John Clancy, a Syracuse stagehand, began designing and building stage equipment in 1882 due to the lack of suitable equipment at that time. Three years later he founded J.R. Clancy, now one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of stage rigging equipment in the world.

Innovation, quality, safety and value were John Clancy’s legacy. The Welch tension floor block, automatic fire curtains, and stage screw are all industry standards developed by Clancy.

The company’s leadership continued into the 1960s with the first automated rigging systems. This offered users position control and synchronization of motors. Clancy also built and installed the first wire tension grid, followed by the first divisible auditorium at Jesse Jones Hall in the early 1970s.

Progressing into the 21st century, we take pride in carrying on the same spirit of innovation. New developments include the PowerLift® automated hoists, the SceneControl® consoles for rigging automation, and SureGrip® hand line with wear indication. These new product developments and ongoing improvements focus on increased safety, affordability, and ease of use.

Today, we manufacture everything from motorized winches, computerized control systems and acoustic shells to complex custom systems to meet unique requirements. For those with traditional theater systems, a full line of rope and manual (counterweight) rigging hardware is also available.

In addition to manufacturing, our skilled team offers an experienced eye and an expert hand in the design of rigging systems nationwide and around the world.