Meridian America says that it is finishing 2010 on a positive note after the successful implementation of a strategic initiative that, despite the challenging business environment, resulted in business growth of 11 percent.
Jessica Winarski, Joana Kindred, Holly Wesselhoft, and Greg Barbone
Additionally, Meridian America has completed a new and expanded office in the SoHo district of New York City, two floors up from its original location, to accommodate staff relocated from the Atlanta office and new team members that have been brought on board. The new office features a contemporary design that complements Meridian’s product line and contains a theater and a showroom for partners to privately demonstrate products for their high-profile clientele.
“The previous office showroom generated significant incremental business for our dealers with over a 90-percent closing rate by our partners. We fully expect that with the upgrade to the Reference series of products which includes the 810 Reference Video System and DSP 8000 Digital Active Loudspeakers, we will surely see an exponential increase in sales for 2011,” said Peter Wellikoff, CEO of Meridian America.
The relocation of sales, marketing, and administrative staff to the New York City office has led to four new staff appointments to complete the team.
Marketing communications manager Holly Wesselhoft comes to Meridian from DeBeers and Harry Winston. She has a diverse background in marketing communications and merchandising and is a graduate of Yale University.
Sales administrator Jessica Winarski previously worked for Bulgari, where she served on the corporate sales administration team. She received her BA from St. Francis College in New York City.
Purchasing administrator Joana Kindred has a diverse business background with strong analytical skills, and most recently worked for Sony’s Music Division.
Product specialist Gregory Barbone joins Meridian from local retail partner Stereo Exchange, where he had gained experience first in the installation department and later as a member of their sales team. In addition to his passion for and knowledge of Meridian and Sooloos products, Greg is a musician. He is an addition to current product and sales-support team.
Beginning in January 2011, Meridian will partner with Samson Distribution of Buffalo, New York, to handle the warehousing, shipping, and receiving.
“The changes in New York City coupled with the addition of Samson, give us the opportunity to relocate the facility in Atlanta to a new and smaller office that will house service, repair, spare parts, technical support, and finance,” Wellikoff said. “While Atlanta has served us well for many years, we believe that given the direction of the company, it was imperative that the main operations be housed in a major metropolitan area, and Soho is particularly well placed for our clientele.”
