Industry veteran Rik Kirby has officially opened the doors of Allied SMD, a new sales, marketing, and distribution company based in Orange County, California. "Our aim is to make the US market accessible to international brands who might otherwise struggle for focus within the larger manufacturer-led distribution companies,” said Kirby. “We offer resources that can provide sales management, marketing support, and traditional distribution solutions depending on the client's needs, and the global expertise to explain the US business to those less familiar with its mechanics."
Prior to embarking on this new venture Kirby has held senior positions with Turbosound, BSS Audio, and most recently as vice president of sales and marketing at Renkus-Heinz. These manufacturer positions followed a number of years as a touring sound engineer in the UK. "It's been twenty years since I last ran my own business and a lot's changed since then, but the core fundamentals are still the same - deliver a good product, give excellent customer service, and there's no avoiding hard work," Kirby observed.
