Here's the press release:
Audio Research Corporation was acquired by AR Tube Audio Corporation, a privately-owned Delaware-based corporation which includes Valerio Cora of Acora Acoustics Corporation as a director. Audio Research will operate independently from Acora Acoustics, an Ontario-based high-performance loudspeaker corporation. The acquisition was approved by a judge after an asset purchase agreement was made with Lighthouse Management Group.
Private equity and venture capital investment groups are not involved in the new corporation, it is comprised of passionate audiophiles devoted to great music reproduction.
Audio Research was founded in Minneapolis in 1970, and will remain in its Maple Grove, Minnesota facility where it designs, builds, and supports the hand-made products that have established it as the preeminent manufacturer of vacuum-tube audio electronics. The loyal and long-term staff of employees will remain unchanged, but is expected to grow alongside the company. Audio Research’s network of select dealers and distributors will remain stable and continue to receive the full support of the company, as will the many thousands of loyal Audio Research owners.
This acquisition is set to provide the financial stability required to resume the growth that Audio Research had achieved over the decades. There are exciting new products on the horizon, like the Reference 320M amplifier, which will fuel Audio Research’s growth. The product line remains, and will continue to develop over time in the tradition you have come to expect from Audio Research.
Valerio Cora, with his extensive business experience and ownership of Audio Research components for many years, is the perfect person to be at the helm. "I am thrilled to be joining the fantastic team at Audio Research on their journey towards a very bright future. As someone whose audio journey has been built on the foundation of Audio Research, I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to contribute to such an innovative and forward-thinking brand. I can't wait to work alongside these amazing people and help drive Audio Research's success to even greater heights!"