William Cornell has succeeded as Territory Manager for the Americas and President and CEO of d&b audiotechnik US Group, effective 10th July 2017. “I will support William in a direct role until February 2018 to ensure a smooth transition,” says Beveridge. “Like our audio systems, the essential character and performance of d&b will remain consistent. But it will be rejuvenated by the energy I know William will bring to his new role. What is important now is to concentrate on ensuring a smooth transition; then to focus on the future endeavors of d&b in my new role.”
Cornell, who has been with d&b for thirteen years, was previously responsible for Sales and Technical Services in the USA. In his new role he will report to Chief Sales Officer, Stephan Greiner, based in Backnang, Germany.
Also effective from 10th July, Jan Scheffels has moved into the newly created post of Chief Operating Officer of d&b audiotechnik in the Americas. In his new role Scheffels takes responsibility for Customer Service, Finance/Controlling, Human Resources, IT, Legal and Buildings. He will be based in Asheville, North Carolina, reporting to Cornell and has already relocated from Germany to the USA. “We would like to say a big thank you to Colin for his ground breaking work and many successes over the years,” says Group CEO Amnon Harman. “Under his responsibility d&b in North America has grown from an almost unknown German brand, to one of the leading providers of professional audio solutions in the Americas. This market now stands for 30% of the revenue of d&b worldwide. I am convinced that our powerful team across the Americas will further develop this growth market under the leadership of William and Jan.”
William Cornell joined d&b in Asheville in 2004 to build up the sales organization and develop a long term growth strategy. In recent years, he has successfully built up the partner network and direct sales in the USA. With the company’s increased focus on growing installation and other markets - while sustaining its strong position in the field of live audio - the Americas is all set to leverage further from this strategy. “I am more than excited about the opportunities ahead of us,” says Cornell. “To know I will be working with our outstanding team in realizing the huge potential of d&b in the Americas is the best situation that any incoming CEO could ever wish for.”
Before accepting the role of Chief Operating Officer Jan Scheffels was Head of Corporate Development at d&b, managing several strategic projects relating to sales, operational improvement, strategic partnerships and organizational development. Prior to joining the company in 2014, Jan held senior positions in two strategy and management consultancies in Germany, focussing on business performance improvement, strategy and organizational development, as well as mergers and acquisitions.
d&b audiotechnik expands facilities
In a planned development, to be able to manage increased sales, hold more stock, speed order processing and enhance customer service, d&b audiotechnik US has moved premises in May 2017. The new premises not only comprise offices, warehousing and service areas, but feature a dedicated in house training facility.
d&b audiotechnik can now be found in the USA at 30A Rosscraggon Road, Asheville NC 28803 and is conveniently located just three miles from Asheville.
d&b audiotechnik GmbH is also creating more space for production at headquarters in Backnang, Germany. The development saw the international Logistics and Shipping Department relocate from Backnang to Ilsfeld in the nearby District of Heilbronn.
The move, which took place in May 2017, gives the department a new 2,700 m² warehouse and logistics hall with additional administrative and social rooms. The extra space meets the company’s rising demand for logistics capacity, after enjoying substantial international growth for several years. As well as its close proximity to a motorway, the new hall also provides flexible space for the future.
Following a short construction period, around 15 co-workers moved from headquarters to Ilsfeld, creating space in Backnang to expand production. d&b now ships products from here to customers in Germany and abroad.During InfoComm 2017, in Orlando, FL, d&b audiotechnik introduced new installation 24S, 24S-D and 21S-SUB point source loudspeakers, designed as an all-in-one solution for live performance spaces, houses of worship, multipurpose centers and sports facilities.
The new 24S, 24S-D and 21S-SUB reset the performance level of the established d&b xS-Series. The 24S and 24S-D house two 12”
drivers in a dipolar driver arrangement, resulting in impressive directivity control down to 500 Hz and beyond. This means that energy is not dispersed into the reverberant field, improving speech intelligibility and increasing gain before feedback; ideal wherever vocal clarity is key. Furthermore, with their large cabinet volume, these loudspeakers produce a truly full range performance making them perfect stand-alone solutions.
For more demanding applications, or for bass heavy night clubs and live performances, the 21S-SUB extends the frequency response of this high performance system down to 35 Hz, and increasing LF headroom. With its single 21” driver, the 21S-SUB can also be used to supplement other installation subwoofers in Infra mode.
The new speakers were shown together with the elegant xC-Series columns, and alongside, the 10D installation amplifier with DSP capabilities.
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