Strategy in TECH...
Frank Sterns, a well-known and highly regarded (some would say renowned) industry executive, has been retained to consult on custom integration matters with Nationwide Marketing Group. Clearly a sign of just how serious the large diversified Nationwide organization is about targeting custom integration, Sterns brings a wealth of Grade A experience as a leader in the custom integration space.
Sound United LLC, the parent company to brands such as Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, and Boston Acoustics, announced on Tuesday that they have joined forces with Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA), a leading trade consortium of custom integration dealers. This new partnership will expand availability of some of the top specialty audio brands throughout North America, thanks to HTSA’s extensive network of top dealers.
When news first appeared two months ago that Frank Sterns was making the move from Sony to Sound United, many folks asked…why? At Sony, he was a top executive with a global CE leader positioned at the top of the industry food chain…a backbone-of-the-industry brand…the inventor of many of the core technologies used in just about every home in America today. Yes, Sound United is a global player as well, but in a much more limited way…and focused exclusively in only one area…audio.
As we hurtle headlong into the a new decade – the 2020s – it’s a good time to pause and take stock of some of the major events of our industry’s recent history by ranking the Top 10 Strata-gee stories of 2019 based on total page views. This ranking shows just what stories drew the most attention of Strata-gee’s eminently intelligent and inquisitive readers.
Rumors abound for the last few days and now we learn it’s true, Frank Sterns, former Vice President of AV Specialty/Custom Integration for Sony, has left that position to join Sound United as Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – Americas. This new role will begin on January 6, 2020.
Much like any trade show, CEDIA Expo 2019 was full of optimism and good cheer. But with just a few questions to top executives of major exhibitors it is fairly easy to pierce that veil of good cheer to reveal underlying concerns of approaching economic storm clouds. I chatted with Frank Sterns, Sony’s Vice President of AV Specialty/Custom Integration, about the turbulent waters our industry is sailing through and how Sony is faring in the face of these increasing headwinds.
As we all gather in San Diego for our annual pilgrimage to CEDIA, it can seem like another year/another show. But this show is different – it is the last CEDIA show produced by CEDIA. A fact leading many to wonder…what does the future hold, for both the show and the organization? We’ve spoken to several members and exhibitors to learn of their mood heading into this seminal event.
Azione Unlimited, a retail buying group of custom integrators, announced today that it has partnered with Sony Corp. to offer its line to Azione’s nationwide membership. The group will carry products from Sony’s AV specialty and custom integration channel division.
When we first reported on the appointment of Frank Sterns as Sony’s VP of A/V Specialty/Custom Integration on the eve of the September 2013 CEDIA Expo, like many of you…we were skeptical. After all, we’ve heard encouraging announcements from Sony before…only to watch those initiatives in limited distribution, high-end products fall into disrepair through over-distribution, under-resourcing, or both.
But this time is different, Sterns tells us. And as he runs around the country setting up a whole new sales operation…we’re beginning to believe him.
We have learned today that former President of Niles Audio, Frank Sterns, is now the Vice President of Custom Installation at Sony Corp. This new appointment, effective this week, marks a significant change for Sterns who has been consulting to a variety of primarily smaller custom integration brands for the last two years.
