Harman International Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., (KSE) announced it has acquired A&R Cambridge Ltd. (Arcam), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jam Industries, Ltd. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded by two Cambridge University students in 1976, Arcam develops high-performance digital audio products for music and movie lovers around the globe. With approximately 35 employees in Cambridge, UK, Arcam has an extensive product portfolio, including AVRs, amplifiers, DACs, speakers, and lifestyle music and movie technologies.
“Harman’s mission is clear — to elevate experiences wherever people are, at work, at home, in the car or on the go. With a strong audio heritage, we relentlessly pursue innovations that will enable us to deliver the best solutions for our customers and consumers,” says Christopher M. Dragon, senior director marketing, lifestyle. “We have found in Arcam a likeminded passion for bringing the highest quality sound into people's lives. With impressive technologies and outstanding talent, Arcam will be an exceptional addition to Harman’s luxury audio team. As demand for higher quality audio rapidly accelerates, we are eager to seize the many opportunities in front of us.”
“We are proud of what we have accomplished with Arcam over the last 10 years, expanding the company from its UK roots to become a globally-recognized Hi-Fi brand,” says Martin Szpiro, president and CEO of Jam Industries. “Now with Harman, a world leader in professional, lifestyle and automotive audio and sound management, Arcam will join the best in the business to grow its engineering capabilities and extend its product reach into new markets.”
Charlie Brennan, managing director, Arcam, and the current management team will remain in Cambridge and become part of the Harman Lifestyle Audio division. “We are extremely grateful to Jam Industries for their loyal support over the last decade and believe that we will be able develop even better products for music lovers who demand great sound as part of Harman,” he notes.
The purchase offers Harman dealers another choice to go with its already-deep line of electronics that include JBL, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, Harman Kardon, Revel, Infinity, AMX and Harman Kardon.
For integrators, the Arcam brand slots in as a lower cost line to Harman's Lexicon and Mark Levinson brands. Harman was acquired by Samsung in March 2017.
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