People On the Move: HTSA/Blair, Vutec, Hypex Electronics, Almo

On the Move is a daily feature on CEPro.com. Please submit your "On the Move" news to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you are looking for a job, or an employer searching to fill a vacant position, in the custom electronics industry please visit the CE Pro Career Center.

May 20, 2013
Blair Home Technologies has joined Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA). The Cary, Ill.-based integrator recently acquired Wilmette, Ill.-based The Big Picture Home Theater. "We had grown to the point where membership in this prestigious organization was an obvious 'next step," says Blair CEO Blaur Brommel. "HTSA offers us a networking base, industry connections and other critical tools that will be extremely valuable. We're thrilled to partner with them!"

May 17, 2013
Vutec Corporation announced two new additions to the company, with Dan Drook joining the company as the new national sales manager and Craig Waldman joining the company as the new director of marketing and communications. Waldman has over 20 years of marketing experience in highly competitive categories, with a track record of dealings with authorized dealers and distributor channels from Anheuser-Busch, Papa John’s International, MetroPCS and Harley-Davidson. Drook has over 20 years of experience in the CE industry and brings with him a cache of best practices that are sure to enhance the relationship between Vutec and the authorized dealer and distributor channels.

Hypex Electronics BV has appointed audio industry veteran Andy Lewis as its director of sales and marketing. In his new position, Lewis will work closely with, and report to Jan-Peter Van Amerongen, the company's general manager and owner. Lewis is charged with helping to establish the Hypex Electronics brand as the market leader and drive the growth of overall sales, by developing business with existing customers, and by cultivating new accounts. He will serve as the first point of contact for support, and will enhance all sales and marketing materials and procedures. Lewis has worked previously with AR Loudspeakers, Eastern Acoustic Works, Bowers & Wilkins and Russound in engineering management and product marketing roles. He was most recently with Fishman Transducers where he led the TriplePlay wireless MIDI guitar project. He will be based in the Boston area and cover primarily the North American market, according to the company.

Almo Professional A/V has hired Jamie Finnegan as business development manager – control solutions, effective immediately. In his new role, Finnegan serves as the technical liaison between Almo’s vendor manufacturers and integrators by providing pre-sales training, engineering and design for commercial installations that require high-level systems, lighting, automation and control. Prior to Almo Pro A/V, Finnegan was a consultant for CFC Industrial Training.

May 14, 2013
Eric Johnson, veteran trainer and product developer for Niles, Marantz, Audioplex, Energy, B&K and URC, is now working with rep distributor Bach Sales Group through his consulting firm Omega Blue Group. Johnson will help Bach develop and implement training events, Website resources and new tools for custom installers.

NuVo Technologies has added to its sales force by hiring Jason Dominique as sales manager for the Western U.S. Dominique has been a part of Legrand North America in the past, having formerly worked for the On-Q brand. He worked for Proficient, where he served as sales manager for the Eastern region for eight years.

May 13, 2013
Acoustic and audio consulting firm SH Acoustics is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the opening of its Southern California office. The Connecticut-based firm, which also has a branch in Australia, specializes in the acoustic and audio design for museums, high-end residences and other select commercial projects. Jeremiah Flaherty, one of SH Acoustics’ key team members, will become the director of the new California office, which will focus primarily on growing the company’s body of work in the western U.S. and various international regions.

John Brisk has joined Sound & Vision in Willowbrook, Ill., as a senior design consultant. John is a technical sales and design professional with over 20 years of experience. For the last 12 years he has worked with architects, designers and artisan tradesmen creating high-end integrated homes and commercial installations which balance technology, entertainment and aesthetics for discerning clients.

May 7, 2013
Lutron Electronics was announced as the 2013 recipient of the Da Vinci Science Center (DSC) Corporate Grand Maestro Hall of Fame Award. The award recognizes Lutron’s substantial contributions to the scientific community of eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. The DSC Hall of Fame Awards honor students who show a unique passion for science inside and outside of the classroom, educators in grades K-12 who inspire enthusiasm for science with innovative approaches, and partners who support the Center’s mission.

Zonoff, creator of the Zonoff Connected Home Platform, has named Dave DiOrio VP of Customer Programs. He will be responsible for driving adoption of Zonoff's smart home technology solutions for customers and channel partners.

May 6, 2013
Jade Design, LLC, parent company of high performance audio brands including Emotiva, Emotiva Pro and Sherbourn, has appointed Andrew Robinson as its director, digital content. Robinson is a veteran CE journalist, having written for Home Theater Review and AudioVideo Revolution as well as his own blog and online forum. In this new position, he will be responsible for creating and producing digital content across all platforms for Jade’s Emotiva Audio Corporation, Emotiva Pro, and Sherbourn brands. Robinson’s duties include developing the voice for each brand’s online presence, producing content across all digital platforms, and managing the online communities, including the Emotiva Lounge, a 12,000-member forum for audio enthusiasts. He will also be responsible for website content and digital educational tools.

