Another week in Pro AV brings yet another big acquisition. Yorktel, along with One Equity Partners, announced an agreement to combine with Kinly last Tuesday, Aug. 12. The two firms will merge into a workplace experience and collaboration provider with expanded reach. Be sure to check out our full coverage here.
Also, on August 13, 2025, 26North Partners LP announced the completion of the acquisition of a controlling stake in AVI-SPL from Marlin Equity Partners and other selling shareholders. Marlin and select shareholders will retain a minority interest in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed. The agreement was announced in June. We covered that news here and Cindy Davis of AV Technology interviewed CEO John Zettel in June when news of the coming acquisition broke.
Of course, that wasn't all. Get caught up on this past week's people movers and partnerships across the industry.
People News
D-Tools Appoints Utz Baldwin to Lead Data Solutions Initiative
D-Tools has added industry veteran Utz Baldwin as its new head of data solutions. Baldwin brings a deep legacy of leadership and innovation in the connected home and smart building sectors. A former system integrator and long-time D-Tools user, Baldwin brings firsthand experience and deep industry insight, having previously served as Chairman and CEO of CEDIA, where he launched the organization’s first formal research department. Most recently, Baldwin was VP of innovation at Builder Homesite, where he developed data-driven solutions, connected top consumer brands with new home buyers, and led digital transformation initiatives that applied data and AI to enhance marketing, design, and sales strategies.
In his new role, Baldwin will lead market research and guide the evolution of the D-Tools Industry Information & Insights (I3) initiative. I3 provides actionable market intelligence, benchmarking, and analytics for the entire systems integration ecosystem, from integrators and buying groups to manufacturers and distributors. His experience at BDX directly aligns with D-Tools’ vision for delivering data solutions that power smarter business decisions.
Lectrosonics Appoints Nick Haring as Eastern U.S. Regional Sales and Technical Manager
Lectrosonics welcomed Nick Haring as Eastern U.S. regional sales and technical manager. Haring will play a vital role in Lectrosonics’ business across 20 states in the eastern region, representing Lectrosonics products to dealers, rep firms, systems integrators, as well as existing and future customers.
Haring comes to Lectrosonics with an extensive background in the pro audio, lighting, and MI industries. He held a variety of managerial roles at Guitar Center before joining Jetwave Wireless as director of sales, a boutique firm specializing in high-end deployment of production wireless technologies, including wireless microphones. Most recently, Haring has been a managing member at Red Label Productions, overseeing and participating in all activities of a sound, lighting, and event production company.
Planar Welcomes Additions to New York, Florida and Caribbean Sales Teams
Planar has welcomed Mark Aultman back to the company as regional account manager for Florida and the Caribbean and added Maura Fitzgerald as regional account manager for Metro New York. Aultman brings nearly a decade of experience with Planar, during which he successfully expanded the company’s LED and LCD footprint in the Southeast United States. His strong relationships with channel partners, end users and industry partners is instrumental in driving regional growth. With a proven track record and customer-first mindset, his return reinforces Planar’s commitment to delivering display solutions and local support.
Fitzgerald joins Planar with more than a decade of experience in account management, customer engagement, and channel sales. She most recently supported integrators across the New Jersey and New York City markets at ADI Global Distribution.
Her background in the Pro AV industry, leadership in AVIXA’s Women’s Council in New York City, and proven ability to develop strategic relationships will be a strong asset to Planar’s partners and customers in the Metro New York region.
Ron Cottaar and Jae O Choi Park Step into Mew Leadership Positions at PPDS
PPDS has updated its EMEA sales and global marketing management teams with the promotions of Jae O Choi Park and Ron Cottaar to lead the company’s amplified growth ambitions.
Park, who joined PPDS as European sales director in 2022, has been officially promoted to the newly created position of EMEA commercial head. Park, who has held the role on an interim basis since 2024, will now officially oversee all European sales and support activities. Since joining the company three years ago, he has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and resilience. Amid frequent changes, he has been a steady and reliable force, serving as a key pillar in PPDS’ commercial success and playing a vital role in driving growth in key markets and regions.
Supporting the bigger picture, Cottaar will now serve as head of global marketing, leading his teams around the world and devising new strategies to expand PPDS’ global presence and sharpen the PPDS brand and values on a local, regional, and international scale. Now in his seventh year at PPDS, his dedication and open-mindedness, as well as his vision to augment success with the strategic introduction of a global marketing platform, as well as AI and marketing automation, have played an instrumental role in the continued development of the organization, making him a key driver in its future achievement and an invaluable member of the senior leadership team.
Shure's Chris Schyvinck to Keynote 2025 Sustainability in AV (sAVe) Global Conference
Shure president and CEO Chris Schyvinck will be a keynote speaker at the 2025 SAVe Global Conference held in Los Angeles on September 24-25.
The global conference will feature a number of different speakers from around the world, providing diverse insights about how various organizations can approach sustainability.
Held at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center, the conference will offer networking, workshops, and industry leaders to inspire the industry to do its part to meet growing sustainability responsibilities.
Schyvinck will provide a deeper look at Shure’s initiatives, including how the Company achieved its goal of using 90 percent recyclable and/or renewable packaging for new products by the end of 2025 – one year ahead of its timeline.
Company News
Dillinger Labs Appoints Tempesta Trading B.V. Benelux Region Distributor
Dillinger Labs has named Oisterwijk, Netherlands-based Tempesta Trading B.V. distributor for Europe’s Benelux Region (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).
