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Author: Nick Whetstone - TNT UK
Published: May 2016
British loudspeaker manufacturer, Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) is to be sold to a small, and relatively unknown company. This week, Joe Atkins, chief executive officer of Bowers & Wilkins told his 1100 staff that he will be selling his majority stake in the company to Eva Automation, a 40-person Silicon Valley start-up that hasn't yet sold a single product or service. The company was started in 2014 by Gideon Yu, a former Facebook Inc. chief financial officer, ex-venture capitalist, and current co-owner of the San Francisco 49ers.
Bowers and Wilkins was stared in 1966 by original head-man, John Bowers, who had only been making speakers as hobby before he ventured into the industry by manufacturing B&W speakers in Worthing, Sussex. The company started in the heydey of British hi-fi manufacturing, and became a main rival to the likes of Wharfedale and KEF.
By the time the 1980s had arrived, Paul Bowers (son of John) handed the managing baton onto Robert Trunz who guided B&W through the decade. But, in 1987, John Bowers died. This meant that his job was then reassigned to John Dibb who continued designing speakers for B&W.
It is not yet known what will happen to B&W after the sell-out.
© Copyright 2016 Nick Whetstone - nick@tnt-audio.com - www.tnt-audio.com
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