KLA Laboratories celebrates 95th anniversary

When KLA Laboratories Inc., now headquartered in Dearborn, was founded as a retail store in Detroit in 1929, it specialized in public address systems, microphones, speakers, sound system rentals and radio repair services. During World War II, KLA Laboratories supported the war effort by providing audio rental systems for war bond drives. By the late 1950s, the company was operating nine retail stores and installing sound systems in churches, bars, restaurants, stadiums and manufacturing plants during the boom of the high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio era.

KLA Laboratories is now celebrating its 95th anniversary and is no longer in the retail business. Rather, it is a technical systems integrator that provides the design, installation, commissioning and operation of network and communications systems. The company also specializes in providing comprehensive audiovisual services for live events, from sound and lighting to production and execution. These events include meetings, conferences, concerts and game-day support for NFL and MLB teams, including the Detroit Lions.

“Back 20 years ago, when we were completely focused on audio, when lighting companies and video companies came on board, event planners or clients whose companies were supporting events had to deal with three different vendors, get three vendors KLA Laboratories “Different companies are coming together and working together,” said Matt O’Bryan, president and CEO. “

He is the son of James “Pat” O’Bryan, who joined KLA Laboratories in 1947 and was responsible for public address system sales before beginning to buy KLA stock and acquiring a controlling interest in the company in 1964. After Pat’s death in 1991, his son and wife Norma became president. Matt, who began working at KLA Labs as a teenager and assumed his current position in 2002, noted that his mother continued to provide advice until her death in 2023 at the age of 98.

KLA Laboratories, meanwhile, has made it a priority to provide audio, lighting and video for events under one roof. “As technology has expanded and improved, we now offer audiovisual services here – streaming, lighting and staging – for completely turnkey events,” O’Brien said. “For a corporate event, it might be an awards show or a conference, or a national sales conference. We’ll be supporting it from a production perspective, really involved in helping with the creative side of the show… We’ll be creating video content for them and having them throughout All on-site technical staff are provided at the event to support this,” he continued. “We’ll be working with their team to make sure the PowerPoint is working properly and everything goes smoothly for the event planners.”

KLA Laboratories has experienced a growth spurt as many companies began streaming events during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We still offer it as part of our service as many of our live events still have a hybrid element to them now,” O’Brien explained.

The company currently has approximately 300 employees and has offices in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Irvine, California. “We’re making these services more available across the country,” O’Bryan said, noting that he doesn’t take the company’s 95-year milestone lightly.

“I grew up in this corporate environment,” he said. “I’ve never worked anywhere else, so to be able to carry the torch for my family and the KLA family… I’m very proud of our culture and what it really showed me when I took over the company and what I have.” Already able to continue. “

klalabs.com