Subscriber Discussion

Is Aventura Really An American Manufacturer?

U
Undisclosed #1
•Jul 07, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Firsts are nothing new for NY based manufacturer Aventura; In 2013, a full year ahead of the curve they announced the imminent shipping of the world's first H.265 enabled security camera.  

Then a few weeks ago they announced what appears to be the first 4k PTZ. Pretty impressive accomplishments from a small outfit which just started at the turn of the century.

On the other hand, many if not most of their cameras look like straight-up Hikvision rebrands.  Here's their 'new' 4k speeddome shown next to a Hik.

Even their revolutionary H.265 cameras and 4K PTZ's are clearly in Hik enclosures. 

On their about page and catalog they mention another first:

Headquartered in New York, Aventura Technologies, Inc. has developed a reputation for being an innovative designer, developer and manufacturer of advanced enterprise digital video surveillance hardware and software products and peripheral solutions for government, military and enterprise. First and foremost Aventura is a solution provider and we proudly manufacture in the U.S.A.

And they don't skimp on the red, white and blue paint, making a big deal about their Yankee ingenuity, and on every product page ending with Old Glory and their GSA contract number.

They also appear to sell mainly to U.S. Government and related industries, assumedly working the American made angle.

Is this ethical?

Is it legal?

 

 

 

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•Jul 08, 2015

Made in USA doesn't mean what you may think it does.

Certain assembly functions need to take place in the USA in order for a product (CCTV camera or otherwise) to qualify as made in USA.

If certain components are manufactured elsewhere, it may be as simple as plugging them together and uploading the firmware in order to have those products qualify under the US rules to claim made in USA.

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Ari Erenthal
•Jul 08, 2015
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Of interest: more than you ever really wanted to know about what "Made in the USA" means, including what different government agencies think it means.

Also see the last time we had this discussion.

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Sean Nelson
•Jul 08, 2015
Nelly's Security

Made in the USA and manufacturered in the USA also means different things I would think as well. When someone says "Manufacturer" the thing that immediately comes to my mind is a factory with machines and workers in solid color suits.

Another thing I think is funny is that alot of these small time suppliers will say silly stuff like "in our factory in China" Speaking as if they actually own a factory in China.

I can tell you that if I or any of these other guys had the money or knowledge to actually manufacturer, I would take out all of the silly engrish out of the GUI's and manuals that come with the products. Its a no brainer, whenever you get these products you can tell right away by looking at their interfaces that its definetely not manufacturered in the USA.

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U
Undisclosed #1
•Jul 08, 2015
IPVMU Certified

The unqualified claim standard seems quite a bit more restrictive than the Buy America(n) ones. From Ari's excellent link:

Is an official IPVM reach-out for comment appropriate here?

LL
Lavonne Lazarus
•Jul 09, 2015

Dear “Undisclosed Manufacturer 1:”

I am Lavonne Lazarus, Director of Business Development for Aventura Technologies, Inc. You are correct and in 2013 we launched a line of H.265 cameras, (the first H.265 cameras in the industry) which have been expanded over the last year to include 3MP, 5MP and 8MP cameras.

The 4K (8MP) PTZ will begin shipping August 1st and the other 4K cameras have been shipping since the beginning of the year. Aventura was also the first to release H.264 product back in 2003, also well before the industry adoption.

Aventura has been located on Long Island, New York in the Hauppauge Industrial Park one of the largest in North America for 15 years. The Company currently has 2 manufacturing, production, logistics and R&D facilities in the Park each being approximately 20,000 square feet. One across the road from the former Vicon manufacturing facility and the other across from CNB.

At our facilities we manufacture and assemble our own DVRs, NVRs, Storage Servers, Video Wall Controllers, Switchers, Cameras and Camera Systems, Transmission Equipment in addition to customized hardware and software to customer requirements.

You are correct and Aventura primarily sells and supports large government and military initiatives around the world including several citywide projects such as our nation’s capital Washington DC.

Our factory doors are open to the Global Network of Aventura dealers. Certified Dealers and End-Users come for training to learn the manufacturing and assembly processes to become self-sufficient in maintenance, which is the key component to customer support.

