Strategy in TECH...
This week, ADI Global Distribution, currently part of Resideo Technologies but soon to be split off as an independent company, has sent an email message to Control4 dealers reassuring them that nothing is going to change when the company goes independent from Resideo. The email to dealers, which has been viewed by Strata-gee, reassured dealers that ADI’s commitment to Contro4 is stronger than ever.
But, is it?
In an industry often defined by rapid-fire technological shifts, I have spent the last thirty years mastering a different kind of evolution: the strategic bridge between high-end custom integration and national scale. From the high-fidelity showroom floors of Detroit’s legendary Pecar Electronics to the corporate boardroom of a billion-dollar distributor, my constantly evolving career serves as a masterclass in how to pivot to navigate the complexity of the AV custom integration market.
The purpose of this story is to share some of the milestones and career pivots that combined to help shape my “Be a Trusted Partner” philosophy—and how this principle helped to turn a security giant into an AV powerhouse.
Multiple sources are reporting that last week, Resideo Technologies’ company ADI unexpectedly executed layoffs of what they believe to be large numbers of employees, potentially in the hundreds. Many, if not most, of these layoffs are said to be centered on ADI’s Control4 unit legacy employees.
The popular Northern California CI Expo & Technology Conference is preparing to run on May 28, 2026, in the same facility where the event was hosted last year – the DoubleTree Hotel at the Club, in Pleasanton, California. Organizers tell me that this year’s CI Expo will be even bigger and better than last year, with expanded exhibition space housing a greater assortment of booths presenting all of the latest technology innovations in the custom integration (CI) industry.
Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI), predominantly a security and safety products company with two major divisions, including Products and Solutions (manufacturing) and ADI (distribution), announced the financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2026 this week. The company reported that revenues beat previously forecasted guidance, and adjusted earnings grew as well.
And yet the market reacted strongly, with the value of Resideo’s stock crashing almost 18% on the day after it released its results. Read on to see why the stock declined.
Long-time leading loudspeaker brand M&K Sound has selected Audio Collective Group as its exclusive U.S. distributor. The appointment is said to be effective immediately.
La Verne, Ca-based Harmonia Distribution, a national distributor of select high-end, high-performance audio brands, has announced recent changes to its leadership structure in the wake of the departure of former President David Schultz, who left the company at the end of 2025. Taking over as President is Jesse Luna, who was promoted from his previous role as Vice President of the company. Also, Jeff Coates has assumed the role of Director of Sales. Coates was also an internal advancement from his previous position as US Sales Manager.
London-based audio company Cambridge Audio announced this week that it has selected Fidelity Imports as its exclusive distribution partner for the United States territory. This is a move that Cambridge says marks a “strategic milestone” and suggests will serve to scale up its operations here in the States.
Making what it calls a “renewed commitment to the American market,” Hamburg, Germany-based Velodyne Acoustics announced today that it has appointed Playback Distribution as its exclusive distributor for the U.S. market. The new partnership will kick off at the upcoming CEDIA Expo in Denver, CO, on September 4-6, 2025.
AVPro Edge, part of the AVPro Global group of companies, announced this week that it has expanded its commercial channel distribution in the GCC region, part of the Middle East, by partnering with Keyston Distribution Fzco. This move, which the company calls a “strategic step,” will help further extend its presence in this major world region.
