Orca Design and Manufacturing announced it will offer its Illusion Audio, and Black Hole tape brands, plus some Gladen Audio amplifiers, all of which it distributes, through the Elite Distributor Alliance (EDA).
The deal does not include the Focal brand that is also distributed by Orca.
The EDA consists of a dozen car audio distributors from around the US, and is the first car audio distributor group.
Illusion Audio, a high end car speaker line, is currently carried by less than 100 dealers, so the alliance with EDA is expected to broaden its distribution. Illusion speakers start at about $199/pair, ranging up to about $1,200/pair.
Gladen Audio, also a high end brand, will offer its RC amplifiers through EDA.
“We believe this is the right organization,” said Orca’s Nalaka Adikari. “EDA is very methodical on how they go to market. They will still be protected brands and they will follow EDA and Orca guidelines. This doesn’t mean the floodgates are open. They are still very protected lines, but we’re partnering with EDA to grow the brands and to have a high end product line for dealers.”
Illusion speakers include the Carbon C5 and C6 component sets, and the shallow-mount Carbon C10 and C12 subwoofers. They are engineered in California and manufactured in India.
Black Hole offers a premium sound-damping line and OEM-grade tape.
Gladen’s German-engineered power amplifiers include more than 25 models.
The EDA launched about 4 years ago, and hit the $130 million mark in buying capacity last year. EDA is owned by its member-distributors.
Kimon Bellas, President of Orca, said, “Our partnership with EDA joins two like-minded organizations with the goal of building business through smart, selective distribution and empowering retail and installation professionals with ongoing training and support.”
Orca will display at KnowledgeFest, August 9-11 at the Dallas Convention Center.
For more information on KnowledgeFest, visit knowledgefest.org.
For information on Orca products and brands, visit orca-design.com.
