Been There. Done That. Joined DQ.

Steve Grimes and Brad Galgon have taken very different paths through the entertainment industry. Between them, they’ve accumulated decades of experience, an extraordinary network of industry relationships and more than a few stories along the way. Today, both bring that experience to Design Quintessence as well as two very different personalities.

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Steve Grimes: The Customer Who Jumped the Fence

For nearly three decades, Steve Grimes knew Design Quintessence from the other side of the counter.

A long-time DQ customer and friend of the business, Steve spent 20 years at IJS Productions, progressing from Lighting Designer to Operations Manager and ultimately General Manager. Then, in 2025, after 27 years of knowing DQ as a customer, he finally jumped the fence and joined the team.

Today, as General Manager, Steve is helping lead DQ through its next chapter.

Rational, pragmatic and measured in his approach, Steve brings decades of practical industry experience to the role. He understands production from the customer’s perspective because he’s lived it, from equipment and logistics to deadlines, budgets and the realities of getting a show on.

Behind that pragmatism, though, is a genuine passion for music and the industry that has shaped much of his life.

Steve’s path into entertainment wasn’t exactly conventional. Music came early, followed by bands, PA and lighting, and, for a time, the unusual combination of police officer by day and singer by night. Eventually, production won out and became a career spanning decades.

Moving from customer to General Manager might have put Steve on the other side of the counter, but it hasn’t changed the way he looks at the industry. He understands what customers need, knows the pressures they work under and brings that perspective to the decisions DQ makes every day.

After 27 years on one side of DQ, we’re very glad he finally decided to see what life was like on ours.

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Brad Galgon: Knows the Gear. Knows the People

If there’s one thing Brad Galgon isn’t short of, it’s energy, closely followed by industry experience and the ability to have a conversation with just about anyone.

Brad’s career has taken him through many corners of the entertainment and production industry, giving him a breadth of experience, an impressive network and the kind of industry knowledge that can’t be learned from a product catalogue.

Spend five minutes with Brad at an industry event and you’ll quickly see it in action. He knows people. People know him. And if they don’t when the conversation starts, there’s a pretty good chance they will by the time it finishes.

At DQ, that natural ability to connect with people is backed by a genuine enthusiasm for what he does. Brad is passionate about the industry, interested in the projects our customers are working on and always keen to talk through the gear, the application or the problem they’re trying to solve.

That energy and passion extend well beyond work. Brad is also passionate about hockey, where he has put his time and enthusiasm into coaching and supporting others in the sport.

For someone whose career has taken him to so many different parts of the industry, we’re very happy that the latest chapter has brought him to DQ.