The Commercial Audio Division has been set up specifically to handle the established brands of MediaMatrix, Crest Audio and Architectural Acoustics. The aim is to create an identifiable and integrated group of pro audio brands with its own dedicated support staff and a clear roadmap for the future. The new structure will offer clearly laid-out channels of communication both up and down the chain, including marketing communication, so that distributors and customers can easily obtain the information they require in a timely fashion.
The new organisation was presented to EMEA distributors at a two-day distributor meeting that was recently held in the Borgo Lanciano in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains in Italy. Attendees were introduced to the new team and given the opportunity to participate in a number of workshops that addressed very specific topics concerning the Commercial Audio Division and its products.
Each workshop was headed up by one or two members of the new team, thus giving distributors ample opportunity to spend time in small groups with all of the people within Peavey who will be important to their business.
"The distributors' meeting was a great opportunity to spend one-on-one time with our team that faces the customers," observed Kevin Ivey. "We have focused the last six months on strengthening our level of service and the quickness of our response to the needs of the distributors and customers. The attendance and level of commitment from the distributors is a strong sign that our formation of the Commercial Audio Division has been well received."
MD Clive Roberts and GM Kevin Ivey are at the top of the tree. Reporting to them are operations manager, James Kennedy; European sales manager, Andy Weingartner (based out of Germany); Virgil Lund in charge of UK sales development; and Serena Scott who looks after distributor sales from Corby. Andy Rust has taken on the role of European marketing manager. Reporting to James Kennedy are support engineer, Chris Bennett who came from Meridian and is now also based out of Germany; service technician Lee Freer based in Corby; and MediaMatrix product specialist, Stephen Joy who has moved across from IT to work with James Kennedy in the Commercial Audio Division on a full time basis.
"I'm pleased to say that although this is a new team in organisational terms, none of the team is new to Peavey, or indeed to each other," noted Clive Roberts. "All of the people that now form the Commercial Audio Division - with the exception of Andy Weingartner who joined us last year - have a minimum of six years service with Peavey, and working with the pro brands in particular. Actually, the only member of the team who has no direct experience in the professional audio market is me! However, my job is to run the company efficiently, and I am confident in my abilities to do that. I also know that I have a great team working for me and a worthy partner in Kevin Ivey who knows more about this market and its products than I'll ever know, or indeed ever need to know.
"We are most definitely setting out on a new road with the Commercial Audio Division - and frankly, it's about time too," continued Roberts, "but it's not without many years of experience already under our belts. I am very excited about the future for Peavey Commercial Audio, and I know that Kevin and the rest of the team are too."
(Jim Evans)
