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Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake Bolster International Sales Team

Tannoy, Lab.Gruppen and Lake have announced the appointment of both Patrick Lau and Stephan Grawe to their international sales team covering installed sound and touring products.

Patrick Lau has been appointed export sales manager for Asia-Pacific while Stephan Grawe joins in a similar capacity covering Europe and Africa.

Based in his native Hong Kong, Patrick Lau is an industry veteran who brings over 25 years of experience with him to TC Group International (TCGI) – the organisation responsible for sales of Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake. He rose from his position as sales manager for leading Hong Kong audio technology distributor Dah Chong Hong (DCH) Ltd to become international sales manager for Martin Audio in 2008. In both these positions he oversaw the rapidly rising fortunes of the Martin Audio brand in China, particularly in the entertainment sector.

Commenting on his new role, Patrick said: "During my time at DCH, I learnt more about both Tannoy and Lab.gruppen, whilst working on several casino projects in Macao. It was then that I realised how well respected both these brands were amongst professionals. While it will be a challenge to me as TCGI offers such a diversified product range in the touring and install sectors, I’m really excited about this as it marks a new chapter in my career."

Carsten Ishoy, VP of international sales for installed sound products, said: "I am delighted to have Patrick on the team at TCGI, bringing his vast experience to bear on both the install and touring sound markets. His positive and proactive attitude, as well as the fact he is based in Hong Kong, make him the perfect match for this position."

With a diverse background in pro audio sales, Stephan Grawe re-joins TCGI after a successful stint at Proel Group/Turbosound. Previously, he has worked for Tannoy directly as part of the German sales team and laterally TCGI, where he enjoyed great success and an excellent sales record as Area Sales Manager in Germany for Installed Sound Products. As well as this, Stephan has also worked as a professional studio and touring musician throughout his adult life, giving him knowledge and practical experience of TC Group’s product offering in the field.

"I am extremely happy to be back at TCGI," said Stephan. "I know from experience that it is a very dynamic company, and I believe the market has a very big requirement for the kind of innovative and exciting product ranges offered by Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake. I’m also glad to have the challenge of organizing the sales channels across both the install and touring markets."

Miguel Hadelich, VP of international sales touring, said: "All of us here are delighted to have Stephan join the team. His phenomenal sales record, technical skills and positive attitude make him a perfect fit for representing the TC Group brands abroad."

In picture: Patrick Lau and Stephan Grawe.

www.tannoy.com

15th May 2012

Stage Technologies Founding Managing Director Relocates to Las Vegas

Stage Technologies Limited Group CEO Mark Ager (pictured) has relocated to the company’s Las Vegas office. Having established a group of operating companies worldwide, Mark’s move to the US will ensure the company’s continued focus on sales and rentals opportunities for live events and in theatres, opera houses and universities in the region. These are all sectors in which the company has completed many impressive projects over the last 15 years, including multiple Cirque du Soleil resident shows in Las Vegas, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the recently opened Signature Center in New York, on which the company worked with theatre consultants Auerbach Pollock and Friedlander and main contractor iWeiss Theatrical Solutions.

In recent years Mark has led Stage Technologies into project wins in Singapore, Macau and Saudi Arabia. He will continue to drive business around the globe from his new base. As well as managing the whole of the Stage Technologies Group, Mark will take over Kevin Taylor’s role as he has now left the company. Mark will join Stage Technologies’ well-established Las Vegas leadership team which includes Gemma Guy managing business development in the fixed installation and rental markets, Stephan Wood in projects and James "JT" Tomlinson who oversees US operations.

Mark founded Stage Technologies in 1994 with John Hastie and has been the driving force behind many of the company’s award winning automation products including the Acrobat system, which allows multiple axes to be controlled from a single console. A pioneer in the stage automation industry from its earliest days 25 years ago, Ager continues to promote innovation at Stage Technologies. He is also in demand as a keynote speaker at industry conferences, having addressed audiences in London and Beijing over the last six months, and as a lecturer at various theatre colleges on theatre automation and stage engineering.

Mark is joint author, with John Hastie, of the major work on the subject, Automation in the Entertainment Industry, published by Entertainment Technology Press Ltd in the UK.

www.stagetech.com

4th May 2012

SeaChanger Expands Sales Team

Lighting industry veteran Stephen Ellison (pictured) has joined SeaChanger as a product specialist for its SeaChanger architectural and theatrical lighting fixtures.

