Uniden America Names New Pres.

By Joseph Palenchar On Sep 3 2007 - 6:00am

Uniden America tapped alumnus Brendan Morris as its next president, effective Sept. 4.

Morris, most recently sales and marketing director for LG's Zenith brand, started work at Uniden in 1996 as a regional sales manager and was sales VP when he left the company in February 2006.

Among other goals, the CE veteran said he wants to "return Uniden back to an aggressive sales and marketing nature in North America," recapture lost market share in cordless phones, and expand the brand to more new businesses following its recent entry into the portable navigation device (PND) market. Although he didn't reveal which markets he might enter, he did say that "wireless is where we made a name for ourselves."

Uniden's wireless products include two-way radios, scanners and marine electronics, but Morris noted that "the pillar of our business is cordless" and that Uniden once enjoyed No. 1 unit and dollar share in cordless phones before he departed the company.

The new president's other goals include stepped-up new product development with an eye toward establishing a reputation as an innovator. "We were the first to market with many key items, and we'd like to do so again in the future," he said.

Morris described cordless phones, business-phone systems, two-way radios, and scanners, including a scanner-patent portfolio, as core businesses, but the company also markets marine electronics and CB radios.

Morris replaces Rich Tosi, who resigned after two years as president and 11 years with the company. Tosi spent the past 11 years at the company, serving as president for the past two years.

Tosi told TWICE that the company has made great strides in positioning itself in new product categories in recent years and that, as a result, it was a "good time to go to the next step of my career." He said he wasn't ready to announce his next career move.

In a letter to industry colleagues, he also said that "the seeds are now in place for new business categories to take root and grow the company to the next level."