Sapphire Marketing, a well-known manufacturer’s sales representative company focusing on the commercial and residential integration channels in the Northeast, held their sixth dealer “RoadShow” in mid-town Manhattan on Thursday and Friday of last week. We had the good fortune of being invited to attend the event courtesy of our friend Dawn Allcot of Crestron’s PR department…and we’re glad we went.
Brands
Oops! I Did It Again – Gibson Brands Buys Accessory-Maker WOOX from Philips
Oops, they did it again (to quote pop icon Brittney Spears) – Gibson Brands has acquired WOOX Innovations, a Singapore-based brand of accessory products, from owner Royal Philips, N.V., according to an announcement from Philips earlier this week. Another in a line of acquisitions in the consumer electronics space by Gibson, WOOX brings in a complementary line of products and international distribution into its portfolio. This is the second attempt to sell the division by Philips, who had a deal with Funai fall through late last year, resulting in legal action.
See more on this deal, including what it means for both companies… [Read more…] about Oops! I Did It Again – Gibson Brands Buys Accessory-Maker WOOX from Philips
UPDATE: Sony Corporate Responds to Strata-gee’s EXCLUSIVE Story on Tech Support Termination
STRATA-GEE EXCLUSIVE
We told you last week about a shocking email received by a Sony dealer which proclaimed in a bold headline that “Sony Technical Support is now terminated.” This seemed to us like a pretty big deal, and yet we could find no official announcement surrounding this email. We dug deep and found sources who told us a hazy and vaguely troubling story that sounded as though the company may be going through some kind of reorganization of its support services.
The day our story ran, we heard from Sony Corporate – seeking to correct some inaccuracies… [Read more…] about UPDATE: Sony Corporate Responds to Strata-gee’s EXCLUSIVE Story on Tech Support Termination
D+M Group Cuts Licensing Deal for Denon & Marantz Professional Businesses
D+M Group (formerly D&M Holdings), continues their program of divesting businesses it determines are “non-core” to the company’s central focus on the consumer-based Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics brands. This week, we learned that the company has cut a deal to license the professional products businesses done under both the Denon and the Marantz brand names to inMusic Brands, Inc.. This move closely follows the announcement last month that the company was selling off the Calrec Audio business to Electra Parters.
See more on this new but not particularly surprising development… [Read more…] about D+M Group Cuts Licensing Deal for Denon & Marantz Professional Businesses
NY Times Launches Blistering Critique of LG; Says New U.S. HQ is a ‘Public Shame’ & a Reminder to ‘Shop Samsung’
We told you a few days ago about a rising chorus of opposition to the construction of LG’s new 143-foot tall U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ – a borough which borders on a lush, green, wooded area of the state known as the Palisades – a National Natural Landmark. Now, in a scathing “Critic’s Notebook” article in Saturday’s New York Times, Michael Kimmelman compares how Samsung – also building a new headquarters building in San Jose, CA – took steps to be a good corporate citizen and fit in with the community…versus the approach by LG, “…a lousy neighbor.”
A critique of building design, the article didn’t pull any punches in thoughts about LG… [Read more…] about NY Times Launches Blistering Critique of LG; Says New U.S. HQ is a ‘Public Shame’ & a Reminder to ‘Shop Samsung’
End of an Era? J&R Music World Closes Store Today
J&R Music World has announced that it will close its Manhattan store location today. The announcement is likely a surprise to consumers – but those in the industry in the New York Metro market are not surprised. J&R has been struggling for years, starting with a major push down a slippery slope in the wake of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks which were close enough to damage their location in lower Manhattan.
J&R has posted a note on its website about the matter. Will they come back?… [Read more…] about End of an Era? J&R Music World Closes Store Today
‘Sony Technical Support is now terminated’
No…we’re not joking. This week, a Strata-gee SYNCH reader sent us a copy of an emailed dealer notification (see it below) from Sony. At the top, the email sported a large, bold, black Sony logo. And the headline centered under that logo? “Sony Technical Support is now terminated.”
Has Sony terminated their technical support? See what we’ve uncovered…so far… [Read more…] about ‘Sony Technical Support is now terminated’
iRule Appoints Adam Gold as Vice President of Sales
Up and coming DIY and Pro home automation company iRule announced this week that it has appointed Adam Gold as its Vice President of Sales. Gold joins the company after leaving a position as Regional Sales Manager for Middle Atlantic Products.
See more on this appointment…and on the unique iRule company and products… [Read more…] about iRule Appoints Adam Gold as Vice President of Sales
Talk About Income Inequality! Just Four Companies Generated 90% of All Net Profits in South Korea
In a report that is sure to surprise many and even stun some, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, South Korea’s fair trade watchdog, announced that just four large companies – or conglomerates – generate 90% of all of the total net profit earned in the country in 2013. The commission, which closely tracks the performance of what they call the largest conglomerate companies, issues their report every April with this year’s report showing the share of the top four have continued to grow since 2011.
But wait until you see the percentage of profits from just the top TWO companies… [Read more…] about Talk About Income Inequality! Just Four Companies Generated 90% of All Net Profits in South Korea
Deconstructing D&M Holdings; Company Sells Calrec Audio and Explores Other Options
Former CEO Pacor Comments on Brand Acquisition Strategy
We learned last week that D&M Holdings, also known as the D+M Group, sold off its Calrec Audio brand to Electra Partners, a London-based private equity company. D&M received £14 million ($23.1 million) for Calrec, a designer of premium audio products and live-to-air consoles for the broadcast market. The move is part of a plan to divest itself of all non-core businesses, CEO Jim Caudill has said in press reports.
