Maxxsonics Inks MB Quart Deal
By Amy Gilroy -- TWICE, 10/10/2005
Lake Zurich, Ill.— Maxxsonics USA, the parent and manufacturer of Hifonics, Crunch and Autotek mobile audio, said it acquired the MB Quart brand and its speaker manufacturing facility in Obrigheim, Germany, for an undisclosed sum.
Maxxsonics will launch a new Maxxsonics Europe company to work with the MB Quart Germany division. Maxxsonics' president/CEO Alden Stiefel said the acquisition will help Maxxsonics gain a global presence.
“Maxxsonics will capitalize on the MB Quart philosophy and utilize its unique position in the marketplace. We will maintain MBQ's German manufacturing facility and cross-pollinate it with other Maxxsonics' speaker product,” he said.
Maxxsonics said the acquisition will allow it to enter the professional, home and multimedia speaker segments as well as the headphone market, for which MB Quart currently supplies products. In addition, a spokesman said that Maxxsonics may move manufacturing for its other speakers, under the Hifonics, Crunch and Autotek brands, to the Obrigheim facility.
“Our first priority is to stabilize MBQ's mobile audio efforts. MB Quart will recapture its market leading position with the car audio enthusiast through superior product design and excellent service, globally,” stated Stiefel.
He added, “There is no plan to micromanage the Obrigheim facility. Instead, we anticipate a cross flow of information and a global approach that enhances all our brands.” The companies will retain separate sales forces, marketing and distribution strategies, he said.
