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Obituary: Tony Edwards

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Lighting manufacturer Ryger Ltd has reported the sudden death of Tony Edwards - a lighting industry stalwart and long-time associate and personal friend of Ryger managing director Phil Smith. Edwards played a significant role in the relaunch of Ryger in 2002. Smith told us Edwards was "a man with a huge and often controversial personality, admired for his commitment to British design and manufacturing. Whilst owner and head of design at Apollo-Spectrum lighting he developed such well known effects as the Equinox and the Doris. Even in semi-retirement following the sale of Apollo-Spectrum Tony continued to design and innovate and was tireless in his desire to see new products through from concept to production.

"It was a great shock to all who knew Tony to learn of his sudden death on Good Friday and our thoughts are with his wife Janet and family at this difficult

Mark Nelson to head Martin Architectural USA

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Mark Nelson has been appointed national sales manager for Martin Professional Inc’s fast-growing architectural division, Martin Architectural. Nelson has extensive experience in the lighting industry and joins Martin from Metalumen Manufacturing, a manufacturer of specification grade fluorescent fixtures where he was central regional sales manager.

Prior to Metalumen, Nelson was employed with Hubbell Lighting as their national account manager, working with major end user accounts. He also has experience from a position as national sales manager at Paramount Industries, a manufacturer of high performance lighting equipment for specialized environments.

(Ruth Rossington)

Chris Hinds joins beyerdynamic

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - As part of the re-structure of beyerdynamic GB’s expanding distribution operation, the company has welcomed on board Chris Hinds as specialist product manager. He will concentrate on developing the market share of ASL intercom products, Biamp, Renkus-Heinz and XTA across the installation, hire and live performance sectors.

Having spent over a decade in the sound reinforcement market, working as technical sales for loudspeaker manufacturer Turbosound and as operations manager for touring sound company GPA Hire, Hinds brings to beyerdynamic a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of contemporary market demands.

Commenting on his new position he enthused: "I’m delighted to be part of the beyer team. I’m looking forward to working with contractors, installers and rental companies nationwide to spearhead the use of this powerful product combinat

Paul Harte and Mike Naish - available for hire at Stagecraft.

Harte joins Stagecraft

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Paul Harte has been appointed hire manager at lighting, sound and staging specialists Stagecraft. Responsible for the management of the Hire department, Paul, who will be based with the Stagecraft team in Salisbury, will be working closely with Mike Naish, the new technical director of the recently-merged Live Events and Hire departments.

A trained electronics engineer Paul has worked on a freelance basis for the past two years and brings to Stagecraft a wide range of experience from within the industry, covering sound and lighting design, installation and service management. New technical director Mike Naish has worked with Stagecraft for 17 years and was previously a production manager for the Live Events department.

(Ruth Rossington)

New appointment at TMB Los Angeles

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - TMB has announced the addition of Tim Baca to the LA sales department. Baca’s career in real-world entertainment started out with a BA in Theater Design at Lynchburg College, Virginia, including a semester at the University College of London. He then went on to work as technical director for the B Street Theater in Sacramento, California, where he oversaw all aspects of production, including lights, sound, set design, and wardrobe (his favorite). Following that, he spent two years chasing skaters as tour electrician for the Disney On Ice roadshow. This gave Tim hands-on experience in lighting, board operation, set design, and all things AC.

(Lee Baldock)

Sundby joins Multi-lite

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Multi-lite USA has recruited Thor Sundby as account executive for its recently opened Burbank, CA facility. Sundby not only brings 12 years of sales and management experience with Sunray Manufacturing to the company, but also 25 years of production experience as a gaffer. Also joining the company is Lynda Whelan, whose 10 years of management experience, will prove invaluable in her new role as operations manager.

Owner and president of Multi-lite USA and its parent company, Multi-Lite Germany (one of Europe’s largest specialty lamp distributors), Wolfgang Massow commented: "We are very pleased to announce these additions and are confident that our growing customer base will appreciate the enhanced service their industry experience will provide."

