Røde Microphones LLC has announced its acquisition of US company Mackie.
Mackie has been a leading designer and manufacturer of mixers and loudspeakers for home, studio and stage since its inception in 1989. ‘Mackie is one of the great success stories in pro audio, and I have admired the company for a long time,’ says Røde founder and Chairman, Peter Freedman.
‘My background is in live sound production. It’s something I have always been passionate about, ever since I saw Tom Jones at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney as a kid in 1969 – my father, Henry, installed the sound system there, as well as many other venues across the city. Live sound is where I cut my teeth in audio, so this very much feels like that part of my career coming full circle.
‘Having met Greg Mackie before I even started Røde, I found his passion for audio and approach to business inspiring,’ he continues. ‘The company’s origin story is uncannily similar to ours. Both brands helped fuel the democratisation of DIY recording in their own way, Mackie with their mixers and speakers and Røde with our microphones. We shared a similar path and today both brands are leaders in what we do, so I am incredibly excited to bring these two audio icons together.’
‘Røde and Mackie are incredibly harmonious brands,’ says Damien Wilson, CEO of Røde parent company, the Freedman Group. ‘This acquisition diversifies our product offering in a very complementary way. We now offer end-to-end audio solutions for everyone from musicians setting up a home studio to professional live sound engineers. Whilst Mackie’s brand, manufacturing and operations will remain unchanged, there are incredible opportunities to combine the complementary IP, infrastructure and resources of both brands in powerful ways. I am very excited about the potential this offers Røde and Mackie.’
‘The entire Mackie team is excited to be joining forces with Peter, Damien and their incredible crew,’ adds Mackie CEO, Alex Nelson. ‘Having worked in the audio industry for many years, I have always held Røde in high esteem. Their manufacturing capability and technology leadership is second-to-none in pro audio and I think they are the perfect partner to help Mackie expand as we enter an exciting new chapter in our history. Also, the timing could not be better – we have an incredible product roadmap ahead of us, which we’ll be making some big announcements for leading up to the NAMM Show.’
Legal counsel for Røde for the acquisition was provided by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Gilbert + Tobin, with financial advisory from PwC. Funding was provided by Amicaa & Carlyle, with legal counsel from Baker McKenzie. Seller Transom Capital Group received legal counsel from Kirkland & Ellis and financial advisory from Lincoln International.
‘It has been our pleasure to work with the Mackie leadership team over the past several years,’ says Transom Managing Partner, Russ Roenick. ‘Their spirit of innovation, customer-facing approach, and overall drive for excellence has built a company culture that is unparalleled. I wish the team continued success as it takes the next step in its journey alongside the team from Røde.’
