A local audio-visual company says a quick pivot in the early days of the pandemic not only saved the business from going under but opened up new opportunities.

Prior to March of 2020, Canadian AV Inc. was accustomed to hitting the road to bring their technical expertise and audio-visual equipment to various locations.

When pandemic safety protocols made that impossible, they flipped their model so the clients could come to them at their St. John’s warehouse, which has been transformed into an all-purpose stage and studio capable of producing professional live-streamed or taped events for online audiences.

Canadian AV’s Brad Hollett says it’s turned out to be a win-win for the company and its clients. He says rather than have their equipment sitting idle in the warehouse, they found a cost-efficient way to re-imagine the space and provide their services in-house.

Hollett says the company had to lay off most of its staff last March but has since hired back a number of people on a part-time basis.

Canadian AV Inc. was established in 2013 from the ashes of the former Stage 11.