It seems a lifetime ago since I first met Dave Martin in the premises of his fledgling company, shared with Midas near London’s Euston station. Then 15 years later, I conducted a biographical interview for LIVE! Magazine, unwitting to the fact that it would be almost the last time any of us would see him.
His legacy will be celebrated throughout the industry this month as the company he founded marks its 35th anniversary.
Managing director David Bissett-Powell puts it far more eloquently on the facing page — but then it is he who has steered the company’s fortunes in and out of the public and private sectors in a craftsmanlike way — tacking through the sea of swelling loudspeaker manufacturers like a master helmsman.
If The Edge can be seen as any barometer of the company’s health then suffice it to say that when we produced our first edition seven years ago we were scrambling to assemble enough global adoption stories to fill 16 pages, and today we have increased that threefold — with a waiting list!
It would be easy to attribute this to the enormous growth in North America but a flick through these pages reveals significant sales in places like the Benelux. No fewer than 216 Martin Audio W8LM line array enclosures have now been installed at the prestigious Amsterdam ArenA in time for Robbie Williams’s concert, while in the same city the legendary Paradiso has extended a 20 year relationship with our brand by upgrading to line array technology. Not to be outdone, in neighbouring Belgium the merger of Phlippo Audio and D-Rent has created a single cache of no fewer than 400 of our enclosures — a compelling prospect for any production company needing to sub-hire from a central European point.
Touring has continued to grow from strength to strength, which is why we have dedicated our front cover to INXS and our first editorial spread to Take That. But possibly the greatest satisfaction is the groundswell of business reported from the emerging countries — in particular the Near, Middle and Far East.
Yes, we will be popping the bubbly at PLASA 2006 in London — but the people we will be raising a glass to is you.
Jerry Gilbert
Martin Audio Ltd. Century Point, Halifax Road, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 3SL, England.
Tel: +44 (0)1494 535312 Fax: +44 (0)1494 438669
Web: www.martin-audio.com E-mail: info@martin-audio.com
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