May 2, 2013
Séura has named Marla Maney as its new marketing manager. Maney will work closely with the leadership team, creative services manager, as well as the internal and external sales teams to execute initiatives such as strategic marketing plans, new product rollouts, sales webinars, dealer training programs, trade shows and advertising. Maney has over 15 years of marketing experience having spent her career at marketing firms working on behalf of local, regional, national and international clients.

May 2, 2013
Soundcast Systems, a developer and manufacturer of wireless music systems, has added three new members to its leadership team: Sean Mitchell as VP of finance; Allan Poe as customer service manager; and Nick Berry as director of sales. The additions are the first phase of the company's new growth strategy that it says includes new products-to-market in 2013, future product development, multi-market expansion and infrastructure enhancements. Mitchell joins Soundcast from Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Poe previously worked for SpeakerCraft in multiple roles; Berry also comes from SpeakerCraft as the director of sales and marketing.

April 29, 2013
Stampede Presentation Products announced that it has appointed Kevin Bowman and Nancy Miles to serve, respectively, as the company's vice president of sales, direct response group; and credit manager, Eastern region. Bowman comes to Stampede after 28 years at Azerty Inc., a division of United Stationers, a wholesaler of office technology consumables. He served most recently as the company's vice president of sales, responsible responsible for the sales and marketing of the company’s technology and brand in both the United States and Mexico. Miles also comes over from Azerty, having served most recently as served as the manager of deduction specialists/credit card processing, where she oversaw the resolution of deductions for national, retail, channel, and furniture accounts. “These appointments bring new talent and seasoned expertise to our management team,” said Kevin Kelly, Stampede's president and COO.

April 26, 2013
Zektor, developer of matrix switchers for the CE pro channel, has added four manufacturers' reps: AV Partners - Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii; Audio Associates - New York metro area, New Jersey, and middle Atlantic; New ERA Marketing - Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas; and Sound Tech Marketing - Arizona, Colorado, Eastern Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming.

In addition, Zektor has established new distributors Pro Kare in Turkey and Security Centar in Serbia. European distribution coverage is expected to be completed prior to Q3 2013, according to CEO Jeff Haynes.

Musical Fidelity has added Randy Bingham, a 30-year veteran of the consumer electronics business, to its sales team. Bingham will spearhead the U.K.-based company’s U.S. sales effort as the its new national sales manager for North America. Prior to joining Musical Fidelity, Bingham spent three years with Ultralink/XLO as the director of sales. Bingham also spent three years as national sales manager at Krell and 10 years as the VP of sales and marketing at Sunfire.

Musical Fidelity has also announced the addition of two marketing agencies to represent its products in different U.S. regions. Ambassador Marketing will be the exclusive representative of the company's products in Idaho, Alaska, Washington and Oregon; the Aurora Group will market the company's lineup in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington, DC.

April 25, 2013
Sharp Electronics Company of America (SEMCA), today announced that John Revie has been promoted to VP of sales for home entertainment. In his new role, Revie, who has more than 20 years experience in consumer electronics sales and marketing, will be responsible for all home entertainment sales through the national, regional, distribution and specialty channels.

April 24, 2013
Atlona has appointed Kelly Hicks as the company's director of finance and Jessica Mansfield as the director of human resources. Hicks will oversee the company's accounting, financial planning and analysis, purchasing, and order administration functions while Mansfield will be responsible for Atlona's human resource policies, programs, and services.

April 23, 2013
The newest WAVE facility opened this week in Dania Beach, near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to serve the surrounding Florida markets. WAVE is opening the branch to showcase a mix of products that now includes Pioneer and Just Add Power, among others. This new location has services and features like sound rooms, hand-pick areas, training facilities, working automation and control demo systems, and an 'automated living room.' “Due to this prime location, we anticipate that some of the premium products we showcase, such as IC Realtime cameras, the Sonance Sonarray outdoor system, and a motorized Black Diamond screen from Screen Innovations, will be a big hit” says Will Breaux, Vice President of Marketing. The Dania Beach branch opens its doors on the heels of another new WAVE location in New Jersey, which opened just over a month ago. The new branch is located in at 325 N. Bryan Rd. Dania Beach, FL 33004 and will house additional brands such as Sony, Lutron, Bose, RTI, Atlona, and Polk.

April 22, 2013
Christina Olson has been named marketing manager of BitWise Controls, maker of home automation controllers for iOS and Android devices. The company has named The Performance Group as representatives for Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. BitWise is celebrating its fifth year of business.

