Ross Video preparing for IPO, unveils new branding

Ross Video is preparing for a potential IPO in the next two years, with the company unveiling a new brand platform in preparation.

The company has been private for its entire history, owned primarily by the Ross family, with 31 years of consecutive growth. In 2010, Ross Video added an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. 

In an interview with Ottawa Business Journal last fall, Ross noted 2022 would likely see $350 million in sales with the company reaching the half-billion mark by 2024. 

“We can definitely see the path to a billion dollars now. Nineteen acquisitions and creating a true unicorn internally financed, there’s probably not too many companies like that.”

The goal, however, would be to keep Ross Video largely in family and employee hands with a dual share structure with only about 10% of the company included in the IPO for outside investors. 

Typically, the lead-up to an IPO includes streamlining and optimization to increase company revenue and value. This effort can lead to changes for current customers and cause blowback, such as recently with the revolt of Reddit users. Given the unique share structure, however, Ross may be able to avoid those typical changes.

The company currently has a headcount of 1300 and serves nearly ever part of the broadcast production market. 

The new brand platform, dubbed “Let’s Make it Real,” is designed around “challenging conventional thinking” and “imaging the extraordinary” while showcasing the company’s “commitment to customer imagination and enabling the transformation of ideas into reality.”

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The new branding will anchor all communications from Ross moving forward along with an updated website.

“With a potential IPO opportunity coming up, we feel it’s important to reemphasize our commitment to customer success,” said Ross. 

“I think of it as more than a brand platform,” said Ross. “It’s an invitation and a rallying cry to customers, partners, future employees, and everyone in the industry to challenge ourselves. Let’s imagine what could be. Let’s figure it out. Let’s make it real.”