(Ruth Rossington)

Raymond Malpocher is new president and CEO of Telex

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Telex Communications has announced the appointment of Raymond V. Malpocher as president and CEO - he will succeed Ned Jackson who is retiring from the position.

Edgar S. Woolard Jr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Telex, paid tribute to Ned Jackson: "During his tenure with Telex, Ned Jackson made outstanding progress improving our operations and introducing a new family of products. We greatly appreciate his many contributions." On the appointment of Malpocher, he added: "We are excited that Raymond Malpocher has decided to join Telex. He has broad operating experience implementing world-class processes. Together with his strong management beliefs and practices, we are confident he will build on our solid foundation and provide the necessary leadership to continue the company’s success."

Malpocher was most recently with Teleflex Corporati

Phil Pell joins Shuttlesound

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Shuttlesound Ltd, the UK distributor for Telex-EVI products, has appointed Phil Pell as its regional sales representative in the South of England. Pell brings to Shuttlesound a long track record in sales of MI products, as well as knowledge of the audio installation market and the wholesale business. One of the most experienced sales people in the industry, Pell has spent the last four years at RCF-Mackie, and prior to that, worked for JBL and at Celestion.

Phil will be covering the southern half of England, from Lands End to Leicester. "The main focus will be on the MI market where my background will be especially useful, but I'll also be flying the Shuttlesound flag in the installation sector, where they've been making important inroads over the last couple of years. As soon as I found out Shuttlesound was looking to fill a sales position, I knew it was the job for m

Carlsbro adds new team member

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Carlsbro Electronics Ltd has welcomed Duncan Boniface as MI product manager - he will join the research and design department. Boniface’s experience includes working as principal engineer at loudspeaker manufacturer Celestion International, and he holds a degree in Acoustics from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at Southampton University.

(Lee Baldock)

Martin Italy managing director Pio Nahum with daughter Aurora.

Pio Nahum Returns to Italy

Details: 14 March 2016

Denmark - Martin Professional’s Pio Nahum, a major player in Martin’s rise to the top of the intelligent lighting industry, who for the past seven years has held the responsibility of international marketing director for Martin Professional A/S, has decided to return permanently to Italy to be closer to his family and to concentrate on Martin’s business in the Italian market.

The opportunity to return to his home country arose from the fact that for the past two years Nahum has effectively managed the dual responsibilities of group marketing director at Martin Professional A/S with that of managing director of Martin Professional Italy SpA. Nahum’s contribution also included five years of service as Martin’s international sales director as well as a stint as acting CEO of Martin UK.

Nahum commented: "After spending so many years working abroa

Atmospheric appoints sales director

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Atmospheric, the supplier of AV and entertainment solutions to the leisure industry, has appointed Peter L Davies as sales director. Formerly sales director at PowerSport, founder and managing director of Life Fitness' Operations in Europe and international vice-president at Tectrix, Davies has recently been working as a self-employed management consultant with leading fitness equipment suppliers such as Star Trac UK and Gym 80. He comes to this new role with over 25 years of experience within the health and fitness industry.

Davies commented: "I was attracted to Atmospheric by their innovative and high quality range of products, by the excellent morale of their team and, most importantly, by the high standard of business ethics instilled by the managing director, Simon Spragg. This role is also a new challenge for me, as, despite my many years of experience in the fit

Barry Channer - Autograph Sound Recording's latest recruit.

All change at Autograph’s hire division

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Autograph Sound Recording's busy hire department has undergone a major reshuffle, with Barry Channer joining as hire support engineer, Lee Dennison promoted to production sound engineer and Scott Arnold taking Dennison's place as hire department manager. Meanwhile David ffitch has moved out of the hire department to become Autograph's IT administrator.

Channer has been a familiar face at Autograph for some time, having worked as a freelance operator on many of Autograph's West End productions. His experience will prove invaluable. Dennison's new role will allow him the freedom to occasionally leave his day-to-day involvement in the every-busy hire operation to work on smaller engineering projects. Autograph has recently expanded its portfolio of West End plays and this new appointment is a timely response. Dennison has already overseen installations on My Brilliant Divor

Biamp hires Asia-Pacific manager

Details: 14 March 2016

Asia-Pacific - David McKinney joins the International Division of Biamp Systems to service the Asia/Pacific region. McKinney was formerly the European regional sales manager for BSS Audio and held a variety of sales management positions during his tenure. He holds a BSc in Electronic Music and Electronics from The University of Keele, Staffordshire, UK.

