Get in the groove
The Fusion Phenomenon. Boating to the beat.
Ask any Kiwi boatie to name the first brand of marine stereo that comes to mind, and the name most likely to come out is ‘Fusion’.
This market leadership is the result of nearly two decades of continuous growth since Fusion was founded in a shed by Kurt Mcnall in 1998. He was soon joined by brother Stuart and father Colin, and they worked hard in those formative years to develop a name for reliable and stylish innovation.
The investment in 2006 by Sir Peter Maire, better known as the founder of Navman, gave the company the capital it needed to expand its product range and enter into new markets.
What most Kiwis are probably not aware of, though, is that this domestic market dominance also extends beyond our shores. According to managing director Chris Baird, the company leads the market throughout Europe. In fact, 75 percent of boats manufactured in Europe will likely come with one of Fusion’s extensive range of marine stereos factory-installed.
The USA is an even more competitive market, with 17 or 18 brands of marine entertainment systems available. These include the massive Japanese brands like Sony, Kenwood and Clarion, and yet, even in this heated market Fusion is still the dominant brand. Baird says Fusion’s had steady growth in this region for the last decade, helped by its acquisition by electronics giant Garmin in 2014.
Fusion now focuses entirely on the premium marine audio market; it abandoned its car audio range last year, citing the fact that car audiophiles are in decline and that this had become a low-margin business where price is more important than good sound.