Distribution partnerships. New managers. These companies had a busy week.
Providence Acquires d&b Group
d&b group announced a major investment by Providence, a premier private equity firm specializing in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education and technology. With the support of Providence, d&b plans to further strengthen its global position in the professional audio market while also further integrating its capabilities in the Audio Visual, Lighting and Media (AVLM) solutions sector.
Providence has a track record of investing in businesses that deliver innovative technology and experiences. As part of the transaction, the d&b management team will also acquire a stake in the company, ensuring long-term leadership and strategic continuity. The parties have agreed not to reveal details of the transaction, and the conclusion of the transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.
[Pro AV Newsmakers: A Q-SYS Acquisition, Promotions and Partnerships]
Founded in 1981 and based in Backnang, Germany, d&b has extended the business into integrated AVLM solutions (“d&b solutions”) in recent years. Since the company’s acquisition by Ardian, d&b’s previous owner, in 2016, sales have tripled. The number of employees has also risen sharply from 350 in 2016 to a global team of more than 1000 with offices in major cities around the globe.
"The global growth trend for events, concerts and major events has continued unchanged after a forced break due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Amnon Harman, CEO, d&b Group. "This is accompanied by the increasing professionalization and digitization of these events and thus an increasing need for professional event technologies. As one of the world's leading system providers for audio technology and integrated audio, video, light and media solutions (AVLM) with a comprehensive portfolio of hardware and software technologies, we are perfectly positioned to gain further market share. Ardian has proven to be a reliable business partner over the past few years. Thanks to their unwavering support, especially during the pandemic, we have been able to innovate during this period of crisis and to emerge stronger from it. We look forward to continuing our successful journey with Providence and cementing our global position as a leader in professional audio and integrated AVLM solutions."
"d&b bears the hallmarks of a classic Providence investment – it is a business with innovation at its core, clear market leadership and loyal customers," added Robert Sudo, managing director, Providence. "d&b’s passionate team has advanced and defined industry standards and exceeded client expectations for the last four decades. We believe d&b will continue its growth trajectory by delivering spectacular experiences to audiences across the globe. With our solid track record of investing in live entertainment and technology companies, we are confident Providence is the ideal partner to support d&b and we look forward to working with Amnon and his hugely talented team to execute our shared vision for the business."
AtlasIED Continues to Strengthen US Regional Sales Team
AtlasIED, a global electronics manufacturer providing comprehensive audio, communications, and security solutions for commercial markets, announced the addition of two new regional sales managers with the hiring of Mark Foerderer to manage AtlasIED sales for North-Central America, and Eddie Navarro who will manage sales for the Rocky Mountain region.
With more than 20 years of experience in audio and sound masking, Foerderer will work to expand sales of AtlasIED solutions in the North-Central region of the United States. During his career, Foerderer has fostered strong relationships with integrators and consultants, and will manage the company’s external sales rep firms, McFadden Sales and RW Kunz. With experience in system solutions, voice communications systems, and design solutions, Foerderer will serve as an integral part of the AtlasIED team.
[AtlasIED’s Sound Masking Technology Maintains Privacy at the Office]
"I am excited to be part of a growing organization investing in individuals, partnerships, and technology solutions for Sound Masking, Distributed audio and IP Mass Communications. Solutions that make a difference,” said Foerderer.
Navarro spent the last decade in both business development and technology sales roles for the K-12 market, including classroom audio communications, and audio video control technology. He will provide a fresh perspective to the AtlasIED team as he helps build the company’s customer base in the Rocky Mountain region. With over a decade of experience, Navarro has deep relationships with K12 customers and dealers and will manage AtlasIED's regional sales rep firm, CB Electronic Marketing.
“I want to be part of the IPX future,” said Navarro. “During my time in the K12 market, we always discussed mass communication and safety but didn’t have anything to offer. Now at AtlasIED, I can provide a reliable, scalable solution, with more innovation to come. That’s exciting.”
Fulcrum Immersive Announces the Appointment Market Development Manager
Fulcrum Immersive, a provider of immersive audio hardware and software tools, is pleased to announce the appointment of Luke Vogel to the newly created position of Market Development Manager. Vogel, who worked with Venueflex prior to Fulcrum Acoustic’s recent acquisition of the company, started with Fulcrum Immersive in May 2023, and is stationed in North Carolina.
Vogel will serve as a primary resource for Fulcrum Immersive’s system integrators, acoustic designers, and end users. He will provide both technical consultation and support to ensure they understand this emerging technology and can use it effectively in their real-world scenarios.
[Introducing Fulcrum Immersive]
Vogel has an extensive audio background that makes him well-suited for his new responsibilities with Fulcrum Immersive. After studying Audio Recording and Production at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, Luke moved to Nashville, where he gained considerable experience working in recording studios. He has since mixed FOH for a variety of country, Christian, alternative, and pop artists. In 2005, Luke became the Audio Director at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL, a modern 23 campus congregation serving as many as 70,000 people each weekend. Church of the Highlands had a Venueflex active acoustic system installed in their 2,500-seat broadcast auditorium, giving Luke significant mixing and technical experience with the Fulcrum Immersive technology.
Regarding his appointment at Fulcrum Immersive, Vogel says, “I am excited to be part of the Fulcrum Immersive team. I've used and experienced our products in a variety of venues. These tools enable audio and acoustic professionals to maximize the performance of their sound systems and rooms to increase connection with the audience. I look forward to sharing this technology with designers and integrators to make their work easier and more effective.”
Visionary Partners with prodyTel for German Distribution
Visionary has announced a partnership with prodyTel, a German-based distributor. Through the partnership, prodyTel will expand and strengthen Visionary’s presence throughout Germany.
“prodyTel is one of Germany’s leading distributors for audiovisual IT solutions, unified communications, sound reinforcement and media technology,” said Scott Freshman, chief operations officer for Visionary. “prodyTel has developed a unique expertise in the distribution environment. Their extensive knowledge and unique approach to building strong customer relationships through consulting, training, service and support make them an excellent partner for Visionary. We look forward to serving more customers with our award-winning AV-over-IP technologies through our partnership with prodyTel.”
[Pioneering the Future of AVoIP]
“We are very pleased to represent Visionary and their lineup of innovative AV-over-IP solutions in Germany,” said Christian Carrero, managing director for prodyTel. “Visionary has become a recognized and respected leader in AV-over-IP solutions. Visionary’s high-quality products are a perfect addition to our extensive list of brands. The cutting-edge, ultra-low latency AV networking products offer compact, easy-to-use solutions with an outstanding price-performance ratio.”
With over 25 years of experience, prodyTel brings strong international relationships and an extensive network of industry professionals. As a full-service solutions provider, prodyTel provides comprehensive individual consulting, service and support with a component sales and technical team. Uniquely, prodyTel has established an education resource, prodyTel Academy, to provide hands-on training and customer support through discussions, seminars, training courses and product demonstrations. prodyTel Academy will showcase Visionary’s lineup of AV-over-IP solutions, including the new 5 Series, a next-generation evolution of Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series endpoints boasting 4K60 4:4:4 1GbE encoders and decoders.
