Vista, Calif. — DEI Holdings announced it has formed a new division for its Polk Audio, Definitive Technology and Boom brands, known as Sound United.
It also announced a number of management changes to accompany the shift.
DEI said in a statement that the brands “will remain separate and distinct from one another to fill their unique roles in the market.”
Directed, DEI’s remote-start brand, will remain a stand-alone division and will not be affected. A DEI spokesman told TWICE the move brings all three audio brands under one umbrella.
Jim Minarik, chairman and CEO of DEI Holdings, will be chairman and CEO of Sound United. Kevin Duffy, president of DEI Holdings, will also be president of Sound United. Both will retain their current DEI positions.
Ben Newhall, Polk Audio’s senior sales VP, was promoted to chief sales officer for Sound United. Joe Tristani, Polk Audio’s senior VP, has been named COO of the new division.
Michael DiTullo will be Sound United’s chief design officer, and Blair Tripodi will be chief marketing officer.
Dan Wakefield has been promoted to sales VP at Polk, and Bill Kinsella is taking his place as national sales director.
Mike Simmons remains president of Directed.
“By creating sound united, we put a name to the business model we have been operating for nearly the last 10 years since acquiring Definitive in 2004 and then Polk in 2006. Specifically, we work collaboratively with the management of each of our brands to provide strategic resources and the capital necessary to accelerate growth while providing our channel partners and consumers with innovative products and differentiated brands,” said Minarik.
Sound United launched a new website to mark the announcement. The division will be based in Vista, Calif., and Baltimore. None of the brands will be moving headquarters, the spokesman said.
