Zound Industries has acquired all Marshall Amplification brands and subsidiaries, including Natal Drums, Marshall Records, and Marshall Live Agency. Under the terms of the deal, the Marshall family became the largest shareholders of the new Marshall Group. The Marshall Group is now home to Marshall amplifiers, speakers and headphones, Marshall Records, Marshall Live Agency, Marshall Studio, Natal Drums, Urbanears and adidas Headphones. Bringing together around 800 employees across eight locations globally with an annual turnover of USD 360 million.
"With the Marshall group, we’re turning the volume up to 11 with one of the world’s most iconic brands powered by one of the fastest growing, and profitable, companies in our industry. These are the perfect conditions to create the best products and experiences for musicians and music lovers around the world, and fuel profitable growth for years to come," says Jeremy de Maillard, CEO, Marshall Group.
Since 2010, Zound Industries has brought the Marshall brand from the big stage to a global consumer audience of music lovers in more than 90 countries with its range of headphones and wireless speakers. With the formation of the Marshall Group, a new audio, tech and design powerhouse sees the light of day, uniting musicians and music lovers through genre-breaking innovation.
"We are set to continue our transformative growth journey by bringing great products to a global audience through cutting-edge audio innovation and culture-driven brand building. This is beyond exciting, and we are very grateful to have the trust of the Marshall family," says Martin Axhamre, CFO & Deputy CEO, Marshall Group.
The Group’s head office will remain in Stockholm while the home of Marshall Amplification in Milton Keynes will continue to play a vital part in the group’s continuous journey and in honoring of the legacy of "The Father of Loud," Jim Marshall.
Historic Growth in 2023
Zound Industries continued its strong revenue and profit growth journey into the first quarter of 2023, with net sales increasing 54% to SEK 857.4 million. Operating profit increased to SEK 173.8 million (70.6), amounting to an operating margin of 20.3%, up from 12.7% in the same period last year. The acquisition of Marshall Amplification to create the Marshall Group, will now enable the company to further expand into the multi-billion-dollar global audio-tech industry.
"The first quarter was an historic chapter for Zound. In addition to delivering our third best quarter to date, the creation of the Marshall Group will take our successful relationship with Marshall to the next level and enable us to provide musicians and music lovers worldwide with even better products and experiences," says Jeremy de Maillard.
The quarter also saw the launch of the Marshall Middleton, the brand’s biggest portable speaker boasting True Stereophonic, a unique form of multi-directional stereo sound. This speaker’s sturdy build comprises 55% post-consumer recycled plastic from used electronics, water bottles and automotive light covers, and is 100% PVC-free.
In terms of product categories, speakers continued to be a key growth driver with net sales increasing 56% to SEK 655.5 million (420.6). Headphones also performed strongly, with net sales up 51% to SEK 201.9 million (134.1) for the quarter.
www.group.marshall.com