April 17, 2013
Genelec Inc., U.S. distributor of Genelec Custom Installation Systems, has appointed two new manufacturer’s representatives: Current Marketing of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Audio Video Representatives (AVR) of Marietta, Ga.

DMP has named Steven Creasey as its dealer development manager for the Florida region. He will be responsible for developing new sales and providing on-going service to DMP-authorized dealers throughout the region.

April 12, 2013
Autonomic has appointed distributor Advance Audio Australia to provide sales and support services for Australia and New Zealand.

“The Mirage Media Server provides the most seamless solution for our dealers, delivering both streaming and locally stored music throughout the home,” says Advance Audio GM Adam Merlino. “The Autonomic Mirage Audio System combines the key features our customers want, such as cloud compatibility, easy interface with popular control system platforms and multi-zone amplifiers engineered to work with the Mirage Media Server as a cohesive system. This is a complete solution that is right for our dealer base.”

“We are excited for the opportunity to work with Advance Audio and to have our products properly represented in this dynamic region,” says Autonomic CEO Michael de Nigris. “We look forward to increasing Autonomic’s brand visibility and working with key dealers throughout Australia and New Zealand,” de Nigris concluded.

April 10, 2013
AudioXperts has appointed specialty electronics and international sales and marketing expert Jakob Jespersen to manager of international sales support, effective immediately. Jespersen will be responsible for developing successful customer support programs for AudioXperts’ worldwide network distributors and specialty retailers.

“Jakob brings an incredible set of skills and experience in international sales and marketing to the AudioXperts team,” says Eli Harary, president of AudioXperts. “Throughout his career in the luxury electronics industry, Jakob has served in a number of capacities, working directly with manufacturers and distributors. He has successfully demonstrated his ability to understand how to grow and manage brands at each level through unequaled customer support. We look forward to utilizing his expertise to develop customer support programs that will further strengthen our relationships with AudioXperts' international distributors as well as expand our network of valued partners.”

“I look forward to working with the team at AudioXperts and our impressive network of the world’s finest international distributors to bring AudioXperts' unique audio solutions to customers around the globe,” said Jespersen. “AudioXperts is a brand built upon the mission of ‘exceeding expectations’ and our international customers can be assured that we will continue to deliver on that promise.”

April 3, 2013
The DaVinci Group has completed its move into its new world headquarters in Ontario, Calif. The 12,000 sq.-foot warehouse and office space will house the company's complete sales, technical support, product distribution and engineering teams. "We searched for the perfect-size facility, location to the airport and the proper communications technology we wanted for our engineering and sales department," says Daniel Kippycash, CEO & co-founder of The DaVinci Group. "This facility will allow us to work with our partners and clients to develop, demonstrate and expand the markets we serve."

Nationwide East, a regional division of Nationwide Marketing group, has promoted Dean Hanby to vice president of the group. Howard Khouri, who previously held this role, is retiring this month. “Howard has been an integral player to the growth and success of Nationwide East and he will be missed dearly,” said Dave Robison, director of Nationwide East. “I am confident Dean is the ideal leader to fulfill this role and am excited about some of the new initiatives he will lead in the future.” Hanby joined Nationwide in Oct., 2012, and has more than 30 years of industry experience.

March 29, 2013
Matt Lauinger, a CCTV, access control, fire-and-burg specialist has joined as a partner at DSG Distributors. Lauinger has more than 25 years of of experience in the commercial and consumer electronics industries and served most recently as key accounts manager for Royal Systems; he also spent 15 years as national sales manager for Alarm Warehouse.

March 28, 2013
Stealth Acoustics, a company that specializes in invisible speaker technologies for custom installation and commercial applications, has appointed Wheeling, Ill.-based Omega Sales, Inc., as its sales and marketing representative for Northern Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin.

Elite Screens USA is moving to a new location in Orange County, Calif. Ground Shipments will be suspended during the moving period (April 6-14) and will resume on April 15. The company says it has long outgrown its Cerritos, Calif. facility, and the benefits of the new location — just nine miles away from its current spot — will include a larger facility to accommodate a higher level of warehouse traffic and storage, better freeway access and a better office floor plan suited to the operational requirements of its staff. The new location will be at new permanent location at: 12282 Knott St. Garden Grove, CA 92841.

Video surveillance manufacturer IC Realtime has expanded its Florida offices to accommodate a brand-new 20,000 square foot integration center. Now open and fully operational, the center adds a state-of-the-art demonstration showroom, a dedicated training center and an expanded tech support/R&D lab.

March 25, 2013
Energy intelligence firm SurgeX has expanded its marketing team by hiring Robert Nelson and Paul Watson. As product marketing manager, Nelson manages the company’s new market and IT industry marketing initiatives, reporting to the firm’s director of marketing. Watson serves as marketing coordinator. In this role, he assists the firm’s director of marketing with various communications tasks, as well as the firm’s sales team with ESP/SurgeX’s core business.

