A recent change in the management lineup has taken place at GatesAir, with the company announcing the appointment of industry veteran Bruce D. Swail as the next chief executive officer.
Swail comes to the position with 35 years of management experience in telecom and electronics, including tenures at US Robotics, Flextronics and Motorola; at the latter he managed businesses ranging in size from $30M to $1.5B.
He highlighted GatesAir’s emphasis on the domestic broadcast market. “Our first priority is to optimize the domestic repack business. Also, we’ll continue to grow and maintain or legacy product lines.”
The recent sale of its audio console/router product line, previously reported by Radio World, represents GatesAir sharpening its focus, he said.
“We’re known for our high-power transmitters, in both radio and TV. That’s something we’re very good at. This move shouldn’t be seen as a shift away from the spectrum of services that we offer to customers. Depending on the need, we can range from being an equipment vendor to provider of complete systems integration solutions.” GatesAir also recently created a dedicated organizational structure for its Intraplex business unit.
Swail isn’t too concerned about the threat of overseas competition, owing to the legacy position of GatesAir, which is noting its 95th anniversary in 2017. “This company has a long history in broadcasting, and has always been an innovator. All of our manufacturing is done within the U.S. We’re a strong supplier who is committed to the industry.”
Swail replaces Phil Argyris, who held leadership roles at GatesAir for 14 years. Argyris is retiring; GatesAir said he will remain with the company as long as necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
