About Us

Family Owned and Locally Operated

Thank you for your interest in Oakland Audio-Visual Service, Inc. We are a full service audiovisual rental company and have been servicing clients in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1976.

We stock a huge inventory of equipment to handle meetings and events for audiences ranging from 10 to 10,000. We have audio, video, computer projection, traditional projection, lighting, staging and drapery. We can assist you with virtually anything you need for meetings, conventions, parties or other events. All you have to do is give us a call. Our experienced rental counselors will inquire about your event and suggest the correct equipment to make it a success. We understand that no two events are exactly alike, and can tailor our equipment to meet your needs.

After you place your order, we can deliver, set up and remove your equipment. We also have technicians to stay and operate the equipment for your event if you wish. We pride ourselves on our complete range of service to you, our customer.

OAVS Company History

Oakand Audio-Visual Service, Inc. was founded in 1976 by Bob Dukleth in a one-room office/warehouse. Bob had worked for most audiovisual companies in the Bay Area during his 35-year career up until that point, including McCune, Photo & Sound and Munday & Collins.

In our first year of business, Bob's oldest son, Robert, worked for him after school and on weekends. These two kept our very small company going during its first few years. Bob was a very innovative small-businessman. His delivery van was equipped with a two-way radio, and he would often be shuttled around doing computer work in the back while Robert drove from delivery to delivery.

In 1978, another son, Stephen, joined the crew. Stephen also worked after school until he completed high school and could work full-time. By this time we had three other employees rounding out the staff. Bob's daughter, Cheryl, also contributed to the development of our company by working in the accounting department during our early years.

In 1985 a third son, James, joined the company full-time after several years of summertime work. Bob's wife, Pat, joined the company around the same time, and took over as president of the company upon Bob's retirement in 1991.

We have been in many locations over our 25-year history, moving whenever we outgrew our home. Our first office was a second-floor office/shop in the Family Radio Station building on Hegenberger Road in Oakland. After that we occupied two offices on Edison Avenue, two on Earhardt Road, one on Doolittle Drive, one on Hester Street and our current office on Verna Court.

Since the beginning, Bob had utilized computers to help run his business. In the early days he started with a Tandy PC, the TRS-80 Model 1 with a cassette tape drive. This was the era before small- to medium-sized businesses used computers, so it was all cutting-edge technology at that point. Invoices were printed on gray thermal paper.

Over the years we have grown each year to our current staff of 22 employees, a 20,000 square-foot warehouse and a fleet of delivery vehicles. We are very grateful to our current and former employees, as they have all helped to shape our image.

We are very proud of our past, because from humble beginnings do great things arise.