March 22, 2013
Bryston, LTD has appointed Michael Chafee Enterprises as its independent sales rep for consumer and professional audio products in the state of Florida.

March 21, 2013
Quadrant Solutions, a supplier of permanent magnets and magnetic assemblies, has announced the appointment of Kathy Gornik and Dawn Cloyd to the role of new business development. Gornik co-founded THIEL Audio and has served on an array of boards and committees for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) since 1995. She sold THIEL in November, 2012. Cloyd worked closely with Gornik for over 12 years at THIEL in a variety of roles.

Digital connectivity solutions provider Gefen has named Rod Sommerich as its Far East and Pacific Rim regional sales director. Sommerich brings an extensive background in the professional audio/video and broadcast markets, having worked in these industries since 1984.

March 19, 2013
Audio-Technica U.S. is mourning the passing of company founder and executive emeritus of Audio-Technica Corporation, Hideo Matsushita, on March 5, 2013. Matsushita died of natural causes at the age of 93. In accordance with his family's wishes, a private wake and funeral service were held on March 8 and 9.
"Hideo Matsushita was a wonderful person and a true visionary, laying the foundation for Audio-Technica to grow over the past 50 years," says Phil Cajka, Audio-Technica U.S. president and CEO. "He exemplified true leadership, with commitment to and passion for music and an unmatched work ethic. His loss is felt not only by everyone in the A-T family, but also by the entire music industry."

March 18, 2013
Display Development announced the expansion of its facility in Batavia, New York. The additional 4,000 square feet will accommodate manufacturing, light assembly, engineering, and distribution.

March 13, 2013
Ross Gullo, who joined his son Bob at Electronic Design Group (EDG) in Piscataway, N.J., for the past decade, passed away last month. When the elder Gullo was 69, Bob lured him out of retirement in 2003 to work at EDG.

“My dad worked three days a week, just enough to get out of my mom’s hair and keep his brain sharp. EDG had a ‘watch dog’ with his 50 years of audit work and attention to detail," Bob Gullo says. “I know my dad was extremely proud to work with his son, but I was truly the lucky one."

You can read Bob Gullo's tribute to his father here: http://www.edgonline.com/rossgullo/

March 12, 2013
Parasound Products has hired industry veteran Tom Gandulla as its director of sales. Gandulla has more than 25 years of experience in the CE business and served most recently as the director of sales, key accounts, for Xantech and Aton. Prior to that he worked at A.P.I., Monster Cable, Polk and Infinity. He got his start in retail floor sales and management at The Good Guys in the '90s and at The Federated Group in the '80s.

Home Entertainment Source (HES), a division of ProSource, the largest specialty and consumer-electronics merchandising group in the U.S., has announced the addition of 14 new members. These 14 new members join HES’s network of more than 500 dealers nationwide. The new member companies are: Audio Visions, of Strongville, Ohio; Southern Cinema Design of Cumming, Ga.; Architectural Audio & Video of Naperville, Ill.; Audio, Etc. of Daytion, Ohio; S&L Integrated Systems of Cairo, Ga.; Insight Home Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Kozar Technologies of Eagle River, Wis.; REDI Systems of Manhattan, Kan.; Global Custom Integrations of Hawthorne, N.Y.; Lunar Audio Video of Sayreville, N.J.; Innovative Objects of Duenweg, Mo.; Intra Home Systems of Garfield, N.J.; All Around Sound of Schereville, Ind.; and Custom A/V of El Paso, Texas.

March 11, 2013
Klein Tools has named Greg Palese as its new vice president of marketing. In this newly created position, Palese will be responsible for the marketing strategy of Klein Tools while growing the brand globally. He will also partner with product development and sales to define opportunities and develop business plans to support company objectives. Palese comes to Klein Lowe’s Home Improvement where he managed the companye's Kobalt Tools brand.

Mace Security International has hired Troy Bruce as the company's new director of sales.

ESP/SurgeX has relocated its headquarters from Zebulon, N.C. to Knightdale N.C., about 12 miles away. The new office location provides an expanded manufacturing facility, as well as engineering and office space to accommodate the company’s continued growth.

March 8, 2013
Channel Vision has announced the addition of Michael Bradish as its Northeast account executive. He will be responsible for accounts in the Northeast region, including: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland and Connecticut and Eastern Canada. Prior to this role, Michael was part of Ingram Micro where he was the vendor marketing manager for the Cisco Collaboration & Borderless Network architectures while also managing the marketing responsibilities for the Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment business line.

March 7, 2013
On Controls, an Android and Apple IOS cloud-stored and programmed control system, has hired Alan Philips as its sales and training manager.

