Corrections or additions?
These articles by Barbara Fox and Peter J. Mladineo were published
in U.S. 1 Newspaper on March 4, 1998. All rights reserved.
Life in the Fast Lane
It wears down your brain, says Robert Christensen,
president of RAC Productions, when you sit around all day editing
videos and working on graphics. Now that his firm has moved smack
dab in the middle of downtown Princeton, “you can walk down the
street or go out for lunch, and that will clear your head.”
RAC Productions has expanded from 2,600 feet at Princeton Meadows
Office Center to 4,000 feet in a third floor suite overlooking Nassau
Street. The 10-person multimedia production company specializes in
interactive computer-based presentations, video, film, 3D animation
and graphics.
“We intend to pull some resources from the university — student
interns interested in multimedia development and availability of Firestone
Library, “says Peter Sandford, vice president.
Sandford and Christensen went to Rowan College, Class of ’83 and ’84
respectively. Christensen had been a producer and director at Press
Broadcasting Company in Asbury Park, and Sandford had worked in Philadelphia
at WTXF, Channel 29. They founded the firm in 1988 and, in 1993, moved
to Princeton Meadows Office Center. Then it had just two full-time
employees plus five part-timers but counting two new hires (Jerry
Heer and Heather Miller) RAC now has 10 workers.
“We produce and direct video in house. We cut audio in house.
We program in house. The whole shop was built around doing everything
in house. We picked up on computers early on,” says Christensen.
“and now it is the norm to do multimedia and the Web.”
“Moving to Princeton has been great though we haven’t had a chance
to enjoy it yet,” says Christensen. “We landed a couple of
major long-term medical contracts as we were moving in the door.”
For the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology it will do a
CD-ROM to train resident physicians on how to teach methods of contraception.
The firm is also developing a CD-ROM with video, graphics, animation,
and narration to demonstrate the capabilities of a new hydraulic elevator
for Schindler Elevator Company, the world’s second largest elevator
company.
Other projects include intranet development for insurance companies,
and a training program for those using Barringer Instrument devices
that detect narcotics and explosives in airports. Christensen offers
another reason for the location: “When you look at a map, Princeton
is at the hub of the high tech industry — pharmaceutical, computers,
scientific manufacturing — we’re right in the center.”
RAC Productions, 182 Nassau Street, Suite 301,Princeton 08540. Robert Christensen, president. 609-688-0100; fax,609-688-0444. Home page:https://www.racproductions.com.Top Of PageMarketFair’s NewsPottery Barn is coming to Market Fair. So are two storesbrand-new to this area: Restoration Hardware (a very large, very upscalespecialty furnishings store) and Smith & Hawken (upscale garden tools)plus a new food court with new restaurants.In keeping with the 11-year-old mall’s new shopping image — luxuryitems for home and hiking — three current tenants will expandinto space vacated by fashion stores: Eastern Mountain Sports, Brookstone,and Williams-Sonoma, which will introduce a tasting bar, cooking demonstrations,and a cookbook library. Retail clothiers to stay: Joseph A. Banks,Express, Gap, Lane Bryant, Victoria’s Secret, Northern Reflections,and Footlocker.Berlin/Hayden Architectural Partnership is designing the $1.6 millionfood court; it will feature one current tenant — Teriyaki Boy– plus Bassett’s Original Turkey, a pasta restaurant, and fourmore eateries aimed at the “eat healthy” market.Among the other improvements to be made at the 240,000-square-foot50-store mall: an enclosed atrium entrance near TGI Fridays, a newcenter court, stadium seating and a lobby re-do for the United ArtistTheater, and a new entrance for the new anchor, Restoration Hardware,in the former SuperSports spot.The owners, Dallas-based Sarofim Real Estate Advisors, are spending$7 million for renovations, and the retailers and restaurants willcontribute $5 million to an advertising and promotional campaign designedby Mt. Laurel-based Panzano and Partners. All told, more than 100new jobs will be created.MarketFair, 3535 Route 1, Princeton 08540. MatthewKlutznick, general manager. 609-452-7777; fax, 609-452-8994.Top Of PageExpansionsRONIN Development Corp., 103 Carnegie Center, Suite300, Princeton 08540. Harry F. Bunn, president and CEO. 609-452-0060;fax, 609-452-0091. E-mail: ronin@ronincorp.com. Home page: https://www.ronincorp.com.Ronin — known for its “signature sculpture”of a Japanese warrior — started out as a management consultingfirm, broadened its services to include full-service market research,and then fashioned its own computer-aided interviewing software. Specializingin the needs of the computer and telecommunications industries, ithas doubled its space at the Carnegie Center, where it has 50 employees,and has opened a 110-station interviewing call center in London.James Weber is responsible for the computer-aided interviewing software(CAI) designed for legitimate market research firms worldwide. Resultsfor Research for networked PCs allows the monitoring of every interviewerat every location in real time. It is customizable and accessiblethrough a wide variety of packages including SPSS, Excel, and FoxPro.Top Of PageMultimedia ChangeUnited Multimedia, 2 Research Way, Princeton 08540-6618.Ronnie Fielding, president. 609-452-8500, extension 106; fax, 609-452-7212.Home page: https://www.princetonpartners.com.Ronnie Fielding’s business has been acquired by Princeton Partnersand has moved from the Trenton Business and Technology Center at 36South Broad Street. Fielding is now a vice president of PrincetonPartners, and will head its multimedia division. “It providesUnited Multimedia the opportunity to accelerate our growth and toleverage the resources of Princeton Partners,” says Fielding.See page 7.Tramp Steamer Media, Box 1684, Trenton 08607.Mark Feffer, president. 609-394-1325; fax, 609-394-2318. Home page:https://www.trampsteamer.com.Mark Feffer, Fielding’s ex-partner, left to start his own company,based on South Clinton Street. Also here: FutureScan, https://www.futurescan.comTop Of PageOldies on AlexanderNassau Broadcasting Partners LP, 619 AlexanderRoad, Princeton 08540-. Louis F. Mercatanti, president. 609-452-9696;fax, 609-924-1584.The New Jersey Oldies Station, 94.5 FM WNJO, will be the first stationto be broadcast from Nassau Broadcasting’s new Alexander Road headquarters.It targets commuters from ages 35 to 54 and will play ’60s music.Top Of PageDeathsFrank A. Fortune, 37, on February 26. He was an informationassistant at Bristol-Myers Squibb.Jane Ann Berson, 51, on February 27. She was an employee ofAmerica Re-Insurance on College Road.Corrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
