Westone Names Jason Lockwood as President and Chief Executive Officer
Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) May 08, 2014 -- Westone Laboratories, Inc. announced today that Jason Lockwood has joined the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Lockwood will oversee all business units of Westone, including Hearing Healthcare, Military, DefendEar and Music Products.
Jason Lockwood was appointed to this position by the board of directors and CID Capital, the private equity firm that purchased Westone Laboratories in December 2011. Jason, with degrees from Harvard University and Harvard Business School, brings extensive leadership and management experience to Westone. His knowledge and expertise in retail, consumer electronics and healthcare industries make him the ideal executive to position Westone for continued growth and success.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and CID Capital, I am excited to announce the appointment of Jason Lockwood as the new President and CEO of Westone Laboratories,” said Eric Bruun, Chairman of the Board of Westone Laboratories. “Following a thorough search process, the Board chose Jason for his strong fit with Westone’s mission, vision, and values. In addition to Jason’s management skills and professional qualifications, the Board was drawn to his energy, common sense and proven track record."
“I’m thrilled to join the passionate and dedicated members of the Westone team,” stated Jason Lockwood. “I look forward to building on Westone’s unparalleled knowledge and experience in designing the world’s finest in-ear audio and hearing healthcare products. We live in an increasingly mobile and ‘always on’ media environment; in ear audio solutions offer a combination of comfort, convenience and sound quality that simply isn’t available in over-the-ear headphones.”
For over five decades, Westone has specialized in manufacturing custom earplugs and earpieces as well as other products to protect and enhance hearing, facilitate communication, and support hearing care professionals. Westone’s wide variety of custom-fit hearing protection products are used in work, recreation and entertainment environments where noise levels can cause permanent hearing damage. Westone recently introduced TRU hearing protection, offering universal and custom earpieces for musicians, sound engineers, dentists, air travelers, concert/club goers and sports fans.
Westone was an early pioneer in the professional musician earphone business and has worked with Def Leppard, Van Halen, Rush and other elite musicians since the early 1990s to develop some of the first in-ear monitoring systems. Today’s top artists, including The Band Perry, TobyMac, Peter Frampton, Third Day and Sara Evans wear Westone ES in-ear monitors. Westone’s professional in-ear musicians’ monitors, with up to six drivers per earpiece, borrow heavily from the company’s background in hearing healthcare and are the foundation of today’s consumer earphone market.
The company continues to be an innovator with earpieces that enhance the hearing experience. In addition to hearing healthcare, protection and music, Westone designs and manufactures high-end in-earphones for use by audiophiles and music fans. The universal Westone W60, launched earlier this year and available to the public this summer, won the coveted Digital Trends 2014 “Best in Show” in the headphone category at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Westone has also developed specialty communication products for military and law enforcement agencies. Its ACCES® (Attenuating Custom Communications Earpiece System) products are unique in the world and are currently made exclusively by Westone. Westone partnered with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to research, design, build and test communications earplugs with the goal of improving hearing protection and communications for military pilots and ground crews.
About Westone
Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Westone Laboratories, Inc. is known worldwide as a premier manufacturer of quality products that enhance and protect the hearing experience. The company’s precise, custom-fit hearing instrument earpieces provide comfortable and highly effective sound transmission to the ear for a multitude of applications. The company is a major provider of professional supplies, custom earpieces for hearing aids, and custom hearing protection products for the audiology community. The audio division created the first in-ear musicians' monitors for performing artists and is a leading provider of premium earphones for personal listening. Westone has developed a sizable portfolio of exclusive technologies which incorporate only the most premium materials and processes into all hearing, audio, military and law enforcement products. The company is also committed to the prevention and cure of hearing loss and will donate a portion of sales from select audio products sold through 2014 to the Hearing Health Foundation (http://www.hhf.org). For more information, please visit http://www.westone.com or call 1-800-525-5071.
About CID Capital
CID Capital's Private Equity Group makes majority investments in lower-middle-market companies with a strong history of consistent performance. Its focus is on companies that have the potential to grow significantly and a philosophy that is based on a collaborative partnership with operating managers who have the industry experience and high level of motivation needed to build a dynamic entrepreneurial business.
Press Contacts:
Glena McPeters
Westone Laboratories, Inc./Hearing Healthcare & Protection
O: 1-719-540-9333
E: glenam(at)westone(dot)com
Diane Ferraro
Westone Laboratories, Inc./Music & Audio
O: 1-719-540-9333
M: 1-626-222-9388
E: dianef(at)westone(dot)com
Diane Ferraro, Westone Laboratories, Inc., http://www.westone.com, +1 719-540-9333 Ext: 377, [email protected]
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