March 4, 2013
Veteran manufacturing representative firms Elrep Sales and Creative Marketing Associates, Inc. have merged, binding their respective brands and personnel together with the goal to better serve consumer, custom install, and pro-A/V customers across the Southeastern U.S. The new company will be called MarketMakers, Inc., and corporate offices will be maintained both in Nashville, Tenn. and Tucker, Ga. “Strength in numbers will allow us meet the demands of our factory partners, and enables us to provide much better coverage to our dealer base across the South,” says Jim Kershaw, a partner in Creative Marketing.

Wyrestorm, a global manufacturer of HD distribution products for custom residential and commercial applications, has appointed Mark Dziekan as its national sales manager. Dziekan will be tasked with developing Wyrestorm's presence in the professional audio and video market within the U.S.

February 28, 2013
Since launching its buying group one year ago, Azione Unlimited has attracted 64 dealer members — with $200 million in buying power — and 32 vendor members. The goal, according to founder Richard Glikes, is to have 250 dealers across the U.S.

Vutec Corporation has added several manufacturer’s representative firms for its home theater division. Those firms, and the territories they cover, are: Clarity Business Group (Southern California), Audio Video Representatives (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri), One D Marketing (Washington, Oregon, Western Idaho), and Scowcroft and Associates (Montana, Wyoming, Eastern Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Las Vegas).

Robert M. Howard has joined Platinum Tools as a regional sales manager. Howard spent the last seven years at ICM/Belden where he was instrumental in supporting numerous large corporate accounts in A/V, broadcast, connectivity, and the security segments.

AudioXperts has appointed Hank Finke as its director of sales, Americas, a role in which he will be charged with developing and implementing high impact sales programs to continue building the AudioXperts brand throughout North and South America. His career in the custom electronics industry has included sales operations and leadership roles for brands including Harman Specialty Group, ReQuest, Genelec, KEF, and Nuage Nine.

TruAudio has adopted the new tagline “Sound of Innovation” to “better reflect its past, its current product line and the focus for its new product development going forward,” the company says. “We’ve always had an innovative bent and we want to give voice to that going forward," says president Bryan Garner.

February 26, 2013
Dynaudio made Bob McConnell its vice president of North American sales. With 26 years of industry experience, McConnell will lead the Bensenville, Ill.-based sales group, working with dealers to develop Dynaudio's U.S. and Canadian markets.

February 25, 2013
Nationwide Marketing Group has hired Patrick Maloney as its vice president of appliance merchandising. He was previously the director of buying groups at Electrolux, where he worked closely with the group’s growing roster of independent retail members.

Clark Synthesis, Inc., a manufacturer of underwater sound, outdoor sound, and tactile sound products, is moving its manufacturing operations back to the U.S. from China, where its products have been assembled since 2001. The move back to the U.S. began in December and the company expects it to be complete by mid-spring.

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has named Bob Barry as dealer development manager for the New York City area. He will be responsible for developing new sales
and providing on-going service to DMP-authorized dealers throughout the city.

The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) has added four new member companies: Allied Vaughn, Entertainment One, Intel and M-GO. The new companies represent a range
of cross-sectors all serving the home entertainment industry – from on-demand manufacturing, film and television content distribution, mobile and communications products and technologies to digital entertainment delivery services.

February 22, 2013
Qmotion has partnered with Tandem Marketing to expand sales of its window shade products in five states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

February 21, 2013
Electronics distributor Capitol has added to its sales department telecommunications specialist Lee Krokum.

“Lee Krokum’s extensive background in IP telephony and technical support makes him an invaluable asset to our customers,” Curt Hayes, Capitol’s president and CFO, said in a statement announcing the hiring. “He brings a bullet-proof knowledge of the technologies most relevant to the market today, as well as front-line experience in commercial projects of every shape and size. We’re lucky to have him on board.”

Core Brands has named Adam Griffin as its Northeast regional sales manager. Griffin will manage the group's sales efforts and business relationships across the Northeastern U.S., including New England, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

Pro Audio Technology has appointed Lucas Sales and On Line Marketing as its exclusive representatives in two key territories covering a total of 23 metropolitan areas. The Charles Lucas Sales Company covers Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, while On Line Marketing covers Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky.

"With Lucas Sales based in Texas and On Line Marketing centered in Ohio, and each serving the surrounding states, PRO is poised to see strong growth and enhanced dealer support in these regions," Larry Reagan, vice president of sales for Pro Audio technology, said in a press release.

February 14, 2013
Bill Fox has joined Sound & Vision as its new VP of sales & marketing. Fox previously held positions as senior VP of sales for Sony, Sharp, D&M Holdings and most recently was the director of sales for Kaleidescape.

"I’m confident that my past career experience with a few of the most highly regarded brands in our industry will enable me to successfully contribute to the company’s growth in both the residential and commercial segments," Fox said in a statement.

