What D&P does

Design and Production Incorporated (D&P) is a privately held museum exhibit fabrication and technology systems integration company headquartered in Lorton, Virginia, founded in 1949 and now in its 75th year of operation. The firm provides end-to-end services for museums, educational institutions, science and nature centers, and corporate visitor centers, including exhibit fabrication and installation, AV and media systems integration, lighting system design and engineering, custom interactive touch tables, presentation systems, and pre-fabrication consulting and design-build project delivery. D&P operates a 150,000 sq ft office and production facility with an additional 40,000 sq ft of exhibit set-up and storage, supported by more than 100 professional and technical staff holding LEED AP credentials and factory-trained certifications from major AV and lighting manufacturers including AMX, Medialon, Christie Digital, Barco, Sony, ETC, and Color Kinetics.

The company's core technology competencies center on multi-platform computer systems integration for museums and government interoperability centers, low-voltage and LED lighting systems, large-format projection and interactive computer/video systems, and custom-built interactive touch tables with IR-based multi-touch (minimum 32 points). Project delivery follows a structured pre-fabrication consulting phase (between 35% and 65% of design) that includes build-ability analysis, AutoCAD proof-of-concept modeling, budget analyses, and preliminary schedules, followed by fabrication and installation under dedicated project teams. D&P acts variously as prime contractor or subcontractor and works closely with established exhibit design firms including Gallagher & Associates, Christopher Chadbourne & Associates, Reich+Petch, The PRD Group, and Richard Lewis Media Group.

D&P's revenue model is project-based professional services, with each engagement quoted individually through direct negotiation, RFP responses, or design/build contracting. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts typically span multiple years per installation. The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales led by an executive team (President & CEO, COO, Senior VP of Technology Systems, and VP of Business Development and Marketing), supported by industry association memberships (AAM, ASTC, AASLH, ICIA, ISHA, NAME, SEGD, TEA, SEMC, VAM, MAAM), a project portfolio website, and a regular blog demonstrating ongoing work. Marquee clients include the Smithsonian Institution (NMAAHC, NMNH, NMAH, Postal Museum), National Museum of the United States Army, George W. Bush Presidential Center, National Law Enforcement Museum, National September 11 Memorial Museum, Museum of the Bible, Bell Museum, Tennessee State Museum, and Johnson & Johnson.

Name

D&P

Legal name

Design and Production Incorporated

Website

https://d-and-p.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Design and Production Incorporated (D&P) is a Virginia-based museum exhibit fabrication and AV/lighting technology systems integration firm serving U.S. and international museums, educational institutions, and corporate visitor centers with 100+ professional and technical staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Exhibit Fabrication and Installation Services

NAICS

Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212), Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing (3371), Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scenic Fabrication & Set/Stage Carpentry (MPAGAKAG), Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Museum exhibit fabrication
• Exhibit installation services
• Technology systems integration
• Museum lighting design
• Interactive display tables

Headquarters

HQ city

Lorton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Exhibit Fabrication Services: Project-based fees for museum exhibit fabrication, installation, and technology systems services. Includes pre-fabrication consulting, project management, cost estimating, mock-ups and prototyping, exhibit production and installation, graphic design support, media and lighting systems integration.
2. Design/Build Projects: Integrated design and fabrication services where D&P may act as prime contractor, sub-contracting with other team members. Provides full project lifecycle from concept through fabrication and installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Design and Production Incorporated (D&P) fabricates, produces, and installs physical museum exhibits for museums, educational institutions, science and nature centers, and corporate visitor centers. The company delivers a complete project lifecycle from pre-fabrication consulting and design/build coordination through exhibit engineering, custom fabrication, artifact mounting, graphic production, installation, and commissioning, including in-house technology systems integration for AV, lighting, and interactive media.

Product overview

D&P (Design and Production Incorporated) is a museum exhibit fabrication company offering integrated services for museums and cultural institutions. The company operates as a unified service provider combining fabrication, technology systems integration, lighting, and pre-fabrication consulting. Core offerings include exhibit fabrication services, Technology Systems/Media Integration division for AV and computer systems, Interactive Touch Tables (custom multi-touch display tables), Lighting Systems design and installation, Pre-Fabrication Consulting Services, Design/Build project delivery, and Presentation Systems. The company has a professional and technical staff of more than 100, with 150,000 square feet of office and production space plus 40,000 square feet of exhibit set-up and storage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibit Fabrication Services
• Technology Systems / Media Integration
• Interactive Touch Tables
• Lighting Systems
• Pre-Fabrication Consulting Services
• Design/Build Services
• Presentation Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully completed major Smithsonian projects including NMAAHC (85,000 sq ft) and Deep Time (31,000 sq ft)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gallagher & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor exhibit design firm that D&P frequently collaborates with on museum projects. Notable projects include Bell Museum, Tennessee State Museum, Adirondack Experience, and Johnson & Johnson Our Story at the Powerhouse.
• Christopher Chadbourne & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibit design firm for National Museum of the Marine Corps, National Museum of the United States Army, and National Law Enforcement Museum.
• Reich+Petch Design InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibit design firm for David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and Virginia Museum of Natural History.
• The PRD GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject coordination and exhibit design for Museum of the Bible's History of the Bible exhibit.
• Richard Lewis Media Group (RLMG)coreTechnology or IntegrationAV and Multimedia Software Designer for Deep Time exhibit at National Museum of Natural History and Museum of the Bible media experiences.
• Clark ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for National Museum of the United States Army project. Collaborated with D&P on macro artifact installations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hadley Exhibits, Inc. Hadley Exhibits is a closely comparable museum exhibit fabrication firm serving natural history, science, and children's museums with in-house design, fabrication, and installation services. Direct overlap with D&P in Smithsonian-class fabrication and institutional customer base.
• Split Rock Studios: Split Rock Studios provides custom museum and visitor center exhibit design and fabrication, with comparable project scope to D&P including AV and interactive integration. Direct competitor for cultural and educational museum RFPs.
• Implix (formerly Xibitz): Implix is a museum and brand environment design-build firm with in-house fabrication, multimedia, and interactive capabilities. Comparable size and full-service delivery model to D&P for cultural and corporate visitor center projects.
• Taylor Studios, Inc. Taylor Studios designs and fabricates museum, science center, and visitor center exhibits with integrated media. Competes with D&P for natural history and science museum projects in the US Midwest and beyond.
• 1220 Exhibits: 1220 Exhibits is a turnkey exhibit design-build firm serving museums, visitor centers, and corporate environments with fabrication and interactive technology. Closely comparable project types and customer segments to D&P.
• Cortina Productions: Cortina Productions specializes in media-based museum experiences, interactive exhibits, and AV integration for cultural institutions. Directly comparable to D&P's Technology Systems Group offering for media-heavy museum projects.
• Roto Design & Fabrication: Roto provides museum exhibit design, fabrication, and installation services with a similar integrated delivery model. Comparable to D&P across natural history, science, and history museum projects at similar scale.

Emerging players

• Gallagher & Associates: Gallagher & Associates is a major museum exhibit design firm that frequently partners with D&P as fabricator. While primarily a design firm, its expanding design-build capabilities create partial overlap and downstream competition for the same Smithsonian-grade projects.
• BNA Exhibits: BNA Exhibits provides custom exhibit fabrication and AV integration for museums, visitor centers, and corporate environments. Comparable in core fabrication and installation services though generally smaller project scale than D&P.

Others

• Klipp Inc. Klipp is a museum and visitor center design-build firm integrating architecture, exhibit design, and fabrication. Adjacent comparable as a competitor for integrated museum projects though more architecture-led than D&P's fabrication-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DandPLorton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D&P