We're not alone in reporting on the impact that tariffs imposed by the United States will have on the Pro AV market, only to revise the numbers by the minute.
On April 3, 2025, new tariffs were announced, which will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences. An additional 34% will be added to the 20% already in place for China, delivering a whopping 54% tariff for all goods imported into the United States.
For collaboration display company Avocor, mitigating the impact of tariffs comes down to the ability to choose a country for manufacturing with the lower percentage tariff.
During an interview at the end of March, Avocor's CEO, Scott Hix, noted that through its $8 billion parent company, AUO, "We have products that are built in multiple locations around the world." This includes Taiwan where AUO is headquartered, China, South Korea, and Europe. "We have the ability to move rapidly and leverage our Taiwan infrastructure very efficiently to eliminate as much of the tariff impact as possible."
On April 3, it was announced that Taiwan would receive a 32% tariff. Compared to China at 54%, that's a "savings" of 22 percent.
"We have options that I don't think everyone has right now," Hix said. If a company wants to move manufacturing to another country, that doesn't happen overnight. "We just happen to have the benefit that we can be a lot more nimble because of our strength of factories, which includes Taiwan since that's where our headquarters is located."
Bullish on the Future of Avocor
Six months after the announcement of the acquisition of Avocor by AUO, expectations have been exceeded. "We had the unique benefit that most acquisitions do not. Both of us got to try each other out for a year and a half. We knew what we were getting into well in advance of that, both cultural fit and even functional integration had already long happened since or before the close of the actual transaction. For us, it's kind of been business as usual and a continual progression of what we started in our journey with AUO about two years ago."
Two areas that have benefited most since the acquisition are Avocor's technology roadmap and supply chain optimization. In 2024, Avocor had already expanded its offerings beyond interactive flat panel displays by launching standard displays, integrated digital signage, and large format dvLEDs. "Brian, my head of products, is a kid in the candy shop now because he went from about half a dozen people in development to 130 people in AUO Display Plus working with the different business groups. He's working on new developments in not only LED but micro LED."
At ISE 2025, there was a buzz around Avocor's FindArt 85-inch display. "It's 8K with a film technology that allows us to show 8K resolution that looks like a painting," Hix said. At the moment, the applications for this display will be fairly niche, such as its use in museums or theme parks.
At InfoComm 2025, expect to see a full commitment to direct-view LED, non-touch standard LCD, and digital signage. "Our entire roadmap has been refreshed in the last 12 months, and that will be in full view," Hix added. "And, of course, we will show a couple of concept technologies that are kind of the next thing for us."
The Big Picture
AUO sells its LCD technology to some of the major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and ODMs (Original Design Manufacturers) that manufacture for brands worldwide. "We have a supply chain strength, whether it be our cost of product or our quality of product, where we're controlling all of the touch points, even now dealing with the tariff concerns."
Between the flexibility in the supply chain and the ability to develop cutting-edge display technologies, Hix said, "We feel extremely grateful that the benefit of AUO and the technology roadmap side has been felt in a big, big way that's helping us to grow the business and grow our customers."
"The real immediate benefits for the company that we're feeling is that continuation of product innovation and expansion and that supply chain optimization efficiency that will be a great benefit to our distributors, resellers, and end-user customers around the world," Hix concluded.