Aldo Filipelli has joined Oplalum USA as its new sales director. Opalum is a Danish audio company that specializes in digitally powered, bi-amped, acoustically compensated, thin on-wall loudspeakers.

Stephen DeFuria has joined THIEL Audio is its national sales manager. DeFuria was previously the North American sales manager for Musical Fidelity, a UK-based audio electronics manufacturer. Prior to that he was the national sales manager for NAD Electronics, where he worked closely with newly appointed board member and THIEL Interim COO Bob Brown.

“When we worked together on the manufacturing side of the business, I found Stephen’s market instincts invaluable on many levels including product direction,” stated Bob Brown. “In his retail career, DeFuria was a very significant THIEL dealer. It’s hard to imagine someone more uniquely qualified to lead the sales and marketing initiative for this storied brand.”

February 13, 2013
Buying group Azione Unlimited has moved its offices. It's new address is: 501 E. Uwchlan Ave, Chester Springs, PA 19425. The phone is 610-280-3840 and the fax is 610-280-3842.

Ron Pitcock has joined design and manufacturing firm The DaVinci Group as a regional sales manager in charge of several territories throughout the U.S. Pitcock previously held sales management positions at Kaleidascape and BitWise Controls.

Digital Sales Group announced that Dan Thompson, who has worked with the company since 2004, has become a new partner with the firm. Prior to joining the company Thompson worked for eight years at Ultimate Electronics including a position as an associate buyer. Meanwhile, Rik Patrick has joined the company as inside technical support for automation systems. He has extensive experience in the CE industry including design, sales and engineering of residential and commercial automation, lighting, training and technical support.

The Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) are pleased to welcome their newest representative and nationwide member, Advanced ESI. Based out of Bonita Springs, Florida, Advanced Electronic Systems Integrators (Advanced ESI) specializes in forward-thinking, technical solutions and superior customer service, incorporating the best in audio, video, control, motorized shading and lighting systems today.


Fire-Lite Alarms by Honeywell has hired Alex McAllister as its regional sales manager to provide dealers and security equipment distributors throughout Ontario and Western Canada with training, technical data and other sales support resources. McAllister brings with him more than 20 years of work experience in the electronic security industry including similar managerial positions with security systems manufacturers Chubb and C&K Systems.

“I like the fact that the systems I’m supporting are an open platform and sold at multiple distributors across Canada,” says McAllister. “Training and product application support are going to be two primary focuses for me to help our customers get the most out of Fire-Lite and its products.”

February 12, 2013
Whole home audio manufacturer NuVo Technologies has announced the addition of The Aurora Group as the company’s representation in the mid-Atlantic region. Effective immediately, The Aurora Group will handle NuVo sales in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, and the D.C. area.

"We are excited to partner with NuVo Technologies,” says Jay Cary, Vice President of The Aurora Group. “Their commitment to quality, performance, and support fits right in with our other offerings. The Grand Concerto distributed audio product is an industry mainstay and the new wireless audio product is incredibly compelling. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."

February 8, 2013

Mike Riccio has been named chief financial officer of Panasonic Corporation of North America. Riccio previously served as the company’s Vice President and Controller and has worked for Panasonic for 26 years, holding key accounting and financial management positions and leading many of the company’s strategic initiatives in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to his new responsibilities as CFO, Mr. Riccio will continue to lead the relocation of the company’s headquarters operations from Secaucus, N.J., to a new state-of-the-art sustainably designed office tower in Newark, N.J. adjacent to the Newark Penn Station mass transit hub this summer.

“Mike’s well deserved appointment to this post is an important milestone in the continued localization of Panasonic’s management outside Japan,” said Joseph M. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America.


Digital Projection International (DPI) has appointed two new regional market managers in the U.S. Brian Blumhardt has been appointed DPI’s Central market development manager, while Tom Wilmers assumes market development manager responsibilities over the Midwest region. Both Blumhardt and Wilmers are already actively managing DPI's sales through the company’s extensive Commercial A/V, Home Cinema and Staging channels in their respective regions.

February 7, 2013
Monster has made two big-name additions, luring pop culture icons to help enhance its brand profile: Music executive and entrepreneur Chaka Zulu, co-founder of Disturbing Tha Peace and manager of rapper/actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, has been appointed to the newly created position of VP of Entertainment and Sports Marketing. Meanwhile, hip hop producer Swizz Beatz has purchased co-ownership stake in the company and has joined its advisory board. In his new role, Chaka will work closely with both Swizz Beatz and Head Monster Noel Lee to help Monster continue its drive to bring dramatically enhanced music and entertainment experiences to fans around the world.

“I’ve known Noel and Kevin Lee for years and have observed how they’ve continued to push the envelope in everything from cables and power to professional recording products and, of course, outstanding headphones," Zulu says.


