Barchon (Belgium) and Iola (KS, USA), 20 January 2022/ CinemaNext, the European, Middle Eastern & African specialist in cinema exhibitor services, today announced that it has concluded a joint distribution partnership with Kansas-based Sonic Equipment Company (Sonic) and its companion business, Kneisley Manufacturing, to extend its services and solutions offer in North America.
Located in Iola, Kansas, Sonic Equipment Company is an industry leader in the sale, installation, and service of cinema equipment, providing services to major chains and independent exhibitors on over 1,200 screens in 35 U.S. states. Their programs include comprehensive equipping for new builds and remodels, onsite service and preventative maintenance, online and call center troubleshooting, and personalized training for theater management teams. Kneisley Manufacturing produces projector pedestals, self-service candy racks, and other cinema hardware.
“With this new partnership, we are moving forward with our strategic plan to provide North American exhibitors the same level of integrated solutions we offer their EMEA counterparts through CinemaNext,” explains Georges Garic, CEO of CinemaNext. “Sonic Equipment Company and its CEO Ron Hageman have been important actors in the successful digital roll-out in the US and enjoy an excellent reputation founded on quality and reliability. They are known for their strong position in the industry with their superior equipment solutions, from image & sound equipment to lobby signage, and integration, maintenance and network operations center (NOC) services.”
“We are excited to work with CinemaNext on this joint project to offer our customers a broader selection of services and solutions as well as unique products and concepts that forged its success in Europe such as its Sphera premium cinema concept,” adds Sonic CEO Ron Hageman.
With offices in 25 countries and over 13,000 screens installed globally to date, CinemaNext is the largest cinema exhibition services company in EMEA. It provides smart, comprehensive solutions across the board: projection equipment, audio systems, Sphera premium cinema concept, CinemaNext SHOP e-commerce, central systems, cinema outfitting and seating, content management, 3D projection systems & glasses, TMS, digital signage and screens. Customers enjoy the highest level of reliability and lowest cost of ownership through our various services: consulting, design & project management, equipment sales and financing, installation, maintenance, support (NOC), online monitoring, spares and consumables, service agreements and supply chain & logistics.