KIDDERMINSTER, UK — The Music Group signed a deal to acquire the Midas and Klark Teknik brands from Bosch Communications Systems. The Music Group owns the Behringer brand as well as a number of other associated companies and is managed by Uli Behringer and Michael Deeb.
The sale of Midas and Klark Teknik is part of an asset deal that was signed on Dec. 8, 2009. The sale is subject to regulatory approval. The terms have not been disclosed.
According to statements released by The Music Group, they plan to retain all 106 employees currently working at Midas and Klark Teknik, the brands will continue to operate independently and the current distribution network (including the recent move to Midas Consoles North America) will remain unchanged.
Robert Mulatz, senior vice president of Bosch Communications Systems, said: “Midas and Klark Teknik have always epitomized the highest possible performance and reliability in the mixing console and signal processing markets. Within the professional audio business of Bosch, this niche market has not been defined as a core business area due to its size and specific requirements. With the Music Group, we believe we have found both the passion and the financial ability needed to grow Midas and Klark Teknik. Of all potential buyers that were screened, we have selected the Music Group as the best fit.”
Uli Behringer, chairman of the Music Group, said: “I am thrilled and honored to join with John Oakley and his team in taking these legendary brands forward. I have immense respect for the dedication to quality, performance and customer service that this team has shown consistently over the years. While we plan to invest considerable resources and support in these brands, we also look forward to learning from the achievements of their engineers and working with them to take Behringer and all of the Music Group brands to a new level.”
Music Group CEO Michael Deeb said, “Midas and Klark Teknik are at the very pinnacle of their market segment. They address a very unique client base and have a different sales channel from our current core business. The brands will continue to operate autonomously under the leadership of John Oakley while benefiting from the synergies of our combined efforts. All brands will take advantage of the Music Group’s extensive resources and industry-leading competencies including product development, lifecycle management, supply chain and logistics."
The final word comes from Alex Cooper, Midas director of console engineering, who said: “For over 20 years I have devoted my life to designing the finest quality audio products possible. It has always been our goal to achieve the very best performance while continuing to broaden our market presence and expand our customer base. I am convinced that working with the Music Group will provide us with advantages that will help us maintain our high standards and grow the business for the long term.”
FOH will continue to follow this story as it develops.
