Audion recruits vendors for CE push

Looking to make a name for itself in the consumer electronics space, Audion has added three new vendors to its portfolio.

The audiovisual distributor was recently acquired by public company, Ban Leong Group.

Marketing manager, Nikki Schoots, said it had since restructured and developed a clearer understanding of where it wanted to position the Audion business. It has now struck new distribution agreements with digital photo frames vendor, Lacor; audio vendor, Cyber Acoustics; and gaming hardware player, Razer.

Although Audion already distributes frames from AV Labs, Schoots claimed Lacor was a higher-end product set which allowed it to address both major retailers as well as smaller resellers.

Lacor also produces memory cards, batteries and chargers. Schoots said Audion would only focus on photo frames at this stage. Shoots said it signed with US-based audio vendor, Cyber Acoustics, to fill the gap left by its previous audio vendor supplier, Altec Lansing. Altec recently overhauled its distribution line-up to match that of its parent company, Plantronics, dropping Audio in favour of Anyware Computer Accessories, Amber Technology and Roadhound Electronics.

"We thought this was a good opportunity to re-align our strategy and build the Audion Group into a multi-level, IT, CE and audio and video distribution company instead of a single brand-boxed distributor," Schoots said.

Cyber Acoustics vice-president of international sales, Kurt Fisher, said Audion was well respected and positioned in the market.

"This [deal] offers a great opportunity for us to grow in the Australian market in the multimedia speaker, headset and headphone categories," he said.

The vendor's iRhythms brand with iPod docking speakers would continue to be distributed by Techlynx, Fisher said.

Schoots said the Razer brand allowed Audion to build its gaming platform with a well known and trusted brand.