How did you get involved in the audio industry?
I studied electronics at college so that I could work in hi-fi and then began my working life as a 19 year old shop assistant at Guildford Hi-Fi in Guildford, Surrey. From my early teens I had had an interest in audio and bought my first deck and amp when I was 13. At Guildford Hi-Fi we sold top end equipment and were one of the early outlets for those now famous brands, Naim, Linn, Musical Fidelity and some of the more interesting speakers such as Gale, which were chrome at either end. It was here that I acquired listening skills that I have carried with me throughout my career and where I had my first experiences as a salesman.
In those days the Guildford area was fertile ground for developing bands and as the shop had a reputation for selling quality products, our clientele included people like Phil Collins, Mick Fleetwood and Paul Rodgers. The Guildford Civic Hall was a popular venue for bands at the time and I regularly went to concerts there. It was around this time that I knew I wanted to be involved somehow in the 'rock 'n' roll' industry - it just took me another 20 years to reach that goal.

Why did you make the switch from hi-fi to professional audio?
This was not actually a conscious decision but rather the outcome of a set of events. My grandfather had been manufacturing speakers and background music equipment for about 20 years when he died and I spent a couple of years in the business after his death. The opportunity then arose to set up a company to manufacture background music equipment in Devon, which is when I moved with my family to near Exeter.

How did MC2 come about?
In the late '80s the company in Devon was badly hit by the recession and I had to close it down. I started up again though, manufacturing in my garage at home with two or three of the lads who had worked with me before. We made good progress but it was a struggle.
Coincidentally Terry Clarke moved to the village where I live and our two daughters, aged about six at the time, became best friends at school. I met Terry for the first time at the school firework party and of course we got talking about what we each did for a living. Although his involvement had been in another side of the industry, I new what a highly respected designer Terry was through his work at Klark Teknik. He had been semi-retired for a few months and was already beginning to feel that he needed a project and he had some ideas about designs for amplifiers. We decided to set up MC2 Audio in about 1992 and the first amps were sold in 1994.

What has been the turning point for MC2?
Really the launch of the highly successful T Series gave a wider customer base access to the high standards of reliability and sonic quality that had been established with the MC range amps. Our name became more well known from that point and we now have a world wide customer base. As you know, we will be launching our switchmode amps, the E Series, at PLASA and I see this too as another turning point as it will open up the touring market to us.

What are you most proud of during your time in the audio industry?
I don't usually analyse things in terms of pride but I suppose I would have to say surviving the deep recession of the late '80s early '90s and learning from the experiences we all went through at that time.

Any products you wish you had been involved with?
I am very happy with the products we are making at MC2 Audio and now with Quested Monitoring Systems on board, I am involved with two of the top brands within their field, so I am very satisfied with that.

Do you have any mentors?
I can't say I really have any mentors but of course Terry's long experience in the pro audio industry has been invaluable to me and the company and I can now draw on Roger Quested's equally long experience.

What do you like/dislike about the industry?
There is generally a friendly and supportive relationship between us, our customers and in some ways with other manufacturers. People may move around but mainly seem to remain in the industry and you still see the same faces year after year at PLASA. I really don't think there is anything I don't like about the industry.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I reckon I have the best job in the world - I'm working in an industry which I have always wanted to be a part of, making two of the best products available. I get to travel to lovely places and my customers are amongst some of the nicest people I've met.

What does the future hold for the industry?
I think there is a good future ahead for the industry as the need for entertainment in its many forms shows no signs of fading. Small and medium size UK manufacturers will have to continue to be innovative and to produce quality products backed up with excellent customer care in order to compete with the bigger players.

What does the future hold for MC2 and Quested?
I think the future is very bright for us and now in particular it is very exciting. We have a lot to do to get Quested back up to the level it should be at as well as keeping MC2 Audio thinking of the future. I am lucky to be working with two greats in the industry, Terry and Roger.

How would you like to be remembered?
Just as part of a British manufacturing company that values high standards of production to make high end products that can compete and win in the highly competitive pro audio market.