Since its founding in 2009, Tempesta Trading B.V. has built strong relationships with customers throughout the Benelux region. Tempesta has consistently strengthened its position in the protective case market, without compromising its core values: integrity, product expertise, and a personal approach. What began as a small initiative quickly grew into a dynamic trading company with a passion for quality, sustainability, and customer focus.
Globo and Grass Valley Partner
Grass Valley expanded its strategic partnership with Globo to transform Latin America’s media entity’s Prime-Time production infrastructure through adopting a software-defined approach.
Globo is deepening its collaboration with Grass Valley as part of a major initiative to modernize and future-proof its live production capabilities. The agreement marks a new phase in Globo’s long-term technology transformation program, centered on the deployment of Grass Valley AMPP (Agile Media Processing Platform) as the backbone of its future production operations.
Since 2022, Globo and Grass Valley have worked closely to deploy AMPP across Tier 3 content production environments, embracing a flexible, software-defined architecture. The success of this initiative laid the groundwork for this next chapter: a multi-phase migration of Globo’s primary production control rooms, including those used for marquee Prime-Time events, to a platform powered by the AMPP ecosystem.
INFiLED Opens Chicago Showroom
INFiLED has opened its newest showroom in Chicago, further expanding the company’s U.S. presence. Joining its existing LA Experience Center, the new Chicago Experience Center features LED displays for both fixed installation and rental/staging applications. The facility also features INFiLED's repair service center, and it will serve as a hub for hands-on, certified INFiLED technical training.
With the Chicago Experience Center, INFiLED’s goal is to give customers the opportunity to experience a real-time demonstration of corporate and live event possibilities. Strategically located in the Midwest, the Chicago showroom offers easy access from anywhere in the country and will provide local AV industry experts for project consulting and technical guidance support.
Products on show include INFiLED’s fixed mounted WV, WP, and WT series and a variety of hanging rental solutions powered by Green Hippo, along with its all-in-one corporate solution, OrionLED series, showcased in its meeting spaces.
RGB Spectrum and Wildfire Technology Integration Forge Strategic Partnership
RGB Spectrum and Wildfire Technology Integration, a nationwide AV integrator, have joined forces to deliver next-generation visualization and command solutions to public safety agencies around the globe. Together, the two companies are focused on enhancing real-time decision-making environments, combining RGB Spectrum’s high-reliability video display and KVM solutions with Wildfire Technology’s expert design, integration, and support services. The result is a seamless and scalable approach that equips operators, dispatchers, and field personnel with the visual intelligence they need—when and where they need it.
An immediate example of this partnership in action is the recent deployment at the Clovis Police Department (PD) in California. To meet the evolving demands of situational awareness, Clovis PD launched a new Real Time Information Center (RTIC), purpose-built to unify surveillance, dispatch, and field operations data into a single, flexible visualization environment.
Working in close collaboration with Wildfire Technology and RGB Spectrum, the Clovis team deployed a 14x 5.6-foot dvLED video wall with an ultra-fine 0.9mm pixel pitch, powered by the advanced Zio 4000 Series AV over IP processor. This robust system supports 16 HDMI inputs, 12 outputs, and up to 60 simultaneous IP video decodes, seamlessly aggregating real-time feeds from drones, license plate readers, traffic cameras, sensors, and the XtendPoint KVM matrix—all into a powerful, intuitive visual command interface.
Screen Innovations Launches Shade Innovation
Screen Innovations has expanded and rebranded its U.S. shade manufacturing operations in Austin, TX. Now operating under the name Shade Innovations, this strategic move marks a major milestone in SI’s growth and commitment to innovation.
The rebrand includes the launch of SI’s proprietary motor and control technologies, enhanced automation and production capabilities, and the introduction of The SI Way—a comprehensive initiative designed to make Shade Innovations the easiest, most reliable, and most trusted partner for dealers and customers alike.
Renaming SI’s shade and window coverings division to Shade Innovations sharpens the brand’s focus on window covering solutions. While Screen Innovations remains dedicated to projection screens, Shade Innovations represents the company’s shading and window covering services. Existing Screen Innovations dealers can continue purchasing shades under the Screen Innovations brand just as they always have.
SoundTube Names PSA as New Rep Firm for TOLA Region
SoundTube Entertainment appointed Professional Sales Agents (PSA) as its new manufacturer representative for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
PSA will represent SoundTube’s complete portfolio of commercial audio products, including Dante-enabled PoE speakers, in-ceiling and surface-mount models, outdoor and landscape systems, line arrays, and SolidDrive invisible sound transducers. Backed by patented technologies such as BroadBeam for consistent off-axis performance and installation tools like SpeedWing and BroadBeam Ring, SoundTube solutions are designed to streamline installations without compromising audio quality.
tvONE Launches Pixel Academy
tvONE has launched its Pixel Academy, a new center for AV training that blends professional AV technology with expert-led, hands-on instruction. From advanced signal processing to seamless video distribution and multi-window solutions, Pixel Academy is built to empower the next generation of AV innovators.
Strategically located at tvONE’s R&D Innovation Centre in Maidenhead, just 20 minutes from London Heathrow, Pixel Academy offers easy access for AV professionals across the UK and Europe. The training facility features the company’s latest high-performance solutions, including the award-winning CALICO PRO and CORIOmaster2 video processors, as well as a full array of LED displays in both traditional and creative formats.
