PEOPLE
z z u B Reed Is Fundamental
Wilcher to Run for City Commission in Kentucky
Gordy Wilcher, who for 46 years owned Owensboro Music Center in Owensboro, Ky., on May 19 filed to run for the city’s commission. Wilcher is also a founding member of the iMSO MI trade group, bassist and vocalist with the Velvet Bombers, and often contributed to the Music & Sound Retailer’s September Independent Retailer Roundtable feature. “A huge thank you to many of our current city leaders and friends and family for your support,” Wilcher wrote on Facebook. “I do not take this challenge lightly and want to work hard for our community and our business and fellow citizens. I have a fantastic team to help me stay on course. I BELIEVE IN OWENSBORO.”
Catching a New Wave
New Jerseybased Wave Distro, distributor for pro audio brands including Empirical Labs, Useful Arts Audio, Whitestone Audio Instruments and Serpent Audio, announced the addition of industry veteran Orin Portnoy as sales representative for select brands in the USA and Canada. Portnoy brings a wealth of experience in audio to Wave Distro, most notably from his 20-year tenure as vice president of sales and marketing for CE Distribution and, prior to that, a decade spent with New Sensor Corporation (Electro-Harmonix, Sovtek). Born and raised in New York City, Portnoy currently works from his home base in Tempe, Ariz.
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Yamaha Corp. of America (YCA) named Reed Larrimore its senior director of combo channel sales. In this role, Larrimore is responsible for leading sales efforts for the company’s combo music products, as well as expanding the scope of distribution for Yamaha Guitar Group products under the Line 6 and Ampeg brands. He is also tasked with broadening sales for Steinberg software and hardware products. Larrimore continues to report directly to Garth Gilman, corporate vice president. “Reed is an accomplished professional who has done an exceptional job of leading Yamaha sales teams to success,” said Gilman. “He is also one of only a select few individuals in his position to be inducted into the prestigious Yamaha President’s Club, which awards high-achieving sales professionals in the organization. I am confident that he will continue to elevate our company’s overall sales strategy for many years to come.” Larrimore joined Yamaha in 2001 as district manager for what was then the Pro Audio and Combo Division, serving the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania territory. In 2005, he was promoted to eastern regional sales manager, and in 2012, to director, national sales. He was named director, combo channel sales, in April 2019.
A Sound Selection
Audix named Steve Johnson as vice president of sales and marketing. Johnson has served for more than 30 years in the pro audio and communications industries, with a background in engineering, marketing and senior management roles. Johnson was most recently the CEO of Community Professional Loudspeakers, with previous leadership positions with Bosch Communications Systems, Harman Music Group and Shure microphones. “Audix is an outstanding brand with a legacy of quality and innovation,” said Johnson. “There are many exciting things on the horizon and in the works at Audix. I look forward to helping expand their reach and shaping a strong long-term vision that drives success for years to come.” “Audix has been seeking an industry leader with the skillset to take [the company] to the next level,” added Cindy Bigeh, CFO of Audix. “We welcome the strong business acumen Steve brings to the Audix sales and marketing teams. We are anticipating much success with Steve at the helm.”
JUNE 2020