Ellison will provide sales and service support for the entire line of SeaChanger products, helping customers select the lighting equipment best suited to their production needs. The SeaChanger CYMG colour changer attaches to the reflector housing of any Source Four Ellipsoidal to create dramatic lighting effects. It has been used to enhance standard lighting everywhere from theatre and church productions to Broadway musicals, clubs and corporate events. Its line of Plasma and HMI lights are also widely used in museums, casinos and other architectural applications as well as television broadcast studios.

A strong addition to the SeaChanger team, Ellison brings deep knowledge in the areas of lighting design, systems engineering and technical training. Ellison holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Lighting Design & Technical Direction from North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and has over 30 years of industry experience. He has held positions in design, consulting, systems engineering, technical direction and production management.

1st May 2012

'KK' Tan Strengthens Renkus-Heinz APAC Support Team

Renkus-Heinz has announced an important addition to its APAC international application support team, Singaporean national Tan Kheng Keong ('KK') * (pictured).

Technically trained and fluent in English, Chinese and Indonesian, KK joins the company from Renkus-Heinz's Singapore distributor, Electro-Acoustics Systems, where he was part of the technical team involved in the execution of several major projects including the new Singapore Supreme Court, National Institute of Education, Resorts World Sentosa, and Universal Studios Singapore. Before this he worked both as project and design engineer for an engineering company and an audio consultancy firm.

KK will be offering system design assistance, commissioning support and more, focusing on supporting the company's Asian/Pacific Rim customers.

He comments: "At EAS, my role was as an internal system consultant: design, commissioning and troubleshooting, all highly technical. My relationship with Renkus-Heinz goes back to when I was consulting over 11 years ago. I was impressed with their loudspeakers and specified them on numerous projects, so I'm already familiar with the products and their ethos.

"The future here is about moving more into digital technology and live sound, the new IC2 system, for example, is just right for concerts. Audio and IT are coming together and at Renkus-Heinz, convergence is happening quickly, and for me it's natural, having been exposed to IT from a young age. I'm very excited about the future here."

3rd April 2012

Martin Audio Strengthens Team with Andy Davies and Colin Quek

Martin Audio has announced a formidable support team to boost awareness of its expanding MLA (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array) family.

The experienced Andy Davies has joined the UK manufacturer from premier rental company Concert Sound Clair, to fill the newly created role of Application Support (Touring). This mirrors a similar position in the United States, where touring and rental company veteran Jim Jorgensen recently took up a similar position to support the growing network across the Atlantic.

Like Jorgensen, Andy Davies has widespread experience of Martin Audio systems and was aware of the long partnership that had existed between Martin Audio and Concert Sound when he started working with the Bedfordshire-based rental company around the turn of the millennium.

An alumnus of LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) Davies worked first as a freelance with Concert Sound before taking up a staff position as an account manager, becoming general manager soon after.

"I was with the company for 13 years in total but felt I needed a new challenge out in the field. I had followed Martin Audio’s developments over the years and had become increasingly interested in what they were doing with MLA technology."

At the same time he wanted to return to the sharp end of the business, and from his time with Concert Sound Clair was acutely aware of the level of support that rental companies require from a manufacturer. I’m very focused on, and excited by cellular technology and the challenge will be to ensure that potential customers have a wider appreciation of what the system does."

Reporting to Martin Audio director of sales, Simon Bull, Davies says he is relishing the chance to work globally with Jim Jorgensen — and the application support team in Europe — to help establish and consolidate the international MLA network.

Following the departure of the long-servicing Patrick Lau, Colin Quek has been appointed director of APAC Sales, Martin Audio — based in Singapore.

With global experience in the pro audio industry, Quek will be returning to Loud Technologies, with whom he previously worked between 2005-7, to oversee Martin Audio’s sales activities in the APAC territories. His function with the company will place high emphasis on market development in a region that covers India, Japan, China, and out to the Pacific Rim, including Australia and New Zealand.

"I have great regard for the work Patrick has done in building the Martin Audio brand, and for me it is a case of hitting the ground running," he stated.

