Panamax Wins 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for Innovative SM3-Pro System Manager

Commercial Integrator magazine today announced that Panamax, the leader in electronic and electrical protection, filtration and control products, has been awarded a 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for its SM3-PRO System Manager. The award was presented today at InfoComm 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The Commercial Integrator BEST Awards program recognizes the most noteworthy solutions for an integration business. A panel of industry experts, integrators, and the editors of Commercial Integrator chose the winners by reviewing all aspects of the products submitted, including innovation, functionality, competitive advantages, and benefits to the installer. The SM3-PRO won the Commercial Integrator BEST Award in the Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression, & Energy Solutions category.

“Receiving a BEST Award from Commercial Integrator is truly an honor,” Core Brands Director of Power & Accessories, John Benz, stated. “Panamax strives to provide integrators with products that not only protect and monitor electronics, but also make their jobs easier and more efficient. The new SM3-PRO is the latest product fulfilling this goal. It does so in a form factor well suited for a variety of components in commercial installations that may be located at some distance from the main system rack, such as smart digital displays and networking hardware.”

The SM3-PRO, along with other Panamax Pro Products (the M4000-PRO, M4315-PRO, and M3420-PRO) is sold in parallel with Furman Pro products to commercial integrators. All Furman commercial dealers have access to Panamax Pro.

Measuring only 10” x 7” x 1.75”, this compact device is small enough to mount behind a flat panel display, next to a projector, or inside a structured wiring cabinet. Along with robust power protection and filtering, the SM3-PRO’s BlueBOLT interface gives integrators the ability to perform remote hard reboots, monitor energy usage and network status, program scheduled on/off commands to reduce energy consumption, and create custom triggers for on/off, reboots and alerts based on environmental conditions and sensor input.

The SM3-PRO features three AC outlets in two controlled and monitored banks. Connected equipment is safeguarded with Panamax’s exclusive Protect-or-Disconnect catastrophic surge protection and AVM over/under voltage protection. The 2-port Ethernet switch delivers easy network connectivity to neighboring devices. Two accessory inputs, allow triggering of power outlets on and off (as well as email alerts) for highly customizable and flexible integration applications.

BlueBOLT enables a comprehensive systems management solution with monitoring of energy use and network status. Users and integrators can set energy usage budgets and receive alerts when nearing or exceeding defined energy use parameters. BlueBOLT’s network management feature allows any IP address to be “pinged” by the SM3-PRO and action to be taken (power cycle, power sequence, email alert, etc.) to be triggered when a device is not responsive on the network or if network connectivity is lost at the location.

The SM3-PRO System Manager has a suggested retail price of $349.00, and will be a featured item in the Furman Booth #3843 at InfoComm 2015.

SpeakerCraft Now Shipping Highly Anticipated AIM Series 2

SpeakerCraft, the premier audio brand from Core Brands, today announced that its latest architectural speaker series, AIM Series 2, is now shipping to dealers. The award-winning SpeakerCraft AIM Series 2 incorporates new technologies to deliver a superior home audio listening experience.

“SpeakerCraft AIM Series 2 has been 100% re-crafted to support sophisticated installations and advanced object-based surround audio platforms,” Core Brands Audio Marketing Manager Matt Dever explained. “The re-crafting effort addresses every aspect of the speaker, from front to back, resulting in a sound solution you’ll have to hear to believe.”

The most notable of these technologies is the new patent-pending ARC Tweeter Array™. Inspired by large sound reinforcement installations, the pivoting array is nothing short of groundbreaking. By incorporating multiple tweeters in the line array, AIM Series 2 delivers focused high frequencies farther into the listening area than standard tweeter configurations. The ARC Tweeter Array also enables the crossover point to be lowered, thus increasing the sound pressure level at the critical mid-range frequencies. “The result is that, acoustically, listeners enjoy a much larger sweet spot,” said Dever.  

Available with 5-inch, 7-inch and 8-inch woofer sizes, all AIM Series 2 speakers feature an updated WavePlane™ to further focus the high frequency energy into the listening environment for a cleaner, warmer and richer sound. The entirely new speaker housing design allows the woofer to pivot 30 degrees in all directions, while enabling 359 degrees of rotation for the WavePlane and ARC Tweeter Array.  In addition, the ARC Tweeter Array can be adjusted +/- 15 degrees toe-in/toe-out. The result is virtually limitless directional capability.  

While the front of the speaker gets most of the deserved attention, the back of this speaker delivers game-changing technologies as well. The all-new Acoustic Isolation Technology™ decouples the speaker housing from the surrounding materials, providing a more acoustically repeatable installation and improving sound transference to the listening area by minimizing structural resonance created by the surrounding wall or ceiling. The minimized resonance transfer is achieved using co-molded, lower density compounds, setting AIM Series 2 apart from any speaker in the industry. The speaker can be enjoyed as it was meant to be enjoyed – not colored by the resonance of the material on which it is mounted.

