Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARY 19, 2024 7 STARTUPS, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION Creative Dimensions has been an important part of the town's busi- ness community. The company has produced signage for public buildings and town hall, he said. "Creative Dimensions is the type of business you want in your commu- nity," Martelli said. "Joel is an active part of our Manufactures Roundtable, and is always willing to talk to and integrate our Cheshire High School students who might be looking to get into the trades." The Pinnacle connection Pinnacle is in a similar business. The 350-employee company said it has worked for more than 25 years in sports and entertainment marketing. It creates live interactive exhibits, 3D-immersive event technology, and designs and builds customizable, prefabricated blocks that can be outfitted, shipped and installed for both indoor and outdoor events. Pinnacle's work can be found at major trade shows, music festivals and sporting events, including the Super Bowl, MLB All-Star games and university esports programs. "Wherever brands have an opportunity to connect with their audience live, we're there," said Pinnacle CEO Brad Hogan. Pinnacle's clients include Sony PlayStation, Cannon and Amazon, along with other brands in the elec- tronics, gaming, tech, automotive, fashion and medical industries. The acquisition adds to Pinnacle's capabilities in sports and entertain- ment marketing while expanding regionally to better serve customers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, Hogan said. Looking back and ahead Roy said his decision to sell the company came shortly after the pandemic struck. The exhibit industry, during the worst of the pandemic, took a major hit, and Creative Dimensions lost about 60% of its business. The company got some relief from a federal Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan. It was a challenging time that made Roy think about the need to secure his future, and the future of his company, he said. He started looking at options to sell about two years ago. Key to any deal was finding a partner that would keep the Cheshire location and workforce. Roy said he will stay on with Pinnacle for the foreseeable future to ensure a smooth transition. "Pinnacle has some pretty big-time customers and our people are super talented, so I wanted to make sure that they have a job that maybe they never dreamed of," Roy said. "To be out doing work at the Super Bowl, seeing the desks we build on TV at the Masters or at the World Series. I just felt like our group is super talented and that they were worthy of something bigger." Creative Dimensions, now Pinnacle, creates all signage for the Travelers Championship event in Connecticut. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Brad Hogan

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