Richter Joins Akai's Parent As CEO
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 10/28/2002
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — Former Kenwood USA president Joe Richter was named CEO and president of APH USA, which is working to broaden distribution and marketing of audio and video products in North America under the Akai brand.
Richter, who was a 21-year veteran of Kenwood USA, having served as its president since 1993, left the company as a result of a restructuring effort that is to merge five U.S.-based subsidiaries on Oct. 31 to save Kenwood an estimated $1.2 million per year.
Moriyuki Tamura was named new Kenwood USA president, replacing Richter and Tom Wineland, former president of Kenwood Communications (TWICE, Oct. 14, p. 6).
Richter has more than 30 years experience in the consumer electronics industry and is a current member of the CEA board of directors. He was formerly the CEA's Audio Division chairman and is a past executive committee member.
"By working in partnership with select retailers, we intend to be first to market with the audio and video products that consumers want," Richter said. "Our emphasis will be on providing the latest technology at the most reasonable price with a level of service that is second to none," Richter said.
APH (Akai Product Holdings) USA is owned, in part, by Grande Group of Hong Kong, which purchased the Akai brand four years ago. APH USA started operations last fall as an exclusive U.S. sales and distribution company for all Akai consumer electronics merchandise.
Current product lines include both curved and "PureFlat" analog direct-view CRT TVs, a pair of 54-inch rear-projection televisions in both analog and digital capabilities, home and portable audio equipment, VCRs, DVD players and TV/DVD and TV/VCR combo units.
To date, APH has followed a limited distribution strategy targeting key national volume retailers that are capable of taking direct container load shipments of products that offer both aggressive price points and fair retail margins. The company had focused on wholesale clubs as an early test to gauge market demand for the Akai brand in an unaided environment.
Long term, plans have been to expand distribution to most channels, while adding a premium product tier to compete head-on with first-tier Japanese brands.
Products are manufactured for APH at a variety of factories in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mexico and the United States. Most of its larger televisions are Korean designed and assembled in North America.
Masukichi Akai founded the Akai brand in 1929, initially as a manufacturer of radio components. Akai first left the U.S. market in the 1980s and has had various majority equity partners since, including Semi-Tech Global, which also owned at the time the Sansui and Singer brands. Semi-Tech sold off Akai and Sansui to Grande Group about four years ago. Grande also later acquired the Nakamichi brand.
Over the years the Akai brand has also been involved in various joint ventures with Japanese prime manufacturers and OEM relationships with dominant brand share manufacturers.
Richter began his career in retail sales before spending over a decade as a manufacturer's representative.
He will assume the overall operations and direction of Akai for the United States market, from their new headquarters in Santa Monica, California.
"Joe Richter is a welcome addition to the APH USA management team," said Adrian Ma, managing director of Grande Holdings of Hong Kong. "Akai enjoys great market share on a global basis, and we look forward to Joe's guidance in the implementation of our strategic plans for Akai for the United States market."
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Mr Richter
i am very upset and disappointed that i and others are not getting any response to any of our problms that we have with our Akai products.next step will be to the ceo of the electronics store where i purchase my tv. i only had it 2 years - over $2000 paid in full .our country is having hard enough times and seems like we all need to pull together to help one another.not even a decent reply from any our you reps. you cannot even hear a concern in any of their voices.
please have a representative at you co email me to discuss this matter as it is very upsetting
nora irvine - 2008-9-12 19:34:00 EST -
Dear Mr. Richter
I cannot write in this space what my problem is and was with AKAI, I would like to send a letter to their Head offic...the address I was given was:
ESI
7801 8th and 1st Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91406
I was given that by a customer rep, who obviously was misinformed.
So could you please let me know the address of AKAI headquarters, USA
thank you
carla turner
carla turner - 2008-15-10 13:15:00 EDT -
I purchased an AKAI 55" projection TV 4 years ago. This year, almost 4 years to the date, the TV died. The repairman that we had said that it was the main board in the TV and would cost more to fix it than it cost when we purchased it. I have never had anything this expensive just turn up its toes and die in only 4 years. I am so dissapointed and angry because my eyesight is fading more and more by the year because of severe glaucoma and now I just have a smaller TV, It is 12 years old, that I can only listen to because I cannot see the picture clearly. We live in a very rural area and can't just pick up the TV and run it 60 miles or so to another repair place, so I guess I am just out $1,200.00 for my purchase.
I'm sorry by I would not reccommend AKAI to anyone.
My name is Linda, my Husbands name is Don and in case you care to get in touch with us, our phone number is (719) 267-3153, although I'm sure we won't hear from anyone. It's becoming very clear to us that senior citizens are commonly ignored.
Don & Linda Lapp - 2008-6-9 16:42:00 EDT
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