"Under the APEC leadership of Davwinder Sheena, Loud Technologies’ business in the region has become so successful that each brand component now needs dedicated teams to manage the business units — and I am relishing the challenge offered by Martin Audio."

Quek says his immediate priority will be to galvanise the distribution network and ensure they have all the tools and support they need. "This is an exciting role and I look forward to the prospect of moulding changes to improve sales and relationships for both client and supplier."

He is acutely aware of the brand cachet he is inheriting and the company’s product profile. "During my term with EAW I saw [Martin Audio] as a competitor before becoming part of the Loud Technologies stable. And in order to be effective it was important to know my competitors nearly as intimately as I know my own brands."

Colin Quek joins from direct-weather loudspeaker specialists, One Systems, where he was One System Global’s Technical Sales Director, Asia Pacific. Having been involved in the audio industry from an early age, and with a strong foundation in live sound, lighting and video systems, he is perfectly positioned to lead Martin Audio into the future.

In picture: Andy Davies and Colin Quek

28th March 2012

Green Hippo Announce new Technical Sales Manager for Asia

Green Hippo is continuing their push into the Asian market with the appointment of a new technical sales manager for the region.

Last year saw the north London based company directing their focus on Asia, with both sales director James Heron and head of sales Samantha Bailey travelling extensively in this territory. These efforts culminated in the signing of new distributors for various countries, including Hong Kong and Thailand as well as a specially arranged training week in London for all their Asian partners in the summer 2011.

Green Hippo’s new technical sales manager-Asia, Justin Fitzpatrick (pictured), is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and will be part of the growing sales team, which also saw the recent addition of Tom Etra, technical sales manager-EMEA.

Justin comes with broad experience including positions as sales director for a UK based Nurse Call system and creative director for advertising agency in Kuala Lumpur handling key accounts with renowned brands, plus 10 years as a producer and creative director for clients around Asia including Montblanc and Louis Vuitton.

“I am very proud and excited to be joining Green Hippo’s sales team,” said Justin. “When the opportunity arose I had no hesitation as it is such an innovative company with world class products. Having used Hippotizer media servers for the last few years I was hooked on their power and versatility allowing our creative team to produce amazing visuals for our events. Based in Asia I will be working with all our distributors and clients in the region to help support and promote the Hippotizer product range throughout the rapidly expanding Asian market.”

Samantha Bailey will be spending several weeks in Asia this spring introducing Justin to the company’s distributors.

“We are very pleased to welcome Justin to the team; he not only has a wealth of sales experience but is also well versed in the product. We are confident that his appointment will not only support the existing customers but will help us gain new ones,” she said.

Justin will also be attending Green Hippo’s annual conference, BigCon, taking place in February at an undisclosed location in the wilds of the Lincolnshire Wolds.

www.green-hippo.com

7th February 2012

Enrico Caironi 1947-2011

It is with great sadness that Clay Paky has announced the passing of Enrico Caironi, a man whose professionalism, integrity and humanity will be remembered by all Clay Paky work associates and friends. In the show-lighting industry, Enrico had for years been ambassador of Clay Paky and a model representative of Italian passion and quality.

Born in Bergamo in 1947, Enrico Caironi joined the Clay Paky team in 1995. As commercial director, he immediately became a key figure in company, always fighting at the forefront with relentless motivation. With his reliability and charm, he earned the company the esteem of customers, lighting designers and competitors. His passion for the job never once abandoned him. Though officially retired, in his last years he dedicated much of his energy to Clay Paky, leading demanding projects such as the “Knight of Illumination” awards and the “Show-Way” exhibition to success.

The last unforgettable memory he left with Clay Paky was the incredible courage with which he faced the serious disease that afflicted him. His warm smile, generous hospitality, and thoroughness with which he carried out his every endeavour will remain forever in the hearts of those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

16th December 2011

Mike Murphy Becomes Top Exec at J.R. Clancy

After 30 years with J.R. Clancy, Bob Theis will step down from his position as chief executive officer on December 31. Theis will continue until July 2012 as an advisor to the board of Wenger Corporation, the company that owns J.R. Clancy.

Mike Murphy, who has served as president of Clancy since 2009, will become the company’s top executive on January 1, 2012. He will retain the title of president. In his 14 years with Clancy, Murphy has been integrally involved in sales, project management, new product development, and in supervision of some of the company’s largest and most complex projects. He also developed and implemented the company’s quality management program, which led to the company achieving ISO 9001 registration.

