Ken Crane's To Buy Leigh Adams Discount Sales

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 3/25/2007

Hawthorne, Calif. — Ken Crane's Home Entertainment has reached agreement in principle to acquire Leigh Adams Discount Sales of Ontario, Calif. Financial details on the acquisition were not disclosed.

Leigh Adams Discount Sales, a family-owned and operated retailer like Ken Crane's, was founded in 1980 and has one 9,000-square-foot location that specializes in video, audio, home theater and custom installation.

Ken Crane's president Casey Crane expects that the acquisition will strengthen his company's presence in the Inland Empire, and said in a prepared statement, "Because Ken Crane's has always been focused on expert, personalized customer experience, I'm thrilled to welcome Leigh Adams Discount Sales to our family. The Ontario showroom will help bring the Ken Crane's customer-focused experience to this part of Southern California."

Founder Leigh Adams will act as a consultant to Ken Crane's during the transition. Initially, the Ontario store will continue to operate as Leigh Adams Discount Sales, and will be rebranded this fall as Ken Crane's Big Screen Headquarters.

Pam Crane, executive VP of Ken Crane's, said that the 9,000-square-foot Leigh Adams location and design is "not too much different from a Ken Crane's store," and Crane said that its stores run from around 7,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet.

Leigh Adams has approximately 40 employees and as of Friday Ken Crane's has taken over managing the store, Pam Crane said. She added that it is expected that the acquisition will take place by the end of the week.

Added Pam Crane, “We carry many of the same lines, and have a similar [customer] demographic. So we do mirror each other closely. Leigh is very customer-service oriented as we are and has a very good reputation in the Inland Empire,” which she noted is a growing market in Southern California.