We spend our days working in a technology-driven and fairly young industry, where if a startup company can make it through its first five or ten years, that’s considered an accomplishment. So if a company reaches the 30-year mark — nearly a third of a century, as in the case of Hosa Technology — that accomplishment is quite impressive indeed.
And 1984 was a ways back in time. Apple announced its Macintosh Computer in a famed commercial spot during the 1984 Super Bowl. It was the year that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was born. The Internet? For the general public, not even close; back then, high-tech, high-speed communication was faxes sent over long-distance phone lines.
The Early Days
That same year, Hosa Technology opened for business on June 1, 1984. The company was conceived and founded by Sho Sato for the purpose of distributing Hosa-brand musical instrument cables, adapters, and accessories to musical instrument dealers worldwide. The company direction wasn’t just a coincidence, especially to Sato, who had worked the previous 17 years at TEAC in Montebello, CA, starting off as a technician and climbing through the ranks, eventually becoming national sales manager of its Accessories Division.
From its humble beginnings in 1984, company founder Sho Sato has built Hosa into an internationally recognized organization that provides an expansive range of products for various industries. What began as a single-page catalog of audio interconnects and adaptors now encompasses most — if not all — audio cables and adaptors, a growing assortment of data and video cables, wireless microphones, stands, and much more.
All along the way, Hosa has demonstrated an uncanny knack for having the right product at the right time. Even from the very beginning, one of its most successful products was a line of multichannel audio interconnect snakes 1/4-inch to 1/4-inch, RCA to RCA, RCA to 1/4-inch, etc. By manufacturing these with molded-on connectors, these could be made for a third the cost of custom wired snakes, and they were perfect for connecting analog consoles to outboard racks, patchbays and the multiple outputs of a stack of MIDI synths and drum machines. A decade later, when ADAT and DA-88 recorders started becoming regular visitors to studio and live sound rigs, Hosa followed suit with custom snakes, sync cables and TosLink optical cabling.
Even today, Hosa continues to follow suit with digital cabling, and adapters for HDMI and USB 3.0 — again, right on time when the market demands it, yet there’s still a constant need for simple day to day analog stuff, such as 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch TRS headphone connections.
And that attention to needs has paid off. Hosa Technology has grown considerably during its three decades of operation. The company currently employs 40 people, ranging from customer service to sales and marketing, product development, shipping and receiving, and administration. The company’s main office and warehouse are located in Buena Park, CA, but recently a second warehouse was opened in Taiwan to cater to the company’s international customers. In addition, Hosa works with a total of 20 sales rep firms to support its domestic and international efforts.
The Next Generation
Hosa’s 30th anniversary celebration kicked off at January’s Winter NAMM Show with a focus on the company’s leadership transition from Sato to his daughter, new CEO Mayumi Martinez.
On opening day of the 2014 Winter NAMM Show, Hosa commemorated its 30 years in business by inviting its longest-standing dealers, including Sweetwater, Sam Ash, American Musical Supply, Alto Music, and numerous others, for a celebratory toast. During the gathering, Martinez reiterated the company’s focus on providing the best cables and connectors to the industry.
“I’ve always been attracted to the opportunity to take what my father built from the ground up and elevate it,” says Martinez. “While I can’t replace his 47 years of knowledge in pro audio, I’m very fortunate to have a great team behind me with the technical expertise required to maintain our focus, which remains ensuring Hosa’s success as a leading provider of cables, adaptors, and other connectivity products.”
Stemming from her family’s competitive nature, Martinez said her goal for Hosa over the next five years is to double the company’s sales, which means expanding beyond MI and pro audio, and adding more technology cables. She also plans to expand Goby Labs and Mogan Microphones, Hosa’s other key brands. “My goal is to make Hosa the go-to brand for professional connectivity products,” Martinez explained. “Everyone needs HDMI, USB, and other technology cables, but pros are often forced to use consumer-grade products. I believe Hosa can excel in that niche, with cables built for the jobs at hand.”
As Hosa looks forward, Martinez sees the company’s largest areas of growth to be in the AV integration industry, bridging the gap between audio and video. “AV integration is bringing audio and video closer together, and many dealers that have traditionally focused on video and consumer electronics are bringing pro audio to a larger market than ever,” Martinez said. “Since the DSLR camera has become the go-to tool for videographers, even camera stores are carrying an ever-increasing selection of Hosa pro audio products.”
“The evolution of Hosa Technology to its present day status is an accomplishment my father and I are extremely proud of,” Martinez concludes. “Over the years, Hosa has grown to reflect the diverse nature of the music and sound industry. The people who work here are like family. Without their effort and dedication, the company’s growth and success would not have been possible. Looking forward, I envision even greater opportunities as we strive to provide the music, sound, and A/V professional with the best tools available to help make their aspirations a reality.”
For more information about Hosa Technology, please visit www.hosatech.com.
