Omni Concepts, Inc
Since
1983
Four decades of operable wall expertise — parts, service, and the industry relationships that keep your walls moving.
1964 – 1983
The
Foundation
Omni Concepts was founded in 1983 by James Priola — a seasoned veteran of the operable wall industry who had begun his career with Richards Wilcox in New York City in 1964. Jim went on to work with Hauserman, H&H, and Brunswick before moving west to work alongside Art Imbrecht, the inventor of the original “airwall.”
In 1977, Jim co-founded Advanced Wall Systems with Dick Sterling and helped establish Advanced Equipment Corp as a major industry supplier. He left in 1983 to start Omni Concepts in Southern California — bringing decades of accumulated knowledge and manufacturer relationships with him.
1983 – Present
Building
The Brand
In 1998, Chris Krall joined Jim at Omni. With a background in hotel industry engineering, Chris had been working on operable walls since the late 1980s — a natural fit for Omni’s service-first philosophy. Jim continued leading the company until his retirement in 2008.
Today, Omni remains headquartered in California with its main office in San Diego and satellite offices in the Northern California Bay Area and Reno, NV. The same deep manufacturer relationships and field expertise that defined Omni from the start continue to drive the company forward.
Industry Firsts
Milestones
Industry First
First Online Parts Catalog
Omni built the first website in the industry featuring an airwall parts inventory with photographs — replacing the printed field catalogs technicians had relied on for years.
2000
Hufcor National Conference
Omni was one of only two presenters at Hufcor's national distributor conference, presenting on service, repair, and recover aspects for operable walls.
Parts Continuity
Keeping Parts Available
When Foldoor, Panelfold, and Hufcor closed their doors, Omni's deep manufacturer relationships ensured future repair part availability for the industry.
1983
Est.
San Diego
Headquarters
3 Offices
CA + NV
40+ Years
Industry Experience