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BA
Bilal Ahmed
•Dec 19, 2015
In reply to Lavonne Lazarus
we are in the receipt of items for the order placed to Aventura a while ago , Would share update and feed back of their services shortly .
U
Undisclosed #1
•Jul 09, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Hi Lavonne! Thanks for the response.

I hope you won't find the following question indelicate, but considering the uncanny similarity between many of your products and that of an well-known overseas vendor, and noting your ubiquitous "Made in the USA" graphic, as well as this statement:

At our facilities we manufacture and assemble our own DVRs, NVRs, Storage Servers, Video Wall Controllers, Switchers, Cameras and Camera Systems, Transmission Equipment in addition to customized hardware and software to customer requirements.

I must ask, are you actually the real manufacturer behind Hikvision's new and upcoming H.265 and 4K offering?

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Ari Erenthal
•Jul 09, 2015
Chesapeake & Midlantic
In reply to Undisclosed #1

Well, it's my understanding that Aventura's NVRs and DVRs are essentially all CTO (custom to order). In other words, they get an order for a bunch of DVRs or whatever and they pull the appropriate card(s) and hard drive(s) and graphics card and RAM from a big box and plug it all together, configure all the hardware and install their software. Presumably, they do the same for their cameras, taking components from a box, flashing the firmware with their own secret sauce, screwing the appropriate bracket to the camera, and shipping it out. Which most certainly qualify them for a Made In America sticker, as both the "product's final assembly" and "processing" take place here. Or, as Lavonne could have put it if she were less polite, you don't need two huge freaking buildings to slap an Aventura sticker over a Hikvision one and ship it out.

TL;DR the components are sourced from any number of places, probably including Hikvision, but they add enough Aventura magic to the products that Made in the US of A is totes legit.

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U
Undisclosed #1
•Jul 09, 2015
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Ari Erenthal

Which most certainly qualify them for a Made In America sticker, as both the "product's final assembly" and "processing" take place here.

No, this alone does not qualify them; final assembly and processing is only the first test. From your link:

The product’s final assembly or processing must take place in the U.S. The Commission then considers other factors, including how much of the product’s total manufacturing costs can be assigned to U.S. parts and processing, and how far removed any foreign content is from the finished product. In some instances, only a small portion of the total manufacturing costs are attributable to foreign processing, but that processing represents a significant amount of the product’s overall processing. The same could be true for some foreign parts. In these cases, the foreign content (processing or parts) is more than negligible, and, as a result, unqualified claims are inappropriate.

And

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. The term "United States," as referred to in the Enforcement Policy Statement, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and possessions. What does "all or virtually all" mean? "All or virtually all" means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.

It might be easier to argue that Aventura is not making an unqualified claim, yet the inclusion of the prominent "Made in the USA" on product pages would seem to be covered here:

In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
•Oct 08, 2015
In reply to Ari Erenthal

I used to work for a mesh company who used this tactic quite well. Crack open our radio, and the chipsets and some of the boards came from our largest competior - but the software we used was all written in house, and it made all the difference in the world.

That being said, they still chose to begin making their own chipsets a few years ago. Better margin, and more control.

U
Undisclosed #1
•Jul 10, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Here's the front page of Aventura's 2015 catalog. You decide what impression someone would or wouldn't have when viewing it.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
•Oct 08, 2015
If they ARE a HIK OEM, what firmware are they on and is it one of the "at risk" versions of the firmware. And those are on government installations...
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JH
John Honovich
•Nov 07, 2019
IPVM

Update: There are many reports (e.g., see Newsday about a raid) that Aventura employees have been arrested for selling Chinese surveillance good as US ones.

We are drafting a report and have spoken to the US DoJ, trying to get a hold of the actual complaint before publishing our story.

Update: published - US Charges Company For Illegally Selling Hikvision still working on getting the complaint.

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MM
Michael Miller
•Nov 07, 2019
In reply to John Honovich

Wow!

Avatar
Brian Robertson
•Nov 07, 2019

I just saw the DOJ presser. Wow!

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