Niles Appoints Frank K. Sterns President

Feb. 10, 2006
14-Year company veteran to lead global growth initiative in custom audio company

Miami, Fla. - Niles Audio Corporation announced today the appointment of Frank K. Sterns to President, effective immediately. He succeeds company founder, Ivan N. Zuckerman, who left the company in July 2005 after its sale to Linear LLC. Sterns will report directly to Linear Chairman/CEO Grant Rummell. Sterns, 46, will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s strategy and operations and will focus on accelerating the pace of innovation while remaining true to the company’s roots. The announcement comes one day after Niles celebrated its 28th anniversary, and 6 months after Niles was acquired by Linear, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., the leading international designer, manufacturer and marketer of high-quality branded building products.

“Frank is an outstanding leader committed to helping Niles’ customers grow their businesses by tapping the breadth of Niles products and expertise,” Rummell said. “His broad skills in sales, marketing, operations, engineering and finance combined with his strategic experience will be great assets to the Niles team as well as our customers around the world,” Rummell added.

A 14-year Niles veteran, Sterns most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer where he lead the brand strategy to enter the digital source market by offering modular multi-zone receivers with satellite radio and digital music capabilities. Previously as Vice President of Sales from 1992 to 2003, he led the company to its prominent position in the custom installation industry. In that period, he helped transform the company from a provider of switching solutions to the world’s leading one-stop-shop for custom installation professionals. Before joining Niles, Sterns was National Sales Manager at Infinity Systems, a Harman International Industries, Inc. company.

Sterns earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from California State University, where he was named to the Dean’s list as an outstanding student.  He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society, the American Management Association, CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association), and PARA (the Professional Audio Retailers Association).  He has parlayed his lifelong passion for music and electronics into a dynamic career. He lives in Weston, Florida where he enjoys bicycling, photography, wine collecting and gourmet cooking.

Niles Audio Corporation, based in Miami, Florida, is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of audio/video custom installation products. Niles is online at www.nilesaudio.com.