Biamp has announced the acquisition of Audioprof Group International, parent company of Community Loudspeakers based in Philadelphia, and Apart Audio, based in Antwerp, Belgium from 3d Investors of Gent, Belgium.
Founded in 1968 by speaker design pioneer Bruce Howze, Community Loudspeakers has a long history of speaker design firsts. Today, Community Loudspeakers is an established and respected manufacturer of a broad range of speakers targeting demanding indoor and outdoor applications including commercial, leisure, stadiums, and other large venues. Most recently at InfoComm 2019, Community Loudspeakers introduced the new L SERIES LVH-900 Beamforming Venue Horn, continuing its tradition of innovation.
Apart Audio is a strong competitor in full signal path functional and commercial and leisure audio solutions for small and mid-size venues including retail, food service, education, and small offices. It offers a broad array of speakers as well as amplifiers, mixers, controllers, and paging stations to make Apart Audio a single-vendor solution for these markets. Apart has an established business in Europe and just entered North America in 2018, a market in which Biamp’s extensive distribution system can provide an immediate boost.
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“I am tremendously excited to complete this transaction,” said Rashid Skaf, Biamp president, CEO, and co-chairman. “Building a comprehensive lineup of speakers has been a priority of mine as we move to position Biamp as a full line provider of professional audiovisual solutions. Acquiring Apart Audio and Community Loudspeakers was my preferred route to accomplishing that quickly with incredibly strong and respected brands. The many products added to our portfolio give us powerful positions in several key growth markets for Biamp—most notably retail, hospitality, restaurants, stadiums, and outdoor venues. With this move, Biamp has clearly established itself as a leader in the pro AV market.”
“I am thrilled that Community Loudspeakers and Apart Audio are joining the Biamp family,” said Kris Vermuyten, CEO of Apart Audio. “The great product complementarity and geographical fit strengthen my belief that we are now part of one of the strongest and most respected AV solutions providers and that we will be able to offer best-in-class solutions to our channel partners and end users. I want to thank 3d Investors for their hands-on support and guidance during the last 10 years that helped our company grow into a worldwide installed sound specialist.”
Under Skaf’s direction, Biamp has charted an aggressive growth strategy that blends organic product line and distribution expansion with entry into new markets via acquisition. The addition of Audioprof Group International comes just seven months after the company acquired Cambridge Sound Management. Biamp currently offers a wide range of audiovisual solutions that facilitate communication and collaboration in conference rooms, lecture halls, auditoria, and now hospitality and retail, as well as paging and notification for open areas like offices, concourses, stadiums, retail centers, and casinos.
Community Loudspeakers and Apart Audio will join Biamp as product families within the company’s portfolio, with business functions gradually blending to form a single Biamp business.
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