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04 l March 2012


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news UNITED KINGDOM


Audient and Sontronics form UK distribution alliance


British microphone brand Sontronics has announced a new business agreement with UK mixing console manufacturer Audient, writes Dave Robinson


AS OF 1 MARCH, Audient and Sontronics are working together as Audient-Sontronics UK, providing joint support for end users, studios and stockists, with a dedicated UK sales manager, Gareth Williams, and centralised warehousing at Audient’s Hampshire HQ. Service and support for the


microphone brand will continue to be handled from Sontronics HQ in Poole, Dorset. “This is an extremely exciting


move for us,” says Sontronics MD Trevor Coley. “We have experienced amazing growth worldwide over the past few years and this partnership with Audient will help us strengthen Sontronics in the UK.”


always possible to do via a distributor. It also gives us both the chance to reach into new markets and bring Audient


“It’s less of a merger and more an alliance of two like-minded British brands”


“It’s less of a merger,”


confirms Sontronics’ marketing director Lisa Coley, “and more an alliance of two like-minded British brands working together to give more dedicated support to their UK customers and dealers, something it’s not


Audient sales and marketing Lisa Coley, Sontronics


and Sontronics products to a wider audience.” Coley adds: “We’re planning


various events around the country to give musicians the chance to get hands-on with the full range of Sontronics and Audient products.”


director Luke Baldry says: “Many of the Audient staff already own and use Sontronics mics, so we have first-hand knowledge of how great the range is. Sontronics offers the perfect match to our own consoles and preamps, so we’re looking forward to offering this combination to our customers.” The new arrangement brings to a close Sontronics’ two-year distribution deal with Time+Space in the UK. Audient-Sontronics UK will be sharing a booth at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. www.audient.com www.sontronics.com


New Audient- Sontronics sales manager Gareth Williams (left) with Sontronics MD Trevor Coley


UNITED KINGDOM


Focusrite in 100 Best Small Companies ranking


High Wycombe manufacturing and distribution outfit is placed 68th in The Sunday Times listing, writes Dave Robinson


FOCUSRITE Audio Engineering, the High Wycombe-based manufacturer and distributor of audio processors and controllers, has been placed 68th on The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2012 ranking, for companies with up to 250 UK employees. The list is compiled every year


by workplace engagement specialist Best Companies and The Sunday Times to acknowledge the best small and large companies to work for in the UK. It is formulated using the results from anonymous employee surveys, ensuring the results are as fair as possible. Once the results are in, participating companies are given a star rating before finding out whether they made the top 100. Focusrite received a three-star


rating, the highest accolade in the competition, which was only achieved by 112 other companies in the country, small and large. (For context: 1,082 organisations applied to achieve ‘star status’; 873 made it through the process of which 515 were accredited.) Notably, Focusrite is one of only


A delegation from Focusrite receives the award in London last month


two UK manufacturing outfits on the three-star list. Selected members of staff


from all areas of the business accompanied managing director Phil Dudderidge to the awards ceremony in London on 22 February, where they collected the award. Commenting on the achievement, Dudderidge said: “I feel very proud that the company has received this recognition. It is everyone in the company who makes Focusrite a great organisation to work for and to do business with. The challenge for management now is to make Focusrite an even better company to work for!” In other news, Focusrite and sister brand Novation have this month announced their continued support for In Tune For Life (ITFL), an organisation dedicated to the struggle against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. www.focusrite.com


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