Daniel J SaitAutomation brand Savant, has announced the acquisition of audio brand Artison, producer of high-performance whole-house audio and home theatre solutions that merge strong aesthetics with detailed sound quality.
The acquisition enables Savant to leverage Artison’s key patents and audio engineering expertise toward future innovative entertainment technologies.
This latest buy underlines a strong current trend for companies involved in the automation and AV space to merge, not just for the brand value each participant can bring, but the technical knowhow within each organisations offering big benefits as AV and automation not to mention IT continue to merge.
Artison was founded by engineer Cary Christie in 2003 and has demonstrated an ongoing culture of innovation in the architectural loudspeaker and subwoofer categories.
Artison holds a number of patents related to advanced speaker technologies and is also scheduled to release a unique, compact multi-channel amplifier technology later this year. Artison currently offers a full line of specialty loudspeakers with customisable grills including sound bars, subwoofers and surrounds for home theater applications.
The products in the UK are supported and distributed by Redline Distribution and speaking exclusively to CE Pro Europe, Vincent Warner, audio service manager at Redline, says that he has been reliably informed (by Cary Christie) that the arrangement will stay the same as the company has long experience with the brand and will remain the ‘go to guys’ in the UK. Where similar arrangements exist in the rest of Europe, the status quo seems likely to be maintained there as well.
Savant says the acquisition will expand the company’s pro audio offering allowing integrators to deliver audio over IP solutions.
“With Savant and Artison working cohesively together, we will unveil exciting new products engineered specifically for the luxury home and commercial markets,” says Savant CEO Robert Madonna. “As the demand for premium home entertainment solutions continues to climb, we will now have the capacity to offer best-in-class audio solutions as part of the Savant connected home experience.”
Cary adds: “Myself and the Artison team are excited for the opportunity to join the Savant family. We look forward to driving new product initiatives at Savant, working toward the design, engineering and delivery of truly innovative, superior performance entertainment and control products.”
The long term future of the Artison brand as a stand-alone looks less clear however. Speaking to Ce Pro in the States, Robert indicated that the plan is to maintain the Artison brand name for the short term: “Both brands are high end, so we haven’t quite figured out the full branding plan. It will definitely be a Savant-branded product line with the Artison brand alongside to start.”
It has also been revealed that Cary will assume the title of CTO of Audio at Savant, bringing his creative and engineering skills talent to the company.