Marking the completion of its first fiscal year in business, audiovisual distributor Almo Professional A/V has reported that, despite a down economy, the company finished 20 percent ahead of its forecasted business plan.
As the newest addition to Almo Corporation, the division is pressing forward with an aggressive expansion strategy designed to benefit its vendors and channel partners, the company says.
“When we formed Almo Professional A/V, we sought to fill a void in the market for a distributor that offered not just inventory but a highly trained sales force, added value through educational programs for our resellers, and industry partners like InfoComm,” said Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO for Almo Professional A/V. “Exceeding our forecasted expectations shows that we are on the right path. We are continuing to recruit the most talented professionals in this business. At the same time, we’re bringing our proficiency in digital signage into newly emerging business segments while adding major content distribution and rental and staging products to our line card.”
“From the outset, the professional A/V division has been a tremendous addition to Almo Corporation,” added Warren Chaiken, president and COO, Almo Corporation. “This group has undoubtedly helped strengthen and diversify our business. We are now able to offer our customers the best commercial display products available along with a team of professionals who know how add value and margin to every sale.”
According to a recent DisplaySearch report, distribution for large-format commercial displays grew 46 percent from Q4’08 to Q4’09. In addition, distribution accounted for nearly 60 percent of all commercial-grade public displays shipped in the U.S. in 2009.
“The data clearly shows the trend toward using distribution for commercial displays — more manufacturers are streamlining availability through distribution and more resellers, integrators and consultants are relying on distributors to access the products and services they need,” said Chris Connery, vice president, PC and Large Format Commercial Displays, DisplaySearch.
In its first year, Almo Professional A/V built a sales team that is InfoComm-trained and DSCE-certified. The company also added more than 30 display and accessory product lines and collaborated with InfoComm International to offer CTS Renewal Units. In addition, Almo hosted more than 1,200 attendees during three E4 AV traveling training and networking events, and launched a series of Educational Webinars and Streaming Tech Tips.
For more information, visit www.almoproav.com.
