There has been a flurry of moves in Pro AV since the calendar flipped to 2024. This week, SCN Top 50 systems integrator AVI Systems made an acquisition to its 32nd U.S. location.
[Pro AV Newsmakers: Visionary's Acquisition, Plus 21 (!!!) New Appointments to Know]
Check out what you may have missed below.
[Pro AV Newsmakers: Xilica Doubles Up on Partnerships for Collaborations and 8 More Moves to Know]
Acquisition News
AVI Systems Adds Audio Visual Associates
New Jersey-based Audio Visual Associates (AVA) will join AVI Systems as it 32nd U.S. location. AVA will serve its clients going forward as AVI Systems. The majority of AVA employees will become employee owners at AVI Systems when the transition is complete. This comes after announcing a new AVI Systems location in Washington, D.C., as well as the opening of new office locations in Boston and New York City in 2023.
[SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2023]
“The Northeast region of the U.S. is AVI System’s fastest growing geography with strong demand from global customers,” said Jeff Stoebner, CEO at AVI Systems. “AVA resources are ready, set, go for rapid expansion and the New Jersey facilities will compliment AVI’s fastest growing location in New York City. It’s a great time to be AVI with the strongest financial performance in our 50-year history; our employee owners are proud of these recent achievements.”
AVA specializes in the design, sale, service, installation and rental of AV solutions found in corporate and hotel environments. The company has operated with a “whatever it takes” philosophy, making AVA employees valued technology partners and advisors to every client served.
“AVA is a perfect fit with AVI Systems as we continue to grow our presence and serve clients throughout the Northeast,” said Joe Melfa, AVP at AVI in New York. “In just 24 months, we have grown strategically to be the dominant provider of audio visual and unified collaboration solutions including Microsoft Teams Room and Zoom room solutions. In addition, we design, install and support digital media solutions and broadcast solutions—all backed by a full suite of managed services. As our client base continues to grow, AVI is ready to deliver world class solutions and support, reach, and the ability to scale with each client we serve.”
People News
AJA Welcomes John Miller as VP of Global Sales
Media and entertainment (M&E) industry veteran John Miller has joined AJA Video Systems as VP of global sales. In the role, Miller will guide international sales teams across the AJA product lines, leveraging three decades of experience growing revenue for software as a service, media asset management, and integrated hardware and software development companies like Vizrt Group, BeBop, Brightcove, Avid, and Autodesk.
Miller joins AJA from visual storytelling tools provider Vizrt, where he spent more than two years overseeing major broadcast accounts as enterprise sales director. Prior, Miller led worldwide sales and marketing efforts and third-party strategic partner relationships for cloud-based M&E SaaS provider BeBop Technology, and also acted as VP of Americas media sales at Brightcove, an online video platform developer.
Miller also spent seven years at Avid, where his leadership as senior sales director for the United States and Canada helped increase sales year on year, and he played an integral role in driving revenue growth at Maximum Throughput, a media management and storage technology developer acquired by Avid in 2009, in the role of VP of worldwide sales and marketing. Previously, Miller served as VP of worldwide sales and marketing for Autodesk’s M&E division and also worked for Discreet Logic in regional sales and general management roles before Autodesk’s acquisition of the company.
Simon Godfrey Named AtlasIED’s Director of Sales for EMEA
AtlasIED welcomed Simon Godfrey as director of sales for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In a newly created role, Godfrey is responsible for sales of all AtlasIED product lines in the three regions, including loudspeakers, the AtlasIED Atmosphere audio processing and control system, the GLOBALCOM enterprise communications platform, and the AtlasIED IPX Series of audio and visual IP endpoints.
With over 20 years of sales experience in audio and entertainment, Godfrey possesses a wealth of experience in account management of European customers. In his roles, he consistently developed new profitable opportunities to support the growth of each company.
"Simon is a sales pro with an impressive background in international sales and extensive relationships," said Czyzewski. "With a proven track record of creating and implementing successful customer success strategies, Simon will play a pivotal role in elevating our sales efforts and driving sustained growth in the region."
Andreas Gall Appointed as d&b group’s New Chief Digital Officer
d&b group Andreas (Andi) Gall as its new chief digital officer (CDO). Gall is an accomplished chief technology, digital, and innovation officer with over three decades of success across the media and entertainment industry. As a seasoned C-level leader, he brings extensive experience in spearheading various digital transformation programs, media productions, innovation, and start-up projects. Gall comes with proven success in delivering large-scale B2C and B2B media and innovation strategies and projects.
His career includes senior management roles at Antenne Bayern, 104.6 RTL, ORF, and Red Bull. Additionally, he served as the CEO and founder of Human-Centric-Innovators GmbH and spent almost 15 years as the founding co-CEO/chief technology/innovation officer at Red Bull Media House.
Company News
Access Networks Expands Outreach to the Commercial AV Market
Snap One and Access Networks are expanding their outreach to the commercial AV market through focused business, marketing, and sales initiatives. Access Networks provides partners with a portfolio of products and services that span project needs from simple to extremely complex. The company's à la carte, enterprise-grade products help to create a reliable and secure network with Wi-Fi 6 access points, multi-gig switches, and Sophos router/firewalls. The Access Networks selection of access points supplies peak performance with features like patented BeamFlex+ technology to create higher accuracy and further range in connectivity.
For partners that are looking for more assistance, the Access Networks team of certified networking engineers is available to provide network design, product pre-configuration, and even system monitoring after installation if necessary. From enterprise-grade hardware to a full suite of networking services, Access Networks has the connected solution for any size project.
“Our products have always provided enterprise-level performance; the difference is, now we’re putting some energy behind it with commercial-focused sales and marketing initiatives,” concluded Snap One VP of managed services Bryce Nordstrand. “Together with Snap One, we are building a team of marketing, sales, and engineering experts to strengthen the presence of Access Networks and its dealers in the commercial marketplace. We have the right solutions, a knowledgeable team of IT experts, and a strong, sizable base of residential and commercial Partners to fuel a successful future in the commercial market.”
1 SOUND Partners with CUK Group as Exclusive Distributor for UK and Ireland
1 SOUND has joined forces with U.K. and Ireland AV distributor, CUK Group, to bring 1 SOUND to the UK and Ireland. 1 SOUND aims to support the professional audio sector by introducing innovative and new tools to the market, delivering unparalleled sound quality.
CUK is part of the CUK group along with another two AV distribution companies across the U.K. and Ireland: Tukans (York) and CUK Video and Audio (Dublin). Founded in 2005 by managing director, Stuart Thomson, and representing just one loudspeaker brand, CUK has developed into an innovative portfolio of over 20 brands. It have five audiovisual training suites and a modern distribution center with over 750 pallet locations and 1000 small item locations. The large stock-holding ability allows them to dispatch most orders immediately for delivery.
CUK provides customers with value-added services via a team of channel managers and support staff. Its team has expertise encompassing all aspects of the audio industry—commercial audio visual, leisure, live music, voice alarm and security, conferencing, recording, broadcast, and residential AV. The company provides support services for their clients such as system design and electro-acoustic modeling, to site visits, and dealer and end-user training.
