McCormack Gets New Lease on Life
By Jon Iverson July 12, 1998 — Rumors began surfacing last month that McCormack Audio might be on the ropes. Long known for their value-oriented high-end products such as amps and preamps, the company had been struggling for the last couple of years (for reasons not connected with the quality of its products). But a savior has appeared that looks to put the company on a sure footing.

On Friday, July 10, the assets of McCormack Audio were purchased at an auction in Southern California on behalf of a new corporation, McCormack Audio Corporation of Virginia, in which Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson are shareholders. Conrad and Johnson are well known to audiophiles as the principals of audio hardware manufacturer Conrad-Johnson.

Included in the purchase are all physical assets, trademarks, and trade names. According to Lew Johnson, "products will be built and serviced under contract by Conrad-Johnson Design. The existence of significant inventories of parts and materials, and work in progress should make this possible. These products will be built to exactly the same specification as earlier production." He also stated that the new company will "maintain the existing distribution network as far as possible, both domestically and internationally. The company will also maintain a separate sales staff.

"I've always respected McCormack designs and want to preserve what they have, not impose Conrad-Johnson on it," said Johnson. "We believe that we can provide the financial and business stability necessary to achieve this end, and feel strongly that the brand deserves to survive in the marketplace. I'm really kind of excited---it's an interesting new challenge."

New Address: McCormack Audio, 2733 Merrilee Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. Phone:703-573-9665 fax:703-573-9667 Johnson can also be contacted by e-mail.