Latin America. Although he considers it atypical, 2022 was a good year for Merlin Distributor, a company of Brazilian origin in recent years has increased its presence in the region with the regional representation of different brands.
Edson Marion, CEO of the company, told TVyVideo+Radio that "Last year was a somewhat atypical but very interesting year in which we faced many challenges from Merlin Distributor. On the one hand, the impact on the supply of products due to the lack of components marked a constant for most brands, on the other hand the reactivation of many of the projects that were dammed by the effect of the pandemic was noted. This forced us to take inventory risks to supply in the shortest possible time the high demand that increased as businesses were closed. As a result of all our efforts and support from the factories we distribute, we managed to have a significant double-digit growth in 2022, but not only that, but we recovered the level of sales prior to the pandemic".
The difficulties and limitations of recent years have led customers to reinvent themselves and make investments with limited resources in the broadcast segment. Edson Marion added that "decision makers are looking for quality and support with a shorter return on investment, and to be provided with ease of installation and use with less workload. We also noticed a very marked trend towards the adoption of PTZ cameras in the AV industry in collaborative spaces due to the continuity of remote or hybrid work in a broad spectrum of vertical segments such as education, churches, and the education sector."
Merlin's CEO noted that there is great enthusiasm for this 100th anniversary version of NAB. "We are confident that more customers will visit Las Vegas this year, eager to see firsthand the latest trends in the industry. We are at a point where manufacturers are once again beginning to have the ability to propose innovative solutions to meet new demands towards more collaborative and cost-efficient spaces."
Finally, on the expectations for 2023, he pointed out that consultative and project sales will continue to be fundamental for the growth of the business. "For this we have launched a strategic plan to support the channels and their development, which counts from the training and accompaniment of the different brands. We are sure it will be an excellent year where we will contribute to the growth of our business partners."
