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Newsmakers: Netherlands-Based Alcons Audio Comes To The U.S.

Already available throughout Europe as well as Russia, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa and India, the Alcons line is literally being rolled out in its U.S. debut. David Rahn, national sales manager for the new Alcons Audio USA, explains.

Since forming in 2002, Netherlands-based Alcons Audio has offered systems – loudspeakers, amplifiers and processing – developed and manufactured in house, with the loudspeakers in particular noted for proprietary RBN pro-ribbon drivers.

But the technology is only part of the equation, says David Rahn, a veteran of the U.S. market who’s heading up the company’s just-announced expansion as national sales manager of the new Alcons Audio USA.

Before entering the tough, competitive U.S. marketplace, however, the company took careful measure to make sure it could offer comprehensive service to its American customers. And that, explains Rahn, is what attracted him to Alcons, one of the primary factors that makes them well-suited to take on the North American market at a time of choppy economic seas.

“They didn’t want to do it prematurely,” Rahn says. “They wanted to be able to support a U.S. office and make the necessary investment as opposed to saying ‘O.K., you’re our distributor, here’s the price, go sell stuff.’ It all hinged on doing it right and creating a solid foundation for the company’s growth.”

Worldwide Potential
Alcons first appeared on Rahn’s radar in 2004. After seven years as an independent sales/marketing rep, he was considering opening a distribution channel to serve overseas audio companies looking to break into the American market.

“I’m always wondering what’s next; what’s coming down the pipeline from a technology standpoint?” he says. “With Alcons, I saw a company that was truly evolutionary. Their technology, product and hardware design, and the way they approach business in general, made me feel very positive about the worldwide potential for this brand.”

While he ultimately opted to join Renkus-Heinz as national sales manager, he continued to track Alcons, and earlier this year, decided to revisit the distribution model, looking for the right partner to bring to the U.S. market.

Alcons LR14/90 line array module with its RBN401 pro-ribbon driver shown above the HF section. (click to enlarge)

“Alcons certainly fit that mold,” he says, pointing to the consistent advancement overseen by Alcons’ founder/managing director Tom Back and partners Philip de Haan (chief engineer) and Maurice Laarhoven (CFO).

The scope of the company’s product line is comprehensive yet concise, ranging from the L-series line arrays to compact point-source V-series loudspeakers through the modular column line-source Q-series and cinema-specific C-series.

“You’ve got a range of different lines, but there’s one, two or three products in every series that cover all the applications you’d come across,” Rahn explains. “We only offer best-case solutions, so we’re not going to have four of the same form factor with different price points.”

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