About Us

Richard “Rick” Lemker, President / Lead Consultant

Mr. Lemker took his first electronics course by mail at the age of 12, and began a career that spans over fifty six years. As a teenage year, he designed, assembled, and sold sound and lighting equipment to many local bands, and began making live concert recordings. After graduating from high school, Richard worked briefly as an IBEW Union Electrician’s Helper. He studied Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati. In 1969, he was hired as Stage Production Manager for Walpurgis Productions, a local Cincinnati concert and event promoter. While employed by Walpurgis Productions, he was responsible for technical aspects of shows at the legendary Ludlow Garage concert hall, including functions of the sound system, stage lighting, stage power and instrument amps. During this time, he facilitated the recording of dozens of live concerts. Many of these concert recordings were subsequently released on commercial record albums and CDs featuring major artists, including NRBQ, and Neil Young. One recording, “The Allman Brothers Band Live at the Ludlow Garage 1970”, was released in When the Garage closed, he was recruited to work as a touring Concert Sound Engineer by Clair Brothers Audio, of Lititz, Pa. (then – and now – considered to be the world’s premier concert sound systems contractor), crisscrossing the US and Canada with chart-topping entertainers and recording artists, including the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Iron Butterfly, Three Dog Night, James Gang, Jefferson Airplane, & Blood,Sweat & Tears. Visit this website’s Ludlow Garage page in the EXTRAS section for additional information concerning Richard’s concert sound and recording experience and the Ludlow Garage, or visit the Ludlow Garage website

Returning to Cincinnati, he was hired as a project estimator/planner and buyer for Becker Electric Company. For years, he also operated his own electronic systems installation contracting business. He continued his career working for Industrial Communication & Sound Co. (ICS), a large electronic systems contractor and as a Sales Rep and quickly rose to the position of Sales Manager, holding responsibilities for negotiating contracts, estimating and bidding, systems design, and marketing of the company’s services. Specializing in turnkey design/build project work, his clients ranged from local corporations to large chemical plants to foreign government projects. During these many years, he gained valuable hands-on knowledge and field experience in electronic systems design, installation and operations, and more importantly, client perspectives regarding communications needs and systems installations.

Richard was admitted to the Audio Engineering Society in 1977, providing proof of work experience equivalent to a 4-year engineering degree. In 1982, Richard expanded his repertoire and began to provide consulting services for a fee, under the names Architectural Audio Services and Spectron, which were subsidiary operations of the systems contractor ICS. In 1986, he left ICS and founded the independent consulting firm Richard J. Lemker & Associates. As the firm’s Lead Consultant, he and his staff provided design and onsite testing services on a wide range of projects including college education and sports facilities, hi-tech high schools, state courtrooms, numerous city council chambers, TV and radio broadcast and production facilities, meeting facilities of varies sizes serving groups of from 50 to 18,000 people, high end residential condominium developments, complex industrial facilities, sophisticated national security installations, prominent corporate offices, and churches of all faiths. He served as a Concert Sound Consultant for many corporate and civic events, and Pink Floyd’s concert tour in 1987. He personally developed numerous proprietary design and testing programs and protocols in the fields of acoustics, noise / vibration / impact control, and communication systems design involving hardware and software that are highly respected by his most sophisticated clientele. He successfully completed hundreds of projects ranging from small impact assessments to large renovation and new construction projects. He has testified as an Expert Witness for numerous court cases, Workers Comp claims, and community zoning hearings involving noise control issues.

In 2009, the company’s name was changed to Spectra Tech Ltd, in order to more accurately reflect the diverse range of design and testing services available to clients. Richard is a member of numerous online professional groups and stays up-to-date on current practices and new materials applicable to his professional design and onsite testing services.

Richard draws on decades of past project experience and hands-on knowledge to guide him in his current service, in the interest of his clients. He has a track record of working as a project team member with client staff to assure that work is implemented in a timely manner and within the project budget estimate. Many of his diverse projects involve specialized “one of a kind,” “never been done before” work. Proudly, the majority of his new work comes as a result of referrals from his clients and project team co-members.

A master communicator, Mr. Lemker has been a Guest Lecturer at Miami University School of Architecture in Oxford, Ohio, and served has on numerous Riverfront Planning / Zoning / Development / Committees, Park Boards, and citizen groups in the greater Cincinnati area including Covington / Ludlow, Kenton County in Northern Kentucky. Richard is frequently sought out for his knowledge and expert advice, consultation and his skill to proof edit professional writings in many fields of business.

Richard is a person that you want on your project team.