THIEL Audio, the legendary loudspeaker design and manufacturing company founded by Jim Thiel (who died in 2009) and Kathy Gornik in 1976, has been acquired by an unnamed Nashville, Tennessee-based private equity firm.
New THIEL CEO Bill Thomas, in a statement, has assured that the brand focus will continue to be on premium quality, phase and time coherent loudspeakers, and that long-time THIEL employees Brad Paulsen, Gary Dayton, Lana Ruth and Rob Gillum will remain onboard.
“We identified THIEL as a brand with an unmatched heritage in performance audio and it is our intent to invest in the company’s infrastructure, strengthening the engineering department first and foremost,” said Thomas, noting that THIEL had just launched the CS2.7 and the CS1.7 was in the final stages of development, with the award-winning CS3.7 rounding out the CS series.
“We can improve efficiencies here at THIEL in the product development and manufacturing stages, shortening the time to delivery for new products with zero compromise in product quality,” he added.
The company will also explore new product categories and also prioritise expanding its architectural speaker series.
“We will invest considerable time and energy speaking to our distribution channels worldwide, gathering data about the marketplace from those who know it best before making any decisions about new product direction,” Thomas said, adding that resources will also be allocated to improving the company’s website and other marketing initiatives.
The entire factory team has been retained and the existing sales channel of reps and dealers will remain in place, while the R&D and manufacturing facility in Lexington, Kentucky will continue to operate at full capacity.
We’ve also been informed that the new CEO will make an announcement soon regarding Gornik’s role in the company, although the grapevine has it that the former company president is moving on.
THIEL Audio has won more than 60 prestigious awards since 1978 for loudspeaker design and performance.