KNIPEX Tools LP announced the addition of Beverly Richards as marketing manager of its North American sales operations. Richards has more than 12 years of global marketing experience for companies in several industries including electrical, automotive and power generation. Her previous work experience includes five years at Klein Tools, where she held the position of retail channel marketing manager.

"Beverly will be a great addition to our team and will help us expand our marketing and product support materials,” said Alan Sipe, president and general manager of KNIPEX. “The team at KNIPEX Tools is excited to welcome Beverly, and we look forward to seeing continued growth within our North American sales and marketing operations.”

February 6, 2013
THIEL Audio has announced that consumer electronics senior executive Bob Brown has been appointed to the company’s board of directors and will take over as interim COO effective immediately. Brown, recently named to CEDIA’s board of directors, brings a rich legacy and successful track record in the performance audio category to THIEL as the former President and CEO of Lenbrook America, which distributed NAD Electronics and PSB Speakers. Brown was also President and COO of Tivoli Audio and currently serves as the international sales manager for ZVOX Audio.

February 4, 2013
Firefly Creative added James Fredrick as its marketing manager to its team of custom electronics industry specialists, working in tandem with Firefly Design Group and Firefly Programming as part of their parent company, OneFirefly LLC. He will be tasked with managing communications and collateral, both internal and external, working with the team to produce marketing and social media content (for Facebook, Google, and more) for the benefit of Firefly Creative’s clients. He will also direct public relations initiatives and manage communication strategies for OneFirefly LLC. His 20-plus years of experience include a previous stint as the production supervisor for the Office Depot headquarters in Delray Beach. More recently, he was the director of marketing for AlphaStaff, a human resources outsourcing outfit located in Ft. Lauderdale.

January 31, 2013
Jarmac/CustomWorks is now working with Qmotion to grow sales of the latter company's window shades throughout New England and upstate New York.
“We’re thrilled to have Jarmac/CustomWorks, the premier representatives of home automation, lighting control and high-performance audio-video solutions in the northeast, as a Qmotion partner” says Ben Kutell, director of marketing for Qmotion.

January 29, 2013
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) has announced the 2013 volunteer Board of Directors. In an effort to align the skills sets of the leadership with the initiatives set forth in CEDIA’s newly adopted Strategic Plan, the nominating committee researched and evaluated the board constituents to determine what strategic competencies were needed to accomplish the goals for the 2013 – 2014 term.

“Each nominee completed a detailed questionnaire and went through a series of interviews designed to assess their respective competence and experience in the skill areas required to support’s CEDIA strategic initiatives. This process allowed us to form a strong slate of candidates that possessed the skills and experience to propel CEDIA forward in a thoughtful manner with new energy and insight,” said Randy Stearns, Chair of the CEDIA Nominating Committee. “Each new board member brings something to the table that provides significant benefit to the association.”

Members of the CEDIA Board of Directors are not only tasked with guiding the strategic direction of the association, but also with ensuring CEDIA’s defining principles remain relevant and adapt to members’ changing needs. The 2013 – 2014 leadership includes new members Robert Brown of Hollywood, Fla.-based Home Entertainment Design South; Steven Crawford of San Clemente, Calif.-based Brand Strat 1 LLC; Mark Hodges of The Woodlands, Texas-based Forefront Innovation; David Humphries of Atlantic Integrated in Catasauqua, Pa., and returning members Federico Bausone of Multisistemas BVC Sa de Cv in Nuevo León, Mexico; Buzz Delano of Delano Associates in San Clemente, Calif.; Dennis Erskine of the Erskine Group, Inc. in Atlanta; Richard Millson of Millson Technologies Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia; Larry Pexton of Portland, Ore.-based Triad Speakers; Bill Skaer of Eric Grundelman’s Cool AV Mesquite, Texas; and Gordon van Zuiden of Los Gatos, Calif.-based cyberManor.

January 24, 2013
Almo Professional A/V has added two business development managers and a Southeast sales pro, appointed to provide necessary support to Almo’s expanding customer base. Darren Altman is the Sharp business development manager; Rob Ziv is a business development manager for Panasonic and several other product lines; and Don Dekker is Southeast territory account manager.

“Our partners are relying more on the role of our Business Development Managers due to their combination of product, sales and technical expertise, especially for some of our most prominent product lines,” Sam Taylor, Almo's executive vice president and COO, said in a statement announcing the move. “We’re also experiencing rapid business growth across the country so we must have the sales coverage in place to ensure our customers are able to transact business seamlessly no matter where they are located.”


January 23, 2013
Screen Innovations announced Josh Petru as its new commercial sales engineer. Petru will work with all Screen Innovation partners regarding future projects and their continued growth with SI.

