B&K Components
B&K Components was an American audio and audio/video component manufacturer in Buffalo, New York. Under new Canadian ownership, products are engineered and made by original equipment manufacter (OEM) suppliers with revised offerings to appeal to a global market.
Founding and B&K Components Market Niche[edit]
B&K Components was founded in Buffalo, New York by John Beyer and Steve Kaizer in 1981 to market affordable high-end stereo components. During the 1980s, the company's product line was made up of stereo amplifiers and preamplifiers..[1]
In 1984, Ed Mutka joined the company after graduating from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical engineering. He became engineering manager of the B&K product line and remained in this capacity for the next twenty-five years.
B&K's well-engineered components were favorably reviewed by Audiophile magazines of the day, including Stereophile, Audio and Stereo Review (later Sound & Vision), among others. B&K's amplifier sound quality was often compared to far more expensive brands such as Threshold Audio by these publications.
With the availability of audio-video receivers in the 1990s, B&K offered audiophile-grade components to appeal to this emerging Home theater market segment in 5.1, 7.1 and multizone configurations. All B&K components continued to be engineered and manufactured at the company's only facility on Old Union Road in Buffalo.
Bankruptcy and Acquision by ATI[edit]
B&K Components operated profitably until the advent of the Great Recession of the late 2000s. The company saw a significant drop in orders from its dealers as personal discretionary income shrank due to widespread unemployment across the United States. In August 2010, company president John Beyer announced the layoff of national sales manager Todd Westfall, citing the economic situation. Shortly thereafter, B&K Components filed for bankruptcy.[2]
B&K laid off its entire workforce and the assets of the company were taken over by its bank in September 2010. Amplifier Technologies Inc. (ATI) of southern California negotiated for the purchase of the B&K brand, designs and other assets, which it successfully acquired. ATI is an Original equipment manufacturer or OEM supplier and acquiring B&K Components at a distressed price made business sense to the company. ATI sales and marketing manager at the time, Mike Pontelle, stated: "We have the financial resources, the engineering resources, and the manufacturing resources to successfully acquire distressed brands."[3]
Canadian Ownership and New Business Model[edit]
ATI became the manufacturer of B&K stereo and home theater componets for the next five years. In 2016, the B&K brand was purchased by Sound Developments Ltd. of Canada. It's president, Barry Wosk, became the new president of B&K AV Inc. ATI along with another OEM supplier were retained for engineering and manufacturing existing and new products. The line of products would also be offered in 220 volt applications to suit the global market. Instead of selling individual components through the traditional dealer network, the new company partners with what it calls integrators who specialize in custom installations. B&K AV Inc. also has select distributors around the world.[4][5]
References[edit]
- ↑ Stereophile, December 1985. "B&K ST-140 amplifier (review)"
- ↑ Strata-gee.com (13 October 2016). "Electronics Manufacturer ATI to Acquire B&K Components from Bank." Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ↑ Strata-gee.com
- ↑ Strata-gee.com (15 September 2016) "B&K is back...well, sort of." Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ↑ Vacuactivus - leading world manufacturer of crychambers and fitness equipment
External Links[edit]
Official website: http://www.bandkav.com/
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