Madrigal To Host Custom Centralô
Effective November 1999 a new group, Custom Central, will begin work at the Madrigal facility in Middletown, Connecticut. Custom Central is charged with developing and managing a program to make all Harman consumer brand products easily accessible to the vibrant custom installation business (channel). Harman International Chairman, Dr. Sidney Harman, Said ""All Harman Consumer Group companies offer products of value to the custom installer. The job of Custom Central is to assure that those products are mutually compatible, and to make them available as need by qualified custom installation business and to truly service the custom installer."" Jeff Kussard has been appointed Director of Custom Business Development. Mr. Kussard is known to many in the custom business for his involvement with CEDIA, his work at JBL Synthesis and for his recent engagement at Clarity Residential Systems in Minneapolis. ""This is not a distribution program,"" said Kussard. ""Each brand will continue to make its own decisions about product, services, distribution and marketing policy. Custom Central will be the facilitator to the custom installer. The program will offer design and installation council to participating custom dealers and rapid, effective feedback to each of the participating Harman brands. It is a win-win situation for us all,"" Kussard concluded. Phil Muzio, CEO of Madrigal said that he is pleased to host Custom Central. ""Jeff is very talented and has ideal experience in various aspects of the custom business. We are sure he will fit in well at madrigal. Under his leadership, I expect that Madrigal and other Harman consumer brands will benefit because we are convinced that our customers, the dealers and installers, will benefit."" Added Muzio. ""Service, policy, installation and product ideas and much more can come from this group,"" said Madrigal President, Mark Glazier. ""The Internet has changed the definition of service and has changed the expectations of the customer. We intend to find ways to use it as a tool to make ourselves even better at what we do. We want our dealers to think of us as the first and the best."" The following brand swill be participants with the Custom Central group: Audioaccess, Harman/Kardon, Infinity, JBL Synthesis, Lexicon, Madrigal Imaging, Mark Levinson, Proceed and Revel. For additional information, contact Helma Paulson, David Nauber or Jeff Kussard at 860 346 0896.