January 22, 2013
Michael Gleason has joined Monster where he will serve as director of sales. Gleason, whose background is in televisions, previously worked with Sharp running that company's Elite television brand. He tells CI he is excited to work in the burgeoning headphone category.

"That's kind of exciting, to be on the cutting edge of a category that's completely exploding in the U.S.," he says.

January 17, 2013
The Home Technology Specialists of America organization (HTSA) has closed its Chester Springs, Pa. office and moved to a newer facility located in Barrington, Ill. The company says that the new facility provides an environment more conducive to the group's business needs, both now and in the future, allowing for growth and operational efficiencies. The organization says that it will be up and running in its new location on Jan. 21. The new main office number is 847-852-4935; all email addresses and cellphone numbers remain the same.

January 16, 2013
CORE Brands has named Nanci Bergman as its director of retail and Internet sales. With more than 13 years of experience in retail and distribution, Bergman will be responsible for overseeing business development and spurring growth for the group's 10 brands in the retail sector.

Bergman comes to CORE Brands from SOUL Electronics, where she served as vice president of sales. In this role she was responsible for all direct sales and channel marketing to customers and is credited with expanding the company's retail distribution channel to more than 7,800 North American stores in its first year. Previously, Bergman was director of consumer sales at PowerGenix and vice president of sales for Ampergen. She has also held sales, supply chain, and engineering roles with Sanyo Energy Corp.

January 15, 2013
Automated window shade manufacturer Qmotion is strengthening its presence in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. by adding NuTech Group, an independent representative, to its sales force in this region.

“We’re confident that NuTech’s excellent reputation and relationships will help build awareness of Qmotion and our commitment to quality,” said Ben Kutell, Qmotion’s top marketing executive.

January 8, 2013
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, International Audio Group, Ltd. (IAG) announced the appointment of Sound Solutions, LLC – a new company formed by industry veteran Walter Schofield – as the exclusive U.S. distributor for the Wharfedale brand of loudspeakers.

Aim High Audio and Precision Sales Group (PSG) have merged to create a comprehensive independent rep firm in the Southeast region of the United States. The two firms have been serving the region and decided the business philosophy of both firms was perfectly matched to merge to offer great coverage, support and product offerings to the dealer network.

January 7, 2013
MSR Acoustics has appointed its first North American distributor, Profit Line Distributing, based in Novato, California.

"For the first time, we're making our products available through a stocking distributor with the main purpose being to provide easy access to some of our core acoustical tuning materials," explained Anthony Grimani, president of MSR.

January 4, 2013
Digital Delivery Group announced has announced the addition of three new regional distribution partners: Professional Audio (New England region); High Audio (Southeast region); and Digital Sales Group (Midwest region).

“It’s been an exciting time within the DDG network in the past few weeks as we begin to evolve and grow as a group.” stated, Daniel Kippycash, Executive Director of DDG. “The combined expertise of Lew Freedman (Professional Audio), Chris Gilray (Aim High Audio) and Tim Childers (Digital Sales Group) will only enhance the entire DDG Network and is just the beginning of things to come from the group.”

January 3, 2013
Veteran CE marketing executives Paul DiComo and Al Ballard announced the formation of CE Marketing Pros LLC, a marketing consulting company aimed at helping small- to medium-sized consumer electronics companies build their visibility, sales and market share. The new firm’s key service is digital marketing anchored in database driven web site development, hosting and measurement. Ballard and DiComo are recent alumni of DEI Holdings, parent company of Polk Audio and Definitive Technology. DiComo spent 25 years with Polk Audio, as national sales manager and later as marketing and PR manager before moving over to Definitive in 2007 as senior vice president of marketing and product development. Al Ballard spent 26 years at Polk Audio most recently as vice president of marketing.

DEI Holdings, Inc. has appointed Blair Tripodi as chief marketing officer of its Polk, Definitive Technology, and BOOM Movement business units. Tripodi will lead the marketing efforts for the company’s audio businesses, elevating the brands’ visibility in both the U.S. and international markets.


“Blair is quite simply a brilliant marketer with a proven track record of turning successful brands into extraordinary ones,” said Kevin Duffy, President of DEI Holdings. “His appointment is the latest step in our plan to accelerate the growth of the company by building on the inherent strengths of our core audio brands while expanding our reach into personal audio products such as headphones and wireless speakers.”

Tripodi had been at Under Armour Inc. for the last six years, most recently serving as the managing director of Under Armour Europe.


MiTek Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of industry veteran Mike Roberts to the Mitek/MTX team in the role of senior vice president and director of corporate sales and marketing. Roberts, who has been in the 12 volt industry for over 30 years and has worked both the retail and manufacturing sides of the industry, most recently served as the vice president of retail sales and marketing for Sirius XM Radio, where he was responsible for all consumer electronics aftermarket sales & marketing.