HK Audio switches UK distribution to Polar
- Details
Polar will take on the entire product range for both brands, including Hughes & Kettner’s award-winning lines of electric and acoustic guitar amplifiers, and HK Audio’s comprehensive pro audio portfolio, which covers everything from portable sound systems for musicians and DJs to full-blown line array systems and professional install solutions.
Tim Riley, Polar’s director, brand development, comments: “Polar is set up in a way that ideally serves all the market areas relevant to HK Audio and Hughes & Kettner, so this agreement seemed a perfect fit for us from the offset. We have divisions that directly address the retail markets, professional audio and integrated solutions and the way HK Audio and Hughes and Kettner products straddle these markets is well known.
“The ‘Made in Germany’ aspect of the ranges is also something that resonates in the industry. The quality of engineering and manufacture has always been the mainstay of HK and we intend to re-invigorate the UK and Ireland business using this and adding ‘The Polar Factor’.”
“We are not your average distribution company; we are so passionate about adding value to the brands in our portfolio that we start off as fans of a brand and then steadily build up our share of its success to a point where we believe we become indispensable distribution partners. Our teams are excited to begin work on developing the HK business with our current extensive client base and a whole new set of customers. We feel it’s a dream partnership between iconic engineering and true, value-added distribution.”
Christian Jordan, Music & Sales PE’s chief sales officer, adds: “We are delighted to partner with Polar to further grow HK Audio and Hughes & Kettner in the UK and Ireland. On meeting, it was clear that our two companies share the same vision for growth and success with our brands, and Polar has the experience, knowhow and client base to open us up to a whole new level of market share.
“HK Audio and Hughes & Kettner are true innovators and leaders in their respective sectors; fans and users across the UK and Ireland use them on a daily basis to make their music and audiovisual events sound the absolute best they can.
“Because of this, we need a strong and respected distribution partner who can do them justice and spread the message at the level it needs to be. With Tim Riley and the team at Polar, we’re absolutely convinced that this will be an extremely fruitful relationship, and we’re looking forward to a fresh start and continued success together in the future.”
(Jim Evans)
