YAMAHA CORPORATION (Headquarters: 10-1, Nakazawa-cho, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka; President: Shuji Ito) and NEXO S.A. (Headquarters: Paris, France; President: Eric Vincenot), a leading manufacturer of professional speaker systems, have reached a basic agreement to enter into a strategic alliance with respect to professional audio product development and distribution. Both companies believe that the integration of advanced digital technology and premier speaker technology will greatly enhance the system solutions in professional audio products.
As a part of the alliance, YAMAHA has acquired 10.22% of the common shares of NEXO.
Eric Vincenot (left) and Shuji Ito (right)
Details of Alliance
YAMAHA has over 30 years of mixing console development and manufacturing experience, with more than a 15-year history in digital mixing console technology, including industry-standard products, such as PM1D and PM5D. YAMAHA is also well known for its range of digital signal processors, power amplifiers and speakers such as the DME24N/64N and PC-1N power amplifiers.
NEXO is one of the market leaders in concert/touring and installation speakers with an excellent reputation in line-array speakers*(1) such as the GEO series as well as the PS series of speakers, which are best sellers around the world. NEXO is also well known for its premier speaker processing technologies.
The combination of Yamaha and Nexo products in respect to the the increasing demand for integrated professional audio systems was key to both companies decision to combine technologies and products through joint-development projects.
1.Outline of Agreements
(a)YAMAHA acquired 10.22% of NEXO’s common stock. The share sales/purchase transaction was completed on 24 June 2005. As a result of this share purchase, YAMAHA will become the third largest shareholder of NEXO.
(b)YAMAHA and NEXO agreed to combine and maximize YAMAHA’s broad background in professional audio equipment, including advanced digital audio technology, and NEXO’s superior speaker design and manufacturing technologies by jointly developing a variety of future products.
(c)YAMAHA will take over NEXO’s U.S. distribution, and Yamaha Corporation of America, a wholly owned sales subsidiary of YAMAHA through its Commercial System Audio Division, will be in charge of distributing NEXO speakers in the U.S.A..
2.Outline of the Alliance Partners
NEXO S.A.
Official company name: NEXO S.A.
Location of headquarters: Paris, France
Date of establishment: 1979
Representative: Eric Vincenot (President)
Number of employees: Parent company, 52; Consolidated, 110
Lines of business: Manufacture and sales of professional speakers
Internet URL: www.nexo-sa.com
YAMAHA Corporation
Official company name: YAMAHA CORPORATION*(1) Line-array speaker
A line-array speaker is a group of speaker units arranged vertically in a straight line. The sound from a line-array speaker does not disperse in a vertical direction and does not diminish substantially with distance, thus making these speakers effective for projecting sound over long distances.
For further information, please contact
YAMAHA CORPORATION
Public & Investor Relations Group,
Public Relations Division
Mr. Misao Tanaka
(E-mail address: misao_tanaka@gmx.yamaha.com)
17-11, Takanawa 2-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo 108-8568, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5488-6601
FAX +81-3-5488-5060