"David’s background is a perfect fit for our needs in the Asia/Pacific Region," says Graeme Harrison, VP of international sales. "He has a strong technical background and his experience in managing a variety of international customers gives him the necessary experience to handle the diverse markets like the Far East."

McKinney, who will be relocating to Malaysia, commented: "I am truly excited to be joining Biamp. Everything I see and hear about the new Audia line tells me that this is a good move

Martin Pro Inc hires demand planning manager

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Martin US is pleased to announce the hiring of Tony Alhadeff as demand planning manager, a role designed to facilitate cross-functional communication within the organization. It plays a critical role in the collection of market intelligence and in the use of that information to balance supply and demand.

Alhadeff comments on the position: "As the individual in that role here at Martin Professional, I will be working very closely with the sales organization to collect the most current market intelligence available and to ensure that this information is effectively incorporated into the organization’s planning cycle. The goal is to deliver a better forecast with sufficient lead-time to drive improvements in customer service, inventory turnover, and profitability."

For the last five years, Alhadeff was employed by Rexall Sundown in Boca Raton, Florida. He wo

InnovaSON appoints sales and marketing director

Details: 14 March 2016

France - InnovaSON, manufacturer of digital mixing consoles for live sound, has appointed Nick Cook as sales and marketing director. Cook has 25 years’ experience in the pro-audio business starting his career as professional recording engineer before joining Solid State Logic (head of sales, Western Division), Fairlight ESP (director of European operations) and Amek/DAR (sales and marketing director). He joins InnovaSON from Insonify, a development and licensing company supplying streaming media solutions for mobile telecoms, where he was commercial director.

"Nick's audio industry experience will help us capitalize on the rising demand for digital live mixing consoles and enable us to broaden our international scope and access new markets," said InnovaSON co-founder Philippe Royer. "His sales and marketing experience will be very valuable assets to establis

Andy Holland Joins Robe UK

Details: 14 March 2016

Newly-launched lighting sales company Robe UK has expanded its sales team with the appointment of Andy Holland as business development manager. Holland’s interest in lighting was first sparked at the age of 14 - initially an enthusiastic hobby that led to a part-time job, and then regular semi-professional freelance work. A qualified rigger - Holland attended a BTEC rigging course at Total Fabrication in conjunction with the PSA - and is currently studying for his City & Guilds 23/60 electrician’s certificate. He also runs his own lighting company, The Mobile Lighting Company, providing lighting and sound services to the entertainment industry.

His role for Robe UK is to further develop the theatre, arts and performance markets for Robe Show Lighting’s product range. Holland has been working hands-on with Robe products for some time, owning, installing and dry hiring

George Gilbert - 1923-2003

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - George Gilbert, one of the UK's leading video projection experts, has died at the age of 79. In a career that spanned more than four decades, George was a leading expert in light valve video projectors and responsible for training many of the current generation of projection specialists. The industry continued to benefit from his expertise well past retirement age and up until his death, he was still on the payroll, although part-time, as an engineer for equipment rental firm Blitz.

Following electronics training in the army, George first began TV work at Cambridge-based Pye Television. In the 1950s and 60s he was one of just a handful of projection specialists in the UK with the skills to set up and operate the Eidophor and GE Talaria projectors. Video projection technology in this period was cutting-edge but, at the same time, temperamental. The light valve at the heart o

Keith Ferguson

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Keith Ferguson, who served as the general manager of the PSA for many years and was a trustee of the PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund, died on Friday 23 May. No date for the funeral has yet been set, but details will be made available as soon as we have them.

(Ruth Rossington)

Cadac widens its net across USA

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Cadac Electronics Plc has announced the appointment of two new representatives in the US. On the East Coast, Thomas Bensen has been selected, whilst on the West Coast, the company has appointed GLS Marketing.

