Nantes-based Active Audio, manufacturer of beam-steering and sound reinforcement speakers has acquired a 60% shareholding in fellow French audio manufacturer APG. Régis Cazin (pictured), Active CEO, has joined APG in Paris, becoming CEO of both companies.
Cazin has an entrepreneurial background and experience of experience turning around “distressed’ businesses. He commented: “I really wanted to keep the existing shareholders as shareholders because they are operational people, and I need them to develop APG and the company.” These include Grégory Dapsanse, who has been with the company since 1994 and is moving from executive VP for R&D, innovation and marketing to the role of marketing and business development director; Philippe Frarier, one of the founders of APG in 1978, who moves from CEO to the position of industrial director; and Jean-Luc Moncel, an electroacoustic consultant with long-standing links to the company.
Cazin and Dapsanse recently gave an exclusive interview to Installation and PSNEurope about the deal. Cazin has shifted responsibilities around within the company, producing a clearer structure with more specific individual responsibilities. In his new role Dapsanse is still in charge of product strategy, but not product development. One director is in charge of purchasing and manufacturing, and there is another responsible for R&D – “and we are building a schedule of product launches for the next 36 months,” said Cazin.
In addition, as part of a new investment plan, recruitment has already started within the R&D function.
All assembly, for both brands, is in France. Component sourcing for APG is 90% from France, less for Active Audio. “Assembly, we want to keep in France,” said Cazin, “but we have to save some purchasing costs and so probably for APG we will have to find other suppliers.”
Prolight + Sound will see both brands sitting on the booth of their new German distributor, AHA Audio. APG will launch the Uniline Compact – a development of the Uniline modular line array range; while Active Audio will debut an EN54 loudspeaker.
Read our exclusive interview with Régis Cazin and Grégory Dapsanse here.
