ACT Entertainment, an industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of live performance and music equipment, is celebrating its longevity in the music and live sound industry. Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the ProCo Sound brand and the 35th anniversary of Horizon, one half of the RapcoHorizon brand, the company spent time at the 2025 NAMM Show to pay homage to all the people and products that have influenced its steady growth in the industries it serves.
Though it was officially launched in 2021 with the combined rebranding of ACT Lighting and RHC Holdings, ACT Entertainment’s sales, support and manufacturing processes can be tracked as far back as 1974, to the introduction of ProCo Sound’s audio interface solutions.
“Many of our leading brands have been around for several decades, and we thought 2025 was the perfect time to recognize these milestones,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO, ACT Entertainment. “ACT itself was founded over 30 years ago (in 1993), and it wasn’t long before the brand became a powerhouse player in the lighting industry. Today, ACT Entertainment prides itself on the deeply rooted heritage of our legacy—partner and acquired brands alike.”
“As a streamlined organization, ACT Entertainment curates critical entertainment technologies and brings together a wide array of leading products and services to clients across multiple distinct markets,” the announcement states. In addition to ProCo Sound and RapcoHorizon, which formed in 1997 following Horizon’s merger with Rapco (founded in 1982), ACT’s Ultimate Support Systems brand was established in 1977 with the introduction of its original A-frame speaker stands.
ACT Entertainment’s AC Power Distribution brand was founded in 1991, while the Lava Cable brand was established in 2004. Additionally, its most recently acquired brands, tvONE, Green Hippo and Ambersphere, were established in 1984, 2000 and 2011, respectively.
ACT Entertainment also celebrated the longevity of its employees, many of whom have been with one or more of the company’s brands, across a wide array of roles, for decades. Included among these team members are Production Manager John Walter and Production Scheduling Manager Velvet Walter, who both joined in 1983; Senior Vice President of Marketing, Darius Seabaugh, who started in 1987; Director of Sales, Roger Blankenship, who joined in 1990; and Associate Director of Sales, James “Woody” Woodard, who started in 1992. This team has collectively provided more than 150 years of service to the company.
“We are proud to have the opportunity to celebrate all these long-term team members, especially in a time when it has become much less common to retain employees,” adds Saltzman. “Whether they have been with us for three months or three decades, we are grateful for the role each of the ACT Entertainment staffers play in the success of our business. We look forward to continuing to grow with each of them into the future.”
Team members with 20 or more years at ACT include Product Development/Prototype Machinist Jeff Brooks (1998); Operations Manager Tyler Barkwill (1998); and Vice President of Systems, Joshua Koehler (2000). Those who have been with the company for over a decade include Market Manager—Lighting, Ryan Hindinger (2007); Web Specialist Emily Williams (2008); Senior Credit Analyst Jennifer Preston (2010); Creative Specialist Robert Hill (2010); Inside Sales Representative Desiree Asanger (2013); Senior Buyer Linda Shepard (2013); and Creative Specialist Jordan Crites (2014). Creative Director Paul Nunn and the newly appointed Directory of Technical Services, Ryan Kanarek, will both celebrate their 10-year anniversary this year.
In addition to its manufactured brands, ACT Entertainment’s position in its markets is further enhanced by the brand it distributes across North America. Included among these are, most prominently, MA Lighting, which ACT began distributing in 1998 following the introduction of its grandMA console. Other partnerships include MDG, which ACT began distributing in 2006; Robert Juliat in 2014; Aytron in 2018; zactrack in 2019; and Visual Productions in 2023.
