Milestones: Sennheiser Electronic Corp at 40
Steady growth, increasing focus, and a ”triple crown”
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For some of us, 1963 doesn’t seem all that long ago. For the rest, it’s ancient history. Regardless, at that time a little operation called Sennheiser Electronic
Corporation (SEC) opened for business in New York City, and four
decades later, finds itself as one of the largest microphone companies
in the U.S. |
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, now based in Old Lyme, Connecticut and
headed by John Falcone, SEC has grown not only to represent its namesake
Sennheiser electronic GmbH of Germany, but also a wide range of professional
audio products, such as InnovaSON digital consoles, Turbo-sound loudspeakers,
True Systems preamplifiers... Oh, and don’t forget those Neumann mics!
LITTLE KNOWN
The SEC story began when Thomas Schillinger, a businessman and protégé
of parent company founder Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fritz Sennheiser, journeyed to
New York to resuscitate what was left of a failed Sennheiser distributorship.
Lacking a promotional budget, he focused on getting the little-known Sennheiser
microphone line, in particular the MD 421 series, into the hands of as
many broadcast and recording engineers as possible.
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Back then, the Sennheiser product line was thin, particularly in
comparison to several competitive companies. “I came to the precept
that instead of yearning for products that Sennheiser did not have,
my best course of action was to propagate everything I did have,”
Schillinger says. Within three years, in a series of demonstrations conducted with
NBC engineers, Schillinger’s efforts resulted in one of the largest
microphone sales in company history: the NBC purchase of 600 MD
421s. That single sale put the company on the map, raising brand
recognition in the world’s largest market. What’s more, this early
success animated Schillinger’s business practice throughout his
tenure. |
He continued the strategy of maximizing his assets while Sennheiser engineers
were busy designing two milestone products, the HD 414 “open-air” headphone
and a series of RF condenser shotgun microphones. The HD 414 propelled
Sennheiser into the hi-fi/consumer electronics market and the technology
of the design led directly to the creation of the Sony Walkman and hundreds
of other light and comfortable hi-fi headphone designs. Meanwhile, the
film industry proved a great match with the shotgun mics, leading to an
Academy Award for this key technical contribution.
SHIFTING GEARS
While Schillinger remained on a consultant basis until 1991, Andrew Brakhan
took the leadership reins in 1985, coming from Philips. With 20 employees
and $8 million in sales revenues, Brakhan believed the company and its
customers would be better served from expanded and efficient headquarters
outside of New York City, and moved offices to Old Lyme.
The late ‘80s witnessed the introduction of Sennheiser wireless microphone
systems into the U.S. market. These systems began to enjoy the acceptance
of professional sound designers in diverse applications ranging from Broadway
to broadcast.
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In 1991, Sennheiser became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sennheiser
electronic GmbH. Now, Brakhan’s prior experience in professional
audio helped him shepherd the company in a new directions, for example,
leading the company into installation and MI markets. The latter
was boosted by the introduction of the Evolution wired and wireless
microphones. |
Meanwhile, Brakhan’s commitment to the broadcast market combined with
Sennheiser’s RF technology led to an Emmy Award in 1996 for Outstanding
Achievement in the Sciences of Television Technology. Also that year,
the parent company charged SEC with the additional responsibility of expanding
presence in Latin American markets, and in the meantime, John Falcone
came aboard as president. Under his leadership, the company has continued
to grow both in terms of sales and brands supported.
HITTING A TRIFECTA
In 1999, the company’s Neumann brand completed a “triple crown” sweep
by winning a Grammy Award for Microphone Technical Achievement from the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Looking ahead, Falcone sees SEC as a leader in seven divergent business
segments: professional audio (broadcast, home and theatre), installed
sound, consumer electronics, MI, audiology and assistive listening, aviation
and telecommunications. Further, he sees the company’s staff as being
the lynchpin to this effort.
“By creating an open working environment, I believe our staff will lead
SEC to better and better solutions for both long range goals and day-to-day
opportunities. Hiring the right people and keeping them on staff is germane
to our success,” Falcone concludes.
Dan Garcia regularly covers a wide range of pro audio topics and applications for Live Sound magazine.
September 2003 Live Sound International