April 2008 - German power amplifier manufacturer CAMCO this spring celebrates 25 years of success in the pro-audio industry. From
its origins as a PA rental company, CAMCO has grown to be a world-class independent brand at the top end of the amplification
market.
CAMCO was formed in 1983 by Reiner Sassmann, Andreas Vogel and Joachim Stoecker, originally as a rental company but transformed
just one year later to a manufacturer. "We were not impressed by some of the engineered items that we were renting out and felt
we could make a better amplifier," says Sassmann.
Their first product offering was the LA Series (1985), quickly followed by the DL Series. In 1988, CAMCO diversified its business
activity still further, to become an equipment importer and distributor in Germany, establishing a relationship with NEXO which
continues to flourish today. Within the last 2 years, the French digital console brand Innovason has been added to the portfolio,
which also includes Auvitran digital connectivity products.
Uniquely, CAMCO combines distribution with the manufacture of products both under its own marque and on an OEM basis.
CAMCO-badged products like the Vortex Series are a common sight in prestige installations and beside concert stages throughout
the world. As a manufacturer, CAMCO has bucked numerous trends, staying defiantly independent and insisting on high-quality
design and build standards in its home territory near Cologne and Frankfurt, Germany.
A mission statement from MD Reiner Sassmann describes the evolution of CAMCO over the last 25 years, and looks forward to the
next. "We wanted to create an environment where creative and communicative people could work together easily, in which
collaborations and partnerships can be nurtured. We possess all the advantages of an informal, independent company with an open
door policy and this is the main reason why we are making advances. It's hard to achieve such an atmosphere, in which we're not
just taking amplifier technology to the next level, but we're also nurturing other advances in electronics. It has taken some
time, but you have to do it right or not at all."
A Short User Guide to CAMCO!
* 1996 the launch of the DX Series, which receives critical acclaim.
* 1997 the rental side of CAMCO's business is hived off from the manufacturing, and established as Trendco GmbH, which maintains
a large inventory of equipment and stages for large-scale events.
* 1999 The launch of CAMCO's best-selling Vortex Series, a modern classic developed by Carsten Wegner.
* 2002 CAMCO begins to supply its Vortex Series amps with a remote control facility (the CAMCO Amplifier Interface - CAI) as
standard.This is the first implementation of the network control philosophy that has become CAMCO's hallmark.
* 2003 Launch of the Tecton Series, designed by Head of Technology Carsten Wegner.
* 2004 sees the arrival of Thomas Sautter as General Manager.
* 2005 Manufacturing and warehousing is relocated to a separate facility, virtually doubling CAMCO's floorspace, and increasing
productivity.
* As a highly successful distributor of pro-audio products in Germany, CAMCO adds Innovason digital consoles to its
portfolio.
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