ASA Electronics discusses Marine Audio purchase

The Elkhart, Ind.-based mobile electronics manufacturer will continue production of Marine Audio’s line and maintain its separate identity.

Last week, ASA Electronics made public its purchase of Marine Audio Engineering and Sales, a former ASA competitor and one of the few in the marine audio segment that mirrors the Elkhart, Ind.-based company’s philosophies, Fred Sherrerd, industry manager of ASA’s marine division, told Boating Industry.

ASA moved to acquire Marine Audio after its founder and owner, Dick Baker, announced his intentions to retire. As former competitors, Sherrerd’s company knew acquiring the company made sense.

“Marine Audio is really the company in the marine audio industry that has the closest type of business philosophy and product development capability,” Sherrerd said.

Sherrerd said both companies share a strong focus on customer service and boat builder interaction, along with their research and development capabilities.

Going forward, Sherrerd said the Marine Audio brand will become integrated into ASA’s operations but will retain its separate identity. The Marine Audio product line will remain in production.

“The line has a very high level of accessories and speakers, so there was no reason to do anything but keep it in the marketplace,” he said.

Previously a distributor as well as a manufacturer, Marine Audio will not continue any of its former partnerships with audio companies like Bose and Clarion. Sherrerd said those former partnerships were not part of the purchase. However, Sherrerd said new strategic partnerships that came out of the acquisition will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sherrerd said his company’s familiarity with the company during its time as competitors will ease the integration of its product line into ASA production. The major focus in the early stages of the acquisition will be connecting with Marine Audio’s current customers. To further this effort, ASA has worked to bring on key members of the company’s sales staff.

“We want to make sure these businesses continue to prosper and benefit by the type of value adds that Marine Audio brought,” he said.

 

 

 

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