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For my article about GRUNDIG BOY serie
Grundig is a German consumer electronics manufacter
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Grundig was made in West Germany, Portugal and China
Originally a German consumer electronic company, Grundig GmbH was founded in 1945 by Max Grundig and eventually headquartered in Nuremberg. It grew to become one of the leading radio, TV, recorder and other electronics goods manufacturers of Europe in the following decades of the 20th century. In the 1970s, Philips began acquiring Grundig AG's shares, leading to complete control in 1993. In 1998, Philips divested Grundig.
In 1955, the American firm of Wilcox-Gay began importing Grundig radios into the U.S., using its Majestic Radio dealer network to distribute the German company's products.[9] The marketing of "Majestic-Grundig" radios continued until Wilcox-Gay went out of business at the end of 1961.
- Radio: Grundig produced several ranges of transistor radios. These included the small portable "Yacht Boy" radios for mariners, with FM, LW, MW, and up to 12 SW bands for worldwide coverage.
- The Satellit range radios were the most robust and sophisticated of the Grundig radio range.
Grundig Satellit 205
West Germany, 1964-1965
Grundig Satellit 208
| West Germany, 1967-1968 |
Grundig Satellit 210
1969-1971
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Grundig Satellit 300
1983-1985
Grundig Satellit 400
| Portugal, 1986-1989 |
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Grundig Satellit 500
| Portugal, 1989-1992 |
Grundig Satellit 600
1983-1985
Grundig Satellit 650
| Portugal, 1986-1991 |
Grundig Satellit 700
Portugal, 1991-1996
Grundig Satellit 750
China, 2008
Grundig Satellit 800
China, 2000-2004
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Grundig Satellit 1000
West Germany, 1972-1973
Grundig Satellit 1400 Professional
West Germany, 197x-19xx
Grundig Satellit 1400 SL Professional
| 1979-1982 |
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Grundig Satellit 2000
West Germany, 1973-1975
Grundig Satellit 2100
| 1976-1979 |
Grundig Satellit 2400SL
1979-1982
Grundig Satellit 3000
1977-1978
Grundig Satellit 3400
| 1978-1982 |
Grundig Satellit 4000 Recorder
| 1983-1984 |
Grundig Satellit 1400 Professional
Grundig Satellit 3400
Grundig Satellit 2000
GRUNDIG SATELLIT 2100
Grundig Satellit 2400
Grundig satellit 3000
Grundig Satellit 800
Grundig Satellit 208
Grundig Satellit 205
Grundig Satellit 210
Grundig satellit 500
Grundig Satellit 600
Grundig Satellit 650
Grundig Satellit 700
Grundig Satellit 750
Grundig Satellit 1000
Grundig satellit 4000
GRUNDIG OCEAN BOY 820 INTERNATIONAL
Famed German radio maker Grundig may have gone bankrupt, but in North America the Grundig name lives on.
The reason? Since the mid-1980s, Grundig shortwave radios sold here have been designed, manufactured and distributed by Eton Corp.
"Eton is independent of Grundig Germany and is a licensee for Grundig AG shortwave radios in the North American markets, as well as certain markets outside of North America except EEC markets," explained a news release issued shortly after Grundig's April bankruptcy by the Palo Alto, California-based radio firm.
"Eton, as an independent company, will continue to supply products and fulfill all obligations to its customers as usual."
Eton won't just continue to sell Grundig-branded shortwave radios in North America, but it will likely also remain the continent's dominant player. Thanks to the business savvy of founder, president and CEO Esmail Hozour, Eton has transformed North America into "the one region in the world where Sony is not number one," said Larry Magne, editor-in-chief of Passport to World Band Radio.
The company "has taken the market, and walked away with it. They own North America, pure and simple," he said.
Radio powerhouse
Few would have foreseen Eton's rise to dominance 19 years ago, when Hozour founded the company under the name Lextronix.
"Our primary emphasis was to distribute Grundig-branded products," he said, "TVs, VCRs and some audio products including shortwave radios."
The reason? Since the mid-1980s, Grundig shortwave radios sold here have been designed, manufactured and distributed by Eton Corp.
"Eton is independent of Grundig Germany and is a licensee for Grundig AG shortwave radios in the North American markets, as well as certain markets outside of North America except EEC markets," explained a news release issued shortly after Grundig's April bankruptcy by the Palo Alto, California-based radio firm.
"Eton, as an independent company, will continue to supply products and fulfill all obligations to its customers as usual."
Eton won't just continue to sell Grundig-branded shortwave radios in North America, but it will likely also remain the continent's dominant player. Thanks to the business savvy of founder, president and CEO Esmail Hozour, Eton has transformed North America into "the one region in the world where Sony is not number one," said Larry Magne, editor-in-chief of Passport to World Band Radio.
The company "has taken the market, and walked away with it. They own North America, pure and simple," he said.
Radio powerhouse
Few would have foreseen Eton's rise to dominance 19 years ago, when Hozour founded the company under the name Lextronix.
"Our primary emphasis was to distribute Grundig-branded products," he said, "TVs, VCRs and some audio products including shortwave radios."
n general, Grundig products didn't sell in North America. They cost more than the competition's, without offering consumers clear reasons for paying extra. As a result, by 1990, Hozour decided to stop carrying Grundig video products and "instead concentrated 100 percent on our shortwave radios."
Why? It's a good question; by the mid-1980s, shortwave radio was viewed as a dying medium. It was the province of DXers - people who hunt for distant broadcasts, DX being an old Morse Code term for distant station reception - and other fringe hobbyists, not the general public. Small wonder that Zenith had exited the market and that Panasonic eventually pulled out in 1997.
Today, there are only three big names in shortwave radio manufacturing: Grundig, Sangean and Sony.