"Under Bob’s leadership, J.R. Clancy has grown significantly in capabilities and in the strength of its business practices," Murphy said. "He established an important company goal that has become our mantra: Make Our Partners Successful. Thanks to his commitment to best practices, Clancy has been an ISO 9001-registered company since 2002, and we are listed as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States by Inc. magazine. Bob can be very proud of the things he accomplished at Clancy."

"I’ve worked with Mike since 1997, and I can honestly say that he’s more than qualified to take on the leadership of J.R. Clancy," Theis said. "Mike and our management team are the best in the industry – there are none better."

Looking ahead, Murphy plans to maintain Clancy’s leadership in product innovation and project management. "We’re looking forward to introducing some dynamic new products, and expanding our international business in the coming years," Murphy said. "These are exciting times at J.R. Clancy."

13th December 2011

LSC Announce Staff Changes

There have been several changes at LSC in recent times and as the company positions itself for growth with the release of the Clarity LX range of consoles in the new year.

With Alan Graham leaving LSC, Trevor Sykes has been promoted to the position of general manager. Trevor's wealth of experience both within LSC and elsewhere made him a natural choice to lead the LSC team towards continued growth and process improvement.

Trevor has a long association with LSC starting out with the company as a technician in the late eighties. Leaving LSC in the late nineties to explore other areas, he rejoined 2007 as product development manager and his many years in the motor car industry developed a burning desire to promote a continuous improvement culture. Trevor is keen to continue this passion in his new position and to implement the skills he has learned to make LSC's customer service paramount.

Jane Argentaro has taken on the role of material controller at LSC. This is a newly created role and Jane will draw on her vast experience of the electronic component supply industry to purchase and manage the company’s stock for manufacturing and sales.

This important role will be a vital life-line to manufacturing, ensuring timely delivery of parts to meet production deadlines and Jane’s organisational and negotiating skills will be put to full use.

Heather Ellis commenced with LSC in October as sales administrator with responsibility for ensuring good sales support to customers and the LSC sales team. Also hailing from the motor vehicle industry, Heather's attention to detail and dynamic personality is the perfect recipe to ensure good company communications with its customers.

Heather is the first point of call for all new orders, progress of orders through the manufacturing department and any product availability enquiries.

In picture: Trevor Sykes, Jane Argentaro and Heather Ellis.

13th December 2011

Alan Graham Retires from LSC

LSC Lighting Systems has announced the retirement of long serving manager Alan Graham (pictured). Alan joined LSC in 1988 and will be known to many in the lighting industry as the front man for LSC export sales from the early 90s until 2004 when he relinquished the position to concentrate on internal matters and move away from constant travel.

Alan has contributed to LSC in many ways over the years and has had input to all aspects of the company including the design of its products, how they are manufactured and how they are marketed and sold. On top of this, his love of building was gainfully employed when he undertook the design and project management of the company's current 2000 sq metre head office.

Trained as a design draftsman, Alan was initially employed by LSC as a contractor in the early 80s to design printed circuit boards for LSC products such as the Precept control desk and Tour Series dimmers. However it became obvious to management at the time that Alan had more to offer than PCB design and he was offered the position of general manager in 1988. He has held this role since then, but in the early 90s became very interested in the sales and marketing aspects of the company where, as it turned out, he had a natural talent. Alan became the exterior face of LSC through the 90s and into the last decade as he headed up local and international sales.

From 2004 on, Alan has concentrated on the internal operations of the company including production and marketing where he has used his many talents to streamline production and continue to push the company's commitment to Australian Designed and Manufactured.

Gary Pritchard, LSC's CEO commented: "The contribution that Alan has made to the growth and success of LSC over very many years is significant and his input will be surely missed. I am sure he will be able to look back at his time at LSC with fondness even though the company has been through both good times and bad over the years. He will certainly be able to stand back and look at LSC with pride and say 'I helped build that'. I join with the rest of the LSC staff and wish Alan all the best for his future."

Alan's initial plans are to take a year off, build another house and take a long holiday in Europe. Although he is leaving full time employment with LSC he will continue on as a director of the company. He leaves the company on December 23.

6th December 2011

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