MIRAMAR, FL – JL Audio announced it has entered into a contract with Seawide Distribution as its sole distributor for Clarion Marine audio products in the US for the 2019 calendar year.
Seawide, a distributor since 1979, is able to ship Clarion marine receivers, speakers, and amplifiers nationally from four warehouses with two-day ground shipping to most locations.
“Streamlining distribution is an essential first step to strengthening the foundation of the Clarion Marine brand in the US market,” said Andy Oxenhorn, President of JL Audio. “Seawide Distribution [‘s]…nationwide support for key retailers will allow us to immediately place Clarion Marine products on shelves in stores at which boat owners frequently shop.”
The news follows JL Audio’s appointment in September as the exclusive licensee of the Clarion brand in the US and Canada, assuming all of Clarion’s marine audio business including product design and development, sales, marketing, and tech support.
Initially, JL Audio focused on Clarion’s OEM marine audio business selling to boat builders. With the appointment of Seawide Distribution, it is finalizing its strategy for Clarion’s retail marine distribution. JL Audio said Seawide will open “up new opportunities with brick and mortar retail partners that cater to marine customers.”
Seawide is one of the largest wholesale distributors in the U.S., offering over 16,000 products from over 80 vendors. It distributes outdoor products, boat systems, and consumer and marine electronics. The company’s warehouses are located in Murrieta, California; Costa Mesa, California; Youngwood, Pennsylvania; and Sarasota, Florida.
A bid was made earlier this month to acquire Clarion from Hitachi by French auto supplier Faurecia, which also owns Parrot Automotive. At the time JL Audio’s Manville Smith said, “This will have no impact on JL Audio’s long-term licensing of the Clarion brand for marine audio.”
JL Audio operates three U.S. engineering facilities, and builds many of its home, car and marine loudspeaker products at the company’s Miramar, Florida factory, with components sourced from a global supply network. For more information visit jlaudio.com