However, shortwave radio still commanded 600 million listeners worldwide, including North America. Moreover, there was a large, untapped market for shortwave radios among consumers who had vague romantic notions of pulling the BBC and Radio Moscow out of thin air but no clue about how to do it.
Why? It's a good question; by the mid-1980s, shortwave radio was viewed as a dying medium. It was the province of DXers - people who hunt for distant broadcasts, DX being an old Morse Code term for distant station reception - and other fringe hobbyists, not the general public. Small wonder that Zenith had exited the market and that Panasonic eventually pulled out in 1997.
Today, there are only three big names in shortwave radio manufacturing: Grundig, Sangean and Sony.
However, shortwave radio still commanded 600 million listeners worldwide, including North America. Moreover, there was a large, untapped market for shortwave radios among consumers who had vague romantic notions of pulling the BBC and Radio Moscow out of thin air but no clue about how to do it.
More important for Lextronix/Eton, shortwave radios offered fatter margins than most consumer electronics. The reason is mystique; consumers don't understand how shortwave radio works. As a result, they're willing to pay more for it.
"The margins in SW are incredible," Magne said. "Technology that you could charge $20-30 for in an AM/FM radio can easily be priced at $100-$200 in a shortwave radio, and people will happily pay for it."
Three-fold strategy
Of course, margins alone are useless if nobody buys your product. To make these margins matter, you've got to manufacture and sell in volume, a fact Esmail Hozour soon grasped.
To do this, he developed a three-pronged approach.
The first prong is "something for everyone." Eton has developed a wide range of SW radios, from the $29 Mini World 100 PE portable to the top-of-the-line $500 Satellit 800 digital receiver. The $79.95 Grundig P2000 is a sleek silver slab designed by Germany's F.A. Porsche. In contrast, the $149.95 retro-styled Grundig Classic 960 - a remake of the 1950s million-seller Grundig 960 - comes in a real wood, glass, cloth, and brass-trimmed case.
Right now, Eton's biggest seller is the homeland security-targeted Grundig FR200. For $39.95, the FR200 comes with AM/FM/SW, a built-in LED flashlight and a hand-cranked generator that tops up the set's rechargeable batteries. Despite its mock military styling, the FR200 is a solid performer with good audio, and even a SW fine-tuning dial.
Another prong is quality outsourcing; Eton says it has reduced costs by contracting production to offshore firms. "They are very reliable, and provide high-quality products," said Hozour.
The third prong is promotion. Eton's success is based on "marketing, marketing and marketing," Magne said, including large ads in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, plus radio and TV.
The result? "Through our intensive advertising, we generate 500 or more calls a day to our 800 number," Hozour said. "When they call, we send them a catalog. Based on the Zip code they give us, we refer them to a local dealer."
Magne said, "Hozour once did a marketing trial on CNN's FNN in 1989. He priced Satellite 650s, which normally cost $650, at $999.95 just to see if they would sell on TV. They did; hence the reason Hozour quickly grasped that shortwave could be a very lucrative business."
"The margins in SW are incredible," Magne said. "Technology that you could charge $20-30 for in an AM/FM radio can easily be priced at $100-$200 in a shortwave radio, and people will happily pay for it."
Three-fold strategy
Of course, margins alone are useless if nobody buys your product. To make these margins matter, you've got to manufacture and sell in volume, a fact Esmail Hozour soon grasped.
To do this, he developed a three-pronged approach.
The first prong is "something for everyone." Eton has developed a wide range of SW radios, from the $29 Mini World 100 PE portable to the top-of-the-line $500 Satellit 800 digital receiver. The $79.95 Grundig P2000 is a sleek silver slab designed by Germany's F.A. Porsche. In contrast, the $149.95 retro-styled Grundig Classic 960 - a remake of the 1950s million-seller Grundig 960 - comes in a real wood, glass, cloth, and brass-trimmed case.
Right now, Eton's biggest seller is the homeland security-targeted Grundig FR200. For $39.95, the FR200 comes with AM/FM/SW, a built-in LED flashlight and a hand-cranked generator that tops up the set's rechargeable batteries. Despite its mock military styling, the FR200 is a solid performer with good audio, and even a SW fine-tuning dial.
Another prong is quality outsourcing; Eton says it has reduced costs by contracting production to offshore firms. "They are very reliable, and provide high-quality products," said Hozour.
The third prong is promotion. Eton's success is based on "marketing, marketing and marketing," Magne said, including large ads in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, plus radio and TV.
The result? "Through our intensive advertising, we generate 500 or more calls a day to our 800 number," Hozour said. "When they call, we send them a catalog. Based on the Zip code they give us, we refer them to a local dealer."
Magne said, "Hozour once did a marketing trial on CNN's FNN in 1989. He priced Satellite 650s, which normally cost $650, at $999.95 just to see if they would sell on TV. They did; hence the reason Hozour quickly grasped that shortwave could be a very lucrative business."
Plans
With a solid grasp on the Grundig name and the North American market, Europe could be next on Eton's list. After all, "If our formula works so successfully in North America, which is the most competitive market in the world, it should work in Europe," Hozour said.
Time will tell if Eton will tackle Europe on its own or under the Grundig banner. Hozour isn't revealing his plans. However, the fact that his new Grundig S350 receiver box is labeled as being made by "Eton Corp./Grundig" may give some clue to Hozour's branding intentions.
With a solid grasp on the Grundig name and the North American market, Europe could be next on Eton's list. After all, "If our formula works so successfully in North America, which is the most competitive market in the world, it should work in Europe," Hozour said.
Time will tell if Eton will tackle Europe on its own or under the Grundig banner. Hozour isn't revealing his plans. However, the fact that his new Grundig S350 receiver box is labeled as being made by "Eton Corp./Grundig" may give some clue to Hozour's branding intentions.
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