Building its market presence in Central and South America, Martin Audio has appointed Avcom Colombia as its latest distributor.
Negotiations with CEO Camilo Aranguren began at the ISE Show in Barcelona between Avcom Colombia, and Martin Audio and sister company Optimal Audio at the beginning of the year. ‘We were already a partner of [Martin Audio parent company] Focusrite in Colombia, and know the technical advances Martin Audio has made,’ Aranguren says. ‘We have a strong position in the entertainment technology industry, and knew the brand would be a perfect addition to our distribution portfolio.’
‘Martin Audio is a “green field” as far as Colombia is concerned,’ he adds. ‘The brand is known but the opportunity to develop it is huge. The business model is beneficial to both parties.’
In particular, he predicts Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays, as well as the Torus loudspeaker family will be subject to most interest, and sees immediate synergies with other brands the company represents, particularly Avid, Robe, MDG and Luminex.
He recognises that, within the diverse Focusrite portfolio, the live and installed sound divisions require a unique approach from MI. ‘But our team has specialised knowledge, particularly of the rental market in the region,’ Aranguren says, adding that the teams pride themselves on being able to offer added value in terms of presales, project integration capabilities and post sales.
In terms of priorities, the rental and installation sectors will command equal focus. ‘Rental has great potential over the next 12 months, and the Martin Audio offering is strong. For the installation market, houses of worship, live venues and theatres will be our primary targets.’
Ancillary marketing into the corporate and education markets will be handled by Avcom Colombia’s Enterprise team.
Support for the collaboration is already in process, with certification training for techs and sound engineers. This will be masterminded by technical support from Proactive LATAM, who represent Martin Audio in Latin America and the Caribbean, under the supervision of founder and CEO, Berenice Gutiérrez.
