Nortek, Inc. has formed a unified ProAV Group within the Nortek Technology Solutions segment, combining the product and marketing strengths of its Gefen, TVOne and Magenta Research brands.

Hagai Gefen will lead Nortek's new ProAV Group.

Based in Chatsworth, CA, the newly formed group has additional U.S. offices in Connecticut and Kentucky, as well as international locations in Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The group has more than 25 years of combined experience in the ProAV, commercial and broadcast markets with over 5,000 direct customer accounts and multiple distribution partners in the U.S and worldwide.

The group will be led by Hagai Gefen, who has served as president of Gefen. John Dace, president of Magenta Research, will manage worldwide sales. Uri Ram, senior vice president of Gefen, will oversee operations, finance and logistics. David Barnes, president of TVOne, will be retiring after 20 years of outstanding service with the company.

"Aligning Gefen, TVOne and Magenta Research under a centralized management team will enable us to more effectively serve the professional AV market by offering a broader mix of commercial-centric products, strengthening our direct-to-integrators sales capabilities, and enhancing our dealer support," said Michael J. Clarke, Nortek's chief executive officer. "Following on the heels of the formation of our Core Brands Group this summer, our decision to combine these three respected ProAV companies reflects our strategic focus on pursuing new opportunities to serve our dealers, channel partners and end users, while also leveraging economies of scale and enhancing our cross-selling capabilities."

"Operating as a unified entity will enable us to more effectively address the rapidly changing needs of the Professional AV market by combining the high-end video technology of TVOne and the large-scale system integration capabilities of Magenta Research with Gefen's leadership as an innovative solutions provider at the forefront of digital connectivity," said Sean Burke, group president of Nortek's Technology Solutions segment. "Combining these three teams will position us to accelerate product development, launch new marketing programs and deliver additional support services for our customers and distribution partners."