H I S T O R Y
90 years serving the cinema As Jacro reaches its 90th anniversary in 2019, CT interviewed the company’s CEO, Alan Roe, to discuss his great-grandfather’s legacy and the PoS powerhouse that his family business has become.
Jack Roe, founder of the eponymous company, with his wife Maude
F
EW BUSINESSES in the cinema sector
digital signage, apps, websites etc. We provide a complete
can state that they’ve survived more
end-to-end IT system so that cinemas can install once and
than threequarters of the length of the
get on with running the venue. If they want to sell tickets
medium. Jacro is one such company
online and learn about the demographics of their customer
— and one with a great reputation that
groups, or send a push notification to customers who
has weathered many of the changes of
opened their app in the past 24 hours, or instigate a stock
the movie-going world over the past 90 years and thrived in
audit on all items over the past 30 days — then they’re all set.
multiple areas, whether that’s reconditioning film spools in
It’s amazing the demands put on the PoS nowadays.
the 1950s or delivering state-of-the art point of sale (PoS)
Really, cinema PoS systems stopped being ‘PoS’ systems
systems today. CT caught up with current CEO, Alan Roe, to
years ago. Each year customers send in more development
learn more about the company history and modern outlook.
requests than the previous one. It’s a question of filtering,
How did it all start?
not to say we’ve forgotten our roots — at the peak of film
On my great grandfather Jack’s marriage certificate it states
projection, Jacro was producing splicing tape for hundreds
‘Cinematographic Engineer’, and that is dated 1913, Alan
of millions of performances per year. We still manufacture
explains. My grandfather (his son) told me that he started
film splicing tape and leader — we don’t sell so much now,
his own business in 1929 servicing the studios on Wardour
but we like to support the film industry that remains.
Street. At first, Jack was servicing projectors on the kitchen Jacro logo came about — he wanted something because
What was it like growing up in Jacro, how did it affect your career decisions?
the studios all had logos on their shirts in the table tennis
It was always around us — from the tea chest of nuts, bolts
league then. My grandfather was so young, he was just a
and bearings in the stores to the glowing green screens of
runner, getting the beer but apparently not drinking it. Jack
the computers. We would pack boxes in the school holidays
once worked for projector maker J. Frank Brockliss — I still
and manufacture products when an extra pair of hands was
see that badge on projectors occasionally, less in booths
needed. There were dark days too — decades ago when my
now, more in lobbies as curiosities. Whenever I see it, I always
father collapsed from exhaustion, or when we had a major
wonder, “Did my great grandfather install this projector?”
customer refuse to pay over what was probably, at that time,
table, and the business grew from there. That’s how our
Fact File
combining, prioritising and executing those requests. That’s
What’s changed over the years?
our largest-ever sale. The industry was supportive though. All but one supplier responded to say they understood, and just
Every few years the business transforms, so it’s hard to know
waited until we were paid before they knocked on our door.
where to start really. Prior to WWII, we had a contract to
That says a lot about our industry and the people in it.
Alan Roe,
represent one of the new US 35mm projectors in the UK, but
Our parents worked hard, evenings and weekends — so
CEO, Jacro
that fell through when war broke out and Jack’s sons were
many that it became normal. There are easier ways to make
called up. He started selling supplies because people kept
a living than a family firm, but there’s something exciting
Not only is Alan
requesting them. They’d ask for things that didn’t exist so he
about being able to have an idea on Monday and see it live
CEO of the family
got them made — that’s how we ended up in manufacturing.
by Friday. And celebrating 90 years is fun too. It’s the support
firm, he is also
By the late 1930s, we had an office in Dublin, and we were
of the 25 people that work with me that make it worthwhile.
president of the
shipping old cinema equipment to India — even the Exit
We’ve a great team, including many I’ve known since I was a
signs, everything was going.
child. I’ve been impressed by the flexibility of some of my
International Cinema
6 6
Technology
What does JACRO do now?
Association
We focus on cinema IT systems now — cinema ticketing,
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colleagues — how our distribution and purchasing manager Jonathan Worthing, in particular, has transitioned with the company is spectacular. From shipping and receiving to www.cinematech.today
22/05/2019 13:59
