Very sad. I’d like to think there’s enough brand equity built up in ARC that someone reputable could see value in simply providing better management. But, it really all comes down to who buys them. There are several success stories where an acquirer didn’t mess up the “secret sauce” of a company and it successfully goes on, but there are others — Thiel comes to mind — where it was completely mishandled and a miserable failure. In this case I sincerely hope this follows the former as it would be a big loss for the audio community at large to lose a company, and its products, of this stature.
Showing 3 responses by soix
@hickamore You can’t generalize like that. There have been several excellent brands that have been rescued and continue to innovate and produce quality products. Like I said before, it all depends on who buys them. |
ARC isn’t set up to be a high-volume manufacturer. They’re a premium brand that plays in the higher end. Full stop. They are not Sony. And there is plenty of room for audio manufacturers in that space and plenty are doing well. This strikes of mismanagement to me, which leaves me hopeful that someone who understands the luxury goods market can rescue this iconic company assuming they find the right buyer. I’m hopeful and optimistic that there’s enough brand equity and concerned long-term employees that they’ll find the right solution and soldier on. |