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A DECADE OF LOAD CELL RENTAL To mark the company’s 10-year anniversary, Colin Luke highlights the origins of Load Cell Rental, shares his plans for the future and pays tribute to the everlasting imprint of Richard Young.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Load Cell Rental
“If you had told Richard [Young] and I in 2012 that Load Cell Rental would be working for tours across the globe and be one of the biggest dedicated weighing services providers in the music industry, I doubt we would have believed it,” laughed Load Cell Rental’s Colin Luke, reflecting on 10 years of the company providing an invaluable service to the live entertainment industry. Luke recalled how the idea for Load Cell Rental came about with the late Richard Young – who was just as well known for working with the likes of Radiohead, P!nk and Adele – saw a potential gap in the market. “He’d found there was a lack of professional load cell suppliers where equipment was maintained and calibrated to a high standard,” stated Luke. “He purchased 30 Motion Labs wired load cells, which he’d started using on tour. He then asked me if I’d like to help him with this new venture in April 2012. By June of that year, I was a full-time employee of Load Cell Rental and I have not looked back since.” In 10 years of business, demand for Load Cell’s offering to the market has increased with wireless load cells becoming ‘industry standard’. “The early wireless cells were simply not up to the task with insufficient range to provide a reliable signal and readings,” explained Luke. “Version three BroadWeigh cells changed the industry’s perception. We still have a stock of 400 Motion Labs cabled load cells and where safety critical weights are concerned a cabled system is still the best fit. However, for our weight report service where it is completed in rehearsals, the absence of cables is by far
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