Pro Sound and Lighting owner Jay Heydlauff has a simple message he wishes to convey to concert promoters around the country: There is electricity in Iowa.

“We’ll have national acts call to check out a rider and, in all seriousness, ask what kind of power we have here,” Heydlauff said from his office above the notorious future location of People’s Theater on Lincoln Way. “They just don’t see what Iowa really is. They think we’re burning corn stalks or something to generate electricity.”

Iowa does have power, and it is Heydlauff and his full-time crew of Andy Anderson and Tim Ray’s job to use it.

Heydlauff, an Iowa State graduate in English, opened Pro Sound and Lighting in 1991 after funding efforts to build a recording studio in Ames fell through.

“I start thinking about it now and I’m much happier with what we are doing,” he said. “We’re dealing with live music — musicians at their best. Whereas, recording studios tend to be quite a bit more technical, not as much emphasis on the performance.”

Pro Sound and Lighting provides sound and light equipment for concerts and other events of all shapes and sizes. It installs sound and light systems in clubs, churches, restaurants and homes and rents and sells sound and light systems to DJs, bands and party-throwers.

Heydlauff has been working with Iowa State since he started the business and has been providing sound and light systems for Veishea since ’94.

“Every time we do something for Iowa State, we make an effort to give them the best quality and the best deal we can give them,” he explained. “It’s something to do to support my alma mater and it’s also good for us because we want these students to come to us when they need a party system or a lighting system.”

Pro Sound and Lighting has worked with STV-9, ISU’s student-run TV station, on a live performance show and handles equipment for the bigger productions that come through People’s Bar and Grill.

Heydlauff has also ventured into the dozens of festivals and county fairs in surrounding towns.

“Usually the committee people who always end up dealing with us are the people who kind of got stuck with it — the young guy who they think has good taste in music,” Heydlauff said. “They’re always the best people to work with. Usually, they’re out to prove themselves so they do everything right.”

In the past year, Pro Sound and Lighting has furnished sound and lighting for Budhafest, Trippfest and Togetherfest. As a former local musician himself, Heydlauff understands the financial struggles of local bands and helps out whenever he can.

“We sell equipment to bands as cheap as we can, even if it means our mark up on it is five bucks,” he said. “We want to see Ames music succeed. It’s just nice to have music going on here get recognized so that people know about Ames.”

A taste of the local scene is usually present in the Pro Sound and Lighting Office, and that’s not counting the Nadas and 35″ Mudder CDs laying around. Many local musicians earn extra cash working for Heydlauff.

“A lot of the guys will order something and they’ll just work it off,” he said. “I’m more than happy to do that as often as we can.”

Working with local musicians on a daily basis, Heydlauff has perhaps a closer insight on the scene than the scene itself.

“There’s more potential in local music than what even some of the local musicians think,” he said. “If they really want to, they can go out and make a living playing music. An important thing I’ve noticed is that the most successful musicians have also been the nicest people.”

Although its top system is one of the largest in the state, Pro Sound and Lighting is planning to merge with another light and another sound company before the end of the year.

“We want to get to a level were big productions, like local radio station festivals, look to us,” Heydlauff said. “Another misconception about Iowa is that you have to go to the East or West Coast to get sound equipment.”

As Heydlauff has proved, Iowa does have sound equipment. And running water too.