Capital Sound joins SSE Audio Group
- Details
The deal follows a period where the two businesses have been aligned through a strategic partnership. Capital Sound will continue to operate as a separate brand, but will be able to access the Group’s resources, including its multi-million pound hire inventory comprising L-Acoustics and d&b audiotechnik systems and the largest rental stock of digital mixing consoles in the UK. In addition, SSE offers specialist services including manufacturing, which serve the whole group.
Keith Davis, founder and MD of Capital Sound explains: “We approached John Penn at SSE at the beginning of the year to assist us on a project that required a larger pool of equipment, knowing that we could trust SSE not to nick the gig! Through projects like this we were able to access a larger pool of equipment and talent, and we could offer clients options that were unavailable to us on our own. This has worked out so well that, after many conversations, I asked John if they would be interested in purchasing Capital Sound. I’m not getting any younger and I’ve been wondering about the long term future for Capital for some years. After a lot of soul searching, I realised that SSE was the best bet.”
SSE Audio Group MD John Penn explains: “We now have a clear template for joining forces with other leading players in the industry. With Wigwam, we were particularly keen to maintain its distinctive brand, while providing it with backup and support and that is what we have done.”
Keith Davis adds “SSE’s successful takeover of Wigwam has shown that they will look after the staff and the brand and continue to let the business grow and flourish, which is really important to me and my lifetime’s work.”
Capital Sound is a London based rental house that has supplied sound equipment for the touring and festival market for over 35 years. In recent times, the company, has increased the freedom of choice for its clients, adding both d&b audiotechnik and Outline systems to the Martin Audio and Meyer Sound systems that have been the foundations of the company’s hire stock for so many years.
SSE Audio Group is the UK’s largest audio services group, providing PA hire to tours and festivals, new and used equipment pro audio sales and audio installations for a wide range of venues including the London O2 Arena, Hammersmith Apollo and Manchester Cathedral.
SSE Audio Group, with headquarters in the midlands, already has a presence in London, with premises in Park Royal. SSE’s rental operation has expanded rapidly over the last decade, with London PA Company Canegreen joining the Group in 2008, followed by the acquisition of the Manchester based audio company Wigwam in 2013.
