickly switched over to sales and marketing and have been helping clients practice their art for over 11 years!”
Tell us about the early formation of Gerriets. What types of products and business was the focus on at first?
Sugg and Brown
“Gerriets has been involved with the theatre and performance industry for decades. Hans Gerriets originally founded the company as a textile wholesale business in post-war Germany in 1946, and in 1949, he managed the reconstruction of the Freiburg Theater.
In the 1950s and 1960s, his son, Walter Gerriets, began developing products specifically for theaters, including our OPERA projection screen, made specifically for the Paris Opera. He also placed a focus on offering theaters the ‘full package’ and introduced our theater technology and equipment. In 1975, our Marley flooring line began with a portable, roll-out, reversible dance floor, known as our VARIO floor, designed to provide theaters with a smooth, even surface. While our product range focused on the theater industry to begin with, we have grown our original product lines to serve people who work in architecture, events and the performing arts!”
When and why did the big shift to dance flooring come about?
Sugg and Brown
“In 2002, Hannes Gerriets joined the management team at Gerriets, focusing on technology, research and product development. During this time, we further developed our dance floor offerings, including high gloss floors for events and sprung floors for stage use. About 10 years ago, it became clear to us that dance studios were looking for the same safe, high-quality floors used in theaters. The floors we had been producing for over 25 years were working well in theaters, and the studios that had installed sang its praises. So, we started marketing it specifically to studios, and going to dance trade shows to listen to the specific needs of dancers and dance studio owners. We learned not every dance studio is the same, so we started creating more specialized floors for studios that required different things.
Since then, we have consistently been updating our floors to become better and better. Most recently, a fiber reinforcement layer was added to most of our Marley floors used by dancers. The extra layer allows the floor to roll out flat fast, and helps prevent any bubbles or ripples from popping up because of temperature changes.
We also introduced our VARIO BEAT. We noticed that there were Marleys that said they did it all, but tap dancers were frustrated they were not getting the same high quality sounds they wanted. With the introduction of the VARIO BEAT, dancers can have the best of both worlds. The hardened surface makes tap sounds crisp and clear, while the slightly embossed surface gives dancers the feel of a traditional Marley, not too sticky and not too slippery.”
What are some of Gerriets’ top selling products? And who are your biggest customers?
Sugg and Brown
“Theaters, studios, competitions, touring companies, schools, art and show exhibits – these are the types of customers we work with most often. We’ve worked on projects big and small, and are able to find a solution for almost everyone.
The VARIO BEAT and VARIO PRO are two of our most popular products. They are both being used by dance competitions, studios and professional companies around the world. The VARIO PRO is the lightest dimensionally stable Marley on the market, making it great for touring productions. Performers fell in love with the VARIO BEAT when it was introduced because of its versatility and how well it works for tap dancers.
We do not offer installation services, but all of our floors are easy to install for anyone with general handy skills. We give detailed instructions with your order, and are happy to help with any questions customers may have along the way.”
Dance flooring is incredibly important! How is the work that Gerriets does so rewarding to you personally?
Sugg
“It’s pretty amazing to now work with studio owners and professionals I grew up admiring. They’re changing lives through dance, both in the studio and on stage, and being part of what supports that work, literally from the ground up, is what makes this so rewarding.”
Brown
“I enjoy talking to customers from all over and helping them find a solution to their needs. Whether it’s a new dance studio trying to figure out the ins and outs of a dance floor, or a Broadway show needing a very specific color floor for their production, it’s great helping artists of all kinds develop their vision.”
Any exciting new products or trends that the company is working on?
Sugg and Brown
“Gerriets’ VARIO CARE Marley floor cleaners are the newest things we are introducing to our line! We developed this line to help studio owners keep their floors looking and working better for longer.
Use VARIO Daily Clean as your nightly cleaning solution to ensure that all dust, dirt and debris are removed from your space! The most important part of keeping your Marley lasting long is to be proactive with VARIO Daily Clean.
VARIO Deep Clean is an efficient way to remove built-up dirt, scuff marks, and some stains without damaging the surface and integrity of your Marley floors!
VARIO Protect is a matte polish for thoroughly cleaned floors. When dry, the floors look polished to perfection with an antislip matte finish!”
What else should we know about the Gerriets company and mission?
Sugg and Brown
“Gerriets has always been a family-run business, and that personal approach is part of who we are. When you reach out, you’ll hear back from real people who take the time to understand your space and your needs. Many of us come from the performing arts and theater world ourselves, so we know these spaces because we’ve worked in them. That experience helps us guide each customer toward the solution that is right for them.”
For more on Gerriets and to shop the dance floor products, visit gerrietsdancefloors.com.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
Sponsored content.
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