Aalberg Audio Appoints KMC Music as its Exclusive United States Distributor of the Ground-Breaking, Wireless Controlled Effect Pedals

Adding further momentum to its 2016 business development program, KMC Music (www.kmcmusic.com), the industry-leading distributor of MI and ProAudio products, today announced that it has been appointed by Aalberg Audio (www.aalbergaudio.com) to serve as its exclusive United States distributor.

Roger Hart, KMC Music Vice President of Merchandising, today called the appointment another important step forward in KMC’s 2016 business development program. “While last year was very much a year of transition for KMC, this year is going to be a year of significant growth and expansion as we add more and more lines to our brand portfolio," Hart said. "The addition of Aalberg’s audio effects pedals to our available lines is only going to help drive sales for our dealers.” 

According to Hart, great care has been invested in the hardware and software that makes Aalberg audio effects pedals sound amazing while being intuitive to use — with and without their wireless controller. “The pedals have rich, high definition audio, LED indicators for parameter levels, stereo in/out for multiple signal configurations, and a patented custom designed aluminum housing that is built to last,” he emphasized. “The pedals also the have the ability to wirelessly connect with the Aalberg Update app, enabling musicians to easily upload new content to the pedals.” 

Aalberg Audio of Norway, an award-winning manufacturer of innovative and high-end audio equipment, is committed to becoming the world leader in wireless music equipment. The core products of Aalberg Audio are guitar effects pedals that can be controlled wirelessly from a control unit attached to the guitar. This gives the guitar player greater freedom on stage, and the possibility to manipulate the sound in a manner not previously possible.

The inspiration for wireless effects pedals came to Aalberg Audio co-founder and guitarist Rune Aalberg Alstad after a night out with student friends in 2010 during which they'd been arguing about which were the best effects pedals on the market at that time. Alstad realized that all the pedals shared a common flaw: they are all fixed to one position on stage. The sky opened up and the ideas for a remote controlled pedal just came pouring in. Alstad recalls grabbing the closest object he could write on and scribbling down the blueprint for a remotely controlled effects pedal.

Rune used his idea to form the basis of a Masters degree in Music Technology at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU). Rune teamed up with the engineer Torkild Indstøy (now Aalberg's CTO) and entrepreneur Aleksander Torstensen (now Aalberg's CEO). The team has grown since then with many contributors and advisors helping to make our innovative ideas into a reality.

KMC Music Opens New Corporate Headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut, Relocates Warehousing and Distribution to Mississippi

Calling it the start of the next great chapter in its proud history of serving the MI and Pro Audio industries, KMC Music (www.kmcmusic.com) today announced that it has completed its transition from Fender Musical Instruments to JAM Industries ownership with the opening of a new corporate headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut, the relocation of its warehousing and distribution to the JAM Industries operations center in Southaven, Mississippi, and the implementation of new credit and order processing systems based in JAM Industries’ Montreal, Canada headquarters.

From left to right: James Tsaptsinos, Vice President of Sales; Mark Terry, President; and Roger Hart, Vice President of Merchandising

“An exciting new chapter in our history of service to MI and Pro Audio dealers is now underway,” KMC Music President Mark Terry said today.  “We are looking forward to bringing to our dealers an unprecedented new array of business building sales and promotion programs designed to help them better meet the needs of their customers.”

Effective immediately, the new KMC Music corporate headquarters will be based in Bloomfield, Connecticut in a new campus that includes all executive offices, telemarketing, training, sales, marketing and customer support functions.  The new address is 310 West Newberry Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002.  The general phone number is (855) 417-8677.  “When it was time to select a new corporate headquarters we knew we didn’t want to stray far from our roots,” Terry explained.  “We’re thrilled to remain in Bloomfield, where our company was founded and where so much of our history resides.  Staying in Bloomfield also reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the core values that have made us the leading distributor of MI and Pro Audio solutions — a customer-centric focus, a commitment to exceed our customers’ every expectations, and our determination to always provide the broadest range of high value added products, programs, training, and service support.”

