Behringer axes major customer – but won’t say who!

Uli Behringer, the controversial German entrepreneur behind the giant Music Group, has used social media to announce that he has ‘Departed from one of our largest customers’ – but refuses to say which one or why, fuelling intense industry speculation. Rumour has centred on major stores including Thomann, Amazon and Guitar Center. Though Behringer doesn’t give a precise reason for his decision, his statement mentions ‘price wars’, which points in one particular direction, industry analysts suggest.
Founded in Willich, Germany, in 1989, Behringer made his name by selling cheap audio equipment but rapidly expanded into the Music Group, the holding company which now includes major brands including former British Pro Audio companies Klark Teknik, Midas and Turbosound. More recently, the group acquired the Danish audio brand TC Electronic and its associated companies including Tannoy.
No stranger to controversy, many of Behringer’s products are made in ‘Behringer City’ in Guandong, China and the company runs the ‘Behringer University’ for its employees.
In his statement Behringer says:
‘At MUSIC Group we believe our Employees, Customers, Retailers and Distributors are our friends.
We further believe in empowering our friends and providing them with life changing experiences.
The only way to achieve happiness in life is by contributing to people in a meaningful and unconditional way in return for appreciation and recognition.
This is the sole reason why we exist.
Our Vision is to gain as many new friends as possible while keeping our existing ones happy. In this mission we are completely dependent on our trusted distribution and retail friends who help spread our message and most importantly serve our Customers.
Our friends are vital for our survival. This means we need to fully protect them and let them earn enough to deliver life changing and dependable services for our customers, while finding new friends to grow their business.
Trust is everything in our relationships.
Price wars in the market lead to starvation for our distribution and retail friends and subsequently prevent them from providing these vital services. This is not in line with our purpose.
At MUSIC Group we believe in protecting our friends and departing from the ones who do not have our well being at heart.
We’d like to thank everyone for their loyalty and support in allowing us to empower our friends and providing them with life changing experiences.’
Info: www.facebook.com/groups/MyMUSICTribe/