3rd St. R & D Production Services
3rd St. R & D Production Services provides temporary event communications infrastructure — portable radio systems, microwave backbones, and deployable power and dispatch trailers — for film festivals (Telluride, Sundance), government programs (DARPA), touring concerts, and disaster response, using Motorola equipment and its proprietary Mother communications environment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersKirbyville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 3rd St. R & D Production Services does
3rd St. R & D Production Services is a privately held Missouri-based provider of temporary event communications infrastructure, founded in 1974 by Greg Carttar and headquartered in Kirbyville, MO with a logistics warehouse in Hollister, MO. The company deploys large-scale portable/deployable land mobile radio (LMR) systems built exclusively on Motorola infrastructure, layered with Telex/Vega VoIP dispatch, ADTRAN TRACER 5.8GHz microwave backbone networks, and Andrew antennas — a stack engineered for "fast in, fast out, plug and play" deployment measured in hours or days rather than months, and capable of covering 1,200+ square miles with handheld radios in difficult terrain. Core offerings include the proprietary "Mother" mediated communications environment (a collaboration-based operational model for managing radio inventory and message flow among non-expert users), the Mothership 48' expando communications trailer, the Voltswagon 250KW generator/power distribution trailer, the Eye-Full 115' deployable tower, the Buzz remotely locateable transmitter truck, and deployable remote shelter sites.
Revenue is generated through project-based professional services: equipment rental, deployment, and operational staffing for large-scale events. Primary customers are film festivals (Telluride since 1991, Sundance since 2000, Woodstock, Traverse City), government/defense programs (DARPA Grand Challenges 2004 and 2005, Urban Challenge 2007), touring concert productions (Johnny Cash 18 years, Statler Brothers 5 years, Steve Martin 2 years), and disaster/emergency communications engagements involving public safety interoperability. Go-to-market is referral-driven through decades-long client relationships, supported by a content-heavy website and a Facebook page. Pricing is quote-based and event-specific, with multi-year contract cadences for anchor festival clients. The company is bootstrapped, owner-operated, and employs 11-50 people with no external institutional investment.
3rd St. R & D Production Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3rd St. R & D Production Services
- Legal name
- 3rd St. R & D Production Services
- Website
- https://3rd-st.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 3rd St. R & D Production Services provides temporary event communications infrastructure — portable radio systems, microwave backbones, and deployable power and dispatch trailers — for film festivals (Telluride, Sundance), government programs (DARPA), touring concerts, and disaster response, using Motorola equipment and its proprietary Mother communications environment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
3rd St. R & D Production Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Communications & Production Services
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crisis Management & Communications Support (Mass Notification) (BPABANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Emergency Supplies, Equipment & Logistics (Kits, Generators, Temporary Facilities) (BPABANAK), Backline & Musical Instrument Rental (MPAGAKAJ)
Keywords
Where 3rd St. R & D Production Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kirbyville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
3rd St. R & D Production Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Communications Equipment Rental and Services: Rental and deployment of large-scale temporary communications systems for events, including radio equipment, microwave infrastructure, power distribution, and operational staffing. Services include Mother mediated communications environment, radio inventory management, and interoperability bridging.
- Event Technical Management: Sound, lighting, logistics, and event technical management for fairs, festivals, concerts, and special events. Tour client services with fast deployment and teardown capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Event-based project pricing - quote required |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
3rd St. R & D Production Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3rd St. R & D Production Services provides very large-scale temporary communications systems, sound, lighting, logistics, and event technical management for fairs, festivals, concerts, and special events. The company deploys metropolitan-scale multi-channel/multi-site radio systems with dispatch centers and microwave backbones in hours or days rather than months, supported by a proprietary "Mother" mediated communications environment and a fleet of mobile/deployable assets. They also offer disaster communications services for public safety interoperability and rapid emergency restoration.