Fully re-crafted, all AIM Series 2 speakers feature a U.S. engineered transducer, motor and crossover. The new curvilinear cone design creates greater bass response, and the non-conductive Kapton formers, copper caps and extended poles reduce distortion. With increased power handling and sensitivity, the speakers deliver an overall cleaner and louder sound.

“The enhanced aim-ability of the AIM Series 2 presents new options for sound design – from home theatre to whole home audio,” Dever continued. “More than ever, sound can be redirected to a specific section of a room, angled toward a seating area or where an audio impact is desired. In addition, integrators can now offer their clients the most uniform coverage ever in any room, along with increased power and frequency response. We’re proud to make installation easier and more flexible for integrators while providing consumers with a superior home audio experience.” 

All models of the AIM Series 2 speakers are available for immediate delivery to dealers. For more information about the AIM Series 2, visit: www.speakercraft.com. 

Core Brands Promotes Gordon Isaac to National Director of CI Channel Sales

In recognition of the outstanding contributions he has made to building CI channel sales throughout the southwest, Core Brands, LLC today announced the immediate promotion of Gordon Isaac from Southwest Region Sales Manager to National Director of CI Channel Sales, reporting directly to Core Brands Vice President of Sales Jeff Costello. 

Effective immediately, Isaac assumes responsibility for the development and implementation of all regional and national sales programs for all brands sold through custom installation dealers.  “Gordon is an outstanding sales professional who has the skills and experience that will help our nationwide network of CI dealers grow their businesses for many years to come,” Costello said today.  “Core Brands is now bringing to market the broadest range of control and audio solutions in our history, and Gordon’s 20 years of experience in the CE and CI channel makes him the right sales leader to launch of these products in the channel.”

Since first becoming involved in the CE and CI industries in 1994, Isaac has held a number of industry-specific retailer, manufacturer, sales rep, and systems integrator sales and management positions, resulting in a uniquely broad perspective that promises to be of great value to dealers and the company’s sales rep partners, according to Costello. 

Prior to serving as Southwest Region Sales Manager at Core Brands, Gordon Isaac was West Coast Sales Manager for SpeakerCraft.  Other previous positions include Regional Sales Manager for Crestron Electronics, Southwest Territory Manager for rep firm Sound-Tech Marketing, Market Representative for Bose Corporation, Store Manager for Ultimate Electronics, and the Director of Finance, Marketing, and Vendor Relations for R2W, a $20-million residential and commercial systems integrator. 

“I have been deeply involved with selling, specifying, and installing the Core Brands portfolio of best-in-class brands since 1996, and I understand the business needs of our dealers and our rep partners,” Isaac said today.  “I believe in creating real business partner relationships with our customers and our reps, and becoming more than just another vendor to the people we do business with. I’ve spent the past 10 years in the field meeting with all types of dealers and love working closely to help them further their success.  For me there is no better feeling than being in front of our customers, and I look forward to working face to face with them, understanding their needs and challenges, and doing whatever we can do to improve their businesses.”

Core Brands Names Atlantic Integrated to Represent Elan Along With its Power and Audio Brands In The New York Metropolitan Area

Underscoring the growing and expanding market strength of its ELAN Entertainment and Control platform, Core Brands, a Nortek company (NASDAQ: NTK), today announced the appointment of Rockleigh, New Jersey based Atlantic Integrated, the former Savant area rep, to serve as the New York Metropolitan Area sales representative firm for Core Brands.

L to R: Ben Schreier, Dave Humphries and Mike Pawlowski of Atlantic Integrated with Adam Griffin and Jim Koenig of Core Brands.

“Atlantic Integrated is the most respected sales rep firm in the entire New York metropolitan area,” said Dave Keller, Senior Vice President of Sales, Core Brands, in announcing the appointment.  “The ELAN control platform combined with our audio and power brands and representation by Atlantic Integrated will more effectively present the complete Core Brands value proposition to dealers throughout the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut sales regions.  In doing so, we will be able to offer these dealers an exciting new series of profit generating sales programs leveraging the substantial product attachment opportunities between ELAN and our audio and power brands.”

According to Keller, the appointment of Atlantic Integrated also immediately streamlines and enhances the company’s dealer communications and programs throughout the region, making it easier for dealers to discuss all brands from Core Brands in a single meeting.

“In addition, Core Brands will now be able to utilize the Atlantic Integrated state-of-the-art training center to more rapidly on-board new CI dealers while keeping all of our dealers trained to expertly install and service our new products and system solutions,” said Keller. “This appointment represents a giant step forward in our service to customers throughout this critically important territory.

Dave Humphries, the principal of Atlantic Integrated, today commented that, “The entire Atlantic Integrated team is extremely excited to have the opportunity to represent the single most important brand family in the entire custom installation industry.  We believe that the brands of Core Brands individually make up the best-in-class products within each category.  Collectively, Core Brands is a unified solution that enables our integrators to offer their customers a comprehensive integrated solution.”

Atlantic Integrated (www.atlanticintegrated.com) is located at 22 Paris Avenue, Suite 208, Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647.  They can be reached at (201) 767-4230. The firm’s principal, Dave Humphries, can also be reached at (973) 634-3555 or at Dave@atlanticintegrated.com.