The new KMC Music headquarters in Bloomfield, CT

The new KMC Music warehouse will be based out of JAM Industries’ 300,000 square foot, state-of-the-art automated operations and distribution center in Southaven, Mississippi.  The address of the new warehouse is 4325 Executive Drive, Suite 300, Southaven, Mississippi 38672.

In addition, all KMC Music Accounts Payable/Receivable functions have now been moved from Fender Musical Instruments to the JAM Industries corporate headquarters in Montreal, Canada.  Effective immediately, all credit inquiries should be directed to credit@jamindustriesUSA.com. 

Amplifying Mark Terry’s message, KMC Music Vice President of Sales James Tsaptsinos emphasized that, “All of the changes announced today are designed to enhance the way our dealers do business with KMC Music. We understand the vital role customer service and consistent communication play in ensuring that our businesses run smoothly together. The new KMC Music is ready to do even more business with our dealers and we look forward to sharing with them news about a number of tremendous new business opportunities.  We look forward to a great Second Half 2015!”

The new KMC Music distribution center in Southaven, MS

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Growing Use of Drones in Commercial Markets Creates New Career Opportunity for Trained Operators

Anyone looking for an exciting new career in a field that offers nearly limitless growth potential in virtually every type of commercial market application should seriously consider becoming certified as an unmanned aerial vehicle pilot, unmanned systems engineer, or unmanned systems project manager, according to John Minor, Provost of Phoenix, Arizona based Unmanned Vehicle University (www.uxvuniversity.com), the only university in the world that is licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering and Project Management Certificates in unmanned systems technology.

“According to the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the unmanned systems and robotics communities, the rapid adoption of drones in a wide variety of commercial markets is going to create more than 100,000 jobs and $82-billion in economic impact over the next ten years,” Minor said today.  “I don’t think there’s another career field creating as many opportunities as this anywhere in the United States, let alone the world.”

The key to capitalizing on this exciting new career opportunity, according to Minor, is unmanned systems training and education, or, more specifically in the case of unmanned aerial vehicles, pilot certification.  “Every high value added career in America today requires education,” Minor emphasized.  “Education doesn’t always mean a four year degree but it does mean high quality, specialized training from an institution that has a proven track record of education by professionals and subject matter experts in that particular field.  In the field of unmanned aerial vehicles that institution is Unmanned Vehicle University.” 

Minor pointed out that every standard being contemplated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that the operator of a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle be certified to operate that vehicle.  “The simple truth is that you are not going to be in a position to capitalize on this rapidly growing and expanding career opportunity unless you have the right education and the certification to flourish as a certified vehicle operator, unmanned systems engineer, technologist, or unmanned systems project manager.”

And there is a wide range of career opportunities just waiting to be filled in a variety of commercial markets, according to Minor — Delivery and fulfillment, Logistics, Security and Law Enforcement, First Responders, Wildfire Management, Search and Rescue, News Gathering, Photography, Film and Television Production, Oil, Gas and Mineral Exploration, Disaster Relief, Live Event Production, Agriculture, and Real Estate top the list of an ever growing number of commercial markets.  “As FAA regulations become finalized, and they will, you are going to see drones incorporated into just about every industry known to man,” Minor asserted.  “I’m not exaggerating.   Drones reduce risk, save money, and dramatically increase the productivity of every field they are used in.”

Amazon’s ongoing testing of drones, which just recently received FAA approval, is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Minor.  “Major news organizations, film and television production companies, law enforcement agencies, government agencies like the EPA, major agriculture businesses and search and rescue organizations are all already focused on incorporating drones into their daily operations.  A lot more will follow. All individuals seeking job opportunities in the Drone Industry, those transitioning to a second career, or those who want to start up a new drone-related business should kick start their ambitions by taking the flight training and/or unmanned systems academic or certificate courses that Unmanned Vehicle University offers.”

According to Minor, “Unmanned Vehicle University’s role in the unmanned industry is to provide the world’s best drone pilot training, educate the public about the economic impact and the good that drones can provide and to provide significant opportunities for research into new unmanned system technologies and operations that will make drones, safer, more reliable, more effective, more efficient, and more useful to mankind.

Drones Are Coming to Houston as Part of a Three-Day Career Seminar!

