Onkyo Corporation had a really tough fiscal 2020 – the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2020. How tough was it? So tough that the company was forced to announce that a massive drop in revenues and record losses had pushed the company into insolvency – calling into question its ability to continue as a going concern. It doesn’t get much tougher than that. And this announcement triggered a Tokyo Stock Exchange action – invoking a rule that starts a clock on a limited grace period for the company to cure the situation – their insolvency – before a forced delisting from the JASDAQ stock exchange is implemented.
Management
Let’s Get Ready to Ruummbbblllleee…Subwoofer Powerhouse Velodyne is Back
When we last visited with Velodyne, it was all the way back in 2014 when the company quietly laid off audio staff, and suddenly – without warning – fired all of their manufacturer sales representatives and their dealers. Shortly after this, the company hired a high-powered retail executive (who would go on to eventually go to prison) to launch a direct-to-consumer business. Our coverage drew the attention of then Velodyne President Marta Thoma Hall, who is wife of company founder and chief engineer David Hall, leading to an interview with her on the many dramatic changes taking place at the company. Whew! That was a lot of action in a very short period of time.
Ultimately, it appears that David Hall got bored with audio and moved on with his new prized invention – an improved Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor technology that is important to the autonomous vehicle market. According to a report by Audioholics, Ford and China’s Baidu partnered to invest $150 million in Velodyne’s Lidar technology and Elvis…er…Hall…has definitely left the audio building. Velodyne split into two companies (Velodyne Lidar is now a $100 million public company [NASDAQ:VLDR]) and for a time last year, it looked like curtains for the audio division.
But now Velodyne’s audio division is back…
[Read more…] about Let’s Get Ready to Ruummbbblllleee…Subwoofer Powerhouse Velodyne is BackAKM Fire: 2020 was Almost Over, Then Disaster Struck Again
Massive AKM Factory Fire in Japan to Disrupt Global Supply of Critical Digital ICs
Just when you thought 2020 was almost over and the COVID calamity and its associated disasters were mostly behind us, a source tipped Strata-gee off to a major new disaster that will almost surely cause a significant disruption in the 2021 supply of those critical A/V products we all use/sell/and install every day. You may not be aware of this AKM fire story now, but we are all facing what will likely be another major supply chain headache in the near future.
Warning – your supply of key products is now threatened…
[Read more…] about AKM Fire: 2020 was Almost Over, Then Disaster Struck AgainDespite 90 Virtual Events & $40M in Claims Income, Emerald Loses $22.3M
Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE:EEX), formerly Emerald Expositions, reported their fiscal 2020 third quarter results this week and despite their best efforts to shift their business to online virtual conferences, the company reported revenues of just $8.5 million and generated a net loss of $22.3 million. This loss was even deeper than their loss of $19.7 million in the same quarter in 2019 which was well before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S.
See more on the results for Emerald Holding this past fiscal quarter…
[Read more…] about Despite 90 Virtual Events & $40M in Claims Income, Emerald Loses $22.3MIn the Age of COVID, Savant Recasts The Showroom Experience in NYC
In what constitutes just one more sign that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have a lasting impact on how we do business for the near-to-medium-term future, Savant has come up with a cool way to cleverly optimize the showroom experience in this new difficult environment. The company was in the process of building an all-new Savant Experience Center in New York City when the pandemic hit. Then, when construction was completed, company managers looked at each other and said, now what?
What did Savant come up with? Read on…
[Read more…] about In the Age of COVID, Savant Recasts The Showroom Experience in NYCSuspicious Changes at CEDIA; CEO O’Connor is Out With No Explanation
This News Follows Other Prominent Departures
The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) announced at the end of last week that Global President and CEO Tabatha O’Connor will “depart” the organization at the end of her contract period in January. The news caught many by surprise and the organization’s announcement gives no clue as to any of the reasons behind this leadership change.
See more on O’Connor’s departure from CEDIA
[Read more…] about Suspicious Changes at CEDIA; CEO O’Connor is Out With No ExplanationChange of Strategy: Emerald Board Tells Company Managers to Buy Stock…Theirs
Emerald Holding, Inc. (Formerly Emerald Expositions Events, Inc.) [NYSE: EEX], the company that owns the CEDIA Expo show and CE Pro, announced last week that its Board of Directors has authorized company managers to purchase up to $20 Million of Emerald’s stock in a share buyback program. As Strata-gee noted back in May in a report on the company’s large fiscal first quarter loss, this program had previously been suspended when cash had tightened up after the cancellation of their events due to COVID-19.
Now the company has been recapitalized, thanks to help from sugar daddy Onex who now owns more than 80% of the company, and – gosh – the stock is so darn cheap. Maybe now is the time to buy…
See more on this stock purchase by Emerald
[Read more…] about Change of Strategy: Emerald Board Tells Company Managers to Buy Stock…TheirsSnapAV Kicks Off Snap Pro Live; CEO Says They are ‘Stronger Than Ever’
New Product Platforms & Business Platforms to Drive Future Growth
SnapAV kicked off their first major three-day virtual event called Snap Pro Live Tuesday afternoon. In a keynote presentation, SnapAV CEO John Heyman hailed the work of the integrator in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the dealer “took on the role of a courageous warrior.” And with that, Snap Pro Live was launched offering three full days packed with useful content. (See more details on Snap Pro Live here…)
Learn more about Snap Pro Live…
[Read more…] about SnapAV Kicks Off Snap Pro Live; CEO Says They are ‘Stronger Than Ever’Sound United Deal to Acquire Bowers & Wilkins Closes
The Band’s Back Together – B&W Reunited with Classé Under Sound United
Sound United announced today that it has closed on its acquisition of Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), as expected. With this deal, B&W is rejoined with Classé – a high-end electronics manufacturer that itself was once part of B&W but then was acquired by Sound United back in Jaunuary 2018.
See more on Sound United acquiring Bowers & Wilkins
[Read more…] about Sound United Deal to Acquire Bowers & Wilkins ClosesConsidering Bringing Remote Workers Back to the Office? Consider This First…
Mental Wellbeing Issues Emerge as a Major Side-Effect of COVID-19
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is, “When will the economy bounce back to pre-COVID levels so we can all get back to normal?” The answer: We won’t “bounce back” to a pre-pandemic economy, and “normal” won’t be the same. The details on this answer is a topic for another post, but suffice it to say that one of the reasons is due to emerging, unforeseen variables, such as deteriorating employee mental wellbeing issues.
And THAT IS the topic of this post. Two new surveys provide troubling but important data that will impact how – or if – you re-centralize your team…if that’s your plan.