Tom Bensen is a familiar face in the pro audio industry, with over 25 years' experience across a wide variety of leading brands. His sound reinforcement expertise and market knowledge will prove invaluable in establishing the Cadac brand and providing further growth. On the other side of the US, GLS Marketing will provide the Cadac representative network with a strong mix of technical skills, plus creative sales and marketing techniques. Headed up by president Greg Hockman with Ron Thomas as general manager, the company was established in 1981 and operates out of Huntington Beach, California, in support of the Southern California, Southern Nevada, Hawaii and Arizona t

Francis Reid and his sponsor David Ripley, Academy production manager.

Francis Reid receives RSAMD Fellowship

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama has conferred a Fellowship of the RSAMD upon Francis Reid - an internationally renowned theatre lighting designer, lecturer, writer and consultant.

After studying science and psychology at the University of Edinburgh, Francis spent five years in stage and production management including Rep Drama, Touring Opera, and productions at the Aldeburgh Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Throughout the 1960s, Francis was Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s lighting director and he was subsequently responsible for the lighting design of over 300 productions staged throughout Europe. Productions of musicals such as Man of La Mancha, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Anne of Green Gables; plays such as Sleuth, Move Over Mrs. Markham, V

David Corelli joins Coemar De Sisti Australia

Details: 14 March 2016

Australia - Coemar De Sisti Australia has announced the appointment of David Corelli as lighting concepts consultant. David’s history includes around 20 years as a professional photographer, during which time he won several photographic awards. He then spent some years supplying equipment to the film and television industry which included working with gaffers, grips and DoPs.For the past 18 months, Corelli has been an architectural lighting consultant, working with architects, consulting engineers, developers and contractors. He is eager to get back into film and television lighting and is looking forward to meeting up again with some old friends.

Peter Kemp, Coemar De Sisti’s managing director, said: "I believe David’s experience and talents gained over the years in TV, film and architectural lighting will be an excellent asset to the company and we are p

Ballantyne appoints Daniel Faltin as executive VP and COO

Details: 14 March 2016

USA- Further news from Ballantyne of Omaha, this time concerning the appointment of Daniel E. Faltin, 46, as executive vice-president and chief operating officer.

As COO, Faltin will oversee day-to-day operations at the company, assuming those responsibilities from Brad French, who added those duties to his chief financial officer role during the company's restructuring process. French will continue to serve as CFO, a position he has held since 1996.

Faltin most recently served as an executive consultant to Ballantyne's senior management team. Prior to this, he was president of Chief Automotive Systems Inc, a Nebraska-based manufacturer of collision repair equipment for the body shop industry, which was acquired by Dover Corporation in 1988. In this role, he oversaw the introduction of several new products, thecreation of a successful product trade-in programme and the implem

SCV London appoints new PA/install sales manager

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - SCV London has appointed Eamonn McGonagle to the newly created position of UK sales manager for PA and installation products. Julian Blyth, SCV London managing director, says: "As we are continually expanding the PA and installation market side of our business, we needed to find the right person to manage our rapidly increasing portfolio of products. We believe Eamonn fulfils the role perfectly."

McGonagle was previously national sales manager for Celestion Pro Products, and before that he was the marketing manager for Van Dam Cables.

(Lee Baldock)

Keith Ferguson: funeral arrangements

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The funeral of Keith Ferguson, the former general manager of the Production Services Association (PSA), will be held this Saturday 7 June, at 11.20am at Putney Vale Crematorium, Stag Lane, London SW15. Ferguson, who also served as a trustee of the PSA’s Welfare & Benevolent Fund, died in his sleep during the night of Friday 23 May. He was 56. Freddie Nyathela of the South African Roadies Association (SARA), who worked closely with Ferguson, described him as "a gentle giant - a man with a soft heart and vision."

He leaves a son, Guy, and a daughter, Meredith. The family has requested that flowers be sent from family members only, while anyone wishing to contribute should send a donation to the family’s chosen charity, Diabetes UK, c/o the Funeral Directors at: Fred K W. Paine, 24 Old London Road, Kingston, Surrey, KT2 6QG.

Following the service, a Mem

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