Founded in 1947
The "Verrex Story" is not simply about a company, it is the story of audiovisual history, the growth of business in this country and the people and places that have been a part of the company's success for over sixty years. From inauspicious beginnings, this family business has gone on to span six decades and herald the growth of the AV industry.
With WWII at an end, Verrex founder, the late
Thomas G. Berry, saw an opportunity in advancements in sound technology and launched the then-named Gregory Institute of Music from his home's garage in Florham Park, New Jersey in 1947. Gregory Institute of Music began as a background music distribution company, transmitting music from an oversized phonograph over lines run from the garage to local area restaurants and small businesses.
With just three employees, Gregory Institute of Music would rapidly outgrow its humble surroundings to become one of the largest background music suppliers in the region.
1950s + 1960s
Heading into the 1950s, Gregory Institute of Music leapt from its start-up surroundings to its first building in Kenilworth, New Jersey. In the early 1950s, post-war America experienced growth in population and industry unlike ever before. The nation's "Baby Boom" was in full swing as births soared throughout the country. As boomer children reached school age, new schools were needed to meet the increased enrollment and existing schools needed improvements. Businesses in the region, driven by consumer demand for products that hadn't been available during the war, also skyrocketed. Thomas Berry positioned his company to take full advantage of this growth and demand for better methods of communication. In 1953 Gregory Institute of Music became New Jersey Communications Corporation (NJCC). With additional advancements in AV technology, NJCC began providing schools, government and businesses with two-way radio, sound reinforcement, intercom and CCTV systems.
Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s NJCC continued to grow, moving to larger facilities in Kenilworth, expanding its client base and strengthening its reputation.
Project Highlights: Anheuser-Busch (Newark, NJ), Rutgers Campus Center (Newark, NJ)
1970s + 1980s
In the 1970s the founder's sons, Thomas G. and Glenn R. Berry took over the reigns from their father and continued to expand the company's services to include large venue sound systems. In 1976 the company supplied the world's largest stadium sound system at the time, for Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Additional venues included the Meadowlands Arena and Meadowlands Racetrack.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the company expanded into the international market and supplied sound, CCTV and other communication systems throughout the world, including Egypt, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Spain.
In the early 1980s, as gaming and casino development arrived in New Jersey, the company installed sound systems in all but one of the first casinos to hit the beaches of Atlantic City.
In 1983 the company underwent a final name change to Verrex Corporation and moved to its current
Corporate Office, a company-owned facility 14 miles west of New York City. Leveraging the company's years of experience and once again keeping with advancements in AV, Verrex began providing audiovisual systems for corporate boardrooms and conference centers. The first handful of Verrex corporate clients included AT&T/Bell Labs, Prudential and IBM.
Project Highlights: Rahway State Prison (Rahway, NJ), Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ), Resorts International Hotel & Casino (Atlantic City, NJ), Trump Plaza & Taj Mahal (Atlantic City, NJ), Seoul Arts Center (Seoul, Korea), Holland-America Lines' S.S Rotterdam, AT&T/Bell Labs (Whippany, NJ), IBM (Sothbury, CT)
1990s + 2000s
Verrex continued to expand during the 1990s capitalizing on the rapidly growing audiovisual market. The company enjoyed success in designing and installing conference facilities for companies such as JP Morgan, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson and Towers Perrin.
In the 21st century, Verrex has continued to evolve into a client-driven organization dedicated to providing the highest possible quality of service in the integration of audiovisual, videoconference and sound systems. In 2000, the third generation took over as
Thomas G. Berry, Jr., CTS succeeded his father as President. Thomas continues to drive the underlying company philosophy of complete client satisfaction. In 2003 Verrex was awarded its largest corporate project; a $5M project for State Street in Boson, MA. The project took place in tandem with the opening of the company's
New England Office outside of Boston. The company continued to expand regionally in 2005 with the
opening of its Southeast office in Tampa, Florida.
Today the company remains a pioneer, as it was in 1947, in the industry. In 2007 Verrex completed the design and integration of one of the industry's first,
true HD videoconferencing systems for Alcatel-Lucent's Executive boardroom in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Additional HD videoconferencing systems are also underway. In 2008, Verrex
announced global expansion and opened its first international office in Europe.
In 2009, Verrex was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Business Award for Growth Strategies from the National Association of Systems Contractors, recognizing the company’s creative and visionary strategies to build a successful business model.
Project Highlights: Merck & Co. Headquarters (Whitehouse Station, NJ), New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ), Giants Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ), Continental Airlines Terminal C (Newark Liberty International Airport), Statue of Liberty (Liberty Island, NJ), State Street (Boston, MA), MetLife Digital Signage (National), Alcatel-Lucent HD Videoconferencing Boardroom (Murray Hill, NJ)