Product overview
3rd St. R & D Production Services provides specialized event communications as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is 'Mother,' a mediated communications environment that manages radio inventory and facilitates message flow for events with 50+ radios, combined with Very Large Scale Special Event Communications systems. Supporting infrastructure modules include: Mothership (48' mobile communications trailer with dispatch capacity for 60+ positions), Voltswagon (250KW generator/power distribution trailer), Eye-Full (115' deployable tower with microwave antenna mounts), Buzz (remotely locateable transmitter truck with 8 repeaters), Deployable Remote Shelters, Moby (logistics trailer), and specialized Voting Systems. The 'Rock 'n Roll Radios' sub-brand represents their special event services. All systems use Motorola equipment exclusively and are designed for rapid deployment (hours to days) with 'fast in, fast out, plug and play' capability. The company serves film festivals (Telluride, Sundance, Woodstock), DARPA autonomous vehicle challenges, fairs, concerts, and provides Disaster Communications Services for public safety interoperability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mother: A mediated communications environment to assist in operation of client events. Based on the Incident Command System (ICS) but focused on collaboration and cooperation rather than command and control. Helps manage radio inventory and facilitate message flow for large events with many radio users.
Products and services
- Mother - Mediated Communications Environment A proprietary mediated communications environment that helps event managers facilitate radio inventory management and message flow for events with 50+ radios in non-expert hands. Based on the Incident Command System but emphasizing collaboration and cooperation over command and control. Functions as an operational overlay for clients renting the company's communications equipment.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1200+ square mile coverage with handheld radios in difficult desert terrain
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 3rd St. R & D Production Services
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3rd St. R & D Production Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration26 records
Feature4 records
3rd St. R & D Production Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MotorolacorePrimary radio equipment supplier. Exclusive use of Motorola products including MTR2000 repeaters, CDM1550 mobiles, HT1250/HT1550 portables. Long-standing vendor relationship with Jerry West at Motorola and Radiophone Engineering.
- Telex/VegacoreVoIP dispatch console systems. C6200 consoles and C-Soft PC dispatch application used for command center operations. Enables unlimited networked dispatch positions.
- ADTRANcoreMicrowave radios (TRACER series), TSU600 T1 channel banks, and 1224R integrated switch/routers for network connectivity between distributed sites.
- Andrew CorporationcoreBase station and microwave antennas including P4-57W 4-foot parabolic antennas for microwave backbone. Antennas modified for temporary portable use.
- GES TechnicalminorComputer and network support contractor for DARPA Urban Challenge.
- CenGenminorCertified Cisco networking consultants providing complex data circuits, routing equipment for tracking and computer networking, and network integration for DARPA Grand Challenge.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
3rd St. R & D Production Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
3rd St. R & D Production Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3rd St. R & D Production Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
3rd St. R & D Production Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3rd St. R & D Production Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 3rd St. R & D Production Services
What does 3rd St. R & D Production Services do?
3rd St. R & D Production Services provides very large-scale temporary communications systems, sound, lighting, logistics, and event technical management for fairs, festivals, concerts, and special events. The company deploys metropolitan-scale multi-channel/multi-site radio systems with dispatch centers and microwave backbones in hours or days rather than months, supported by a proprietary "Mother" mediated communications environment and a fleet of mobile/deployable assets. They also offer disaster communications services for public safety interoperability and rapid emergency restoration.
Is 3rd St. R & D Production Services a public or private company?
3rd St. R & D Production Services is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 3rd St. R & D Production Services founded?
3rd St. R & D Production Services was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 3rd St. R & D Production Services based?
3rd St. R & D Production Services is headquartered in Kirbyville, United States, in the North America region.
How does 3rd St. R & D Production Services make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Communications Equipment Rental and Services are the primary driver. The others are event Technical Management.
Does 3rd St. R & D Production Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3rd St. R & D Production Services.
What industry is 3rd St. R & D Production Services in?
3rd St. R & D Production Services's product category is Event Communications & Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABANAF, Crisis Management & Communications Support (Mass Notification), with a secondary code of BPABANAK, Emergency Supplies, Equipment & Logistics (Kits, Generators, Temporary Facilities). Its NAICS code is 51229 and its SIC code is 4899.