 Anyone interested in learning everything they need to know to start a career as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot should make a point to attend a special three-day seminar on “The Fundamentals of UAVs” being hosted by Unmanned Vehicle University (www.uxvuniversity.com) from March 27—29 in Houston at the Houston Marriott South Hobby Airport Hotel located at 9100 Gulf Freeway, Houston, Texas.  Unmanned Vehicle University, based in Phoenix, Arizona, is the only university in the world that is licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering.

The first-of-its-kind seminar is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive introduction unmanned aerial vehicles and the many high paying career opportunities this rapidly growing field is likely to create over the next ten years.  “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have already revolutionized the way our military conducts field operations,” Unmanned Vehicle University Provost John Minor said today. 

“Now, they’re revolutionizing the way that Americans live and work every day,” Minor asserted. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working hard to establish the guidelines under which drones can be used in commercial applications as diverse as agriculture, construction, real estate, security, news gathering, and media production, but the one thing they have already made very clear is that properly certified training and education is mandatory. With the imminent commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles now at hand, we will be hosting on a series of three-day seminars around the country to show how individuals can get in on the ground floor of this exciting new industry.”

For $1,999, participants will receive a comprehensive introduction to one of the fastest growing career opportunities in the world. According to Minor, UAVs are predicted to create 70,000 high paying careers over the next several years at salaries that range from $90,000 to more than $200,000. “Our three-day seminar is optimal for people looking to increase their UAV employment opportunities, start their own UAV business, or begin a career as a UAV Pilot,” Minor said. “Plus, the seminar counts as four credits towards a university undergraduate or graduate degree program.”

In addition, participants will receive free DJI drone upon completion of the three-day seminar. For more information on registration, visit http://www.uxvuniversity.com/. Any active duty member of the United States Armed Forces will automatically receive a $100 discount off the $1,999 seminar fee. Please call 602-759-7372 or email jroetzer@uxvuniverstiy.com to claim your coupon code for online ordering.

NanoLumens® Completes $13.3-Million Round of New Financing

NanoLumens®, the world’s leader for visualization solutions in any size, shape or curvature, today announced it has secured $13.3-million in new financing from an offering of debt and securities. Euro Pacific Canada Inc. (www.europac.ca) served as the exclusive agent for the offering.  The $5-million debt component of the financing was provided by Wellington Financial LP (www.wellingtonfund.com). 

According to NanoLumens CEO Rick Cope, the new round of funding will be used to accelerate the company’s strategic business and technology development programs. “The next chapter for our global strategy is about to unfold” he said today.  “Working closely with leading global companies, NanoLumens is expanding its visualization platform to incorporate nearly limitless opportunities that join together large-format visualization solutions with native apps, professional services and mobile tech platforms.  Our end result will be an interactive universe of display solutions that not only engage customers, but also simultaneously deliver information and compel commerce.

“What’s more,” Cope continued, “we are going to do this with technology that was born in Canada, is manufactured in America, and is shipping to customers around the world.”

According to Euro Pacific Canada Managing Director Adam Adamou, “Euro Pacific -is committed to repopulating the Canadian public markets with the very best young technology companies in the world.  NanoLumens is a pre-eminent leader in the emerging market of providing customer specific visualization solutions that help marketers to better engage with their customers wherever those customers happen to be.” 

“We are excited to partner with this dynamic tech visionary.  NanoLumens stands at the forefront of creating the future of customer engagement through visualization solutions that can be designed, engineered and manufactured in any shape, size or curvature that clients require.  With an impressive list of customers and tremendous growth over the last three years, NanoLumens is a perfect fit for our growth capital,” said Mark McQueen, President & CEO of Wellington Financial.

NanoLumens’ current clients include a broad range of marketers covering the fields of broadcast, casinos, control rooms, convention centers, DOOH, higher education, hospitality, retail, stadiums, and transportation including AIG, Bally’s, CBS Outdoor, CCTV, CNN, Charles Schwab, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, Estee Lauder, ESPN, GTE Financial, Holt-Renfrew, Invesco, Macy’s, Nike, Terra, Turner, Universal Studios Florida, Uniqlo, and the new World Trade Center Freedom Tower, among many others.