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AVAD Restructures, Appoints New GM

Van Nuys, CA — As part of a strategy to strengthen its customer service programs and sales initiatives, AVAD has announced a series of reorganizational changes, including the appointment of Jim Annes to vice president and general manager of AVAD and the closing of 10 branches. Additionally, the North American distributor is restructuring its sales resources to provide quicker response times for dealers.

Annes has spent the last six years with Ingram Micro, heading the company’s worldwide strategic planning unit for each of the past four. Prior to Ingram Micro, he held management roles at KPMG Consulting and Brience Inc.

“I look forward to helping AVAD build upon its outstanding reputation as the leading custom home electronics distributor,” Annes (pictured here) said. “For over 12 years, AVAD’s team of experts has provided custom installation professionals with the best the industry has to offer in products, service, training, and support. With a revitalized operations and customer support structure, we can continue to remain focused on the needs of the dealer.”

Annes will report to John Soumbasakis, senior vice president of Ingram Micro, who served as the interim leader of AVAD since the fall of 2008. In his responsibilities at Ingram Micro, Soumbasakis will maintain a prominent role within AVAD’s organization, supporting Annes and the AVAD management team with strategy and business oversight.

In addition to the appointment of Annes, AVAD has named Wally Whinna to the position of executive vice president of sales and marketing as part of a strategy to consolidate its sales and marketing functions. Whinna, a co-founder of AVAD, previously oversaw AVAD’s marketing department as vice president of marketing since the company’s inception in 1997.

AVAD’s new organizational structure allows the company to seamlessly consolidate from three regions to two — east and west. Steve Clark will serve as AVAD’s west region director and Kim Brown as east region director.

AVAD also will significantly increase its phone-based customer support and sales programs to ensure the distributor’s customer base of 10,000 custom electronics dealers are serviced in a timely and professional manner.

“As with any organization, the current economic climate has forced AVAD to take a calculated evaluation of its business strategies and organizational structure,” Soumbasakis said. “We are confident these changes, which came after a careful decision making process by our management team, will improve our efficiency and customer service while streamlining our internal and external operations.”

As a result of its reorganization efforts, AVAD will consolidate the following branches based on a number of criteria, including close proximity to another, more viable AVAD branch: Austin; Avon, Ohio; Chicago; Las Vegas; Orlando; Raleigh; Richmond, Virginia; Taunton, Massachusetts; Sacramento, California; and Warren, Michigan. AVAD will retain selected sales associates and resources from each of these branches to ensure its regional customers receive proper service and support. AVAD will offer special pricing on all will-call display products at each of these locations through the May 15 closing date.

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