Flightcase and speaker solutions specialist Penn Elcom has acquired cables, connectors, lamps and LED lightsources company CLD Distribution and has completed a successful integration of CLD, which will continue with its own operation, identity and trading contacts under the Penn-Elcom umbrella.
CLD Distribution was founded in 1984 as a wholesale business dedicated to lamps, lighting, audio and colour components and consumables for the professional lighting and sound industry. It is still headed by founder Nigel Howes and Sandra Connolly (pictured).
Starting in Loxwood, West Sussex, UK, the operation moved to the Penn Fabrication site in Hastings in 2000, when more space was required.
Penn-Elcom has been trading in both directions with CLD Distribution for about 20 years, in a crossover relationship which has also seen Penn-Elcom supply many of the different components and parts offered by CLD to its own client base.
“CLD fills a large gap in the Penn-Elcom ranges, and their encyclopaedic knowledge in the world of connectors and lamps will be of great benefit to our clients,” said Penn-Elcom chairman Roger Willems. “It is a perfect match and it’s very exciting for all of us to be working together – there has always been a lot of mutual respect, and this is consolidated with the merger”.
Penn-Elcom is already proactive in supplying connectors to specific locations and regions, and with the CLD merger, the additional investment and the access to even greater expertise, Willems expects the connector ranges offered by Penn-Elcom to expand as a result.
There will also be the additional convenience to Penn-Elcom’s clients of being able to purchase elements like punched metalwork from them, and now (via CLD), the connectors and cables to complete the connection, all from one entity.
CLD’s workshop is currently producing pre-made leads, multicores and stage boxes, along with custom panels and 19 inch products which are also produced onsite.
Main dealers for Neutrik, CLD has a large stock holding of all products and is particularly well known for cables and connectors. CLD manufactures its own cable assemblies, multis and all the standard Neutrik-terminated cables.
On the lamp side of the business, CLD has been specialising in LEDs for some time. The company still also sells a full range of GE, Philips, Osram and other lamps.
CLD will continue to trade through its existing UK dealers, and internationally will be established in key areas like Europe and North America in its own right. In other markets, products will be distributed through the Penn-Elcom network.
