Fairlight Resumes Operations

Re-energized by an infusion of new financing, a new investor base, and a renewed commitment to meet the needs of the worldwide commercial audio production marketplace, Fairlight.au announced that it has officially reopened for business at the company's former Sydney, Australia manufacturing and operations center. According to Fairlight CEO John Lancken, the company has been producing product since the middle of May and has already shipped its first orders of DREAM Satellite and Station systems to Chiyoda Video, Good Audio Sense, Imagica, Media House, NHK and Yomiuri TV.

In addition to the above the company today announced it has received an order for two DREAM Consoles from Audio Recording Unlimited in Chicago and that the backlog of orders received to date is over 20 systems at an estimated value of over $1 million.

"This is a really great start for the new Fairlight," Lancken said today. "We have received a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from Fairlight customers around the world, and we are grateful for both. A lot of people worked very hard to keep the Fairlight dream alive. Some have invested their labor and their talents; others their capital. All of these people share a common goal, to make the new Fairlight a better company that is able to respond quickly to meet a customer's requirements."

Toward this end, Lancken announced that Fairlight has formed a worldwide network of independently owned and operated distributorships. In every instance these distributorships have been formed with the support of Fairlight's previous staff, meaning that there will be a continuity of Fairlight experience in each of the regional markets. "Each distributor is responsible for their own sales, marketing, training, and support," Lancken explained. "We will provide materials, major trade show support, and an umbrella marketing and communications program to help them achieve their individual local market objectives."

Fairlight's new distributor network includes Media Gear in North America, Tekcare and Fairlight France in the UK and Europe, and Fairlight Japan and GBG Technology in Asia. Lancken, who is in contact with other previous Fairlight distributors, expects the distributor network to grow over the next several months.

To help centralize communication between its worldwide customer base and the distributor network that supports them, Fairlight is opening of a new corporate web site that contains news and information, downloadable product catalogs, a trouble-shooting bulletin board, and user forums. The new web site's address is www.fairlightau.com.

The company was forced into receivership in April of this year. "Quite simply, the old company's strategy of owning and operating a worldwide distributor network could no longer be supported," Lancken explained. "Capital that should have been invested in development and manufacturing was, instead, going to pay for fixed overhead costs that simply could not ever deliver a return. The new Fairlight is going to be more focused on designing and developing products that are dedicated to our customers and that deliver features that are simply the best money can buy," he promised. "Our job is to develop the tools that creative professionals need to achieve their business objectives. This has always been the essence of Fairlight."